USA NETWORK LAUNCHES NEW SEASONS OF “LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT” AND “IN PLAIN SIGHT” PREMIERING SUNDAY, MAY 1
February 3, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe Reprise their Beloved Roles in LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT for its Tenth and Final Season
New In Plain Sight Showrunners Ed Decter and John Strauss
NEW YORK – February 3, 2011 – USA Network, the #1 network in 2010 for an unprecedented five consecutive years running, is kicking off its spring lineup with two of its popular original series, LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT and IN PLAIN SIGHT. LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT returns for its final season with eight all new episodes and IN PLAIN SIGHT will air its fourth season with 13 episodes. Both will premiere on Sunday, May 1, at 9/8c and 10/9c, respectively.
The final season of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT features the long-anticipated return of Detectives Goren (D’Onofrio) and Eames (Erbe) to the Major Case Squad. Terminated for insubordination a year ago, Detective Robert Goren has been reunited with his long-time partner Alex Eames at the behest of new Major Case Captain William Hannah, a friend of Goren’s since Academy days. In addition to plunging into colorful, dangerous mysteries, Goren has mandatory sessions with brilliant police psychologist Robyn Widrow that will ultimately help him unravel his tortured past, and to chart a course in the right direction. Each week, viewers will be taken through sizzling, sexy episodes of murder and provocative themes, such as: a beautiful female banker whose sole client was the Catholic Church; an adventuresome rogue who may be the country’s best cyber-warrior; a woman who was blackmailing a wealthy, tabloid-fodder “bad boy.”
LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT had a strong ninth season, delivering 3.60 million total viewers to the series on Tuesdays in 2010. LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT is produced by Wolf Films and Universal Cable Productions. The series was created by Emmy Award-winning producer Dick Wolf, who also executive produces, and was developed by René Balcer. Shot entirely in and around New York City, the third installment of the “Law & Order” franchise takes viewers deep into the minds of its criminals while following the intense psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve its crimes.
IN PLAIN SIGHT stars Mary McCormack as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal working in the highly secretive branch of the witness protection program (WITSEC), who relocates Federal Witnesses, most of whom fall into three categories: career criminals, whistle-blowers or innocents who had the misfortune of witnessing a crime. They all have one thing in common – someone wants them dead. Mary’s job is to see that doesn’t happen, while at the same time attempting to manage her own dysfunctional family. IN PLAIN SIGHT also stars Frederick Weller, Nichole Hiltz and Paul Ben-Victor. Guest stars for season four include Josh Malina, Bradley Whitford, Rachel Boston, John de Lancie and Ali Marsh, among others. In the upcoming season, Marshall (Weller) will have a new love interest (Boston); Brandi (Hiltz) gets engaged to Peter (Malina), and Mary reluctantly helps plan the wedding.
IN PLAIN SIGHT debuted as the #1 new series on cable in 2008 and was the #1 cable drama Wednesdays in 2010. IN PLAIN SIGHT is produced by Universal Cable Productions and is filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Executive producers for season four are Ed Decter and John Strauss.
USA NETWORK ORDERS “WWE TOUGH ENOUGH”
January 4, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
LOS ANGELES, CA –January 3, 2011 – USA Network has given a ten episode order to “WWE TOUGH ENOUGH,” a non-scripted series in collaboration with World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and Shed Media US. “WWE TOUGH ENOUGH,” slated to debut April 4, 2011, will feature a group of twelve individuals looking for an once-in-a-lifetime shot to become the next WWE Superstar or Diva. The grand prize winner will be awarded a contract with WWE, joining its roster of talent.
“WWE TOUGH ENOUGH” will premiere at 11/10c the day after WrestleMania® XXVII and immediately following USA’s ratings juggernaut “WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW®.” It will then move to its regularly scheduled slot, Mondays at 8/7c, starting on April 11th.
“We’re thrilled to tag team with the WWE in bringing TOUGH ENOUGH back to television,” said Chris McCumber, evp marketing, digital and brand strategy, USA Network and Jeff Wachtel, president original programming USA Network & co-head, original content, Universal Cable Productions. “By focusing on both the physical and the performance challenges of becoming a Superstar, the show will shine a new light on what it takes to truly make your mark in the WWE universe.”
“For years, the return of `TOUGH ENOUGH has been one of the most talked about and speculated topics amongst reality show fans and television industry insiders,” said Kevin Dunn, Executive Vice President, Television Production, WWE. “With the combined promotional muscle of USA Network and WWE, the right time slot and the reality show experience of Shed Media, WWE is looking forward to the successful return of one of television’s first reality show hits.”
