UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - June 9, 2010 - NBC will kick off television's biggest night with the "62nd Primetime Emmy® Awards Red Carpet Special," a live one-hour event co-hosted by Billy Bush, Maria Menounos ("Access Hollywood") and Nate Berkus ("The Nate Berkus Show") on Sunday, August 29 (4-5 p.m. PT, 7-8 p.m. ET). The "62nd Primetime Emmy® Awards," hosted by Jimmy Fallon ("Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"), will air immediately following the red carpet special live coast-to-coast on NBC (5-8 p.m. PT, 8-11 p.m. ET).
Broadcasting live from the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles, the evening will feature more stars, fashion and glamour than ever before in this year's Emmy® telecast. Nominees, presenters and special guests will interact with the red carpet co-hosts and special segments will be highlighted throughout the hour.
The "62nd Primetime Emmy® Awards Red Carpet Special," will be executive produced by Rob K. Silverstein ("Access Hollywood"). The special will be directed by Stephanie Medina (AMC's "Sunday Morning Shootout").
"We plan on bringing the same energy, enthusiasm, passion and smarts to the red carpet that we bring to ‘Access Hollywood' every day," said Silverstein. "The viewers can expect surprises galore, with fashion and style coverage done the ‘Access' way."
Billy Bush is the anchor for "Access Hollywood" and also hosts nationally syndicated radio's "The Billy Bush Show." Bush has covered and hosted red carpet events including the Academy® Awards, Golden Globes® and Emmy® Awards.
Maria Menounos is a special correspondent for "Access Hollywood" and serves as West Coast Contributor for "Today." She has co-hosted red carpet events including the Academy Awards® and Emmy® live pre-shows.
Joining the "Access Hollywood" team is New York Times best-selling author Nate Berkus, whose daily talk show, "The Nate Berkus Show," will premiere this fall. Berkus garnered national attention for his regular appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" as a featured design expert.
"All of these new series have demonstrated increasing popularity and generated
far-reaching interest among viewers," said Telegdy. "Equally important, each has
a compelling and innovative format, and a second season will allow these shows
to grow creatively and attract an even wider audience."
From executive producer Jerry Seinfeld, "The Marriage Ref" is delivering a 3.0
rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 7.2 million viewers overall to date in its
Thursday 10 p.m. ET slot in "most current" figures from Nielsen Media Research.
"The Marriage Ref" is averaging a 93 percent retention of its lead-in from "30
Rock" in 18-49 and is up 7 percent versus that lead-in in total viewers.
"Marriage Ref" has also consistently over-delivered in key upscale demos,
currently ranking in the top 10 among all primetime network series in its
concentration of homes with $100K+ incomes in its adult 18-49 audience.
The competition series "Minute to Win It" hosted by Guy Fieri is averaging a 2.0
rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 6.0 million viewers overall in "most
current" results for its regular Sunday telecasts to date. Those "Minute To Win
It" Sunday editions have been building from half-hour to half-hour by an average
of 29 percent in 18-49 rating and 25 percent in total viewers. A "Minute To Win
It" encore also ran in the 8 p.m. ET hour on Wednesday of last week and finished
#2 among the major networks in the time period in adults 18-49 and total
viewers.
"Who Do You Think You Are?" from executive producer Lisa Kudrow is averaging a
1.6 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 6.8 million viewers overall in "most
current" results for its season thus far. In preliminary results for last
Friday, "Who Do You Think You Are?" won the 8-9 p.m. ET hour in adults 18-49,
marking the first time any regular competitor in this slot has beaten an
original episode of CBS's "Ghost Whisperer" in 18-49 rating since November 17,
2006. "Who Do You Think You Are?" has improved the time period by 23 percent in
adult 18-49 rating versus NBC's average for the traditional 2008-09 season in
"live plus same day" results.
"The Marriage Ref" is NBC's new comedy panel series about the unpredictable and
hilarious institution commonly known as marriage. The series features
comedian/actor Tom Papa, who was personally selected by Seinfeld to host and
serve as the "marriage ref." Seinfeld has appeared in several episodes and other
celebrity participants to date have included Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and Tracy
Morgan (NBC's "30 Rock"), Madonna, Larry David, Ricky Gervais, Eva Longoria
Parker, Jason Alexander and Kelly Ripa.
