USA NETWORK ANNOUNCES A SLATE OF REALITY SERIES INCLUDING PILOT PICK-UP OF “BRIDE OR BEST MAN” TO JOIN MARK BURNETT PROJECT AND THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED ‘THE CHOIR’ AND ‘THE MOMENT’

NEW YORK – May 17, 2012 – USA Network is extending its audience reach by diving into the reality genre with the pilot pick-up of BRIDE OR BEST MAN (working title) from Shed Media. In addition, ROMANCING THE GLOBE, a new relationship series is in development from acclaimed executive producer Mark Burnett. The slate also includes two previously announced projects – the pilot for THE CHOIR, and the recently greenlit series THE MOMENT. This announcement was made today by USA Co-Presidents Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel.

“As we move into the world of reality programming, we’re staying true to our brand DNA by focusing on real life characters that are every bit as fascinating, inspirational and entertaining as our scripted ones,” said McCumber and Wachtel. “These unscripted series let us welcome characters of all types, which will continue to broaden our appeal to audiences.”

USA’s upcoming reality slate includes:

BRIDE OR BEST MAN (working title) – A “bromantic comedy” with a twist, this series highlights a trip down the aisle that goes completely wrong when the Groom and his Best Man are left in charge of planning the ‘big day.’ Shed Media produces.

ROMANCING THE GLOBE – A new spin on the relationship format, this series takes participants on a globe-trotting search for love that leads to the potential of ultimate betrayal. Executive produced by acclaimed executive producer Mark Burnett and his One Three Media.

Previously announced projects:

THE CHOIR – Series follows accomplished UK choirmaster Gareth Malone as he embraces various American communities and assembles a choir made up of the most unexpected mix of individuals. Malone believes in the transformative power of music and uses choirs as a way to bring people together, raise morale, and restore a sense of pride in community. The journey is both comedic and emotional with each episode culminating in an orchestrated choir performance. Malone began his career leading choirs for the London Symphony Orchestra and since then, has gone on to win an International Emmy and numerous BAFTAs as well as recently having an album top the UK pop charts. Shed Media produces.

THE MOMENT – Each week the show’s host, Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner, will give someone a second chance to pursue the career they’ve always wanted. From race car driving to orchestra conducting to deep sea diving, everyday people will leave behind the comforts of home and leap into a whirlwind of training under the expert guidance of world-class mentors who will help them prepare for the audition of a lifetime. If they succeed, they will either accept the job that will change their lives forever – or return to their loved ones, realizing that they’ve been living the dream all along. Warner has had an equally triumphant personal story, famously going from bagging groceries to being named Super Bowl MVP in just 18 months. Justin Hochberg and Charlie Ebersol of The Hochberg Ebersol Company (THE Company) produce.

For gallery and episodic photos of all USA projects, please log on to the NBC Universal Media Village at http://www.nbcumv.com/.

WWE® MONDAY NIGHT RAW® EXPANDS TO THREE ELECTRIFYING HOURS LAUCHING WITH THE 1,000th EPISODE, JULY 23 ON USA NETWORK

NEW YORK – May 17, 2012 – WWE Superstar John Cena® announced via Twitter today that WWE Monday Night Raw will expand to a three-hour event 52 weeks a year. The extended telecast will kick-off July 23 at 8/7C on USA Network and marks the 1000^th episode of the WWE Raw franchise and a television record – no other series has ever reached this milestone. The announcement was tweeted today by Cena (the No. 1 most influential male athlete on Twitter last month) during USA’s upfront presentation in New York City. The move firmly put WWE’s stake in the ground as one of the most powerful social brands in the world and an integral part of USA Network’s social media initiative.

“The WWE Universe is one of the most socially active and passionate fan bases in all of television,” said Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel, co-presidents USA Network. “The powerful three-hour block of live TV truly makes USA the year-round destination for young male viewers on Monday nights.”

“WWE is proud to celebrate this historic milestone with our partners at USA Network,” said WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. “Our new three-hour Raw represents the next generation in interactive television where our fans won’t just watch the show, they will help create it.”

The expanded WWE Monday Night Raw will transform television to an unprecedented level of viewer interaction. Fans will have new ways to get involved in the show through WWE.com and social media by deciding matches, stipulations and new character development. WWE will brand this unprecedented fan interaction as “#RAWactive.”

The #1 network in all of basic cable, USA Network is seen in 115 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals including POLITICAL ANIMALS, SUITS, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, WHITE COLLAR, ROYAL PAINS, BURN NOTICE, PSYCH, COVERT AFFAIRS, COMMON LAW, FAIRLY LEGAL and IN PLAIN SIGHT. The network offers 52 weeks of spectacular live television with WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 600 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo. Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

USA NETWORK PUSHES INTO NEW GENRE WITH REALITY SERIES “THE MOMENT”

HOSTED BY NFL SUPER BOWL MVP KURT WARNER

 

NEW YORK – January 25, 2012 – On the heels of an unprecedented sixth straight win as the #1 cable destination, and fulfilling its promise to kickstart its entry into the world of reality programming, USA Network announced today the pickup of the original reality series THE MOMENT (working title). The 9-episode series, set to premiere third quarter, will be executive produced by Charlie Ebersol and Justin Hochberg and hosted by NFL Star and Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner. The announcement was made today by USA Co-Presidents Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel.

