or


[11/02/05 - 12:00 AM]
Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul Ii to Air Thursday, DeC. 1 on the ABC Television Network as an "ABC Premiere Event"

[via press release from ABC]

�HAVE NO FEAR: THE LIFE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II� TO AIR THURSDAY, DEC. 1 ON THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK AS AN �ABC PREMIERE EVENT�

Telefilm, Which Stars Thomas Kretschmann (�The Pianist�) as the Pope, Bruno Ganz (�Wings of Desire�) and Joaquim de Almeida (�24�), Will Also Air in Spanish via SAP

The much-anticipated new telefilm, �Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II,� will air as an �ABC Premiere Event� with Spanish audio via SAP, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Thomas Kretschmann (�The Pianist,� �King Kong�) stars as Pope John Paul II, portraying this extraordinary man over the course of 60 years. Bruno Ganz (�Wings of Desire�) stars as Cardinal Wyszynski, the Primate of Poland, and Joaquim de Almeida (�24�) portrays Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was brutally murdered during the Pope�s reign. Lorenzo Minoli and Judd Parkin, Emmy-nominated executive producers of the acclaimed telefilms �Jesus� and �Nicholas� Gift,� have teamed again to produce this original movie for television. The project was shot on location in Rome and Lithuania.

In this dramatization, viewers will see, for the first time, not only the spiritual leader�s remarkable public life on the world stage, but also the very intimate moments that epitomized his great humanity -- his passions, regrets, frustrations, triumphs and sorrows. Born in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland, Karol �Lolek� Wojtyla was a bright, deeply faithful youth who loved theatre and school, but suffered the loss of his parents and only sibling before he reached adulthood. During World War II, he saw the deportation of Jewish childhood friends, which had a lasting effect on him and shaped his views on Fascism and anti-Semitism. In defiance of the German occupation, he staged his own political plays while risking his life, secretly studying at seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1946, and his great intellect impressed his superiors; he was made a bishop in Poland at just 38 years old, the youngest bishop in the country. Cardinal Wyszynski (portrayed by Bruno Ganz), the head of the Polish Church, was initially skeptical of this young intellectual, but the man who would become Pope proved to be Poland�s strongest ally in the fight against Communism and helped give rise to the Solidarity movement. Wojtyla worked hand in hand with the beloved Cardinal throughout his life.

Wojtyla�s ascendancy through the Church hierarchy was rapid. He participated in Vatican II, rising to Archbishop, then Cardinal. After the death of Pope John Paul I, who was only leader for 33 days, he was elected to become Pope, the first ever from Poland and the youngest appointed in over 100 years. A man of great intellectual and physical vigor, he survived an assassination attempt and later met with his attacker in prison, pardoning the man. The Pope championed causes thought to be liberal and conservative -- asking forgiveness for the Church�s missteps through history, while upholding the Church�s traditional stances on the right to life, homosexuality and the ordination of women. He traveled the world more than any of his predecessors, preaching the faith and spreading a message of love to millions at a time. During his last decade, he battled numerous health issues and grappled with the sex scandals involving American priests, all while ushering the Church into the New Millennium.

Thomas Kretschmann and Bruno Ganz were most recently seen in the independent film �Downfall,� which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. In addition Kretchsmann has a major role in the upcoming feature film, �King Kong,� which reunites him with his co-star from �The Pianist,� Adrien Brody.

Other cast members include Jasper Harris as Karol Wojtyla (boy), Ignas Survila as Karol Wojtyla (teenager), John Albasiny as Father Dziwisz, Paulius Ignatavicius as Edmund Wojtyla, Inga Sakalauskait� as Emilia (Karol�s mother), Petar Goranov as Karol�s father, Roland Oliver as Archbishop Sapieha, Richard Rees as General Jaruzelski, Charles Kay as Pope Paul VI, Joaquim de Almeida as Archbishishop Romero and Sabrina Javor as Ginka (at 20).

�Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II� was written by Michael Hirst (�Elizabeth�) and Judd Parkin. Jeff Bleckner (�The Beach Boys: An American Family,� �Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story�) directs. The production company is Five Mile River Films.

This film will air with Spanish audio via SAP. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.





  [november 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· 24 (FOX)
· BEACH BOYS: AN AMERICAN FAMILY, THE (ABC)
· HAVE NO FEAR: THE LIFE OF POPE PAUL II (ABC)
· JESUS (CBS)





[10/24/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Announces "Hollywood Arts," A Brand-New Spinoff of Hit Live-Action, "Victorious," with Daniella Monet Returning as Star and Executive Producer
The series is set to debut on Netflix in 2026, followed by releases on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

[10/24/25 - 07:14 AM]
FOX Sports Readies for Major League Baseball's 121st World Series Presented by Capital One
Action leads off Friday, October 24, between the National League and current reigning World champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League champion Toronto Blue Jays from Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Denver singles shake up their search for "the one" and step into the pods, braving twists, turns and love triangles to find their soulmate sight unseen.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Experience the Family, the Fun, and the Fantastic! Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Lands Exclusively on Disney+ November 5
Continuing the celebration of Marvel's First Family, the announcement was made live from SpaceCon 2025 in San Antonio, where The Fantastic Four: First Steps Immersive Pop-Up Experience invites attendees to step inside the iconic Baxter Building.

[10/24/25 - 06:00 AM]
The CW Network and Xfinity Celebrate 11 Years of the NASCAR Xfinity Series by Presenting the Third Stage of the Championship Race Commercial-Free
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, November 1, the commercial-free stage presented by Xfinity was created to thank the loyal race fans who have supported the NASCAR Xfinity Series for more than a decade - helping the series grow through their unwavering enthusiasm, increased viewership, and continued trackside attendance.

[10/23/25 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "As You Stood By" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When two women plot to end an abusive marriage through murder, an unexpected visitor arrives - threatening to shatter everything they've carefully planned.

[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 02:28 PM]
The 305 Just Got Hotter: "Love & Hip Hop: Miami" Moves to BET Season 7 Premieres Tuesday, November 4 at 8 PM ET/PT
The upcoming seventh season dives deeper than ever into Miami's thriving entertainment scene, following a cast of stars who are rebuilding, rebranding, and redefining success in real time.

[10/23/25 - 01:30 PM]
Critically Acclaimed Noir Thriller, "Dark Winds," to Return to AMC and AMC+ Sunday, February 15
The series' gripping fourth season focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.

[10/23/25 - 12:01 PM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror Film "A Demon's Revenge"
In the film, following the bloodshed in Belize, Peaches, played by Jhoné Lucas, delves deeper into Caribbean folklore and the terrifying truth that lurks beneath.

[10/23/25 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Acquires Equity Stake in Chain, Forging Strategic Partnership with Experiential Food Phenomenon Co-Founded by B.J. Novak
Included in the investment is a first look development deal through Chain Media.

[10/23/25 - 11:28 AM]
"High Potential" Rises to Season High as Show Nears Fall Finale
ABC's popular drama rose to a multiplatform season high in Total Viewers (12.50 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.31 rating) after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.

[10/23/25 - 11:13 AM]
USA Network Renews "The Rainmaker" for Second Season
Across the first nine premiere episodes of the season, "The Rainmaker" has averaged 1.3 million total viewers.

[10/23/25 - 11:06 AM]
Global Box Office Sensation "Wicked" Arrives Nov. 19 on NBC
The NBC telecast of "Wicked" leads up to the November 21 premiere of "Wicked: For Good," the epic finale to the global cultural phenomenon.

[10/23/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Releases Official Trailer for New Documentary "My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story"
The powerful two-part documentary premieres Thursday, November 13, exclusively on Paramount+.