"The Marriage Ref" is produced by Seinfeld's Columbus 81 Productions and Ellen
Rakieten Entertainment. Seinfeld, Ellen Rakieten ("The Oprah Winfrey Show"),
Shed Media's Nick Emmerson ("Supernanny") and Jennifer O'Connell ("Supernanny"),
Al Berman ("The Biggest Loser Live Finale," "The Celebrity Apprentice Live
Finale"), Howard West ("Seinfeld"), George Shapiro ("Seinfeld") and Jessica
Seinfeld serve as executive producers. International distribution is by Endemol.
"Who Do You Think You Are?" gives viewers an up-close and personal look inside
the family history of some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities. Among
the celebrities featured this season are Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike
Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields and Emmitt Smith.
Ancestry.com is currently NBC's official partner on the series.
"Who Do You Think You Are?" is produced by Wall to Wall productions (a Shed
Media company) in association with Is Or Isn't Entertainment. Alex Graham from
Wall to Wall, and Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky from Is or Isn't Entertainment,
are the executive producers. The unique, award-winning series is based on the
popular BBC television documentary series created and executive-produced by
Graham.
All-American chef and television personality Guy Fieri ("Diners, Drive-Ins and
Dives") hosts NBC's competition series "Minute to Win It." Fieri serves as
master of ceremonies and leads competitors through a series of simple, yet
nerve-wracking games that can reward them a $1 million prize. In each episode,
competitors will face 10 challenges that escalate in level of difficulty using
everyday household items. At various points throughout the game, the contestant
can walk away with the money earned up to that point -- but it takes nerves of
steel to win $1 million.
"Minute to Win It" is produced by Universal Media Studios with Friday TV. Craig
Plestis, Tim Puntillo (NBC's "Identity"), Mattias Olsson and Jock Millgardh
serve as executive producers.
Casting producers are looking for outgoing and charismatic individuals and teams
of two who have the personality, desire and competitive edge to vie for this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lose weight, change their lives forever and
compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Candidates must be at least 18 years of
age and legal residents of the United States.
While they will try to see everyone, "The Biggest Loser" casting teams will do
their best to see the first 500 people in line. People will not be allowed to
line up prior to three hours before the start of the open call. Candidates
should bring a non-returnable photo of themselves (and their partners if
applying as a team).