Warner famously went from bagging groceries to being named Super Bowl MVP in just 18 months. In THE MOMENT, Warner takes men and women on a life-changing journey by giving them a second chance at reclaiming the career dreams that they put on hold when their lives took an unexpected turn.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Charlie, Justin and Kurt on such an aspirational project,” said Wachtel and McCumber. “From the first moments of their pitch, we knew they were onto something that wasn’t just the right creative fit for the brand, but was also a fresh take on personal and inspirational storytelling.”

“Everyone has a ‘what-if’ moment in their life — a decision or path they could have taken – but rarely do they get a second chance to explore what could have been,” said Justin Hochberg and Charlie Ebersol, Co-Founders, The Hochberg Ebersol Company. “We created a format that taps into this emotion, and proved so powerful that it attracted Kurt Warner – the guy who got his own second chance – to his first reality hosting gig. USA is the ideal network for this innovative brand of reality entertainment.”

Each week, someone will be secretly nominated by a loved one and surprised by our host with an unbelievable offer: the opportunity to pick up where they left off and pursue the career they’ve always wanted. From race car driving to orchestra conducting to deep sea diving, they will leave behind the comforts of home and leap into a whirlwind of training under the expert guidance of a world-class mentor who will help them prepare for the audition of a lifetime. But if they succeed, will they accept the job and change their and their family’s life forever – or will they realize that they’ve been living their dream life all along, and go back home to their loved ones?

The Hochberg Ebersol Company (THE Company) was founded by entertainment industry veteran Justin Hochberg and television/film producer Charlie Ebersol. THE Company creates, packages and produces groundbreaking programming in the unscripted, multi-camera comedy, docu-series, and competition formats, for a range of leading broadcast and cable networks. THE Company also operates a full-service branded entertainment agency. Its clients have included “Shaq Vs.,” Dick Clark Productions and “Hell’s Kitchen” for Fox. THE Company also operates its own in-house post facilities, which includes CGI capabilities. THE Company is represented by MIchael Kagan at ICM and Bill Abrams of Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, LLP.

USA is currently the home to ten original scripted series: BURN NOTICE, COVERT AFFAIRS, FAIRLY LEGAL, IN PLAIN SIGHT, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, PSYCH, ROYAL PAINS, SUITS, WHITE COLLAR and will launch its newest original series, COMMON LAW, this summer.

USA NETWORK SETS LAUNCH DATE FOR NEW ORIGINAL SERIES “COMMON LAW” THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 AT 10/9C ALONG WITH RETURNS OF “WHITE COLLAR” AND “ROYAL PAINS”

COMMON LAW Stars Michael Ealy, Warren Kole, Jack McGee and Sonya Walger

WHITE COLLAR Returns Tuesday, January 17 at 10/9c

ROYAL PAINS Returns on Wednesday, January 18 at 10/9C

NEW YORK – November 29, 2011 – USA Network today announces the January premiere dates for the new original series COMMON LAW on Thursday, January 26 at 10/9c and returning original favorites WHITE COLLAR on Tuesday, January 17 at 10/9c and ROYAL PAINS on Wednesday, January 18 at 10/9c.

The new original series COMMON LAW kicks into high gear when two cops discover they have one problem – each other. Despite their differences, they are still the best detectives on the force but when things come to a head on the eve of their “seven-year itch,” their captain forces them into couples’ therapy to save their “marriage.” The 12-episode one-hour series stars Michael Ealy (“The Good Wife,” “Californication”), Warren Kole (“The Chicago Code,” “24”), Jack McGee (“The Fighter,” “Rescue Me”) and Sonya Walger (“Lost,” “In Treatment”) and is currently in production in New Orleans.

Travis Marks (Michael Ealy) and Wes Mitchell (Warren Kole) are a pair of odd couple detectives who are incredible at what they love most – enforcing the law. The duo has a seven-year track record as the LAPD’s finest in the Robbery-Homicide Division. As their constant bickering begins to have a major impact on their work, their new-age captain (Jack McGee) sends them to couples’ therapy to bring back the flame in their “work marriage.” Tough-as-nails therapist Dr. Ryan (Sonya Walger) is brought in to help them understand and resolve their conflicts and confront their demons in order to enhance their ability to work together solving crimes.

As Dr. Ryan explores their relationship, we find out these two are birds of a feather professionally, and their personal differences actually balance them out. Wes is a former lawyer whose sensitivity to an event in his life sparked his desire to become a cop but sacrificed his marriage in the process. He sees things in black and white, is responsible, compulsively organized, methodical and often over thinks decisions. Travis is a former juvenile delinquent and a maverick ladies man who has a fear of abandonment, commitment and intimacy. While he’s an open book and deeply trusts his gut instincts, he’s carefree, irresponsible, disorganized and doesn’t play by the rules. We soon learn that a successful relationship or partnership doesn’t mean you have to like the same things; you just have to hate the same things and sometimes that makes for a stronger union.

