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2 • September 4 - 10, 2016 • Brainerd Dispatch By Cassie Dresch TV Media W hen you think of Harley-David- son motorcycles, what springs to mind? Powerful, durable and loud? Beards and leather? What about a game-changing, boundary- pushing dream that started in a small shed in Milwaukee, sprouting from the minds of two close-knit schoolyard pals? That's where Discovery is taking viewers — on a journey back in time to the turn of the 20th century, when Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson took an idea and built it into the legendary product we know today. The premiere of the three-part event series "Harley and the Davidsons" airs Monday, Sept. 5, on the cabler, with the final two installments running Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 6 and 7. Starring Robert Aramayo ("Game of Thrones") and Bug Hall ("The Lit- tle Rascals," 1994) as Bill and Arthur, respectively, "Harley and the David- sons" is based on a true story — one that makes for compelling TV, even if you're not a motorcycle afi- cionado. Two pals embark on a risky adventure, go up against seemingly insurmountable odds (and tough competition), and fight and claw their way to success and recogni- tion. In this case, we know the out- come — Harley-Davidson has been around for more than 100 years, and has grown into a way of life for gen- erations. But, as Aramayo and Hall told TV Media during a roundtable inter- view, the focus isn't just on motorcy- cles. "This story is about people," Aramayo said. "It's about the devel- opment of a motorcycle, but it's also about the people who created it." "At the end of the day, nobody ac- tually watches a show about motor- cycles, they watch a show about people," Hall added. "In real life, these guys had a great love for each other, and their story as human be- ings was just exceptional, and that's what's really appealing about this." Michiel Huisman ("Game of Thrones") rounds out the big three as Arthur's older brother, Walter Da- vidson, who was also a company founder. Walter was the daredevil of the bunch, but with Arthur's sales- manship and Bill's creativity, they grew to be an unstoppable and in- separable team — which is some- thing that Hall said also happened among the three actors. "I can say with absolute certainty that, in 25 years of doing this job, I've never been as close with anybody as I was with Rob and Michiel," said Hall. "We had a name we called ourselves, the Bottom Button Brothers, because Arthur, Bill and all those guys in the photographs always had their bot- tom button buttoned on their suit jackets. We really, really care about each other, and I think that translates on the screen as well." For Aramayo, the connection with Hall was practically instantaneous and mirrored the story "Harley and the Davidsons" is looking to tell. "What was so enjoyable for me was the way in which things developed [with Hall]," he said, "because it seems similar to the timeline that we were portraying. Me and Bug struck up very immediately an in- stant friendship, and I think that was lovely, but it was also very useful when telling the beginnings of the [show's] story because it's two young lads in Milwaukee who get one another into trouble." Of course, it can't be all fun and games for the three young Wiscon- sinites — there's always some sort of adversity lurking around the cor- ner. Whether it's proving the critics wrong, going up against a big-name corporation that already has a strong foothold in the motorbike market or facing the dangers that motorbike racing and mo- tordromes inherently pose, Ar- thur, Bill and Walter ultimately have to lean on each other to ensure their budding business survives. The boys also have to lean on a few other friendly (and some not- so-friendly) faces in "Harley and the Davidsons." British actor Daniel Coonan ("EastEnders") stars in the miniseries as William "Big Bill" Da- vidson, the eldest brother and final founding member of Harley-David- son. Annie Read ("Cherry Red Kiss," 2014) plays the eventual Mrs. Har- ley, Caroline Jachthuber, and new- comer Essa O'Shea stars as Clara Beisel, Arthur's future wife. Gabriel Luna ("Wicked City") also appears in the miniseries as Eddie Hasha, a motorcycle racer also known as the Texas Cyclone who rides on an Indi- an bike, a Harley-Davidson archrival. So many different things come to mind when you think of an iconic brand like Harley-Davidson. Wheth- er you think of its cultural impact, its classic design or its legion of dedi- cated fans, it always comes back to one thing: motorcycles. The compa- ny's humble beginnings, rich history and longevity make for a great story, especially on the small screen, but you don't have to be a part of biker culture to enjoy Discovery's latest offering. "You don't have to know any- thing about Harley-Davidson to watch the show," Ara- mayo said. "This is a story about adversity, this is a sto- ry about creation, and this is a story about people and families." Catch the premiere of the three- part special event series "Harley and the Davidsons" when it airs Mon- day, Sept. 5, on Discovery. Bug Hall, Annie Read and Robert Aramayo in a scene from "Harley and the Davidsons" Biker beginnings Discovery miniseries shines light on the men behind Harley-Davidson Cover Story this week Kinship Partners Inc. Match of the Month For more information about Kinship Partners, call (218) 829-4606 or visit www.kinshippartners.org Be a Friend. Be a Mentor. Photo donated by Mike Aulie at Sother's Studio WHY NOT START YOUR OWN FRIENDSHIP JOURNEY? Kinship Partners is proud to honor Kevin Martini and Owen Schmidt of Ironton as its newest Match of the Month. 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