SATURDAY, MARCH 6
CHICAGO
NBC TOWER
454 N. COLUMBUS DRIVE
CHICAGO, IL 60611
10 AM - 6 PM
TAMPA
SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO
5223 N. ORIENT ROAD
TAMPA, FL 33610
10 AM - 6 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C.
WALTER E. WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER
801 MT. VERNON PLACE NW (LEVEL 3, ROOM 209)
WASHINGTON, DC 20001
10AM-6PM
SUNDAY, MARCH 7
BOSTON
SEAPORT WORLD TRADE CENTER
200 SEAPORT BLVD.
BOSTON, MA 02210
**THE SEAPORT HOTEL IS OFFERING A SPECIAL RATE AND FRONT OF THE LINE PASS TO THE
FIRST 25 PEOPLE WHO BOOK A ROOM (ONE PASS PER ROOM)
10AM-6PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 13
DETROIT
GARDNER WHITE FURNITURE
45300 HAYES ROAD
MACOMB, MI 48044
10 AM - 6 PM
NASHVILLE
DAVE AND BUSTERS
540 OPRY MILLS DRIVE
NASHVILLE, TN 37214
10AM-6PM
NEW YORK CITY
NBC EXPERIENCE STORE
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK CITY, NY 10112
10 AM - 6 PM
ALBUQUERQUE
SANDIA RESORT AND CASINO
30 RAINBOW ROAD NE
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87113
10 AM - 6 PM
SUNDAY, MARCH 14
LOS ANGELES
PERSHING SQUARE PARK (SHAPE UP AMERICA HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO)
532 SOUTH OLIVE STREET
LOS ANGELES, CA 90013
10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
SATURDAY, MARCH 20
OKLAHOMA CITY
COCA COLA EVENTS CENTER
425 E. CALIFORNIA
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73104
10 AM - 6 PM
SALT LAKE CITY
NBC STUDIOS
55 NORTH 300 WEST
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84180
10 AM - 5 PM
DALLAS
METHODIST DALLAS MEDICAL CENTER - HITT AUDITORIUM
221 W. COLORADO (AT BISHOP AVENUE)
DALLAS, TX 75208
10 AM - 6 PM
NEW ORLEANS
RIVERWALK MARKETPLACE
1 POYDRAS ST. (2ND LEVEL)
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130
10 AM - 6 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 27
PHOENIX
SUPERSTITION SPRINGS CENTER
6555 E. SOUTHERN AVENUE
MESA, AZ 85206
10 AM - 6 PM
SUNDAY, MARCH 28
PORTLAND
OREGON CONVENTION CENTER
777 NE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BLVD. (ROOMS D139 & D140)
PORTLAND, OR 97232
10 AM - 6 PM
SATURDAY, APRIL 3
LOS ANGELES
CITADEL OUTLETS
100 CITADEL DRIVE
LOS ANGELES, CA 90040
9 AM - 2 PM
For those who are unable to attend a casting call, information on how to apply
to the show and submit a videotape is available on www.nbc.com/casting and
www.thebiggestlosercasting.com.
Alison Sweeney ("Days of our Lives") is the host of "The Biggest Loser," which
challenges and encourages overweight contestants to shed pounds in a safe and
recommended manner through comprehensive diet and exercise as they compete for a
grand prize of $250,000. The unscripted and life-altering series gathers
contestants from across the country to face real-life temptations, while being
provided with approved weight-loss skills and resources in an effort to help
them transform their bodies, health -- and ultimately -- their lives.
Contestants work out under the supervision of professional trainers Bob Harper
and Jillian Michaels.
"The Biggest Loser" is a production of Reveille LLC, 25/7 Productions and 3Ball
Productions. Ben Silverman (NBC's "The Office," "Ugly Betty"), Dave Broome ("A
Model Life with Petra Nemcova," "Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope"), JD Roth ("Age
of Love," "Beauty and the Geek"), Todd A. Nelson ("Unan1mous," "Beauty and the
Geek") and Mark Koops ("Breakthrough With Tony Robbins," "Shear Genius") serve
as executive producers.
Robinson, star of NBC's hit comedy series "The Office" and the upcoming feature
film "Hot Tub Time Machine," will host the nationwide search for the funniest
comedian in America, and reward him or her with a $250,000 prize, plus an
exclusive talent deal with the network. The most recent edition of "Last Comic
Standing" ran on Thursday nights in Summer 2008 and built an audience through
its run.
"'Last Comic Standing' has been a consistent success with both viewers and
critics and we can't wait to bring it back," said Telegdy. "The addition of a
versatile comedic talent like Craig will only enhance what has proved to be a
winning formula."
Executive producer Peter Engel added, "I am so excited about season seven of
'Last Comic Standing.' We are looking for lucky seven being the best year ever.
I am confident that Craig Robinson and the creative team will take the comedy to
a new level of laughs."
As with previous seasons, talent scouts in Los Angeles and New York will watch
performances from aspiring and professional comedians. In addition to the open
casting calls, "Last Comic Standing" will invite some of the best and brightest
comics from all over the country to participate in the competition.
Open casting calls will be held in Los Angeles (March 6) at the Improv (8162
Melrose Ave.) doors open 9am, and New York City (March 21) at the Gotham Comedy
Club (208 W. 23rd St.) doors open 9am. All contestants must be 18 and over.
Beginning as a stand-up comedian, Robinson first made his mark in the comedy
circuit at the 1998 Montreal "Just For Laughs" Festival. That year, he also won
the Oakland Comedy Festival Awards and the Miller Genuine Draft 1996 Comedy
Search. He soon went on to perform his act on "The Jimmy Kimmel Show," and "Real
Time with Bill Maher." Now headlining venues and festivals across the country,
he does both solo acts as well as full-band sets - "The Nasty Delicious" - tying
together his lyrical comedy with his finesse at the piano.