COMMON LAW is from CBS Television Studios and Junction Entertainment, and is executive produced and written by Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley (“National Treasure,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle”). Jon Turteltaub (“Jericho,” “National Treasure”) and Craig Sweeny (“Medium,” “The 4400”) are executive producers. Dan Shotz and Karim Zreik (“Harper’s Island,” “Jericho”) of Junction Entertainment serve as co-executive producers. The pilot was directed by Turteltaub.

Season three of WHITE COLLAR returns from its summer cliffhanger for its winter premiere of six edge-of-your seat episodes starring Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Tiffani Thiessen, Willie Garson, Marsha Thomason, Hilarie Burton and Sharif Atkins. In the shocking summer finale, Peter Burke’s (DeKay) world crumbled to pieces when he found out Neal (Bomer) was in possession of the stolen Nazi treasure and his wife Elizabeth (Thiessen) was kidnapped because of it. Now with an uncertain future and both his personal and professional life at stake, what will Peter do? What has happened to Elizabeth? And will Neal choose a side? The upcoming second half of the third season features the directorial debut of series star DeKay and appearances by guest stars including Joe Manganiello, Dylan Baker, Beau Bridges, Tom Skerritt, Hal Ozsan, Ross McCall, Diahann Carroll, Elizabeth Gillies, Graham Phillips, Lola Glaudini, Will Chase, Murphy Guyer, Tom Degnan, Bailey Chase and Debra Monk.

In WHITE COLLAR’s third season, charming con man Neal Caffrey uses his talents to keep everyone guessing as to which side he’s really on. When love interest and insurance investigator Sara Ellis (Burton) finds out Neal and Mozzie (Garson) have the stolen treasure, she walks away and Neal is forced to figure out if his relationships are more important than the life of a criminal. WHITE COLLAR was created by and is executive produced by Jeff Eastin and comes from Fox Television Studios. Mark Goffman is an executive producer and Jeff King is a co-executive producer. The series, which averaged 5.7 million total viewers this summer, has already been green lit for a fourth season to start production in New York in early 2012.

The network’s highest rated series ROYAL PAINS, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo and Reshma Shetty, returns with six new episodes with a season finale that will have viewers and fans on the edge of their seats. In the summer cliffhanger, Hank attended to an unconscious Eric Kassabian (guest star Wilmer Valderrama) who appeared to have been given the wrong medicine by Dr. Van Dyke (guest star Kyle Howard) and Divya (Shetty). When the series picks up, HankMed is in danger of losing his first patient as Kassabian’s life hangs in the balance. Things in the Hamptons get even more tense as Divya juggles two jobs; Evan (Costanzo) works to fit into his fiancée’s complicated family life and Jill (Flint) continues to hide Divya’s work secret. Golden Globe nominee Tom Cavanagh returns with an award-worthy performance in a multi-episode story arc as Jack O’Malley, professional golfer and HankMed client. Recurring on the series are Campbell Scott as Boris, and Brooke D’Orsay as Paige, Kyle Howard as Dr. Van Dyke and Joanna Garcia Swisher as Dr. Nina Greene.

ROYAL PAINS averaged more than 7 million viewers this summer and has been renewed for a fourth season, to begin production in the spring. The series is executive produced by Andrew Lenchewski and Michael Rauch, as well as Rich Frank, Paul Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz from Prospect Park. The series is is produced by Universal Cable Productions and is filmed entirely in New York, including Brooklyn, Long Island, as well as in and around the Hamptons.

USA, poised to win its sixth consecutive year as the #1 cable network, is currently the home to ten original scripted series: BURN NOTICE, COMMON LAW, COVERT AFFAIRS, FAIRLY LEGAL, IN PLAIN SIGHT, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, PSYCH, ROYAL PAINS, SUITS and WHITE COLLAR and recently announced three pilot pickups. THE UNTITLED DOUGLAS MCGRATH PROJECT, a half-hour comedy pilot from Universal Cable Productions, will star Nathan Lane, Cheyenne Jackson, Ken Jenkins, Caroline Rhea, Laura Bell Bundy and Richard Kohnke. Douglas McGrath will write, direct and executive produce the pilot and Lane will also executive produce. PAGING DR. FREED is a half-hour comedy pilot from Fox 21 and Universal Cable Productions. Michael Feldman will write and executive produce with Katy McCaffrey and Brad Johnson serving as producers. And the drama pilot THE UNTITLED JEFF EASTIN PROJECT from Fox Television Studios and executive producer Jeff Eastin (WHITE COLLAR) starring Aaron Tveit and Vanessa Ferlito.