The diverse group of men and women will live and train together in a house in Los Angeles. To see who has what it takes to be the next WWE Superstar or Diva, the contestants will battle it out each week in a series of unique challenges designed to test for such characteristics as showmanship, creativity, athleticism and desire, just to name a few. Each episode will feature a current WWE Superstar, who will introduce the contenders to a quality that they must possess to make it to the top of the sports entertainment world. Along the way, viewers will witness the trials and tribulations of what it takes to be one of the best in the world’s greatest sports entertainment organization.
Each episode will conclude with the elimination of one of the hopefuls who is left outside of the ring, while those that remain will move one step closer to their dream. In the final episode, the remaining contestants will battle it out for the grand prize.
Shed Media US, noted for its strong characters and memorable casting in the non-scripted arena, will produce WWE TOUGH ENOUGH. The company’s previous reality credits include “The Real Housewives of New York City,” “Who Do You Think You Are,” “World’s Strictest Parents.” Producing for Shed Media US are Alex Demyanenko and Eric Van Wagenen.
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 98.5 millionU.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired televisionseries and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., 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, PG content across all of its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Mexico City. Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (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/.
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USA’S “ROYAL PAINS” AND “BURN NOTICE” RETURN TO HEAT UP THURSDAY NIGHTS ON JUNE 3
April 2, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
LAST SUMMER’S HOTTEST HITS ARE BACK!
USA’S “ROYAL PAINS” AND “BURN NOTICE” RETURN TO HEAT UP THURSDAY NIGHTS ON JUNE 3
USA’s Characters Continue to Team Up and Fill the Weekday Grid
with the Coolest Shows on Television – Broadcast OR Cable
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – April 1, 2010 – Two of the hottest shows on television return in exciting form to kick off the summer weekday block of USA original series! Last summer’s biggest hit and #1 new show of 2009, ROYAL PAINS, and the #1 cable show of 2009 and #1 series on cable in 1Q10, BURN NOTICE, return on THURSDAY, JUNE 3 at 9/8c and 10/9c only on USA Network.
Delivering this year for the first time a powerful weekday block of originals, USA is poised to repeat summer domination starting with ROYAL PAINS and BURN NOTICE in June, with WHITE COLLAR, PSYCH and the highly anticipated COVERT AFFAIRS series premiere bowing in July. Appetizing USA audiences with spring offerings and continuing through mid-summer, LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT and IN PLAIN SIGHT kicked-off their respective seasons earlier this week.
ROYAL PAINS stars Mark Feuerstein as Hank Lawson who, after becoming blacklisted from the medical community, revives his career as a “doctor for hire” to the rich, famous and infamous in the Hamptons. In addition to his wealthy patients, Hank treats the town’s less fortunate, and finds himself walking the line between doing well for himself and doing good for others. The show also stars Paulo Costanzo, Reshma Shetty and Jill Flint. Henry Winkler (“Arrested Development”) joins the cast for season two as Eddie R. Lawson, Hank and Evan’s father. ROYAL PAINS is executive produced Michael Rauch as well as by Rich Frank, Paul Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz from Prospect Park and written and executive produced by Andrew Lenchewski. Christine Sacani and John Rogers serve as co-executive producers. The series is produced by Universal Cable Productions.
Proving again that USA continues to deliver record-breaking ratings, ROYAL PAINS launched as the top-ranked new series in cable history, delivering more P25-54, P18-49, P18-34, and total viewers than the freshman year of any other scripted series in history. It was the #1 new original series of the year, ranking second to BURN NOTICE, for P25-54 (3.56 million), P18-49 (3.15 million). ROYAL PAINS also came in second among total viewers (7.47 million) and households (5.29 million).
BURN NOTICE, the sexy smash hit, stars Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen, a blacklisted spy who finds himself stranded in sun-soaked Miami, returns in June with all-new episodes. The action-packed season four commences with a new counterintelligence expert, Jesse Garcia, played by Coby Bell (“Third Watch”), who loves to fight bad guys just as much as Michael does. Heating up the night with our hot undercover agent are Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), the beautiful ex-IRA operative and ex-girlfriend of Michael; 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 was created and is written and executive produced by Matt Nix. Mikkel Bondesen and Jeff Freilich also serve as executive producers. The series comes from Fox Television Studios and Fuse Entertainment.
BURN NOTICE, cable’s #1 program in 2009, kept up the heat in 1Q10 as the #1 series on cable, delivering more P25-54, total viewers and households than any other cable original series. It was also the top scripted series among P18-49. The winter season premiere was the quarter’s #1 scripted telecast among P25-54 and P18-49.
For photos of ROYAL PAINS and BURN NOTICE, as well as all USA Network projects, please log on to the NBC Universal Media Village at http://www.nbcumv.com.
For more information on ROYAL PAINS and BURN NOTICE, including press kit materials, screeners, clips and photos, log on to the USA digital press site at http://www.usanetwork.com/press/royalpains or http://www.usanetwork.com/press/burnnotice.
Password: characters
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 98.5 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