Currently appearing in the sixth season of the Emmy-winning "The Office" on NBC,
Robinson portrays sarcastic Dunder-Mifflin warehouse worker Darryl Philbin. In
the past few years, he has made his mark in the film world as well, stealing
scenes in every project he appears. He made audiences question their notions of
vanity playing the sensitive bouncer in "Knocked Up," kept them glued to their
seats as one of the henchman hunting Seth Rogen and James Franco's bumbling
stoner characters in "Pineapple Express," and shocked them silly at the end of "Fanboys"
as the surprise guest playing a THX Security Guard on site at Lucas Ranch.
"Last Comic Standing" is produced by Peter Engel Productions and Universal Media
Studios. The executive producers are Peter Engel ("Saved by the Bell," "The Next
Best Thing"), Jayson Dinsmore ("I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!") and
Barry Katz ("Action," "Dane Cook's Tourgasm"). Co-Executive Producers are Javier
Winnik and Page Hurwitz. "Last Comic Standing" is directed by Alan Carter.
In Dinoshark, airing Saturday, March 13, at 9PM (ET/PT), a lush Mexico vacation
spot is terrorized by a mysterious prehistoric creature no one believes exists,
except a young fishing boat captain (Eric Balfour, 24, The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre). To prevent a bloodbath, the captain must stop "Dinoshark" before it
invades an inland waterway full of pleasure boats and swimmers. Dinoshark is
produced by Roger Corman and Julie Corman.
Roger Corman, who received an Honorary 2010 Oscar, is the legendary director and
producer of numerous low-budget cult classics, among them It Conquered the
World, Teenage Doll, The Little Shop of Horrors, House of Usher, Pit and the
Pendulum, Premature Burial, The Raven, The Masque of the Red Death, The Wild
Angels and The Trip.
Corman is also credited with opening the door to a number of young filmmakers
including Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Jonathan Demme
and Ron Howard.
Airing Saturday, March 27, at 9PM (ET/PT), Dark Relic stars Frain as a
battle-weary warrior leading his men home after years of fighting. But the Holy
Relic he's carrying contains a terrible curse, which frees a bloodthirsty demon.
Sir Gregory (Frain) and some unlikely allies confront this scourge from Hell to
stop the spread of an unspeakable evil. Dark Relic is a production of Battle
Productions, LLC.
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round
acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction
and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of
adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless
possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in
more than 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the
world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)
NEW YORK - February 3, 2010 - Syfy has acquired
the basic cable rights from FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) for all 26 episodes
(both seasons) of the critically acclaimed series Merlin, including the United
States television premiere of Season Two, which has never aired on American
television. Merlin joins the Syfy primetime lineup in April 2010.
Thomas Vitale, Executive Vice President, Programming and Original Movies, Syfy,
said, "A viewer favorite after only one season, Merlin will be a strong addition
to our schedule this spring. We expect its enthralling imaginative vision,
engaging young talent, and rich production values to resonate with our
audience."
FME’s Lisa Honig, SVP Program Distribution, North America commented, "Merlin has
been a great success internationally with fans in more than 180 countries.
Partnering with Syfy to continue that engagement in the US after a successful
first series is a win-win for everyone."
Season One of Merlin aired on NBC (Summer 2009). Both seasons 1 and 2 aired on
BBC One in the UK (2008-09). BBC has commissioned a third season which will air
in September 2010. FME also handles brand licensing and home entertainment for
Merlin.
ABOUT MERLIN
An imaginative new twist on a timeless legend, Merlin is set in the mythical
city of Camelot, before history began. It’s a fantastical realm of legendary
beasts and mysterious peoples, and a dangerous world where magic has been banned
by the ruthless tyrant, Uther Pendragon.
When Merlin, a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers, arrives in
the kingdom, he quickly makes enemies, including the heir to Uther's crown, the
headstrong Prince Arthur. But guided by Uther's wise physician, Gaius, Merlin
is soon using his talents not just to survive but also to unlock Camelot's
mystical secrets.
