SUNDANCE CHANNEL’S “MAN SHOPS GLOBE” SEASON 2

Sundance Channel’s original series “Man Shops Globe” returns for a second eight-episode season of international treasure-hunting on June 30.  Produced by World of Wonder (“Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys”, “Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood”), the series goes on the road with Keith Johnson, the buyer-at-large for the innovative specialty retailer Anthropologie.  Keith travels six months out of the year to find fantastic and unusual decorative objects, furniture, and textiles, both antique and new.  Each half-hour program follows Keith to a different country, where he visits all manner of shops, markets and studios and seeks out the world’s best artists and craftspeople.  Beginning June 30, new episodes of “Man Shops Globe” premiere every Wednesday night at 10:00pm et/pt. 

“Keith Johnson is an inspiring character, with a sharp ability to shape our culture’s taste.  He can spot design objects that the rest of us might overlook, and he can put things together in amazingly creative new ways – it’s a real art.  In ‘Man Shops Globe’ you get to go on a thrilling global journey with the coolest shopper imaginable,” comments Sarah Barnett, EVP and General Manager of Sundance Channel.   

Season 2 of “Man Shops Globe” chronicles a variety of expeditions, some of which have goals beyond the retail sphere.  In Scotland, for example, Keith goes hunting for items to be auctioned at a charity event for an animal rescue organization in Philadelphia.  In Cyprus, he helps a good friend pitch a book she is writing about Cypriot food and design, and in Italy he travels with a student from a Georgia design university that Anthropologie works with.  As always, Keith keeps interesting company on his buying trips: fashion designer Anna Sui accompanies him on his first exploratory jaunt to Syria; Australian home design expert Sibella Court lends her expertise as Keith puts together a showcase of Down Under décor; and female bullfighting aficionado Leticia Esponda helps Keith track down extraordinary iron artisans in Mexico.  

The schedule for Season 2 of “Man Shops Globe” is as follows:

Wednesday, June 30th at 10:00pm – “Man Shops Globe: Thailand” – Keith heads to Thailand in search of textiles for a new range of quilts.  The trip marks the first meeting between Keith and David Earp, a textile designer whose quilts are available at Anthropologie.  David is also the founder of the Calcutta-based charity Shuktara, which provides a home and care for children with disabilities, and the blankets he makes help support the organization.  For Keith, it’s all in a day’s work to sort through masses of textiles while keeping his eyes peeled for unique art and sculpture.  For David, however, the immersion in options takes some getting used to – and if he can’t decide they might not wrap up enough material to make the new quilts.  

Wednesday, July 7th at 10:00pm – “Man Shops Globe: Scotland” – Keith is off to Scotland to find objects and art to auction at a benefit he is planning.   Specifically, he’s looking for dog-related goods, whether it’s a depiction of a dog or an item a dog might use.  Aided by local guide John Finlayson, Keith finds several enthusiastic collaborators, such as artist Domenica More Gordon, who makes felt come to life. 

Wednesday, July 14th at 10:00pm – “Man Shops Globe: Australia” – Keith plans an Australian home design showcase for the Rockefeller Center store and gallery in New York City.  He heads to Sydney, Australia in search of new artists to feature in the show, and turns for advice to the woman who represents the best of contemporary Australian style: Sibella Court – interior designer, stylist and author.

Wednesday, July 21st at 10:00pm – “Man Shops Globe: Cyprus” – Keith travels to Cyprus to help a good friend, Helen Tsanos Sheinman, a philanthropist who is writing a book on Cypriot food and design.  With Helen’s cousin acting as their local guide, Keith and Helen explore the island, searching for items to create an immersive book pitch for Suzy Slesin – a veteran of The New York Times and House & Garden – in the form of an intimate Cypriot dinner.

Wednesday, July 28th at 10:00pm – “Man Shops Globe: Sweden” –Keith heads for Bergman country in search of modern Swedish ceramics for Anthropologie’s Kings Road Store in London.  His to-do list includes tracking down descendents of the renowned potters who helped make Sweden synonymous with ceramic art and innovation.  He’s also on the hunt for the innovators of the 21st Century, and he hits the jackpot when he meets two modern artists, both named Maria.  On the road, Keith stumbles across one of the most colorful characters he’s ever met – the Gnome Lady.

Wednesday, August 4th at 10:00pm – “Man Shops Globe: Italy” – Keith travels to Italy with a student from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).  The trip unfolds as a journey into contemporary Italian and European design, with guides including Alberto Alessi, the head of leading Italian product design firm Alessi; Vittorio Radici, the famed retail guru who engineered the dowdy-to-dynamic transformation of London department store Selfridge’s; and Rossana Orlandi, who spotlights exciting new design talent in her influential Milan store.

Wednesday, August 11th at 10:00pm – “Man Shops Globe: Mexico” – Keith travels to Mexico to scout for a new wave of iron-works, both art and furniture.  Accompanying him is celebrity interior designer Michael Smith, who is looking for items for his client’s new luxury retreat in Cabo San Lucas.  Helping them seek out Mexico’s iron artisans is Leticia Esponda, who is active in another Mexican tradition: bullfighting.

Wednesday, August 18th at 10:00pm – “Man Shops Globe: Syria” – Keith’s friend, fashion designer Anna Sui, is obsessed with Syrian design, thanks to a sister who has traveled there.  Now, Anna wants to go herself, with an eye towards finding traditional Syrian furniture, known for its patterned wood inlays.  So Keith and Anna jet off to Syria. 

About Sundance Channel

Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different.  Bold, imaginative and uncompromising, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries and original programs.  Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC.  Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression.  Sundance Channel’s website address is www.sundancechannel.com.

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