USA WELCOMES THE FALL SEASON WITH PROGRAMS THAT HONOR, EXCITE AND ENTERTAIN

Two Events to Commemorate the 10th Anniversary of 9/11:
THE SPACE BETWEEN starring Academy Award-Winner Melissa Leo and
The Academy Award-Winning Documentary Short TWIN TOWERS

Season Six of PSYCH Premieres Wednesday, October 12

COVERT AFFAIRS and BURN NOTICE Return with All-New Episodes
on Tuesday, November 1 and Thursday, November 3

NEW YORK – August 22, 2011 – USA Network dominated the television landscape all summer, and this fall, the network will continue to deliver high-quality programming. In September, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11, USA will present two world television premieres, the USA original movie THE SPACE BETWEEN followed by the Academy Award®-winning short subject documentary TWIN TOWERS. October will feature the USA launch of season six of the hit original series PSYCH, and in November, two of summer’s biggest hits, BURN NOTICE and COVERT AFFAIRS, will continue their fifth and second seasons respectively on Tuesday, November 1 and Thursday, November 3 with all-new episodes.

On Sunday, September 11, starting at 9/8c, USA will premiere a commercial-free, back-to-back presentation of THE SPACE BETWEEN starring Oscar® and Golden Globe®-winning actress Melissa Leo (“The Fighter,” “Mildred Pierce,” “Frozen River”), and the Academy Award®-winning documentary short TWIN TOWERS at 10:21pm, produced by Emmy Award®-winning producer Dick Wolf and Peter Jankowski of the long-running “Law & Order” franchise. Both films are part of USA’s Characters Unite public service campaign to combat intolerance and discrimination.

In THE SPACE BETWEEN, Montine McLeod (Leo), a lonely flight attendant, and Omar Hassan (Anthony Keyvan, “Lost,” “iCarly”), a 10-year-old Pakistani-American boy, are on a plane that is grounded in Longview, TX, on the morning of 9/11/01. When Montine discovers that Omar’s father (Phillip Rhys) works in the World Trade Center she is forced to drive the boy back home to his uncertain future in New York City. As they journey across America’s vast heartland in the hours and days immediately following the terrorist attacks, Montine and Omar help each other discover the importance of tolerance, redemption, acceptance and hope.

TWIN TOWERS is an Academy Award®-winning short film, directed by Bill Guttentag and Robert David Port, that shares the true story of the profound courage of two brothers, a New York City policeman and fireman. The footage, originally shot for a Dick Wolf reality pilot about a New York City police squad, became the basis for the powerful documentary. The film was awarded an Oscar® for Best Documentary Short Subject in 2002.

Fan favorite and USA’s longest running original series on-air, PSYCH returns for its sixth season on Wednesday, October 12 at 10/9c featuring all-new episodes of Santa Barbara’s favorite crime psychic team. PSYCH follows the adventures of young police consultant, Shawn Spencer (James Roday), who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute the precinct detectives think he’s psychic – at least that’s what he lets them believe. Spencer is joined by his best friend and reluctant sidekick, Gus (Dulé Hill), and his disapproving father (Corbin Bernsen), who ironically was the one who honed his son’s “observation” skills as a child. This season, will Shawn pop the question to Juliet? Will Gus finally get a girlfriend? PSYCH co-stars Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson and Kirsten Nelson. Guest stars this season include William Shatner, Kristy Swanson, Corey Feldman, Malcolm McDowell, Joey McIntyre, Molly Ringwald, Danny Glover and Wade Boggs. PSYCH is executive produced by Steve Franks, Kelly Kulchak and Chris Henze, from Universal Cable Productions in association with Tagline Pictures. Mel Damski serves as executive producer/director. Bill Callahan is executive producer. Saladin K. Patterson and Andy Berman are co-executive producers/writers. Todd Harthan is consulting producer.

The second half of the sophomore season of COVERT AFFAIRS premieres Tuesday, November 1 at 10/9c with six all-new episodes. The series stars Golden Globe®-nominated Piper Perabo as Annie Walker, a young CIA operative whose exceptional linguistic skills make her invaluable to the Agency. The summer’s mid-season finale was left with Annie finally forced to confess the truth of her job to her sister, Danielle (Anne Dudek), forever changing the balance of their relationship and threatening Annie’s hope of living a “pseudo-normal” personal life outside the agency. With Jai’s (Sendhil Ramamurthy) position in the DPD in flux, we’re left to question where his true loyalties lie. As the season returns, Annie continues to transform into a seasoned operative with more high-octane adventures spanning the globe. The series also stars Christopher Gorham, Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher. Guest stars include Oded Fehr, Gregory Itzin, Devin Kelly and Santiago Cabrera. From Universal Cable Productions, COVERT AFFAIRS is executive produced by Doug Liman and David Bartis through Hypnotic and written and executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord.

BURN NOTICE turns up the heat this fall with the remaining six episodes of the fifth season, starting Thursday, November 3 at 10/9c. The hit series stars Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen, a blacklisted spy banished to sun-soaked Miami. As Michael continues working alongside his former agency, will he finally find the answers he’s been looking for? Helping him along the way are his beautifully hot-tempered, on-again girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar); our favorite Mojito-loving retired Navy Seal, Sam (Bruce Campbell); and Miami’s newest counterintelligence expert, Jesse Porter (Coby Bell). Michael’s sharp-tongued mother Madeline (Emmy® Award-winner Sharon Gless) also returns, ready to heat up South Beach. Guest stars include Lauren Stamile, Jere Burns, Indigo, Andre Holland, Ian Anthony Dale, Carlo Gallo and Ptolemy Slocum. From Fox Television Studios and Fuse Entertainment, BURN NOTICE was created and is written and executive produced by Matt Nix. Alfredo Barrios and Mikkel Bondesen also serve as executive producers.