As he does, Merlin discovers that his destiny and that of the kingdom’s young
leader in waiting, Arthur, are inextricably linked.
Merlin stars Colin Morgan as Merlin, Bradley James as Prince Arthur, Anthony
Head as King Uther, Richard Wilson as Gaius, Katie McGrath as Morgana and Angel
Coulby as Gwen.
Merlin is executive produced by Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps for Shine
Television.
ABOUT FREMANTLEMEDIA ENTERPRISES & FREMANTLEMEDIA
FremantleMedia is one of the leading creators and producers of entertainment
brands in the world. FremantleMedia is part of the RTL Group, Europe's largest
television and radio broadcast company, which is in turn 90 percent owned by
Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's major media and entertainment companies.
FremantleMedia’s worldwide production arm is responsible for many of the world’s
highest rated prime time entertainment, drama, serial drama and factual
entertainment programmes. FremantleMedia Enterprises is the brand extension arm
of FremantleMedia, offering a one-stop-shop for all Licensing, Distribution and
Home Entertainment around the world. The FremantleMedia Group (which includes
talkbackTHAMES, UFA and Grundy amongst others) has operations in 22 countries,
one of the most comprehensive global networks, creating over 14,000 hours of
programming a year, rolling out more than 60 formats and managing over 300
individual titles. FremantleMedia has some of the world’s most sought after and
long running formats in its catalogue, and globally, produces such programmes
as: Idols (co-produced with 19 Productions in the US), The X Factor (co-produced
with Syco in the UK), Got Talent (co-produced with Syco in the UK and the US),
Neighbours, The Bill, Family Feud, The Price is Right, Farmer Wants A Wife and
Hole In The Wall.
ABOUT SYFY
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round
acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction
and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com),
and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to
limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and
currently in 95 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the
world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)
As the townspeople's dormant abilities begin to express themselves, Audrey helps
keep these forces at bay while discovering the many secrets of Haven - including
one surrounding her own surprising past in this extraordinary place.
Production is expected to commence in Spring 2010, with an eye towards a Summer
2010 premiere.
Haven, from E1 Entertainment and Pillar, Segan, Shepard, will be the first
property to be produced for Syfy in the US and NBCU Pay channels around the
globe (excluding Canada and Scandinavia). International distribution is handled
by E1 Entertainment.
The impressive creative team behind Haven includes Scott Shepherd (Tru Calling,
The Dead Zone) serving as showrunner and is joined by his partners Executive
Producers Lloyd Segan and Shawn Piller (The Dead Zone, Wildfire, Greek) and E1
Entertainment's John Morayniss (Hung,) and Noreen Halpern (The Bridge, Copper).
The pilot is written by Sam Ernst (Shrek the Third, The Dead Zone) and Jim Dunn
(Shrek the Third, The Dead Zone) who will also serve as executive producers on
the series.
About E1 Entertainment
E1 Entertainment (AIM: ETO) is a leading independent entertainment content owner
that acquires film, television and music rights and exploits these rights in all
media in more than 190 countries. The company currently operates in Canada, the
U.S., the UK, Holland and Belgium through its four primary businesses units: E1
Television, E1 Films, E1 Music and E1 Distribution. These businesses
collectively represent E1's extensive expertise in film distribution, television
and music production/distribution, Kids content, Licensing and Distribution.
E1's content library includes more than 3,700 feature films, 2,700 hours of
original television programming and 15,000 music tracks.
About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round
acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction
and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com) and a portfolio of
adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless
possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in
more than 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the
world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)
About Universal Networks International
Universal Networks International, the global channels division of NBC Universal,
is one of the world's premier entertainment networks, delivering quality content
and compelling brands including Syfy Universal to over 150 million viewers in
130 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia.
In chronological order, the season finales include (all times ET): "Trauma"
(Monday, May 10, 9-10 p.m.); "Mercy" (Wednesday, May 12, 8-9 p.m.); and "Law &
Order: Special Victims Unit" (Wednesday, May 19, 10-11 p.m.).
