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.

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.