USA NETWORK ORDERS SEASON TWO OF HIT ORIGINAL SERIES “SUITS”

Most Watched Show in its Timeslot, #1 in All Key Demos

SUITS Stars Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Gina Torres,

Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle and Sarah Rafferty

NEW YORK – August 11, 2011 – Coming off its biggest summer ever dominating the television landscape with a record number of scripted originals and a firm hold on the #1 position in cable, USA Network today announced the season two pick up of the new hit original series SUITS with an order of 16 one-hour episodes. The series, which shoots in Toronto, stars Gabriel Macht (“Love and Other Drugs”), Patrick J. Adams (“Lost”), Rick Hoffman (“Samantha Who”), Gina Torres (“Firefly”), Sarah Rafferty (“Brothers & Sisters”) and Meghan Markle (“CSI Miami”). The announcement was made today by Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel, co-presidents, USA Network.

SUITS launched on Thursday, June 23 at 10/9c and will conclude its 12 episode freshman run with the season finale on Thursday, September 8 at 10/9c. The series has made USA the most watched network Thursdays in the 10pm hour in all of television – broadcast or cable – in delivering P18-49, P25-54, and P18-34, beating every cable competitor in total viewers and households, as well. SUITS is one of the network’s top ranked freshman seasons of an original series in P25-54 (2.93 million), P18-49 (2.80 million), P18-34 (1.24 million) and total viewers (6.34 million).

“SUITS exceeded our expectations on every level with its sharp writing, engaging ensemble cast and incredible production values,” said Wachtel and McCumber. “Quickly embraced by our viewers, critics and the industry as a series that pushes the envelope of the USA brand, we needed no further evidence to greenlight a second season.”

SUITS delves into the fast-paced, high-stakes world of a top Manhattan corporate law firm where hotshot associate Harvey Specter (Macht) makes a risky move by hiring Mike Ross (Adams), a brilliant but unmotivated college dropout, as his new associate. As he becomes enmeshed in this unfamiliar world, Mike relies heavily on the firm’s best paralegal Rachel (Markle) and Harvey’s no-nonsense assistant Donna (Rafferty) to help him serve justice. With a photographic memory and the street smarts of a hustler, Mike proves to be a legal prodigy despite the absence of bonafide legal credentials. Proving to be an irrepressible duo and invaluable to the practice, Mike and Harvey must keep their secret from everyone including managing partner Jessica (Torres) and Harvey’s arch nemesis Louis (Hoffman), who seems intent on making Mike’s life as difficult as possible.

From Universal Cable Productions, creator Aaron Korsh wrote the pilot and serves as co-executive producer of SUITS. The series is executive produced by Doug Liman (COVERT AFFAIRS, the “Bourne” trilogy, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) and David Bartis (COVERT AFFAIRS, “The O.C.,”) of Hypnotic with Gene Klein (COVERT AFFAIRS) serving as producer. Kevin Bray (“Walking Tall”) is supervising producer and directed the pilot. SUITS is shot on location in Toronto, ON.

USA NETWORK RETURNS TO COMIC-CON® ON JULY 21 WITH CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED ORIGINAL SERIES “COVERT AFFAIRS” AND “PSYCH” PLUS “BURN NOTICE: THE FALL OF SAM AXE”

Back-to-Back Panels Feature Entire casts of COVERT AFFAIRS and PSYCH;
BURN NOTICE’s Bruce Campbell and Matt Nix to discuss series and prequel film

LOS ANGELES – July 7, 2011 – USA, which just celebrated its 20th consecutive quarterly win as the #1 entertainment cable network and is currently dominating summer’s television landscape with a record number of original hits, returns to Comic-Con® for the third year in a row with talent and creators from three of its critically acclaimed and top rated shows – COVERT AFFAIRS, PSYCH and BURN NOTICE. USA panels will take place as Comic-Con kicks off on Thursday, July 21, 2011.

Making its debut at Comic-Con® is the entire cast of COVERT AFFAIRS, with a panel moderated by guest star Oded Fehr. COVERT AFFAIRS, which returned in June for its sophomore season, stars Golden Globe®-nominated Piper Perabo as Annie Walker, a young CIA operativewhose exceptional linguistic skills make her invaluable to the Agency in missions that span the globe. The panel will also include ChristopherGorham, who stars as a blind tech ops agent and Annie’s agency confidant; Sendhil Ramamurthy, second generation agency man, Jai Wilcox, who’s intentions withAnnie remain unclear; Kari Matchett, who plays Joan Annie’s no-nonsense manager and wife to Aurthur Campbell, the Director of Clandestine Services, played by Peter Gallagher; and Anne Dudek, Annie’s reliable older sister who has no idea what she really does for a living. From Universal Cable Productions, COVERT AFFAIRS is executive produced by Doug Liman and David Bartis through Hypnotic, and created and executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord, who will be in attendance, as well.