Also among NBC's season finales are all of the Thursday night comedies,
including: "Community" (Thursday, May 20, 8-8:30 p.m.); "Parks and Recreation"
(Thursday, May 20, 8:30-9 p.m.); "The Office" (Thursday, May 20, 9-9:30 p.m.);
"30 Rock" (Thursday, May 20, 9:30-10 p.m.); "The Celebrity Apprentice" (Sunday,
May 23, 9-11 p.m.); a two-hour "Chuck" (Monday, May 24, 8-10 p.m.); "Law &
Order" (Monday, May 24, 10-11 p.m.); and a two-hour "The Biggest Loser"
(Tuesday, May 25, 8-10 p.m.).
The evening will be a "Trump" night as the live pageant will lead in to NBC's
"The Celebrity Apprentice," which airs immediately following the telecast (9-11
p.m. ET).
"Las Vegas has become our home away from home. Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority have been incredible hosts
and we plan on showing our contestants exactly why we keep coming back," said
Shugart. "Las Vegas is tailor made to host an event like Miss USA and it always
makes for an exciting worldwide telecast. The 2009 broadcast was seen in over 95
countries and territories."
"Las Vegas is once again excited to welcome the Miss USA pageant," said Rossi
Ralenkotter, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors
Authority. "Our continued partnership with the Miss Universe Organization
enables us to further relationships with global brands that value our market and
share our values."
"We look forward to welcoming back the Miss Universe Organization this May,"
said Robert Earl, co-chairman of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. "The Miss USA
Pageant is a marquee event for Las Vegas, showcasing to a national and
international audience the many highlights of the Entertainment Capitol of the
World. The partnership with the Miss Universe Organization, the Las Vegas
Convention and Visitors Authority and Planet Hollywood has been a great success
and we look forward to our continued role as the host property for many years to
come."
Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton, who was crowned at last year's pageant, has been
traveling the nation as an advocate for breast and ovarian cancer awareness,
education, research and legislation. She will crown her successor at the
conclusion of the two-hour primetime telecast. Each contestant from all 50
states and the District of Columbia will be judged in three categories:
swimsuit, evening gown and interview. The show will conclude with one contestant
ultimately being crowned MISS USA? 2010.
Donald J. Trump will again serve as executive producer of "The 2010 Miss USA
Pageant."
The Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas is the official host hotel of
MISS USA? 2010.
The Miss Universe Organization, producers of the MISS UNIVERSE?, MISS USA? and
MISS TEEN USA? Pageants, is a joint venture between Donald J. Trump and NBC
Universal. Utilizing its nationwide grass roots infrastructure, the Miss
Universe Organization is committed to increasing awareness of breast and ovarian
cancers. By forging relationships with organizations committed to research and
education, Miss USA is equipped to educate women today
All references must be sourced to CNBC.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEVE LIESMAN, host: Thanks for joining us.
Mr. HENRY PAULSON: It's good to be here, Steve.
LIESMAN: Let me just tell you--I just want to ask you--I had a chance to talk to
some of your staff while this book was being written, and they said that they
forgot that they weren't working for you. So I wonder if the publication of this
book released your staff from the indentured servitude that they were under.
Mr. PAULSON: Actually, there's a lot of jokes about that. But seriously, I
needed them. We--I don't take notes, we didn't have official papers, I don't use
briefing memos anyway. And there was so much going on that, you know, would
be--it helped us recall, put things together. And in many ways the book is a
story about how, with a very special group of people, we worked together under
extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
LIESMAN: And there weren't any e-mails.
Mr. PAULSON: No. No.
LIESMAN: Must have been the--well, not only to live through the time that you
were in the government, but to relive, it must have been a really trying
experience to relive.
Mr. PAULSON: It was trying in two respects. First of all, I always thought I was
a talented writer. I learned that I--it was a humbling experience and it was--it
was a miserable, humbling experience. And I have now much more respect for every
journalist and everyone that's--that writes.
LIESMAN: It's about time.
Mr. PAULSON: About time. And to try to--it's easy to take the simple things and
make them complicated. It's very difficult to take complicated things and make
them simple, number one. And then number two, I found myself waking up again at
2 in the morning as I was working on some of these chapters and reliving--I
felt--I felt my stomach knot up again and just what it was like.