PSYCH, USA’s current longest running hit series, returns to Comic-Con® with a panel moderated by guest Kurt Fuller, known to fans as “Woody The Coroner.” The entire main cast will take part in the panel including James Roday, who stars as Shawn Spencer, solving crimes for the Santa Barbara police department in his own special way; DuléHill who co-stars as Shawn’s best friend and reluctant sidekick Gus; CorbinBernsen as Shawn’s disapproving father; and Maggie Lawson and Timothy Omundson who play the police detectives O’Hara and Lassiter who unwillingly rely on Shawn’s psychic skills, along with the police chief Vick played by Kirsten Nelson. Joining the panel will be creator and executive producer Steve Franks and executive producers Chris Henke and Kelly Kulchak. PSYCH returns for its sixth season on USA this Fall.

Also returning to Comic-Con® is one of the convention favorites, BURN NOTICE, with Bruce Campbell, and executive producer Matt Nix with a panel to recap of the series’ signature movie, BURN NOTICE: THE FALL OF SAM AXE, coming to Blu-ray and DVD July 26. The prequel film to USA’s smash hit series takes place in Columbia 2005 when Lieutenant Commander Sam Axe (Campbell) is sent to advise a local military platoon. It’s there he discovers deep layers of deception and ultimately realizes he may be allied with the wrong side. Shot on location in Bogota, Columbia, the two-hour movie is directed by BURN NOTICE star Jeffrey Donovan. BURN NOTICE: THE FALL OF SAM AXE also stars Ron Reaco Lee, Kiele Sanchez , John Diehl and Chandra West. The prequel is written and executive produced by BURN NOTICE creator Matt Nix. Donovan and Campbell also serve as executive producers on the Fox Television Studios project alongside the show’s Mikkel Bondesen. Comic-con attendees can purchase advance copies of the Blu-ray or DVD at the Fox booth #4313.

USA NETWORK AND CAPITAL ONE PARTNER ON SECOND SEASON OF HIT SERIES “COVERT AFFAIRS”

Capital One Re-Teams with USA Giving Viewers On-Air and Interactive Online Experience
with Double Rewards

NEW YORK – July 6, 2011 – USA Network and Capital One announced today the next chapter in their long history of partnerships, this time focused on promoting the Capital One Venture Card during the second season of USA’s hit series COVERT AFFAIRS. USA is integrating Capital One’s brand on-air and in original digital content. The on-air offering includes a sponsorship of two custom Character Builder vignettes featuring Christopher Gorham (who plays Auggie Anderson) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (who plays Jai Wilcox) speaking to the world in which their CIA characters work and play. The online extension features a digital hub in which USA provides fans with a centralized place to not only interact with the program, but learn more about what they need for their own spy travel.

“As viewing habits continue to fragment, USA is constantly innovating new ways for our partners to engage with our series and fans across multiple screens,” said Alexandra Shapiro, senior vice president, brand marketing and digital, USA. “Capital One’s Venture Card double miles theme and promotions dovetail perfectly with both the viewing habits of our audience as well as our globe-trotting COVERT AFFAIRS agents who film on location through the globe.”

“We are excited about working with USA and COVERT AFFAIRS as we have found the perfect way to illustrate the benefits of the Capital One Venture Card,” said Marc Mentry, managing vice president, advertising and sponsorships for Capital One. “In fact, Auggie Anderson and Jai Wilcox both exemplify the perfect travel experts, who like our card members, are never barred by blackout dates or expirations.”

The Character Builder vignettes are also featured within The Spy’s Guide to Travel, created and designed specifically for Capital One. The section features travel tips, must-have accessories and vacation destinations that only a spy would love as well as vital necessities such as the best credit card to have in your wallet: Capital One’s Venture Card. Located on usanetwork.com, The Spy’s Guide to Travel will inform and reward fans with double points that can be redeemed for real and virtual prizes in COVERT AFFAIRS’ popular online affinity program, Covert Operatives. There is also a co-branded canvas element with video and links back to the customized elements.

Beginning Tuesday, June 28 (and continuing through the remainder of the season), Capital One and USA invited viewers to join the online conversation through Character Chatter, USA’s innovative social platform that funnels live feeds from all social communication portals, and streams them online during the original episode.

The marketing campaign culminates with Capital One’s sponsorship of the COVERT AFFAIRS summer season finale on Tuesday, August 9, when Capital One will be the exclusive financial category marketing partner for the concluding episode.

The sophomore season of COVERT AFFAIRS stars Golden Globe®-nominated Piper Perabo as Annie Walker, a young CIA operative whose exceptional linguistic skills make her invaluable to the Agency in missions that span the globe. While she’s quickly becoming a seasoned field operative, Annie’s career continues to intrude on her personal life as she strives to balance a “pseudo-normal” life with her high-octane adventures as a covert operative. The series also stars Christopher Gorham, Peter Gallagher, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Kari Matchett and Anne Dudek. From Universal Cable Productions, COVERT AFFAIRS is executive produced by Doug Liman and David Bartis through Hypnotic and written and executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord.

USA NETWORK GIVES SECOND SEASON PICK UP FOR “FAIRLY LEGAL”

#1 New Scripted Series on Cable in 2011

Stars Sarah Shahi, Michael Trucco, Virginia Williams and Baron Vaughn

FAIRLY LEGAL -- Season:1 -- Pictured: Sarah Shahi as Kate Reed -- Photo by: Frank Ockenfels 3/USA Network

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – May 2, 2011 – Heading into this year’s Upfront with a summer slate of nine original series, USA Network today announced the official season two order of the hit original series FAIRLY LEGAL. FAIRLY LEGAL was the top new series of the year among P25-54 and top new drama in P18-49, averaging 4.6 million total viewers. Production on 13 new episodes will begin late summer 2011 to air first quarter 2012. The announcement was made today by Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel, co-presidents, USA Network.

 

FAIRLY LEGAL, shot on location in Vancouver, BC, stars Sarah Shahi (“Life,” “The L Word”) Michael Trucco (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Castle”), Virginia Williams (“Revenge of the Bridesmaids,” “How I Met Your Mother”) and Baron Vaughn (“The Other Guys,” “Law & Order”).

 

“As Sarah’s character Kate Reed would say, this is a ‘win-win’ for USA,” said McCumber. “The show offers a completely fresh twist on the genre that audiences love. There was no conflict in our decision to bring it back for a sophomore season!”

“There’s no question in our mind that Sarah Shahi is a breakout star,” said Wachtel. “Beyond the success of its first season, FAIRLY LEGAL is a show that we believe has significant creative and commercial upside.

FAIRLY LEGAL centers on Kate Reed (Shahi), a top litigator fed up with the endless bureaucracy and daily injustices of the system, who takes a hard turn to become the ultimate anti-lawyer. Using her legal savvy, street smarts and pull-no-punches approach to resolving conflict, Kate finds the middle ground for a wide variety of adversaries, from Fortune 500 corporations to bitter divorcees. FAIRLY LEGAL also stars Virginia Williams as Kate’s stepmother Lauren Reed, Michael Trucco as her ex-husband Justin Patrick and her geek-chic, trusted assistant Leonardo Prince, played by Baron Vaughn.

 

From Universal Cable Productions, FAIRLY LEGAL is created and executive produced by Michael Sardo (“The American Embassy,” “Wings”) and executive produced by Steve Stark. Russ Bucholz serves as co-executive producer.

SUMMER BELONGS TO USA STRONGEST LINEUP EVER FOR THE NETWORK WITH NINE ORIGINAL SERIES

USA owns Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday Nights This Summer

Two New Original Series, SUITS and NECESSARY ROUGHNESS,
Premiere Thursday, June 23 and Wednesday, June 29 at 10/9c

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – April 11, 2011 – USA Network brings you its biggest summer ever with powerful weeknight blocks of nine original series. Two of summer’s hottest hits, WHITE COLLAR and COVERT AFFAIRS, kick it off with the return of all new seasons on Tuesday, June 7 at 9/8c and 10/9c, respectively. Next up, BURN NOTICE returns for a sizzling fifth season, followed by the much-anticipated new series launch of SUITS (fka A LEGAL MIND), premiering Thursday, June 23 at 9/8c and 10/9c, respectively. June ends with the hit series ROYAL PAINS leading into another new show launch, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, on Wednesday, June 29 at 9/8c and 10/9c, respectively. Also continuing into summer, Monday nights are marked with high-powered octane with WWE TOUGH ENOUGH at 8/7c, followed by WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW at 9/8c. Sundays continue to share the love with back-to-back episodes LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT and IN PLAIN SIGHT at 9/8c and 10/9c, respectively.

One of television’s hottest shows, WHITE COLLAR focuses on the most unlikely of partnerships between a con artist (Matt Bomer) and an FBI agent (Tim DeKay). The critically acclaimed drama returns for season three with more intrigue, more passion and more excitement. The series also stars Tiffani Thiessen, Willie Garson, Sharif Atkins and Marsha Thomason. Additionally, joining the cast as a series regular this season is Hilarie Burton (“One Tree Hill”), who guest starred in a sexy arc for several episodes in season two, as Neal Caffrey’s (Bomer) love interest, Sarah Ellis. WHITE COLLAR was created and is executive produced by Jeff Eastin and comes from Fox Television Studios. Mark Goffman is executive producer and Jeff King serves as co-executive producer. The show is shot entirely in and around New York City. WHITE COLLAR premieres Tuesday, June 7 at 9/8c.

The highly-anticipated sophomore season of COVERT AFFAIRS stars Golden Globe®-nominated Piper Perabo as Annie Walker, a young CIA operative whose exceptional linguistic skills make her invaluable to the Agency in missions that span the globe. Annie’s career continues to intrude on her personal life as she strives to balance “pseudo-normal” life with her high-octane adventures as a covert operative. The series also stars Christopher Gorham, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Kari Matchett and Anne Dudek. Peter Gallagher, who guest starred last season as the CIA’s director of Clandestine Services, Arthur Campbell, joins the cast as a series regular this season. From Universal Cable Productions, COVERT AFFAIRS is executive produced by Doug Liman and David Bartis through Hypnotic and written and co-executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord. COVERT AFFAIRS premieres Tuesday, June 7 at 10/9c.

Summer heats up with the fifth season premiere of BURN NOTICE starring Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen, a blacklisted spy who finds himself stranded in sun-soaked Miami. Has Michael finally found his way back into the CIA? Will he return to Miami? Can he and Miami’s new counterintelligence expert, Jesse Garcia (Coby Bell), co-exist? Also heating up South Beach are Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), the beautiful ex-IRA operative and Michael’s ex-girlfriend; Sam (Bruce Campbell), our favorite washed-up military intelligence muscle; and Michael’s mother (Emmy Award-winner Sharon Gless), who is one tough cookie herself. BURN NOTICE premieres Thursday, June 23 at 9/8c.

SUITS (fka A LEGAL MIND) will launch its freshman season with stars Gabriel Macht (“Love and Other Drugs,” “Whiteout”), as one of Manhattan’s top corporate lawyers sets out to recruit a new hotshot associate and hires the only guy that impresses him – Patrick J. Adams (“Lost,” “Friday Night Lights”), as Mike Ross, a brilliant but unmotivated college dropout. Though he isn’t actually a lawyer, this legal prodigy has the book smarts of a Harvard law grad and the street smarts of a hustler. However, in order to serve justice and save their jobs, both these unconventional thinkers must continue the charade. The series also stars Meghan Markle (“CSI Miami,” “Fringe”), Gina Torres (“Gossip Girl,” “Huge”) and Rick Hoffman (“Samantha Who,” “Knight Rider”). From Universal Cable Productions, SUITS is executive produced Doug Liman (COVERT AFFAIRS, the “Bourne” trilogy, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “The O.C.”) and David Bartis (COVERT AFFAIRS, “The O.C.,” “The Heist”) of Hypnotic. Creator Aaron Korsh (“The Deep End”) wrote the pilot and serves as co-executive producer and Gene Klein serves as producer. SUITS will premiere Thursday, June 23 at 10/9c.

Summer favorite ROYAL PAINS returns for a third season with Mark Feuerstein starring as Dr. Hank Lawson, the go to “doctor for hire” in The Hamptons. The series also stars Paulo Costanzo, Reshma Shetty and Jill Flint, with television royalty Henry Winkler, Christine Ebersol, Brooke D’Orsay and Rupak Ginn recur on the series. Hank, along with his team – his brother and CEO of Hank Med, Evan (Costanzo), his physician’s assistant, Divya (Shetty) and the head of administration at the local hospital, Jill (Flint) – treat a variety of fascinating patients in unusual situations, for which only the pretentious Hamptons could provide the backdrop. This season will set off a number of start off prompting many questions: will Hank and Jill rekindle their relationship? Will Divya and Raj (Ginn) survive the plague scare and break off their marriage? What will become of Eddie (Winkler) now that the government has sentenced him to prison, is there a wealthy Baron that will help him out of this situation? From Universal Cable Productions, ROYAL PAINS is written and executive produced by Andrew Lenchewski. Michael Rauch also serves as executive producer along with Rich Frank, Paul Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz from Prospect Park. Christine Sacani and John Rogers serve as co-executive producers. ROYAL PAINS premieres Wednesday, June 29 at 9/8c.

NECESSARY ROUGHNESS focuses on a tough, sexy Long Island divorcee Callie Thorne (“Rescue Me,” “Californication”) who gets a job as therapist for a professional football team in order to make ends meet. Underestimated at every turn, she succeeds beyond all expectations and soon finds herself as the sought-after therapist to high-profile clients. Athletes, musicians, politicians and others living in the spotlight – all in a moment of crisis – clamor for her unique brand of tough love therapy. As a newly single mom raising two teenagers, her start-up practice wreaks havoc on her life. But recognizing that she’s changing people’s lives for the better, she is determined to make her new career work by striking a balance between her personal and professional worlds. The show also stars Marc Blucas (“Buffy, The Vampire Slayer,” “Knight and Day”), Mehcad Brooks (“True Blood,” “The Deep End”) and Scott Cohen (“Gilmore Girls,” “NYPD Blue”). Created by writers and co-executive producers Liz Kruger & Craig Shapiro (“Miami Medical,” “The Challenge”) along with supervising producers Donna Dannenfelser and Joe Sabatino. Kevin Dowling (“Sons of Tucson”) directed the pilot and also serves as executive producer. Inspired by a true story, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS is a Sony Pictures Television and Universal Cable Productions co-production. NECESSARY ROUGHNESS will premiere this June on USA.

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