LIESMAN: I've always...(unintelligible)...this direct line back to the time
period that you wrote about in this book. Yesterday, the
confirmation...(unintelligible). What do you think about...(unintelligible)?
Mr. PAULSON: Well, first of all, I'm absolutely delighted that he was confirmed,
and I--and I wasn't worried about it. I knew he was going to be confirmed. I
think that the--that the president really got to it in the State of the Union.
And he simply said something to the effect of, `Republicans didn't like the
bailouts, Democrats didn't like the bailout, I didn't like the bailout, but we
needed to do it.' And I--so I think all of us that were here in the midst of the
crisis had to do some very objectionable, politically unattractive things. But
they were far, far better than the alternative, which would have been a meltdown
of our economy and an absolute economic disaster.
LIESMAN: (Unintelligible)...senators still blame Ben Bernanke.
Mr. PAULSON: It is--it sort of goes with the territory. It's not about fairness
or unfairness. If you're a leader, and a strong leader, during a difficult time
like a crisis, it's--there's going--there's always going to be a little bit of
flak. And then those who are in the top economic jobs when the economy isn't
doing well, regardless of what hands they've been dealt, are always going to
draw a certain amount of controversy.
LIESMAN: Want to go back and start with some of the interesting histories that
we hear. And I thought one of the amazing things was that you had studied
housing, and there was a conclusion in both the Treasury and the Federal
Reserve, you two, that housing was not a problem. And you said it, but no one's
regretting it. What did you miss?
Mr. PAULSON: Well, I think what we missed was to step back even further. We have
a history, the recent history in this country going back to--since World War II,
residential housing prices have essentially gone up. Over time they've
just--they've gone up. We haven't had dramatic declines in the residential
housing prices. And so this--a collapse like we saw wasn't in any--in any of the
models, any of the analytical models. No, I didn't hear experts say that this
could cause a crisis of this magnitude.
Now, I knew that--and as you'll recall from the book, in one of the early
chapters I recount a--one of the first substantive, important meetings I had
with President Bush and the economic team. And I asked for that meeting to be on
what I thought was the strong possibility that there would be some credit crisis
while we were here. And the president said to me, `What would cause it?' And I
said to him, `I don't know, because you never know. It's obvious after the fact,
but there's a lot of dry tinder. I don't know what's going to light the spark.'
No one predicted the Russian default or the Asian crisis.
And to get more specifically to your question, we had made comments, a number
of--a number of us had made comments and said that subprime was--issue was going
to be contained. And we said that in the context that the subprime mortgage
market was not a big part of the--of--not being relative to the overall economy.
But of course, this was much greater than subprime. It was the mortgage market
overall, it was housing overall. And we saw a kind of behavior that we've never
seen before.
LIESMAN: I was amazed also, reporting the story but also reading your book, that
you didn't understand, and many couldn't understand, the way all of this stuff
was financed. The SID...(unintelligible). Hank Paulson was from Goldman Sachs.
How did you not know how--what was going on inside the shadow banking?
Mr. PAULSON: Well, the SID, it's one thing to know that there were some of these
conduits for housing. But I came from a firm where we didn't have an SID, and I
didn't--the idea that you could have so much financing done off balance sheet
with--is pretty remarkable.
LIESMAN: (Unintelligible)...but the Federal Reserve was supposed to be the
all-knowing agency...(unintelligible). The Treasury had unlimited resources as
far as anybody could tell.
Mr. PAULSON: (Unintelligible)...I think one lesson is that you can never count
totally on regulation to solve the problem. Need a balance between regulation
and work and discipline. And so that's why it is so essential that no
organization ever be too big to fail. That is why I think the most important
thing we need to get done with regulatory reform is to have the
resolution of authority so that any financial institution, if it is going to
fail--and, you know, here I'm talking about regardless of type of institution or
size, if it's going to fail it can be liquidated in a way in which it doesn't
bring down the system and hurt the economy.
LIESMAN: Want to get to the dramatic Lehman weekend in a second, but one thing's
that's always bothered you, the time period...(unintelligible)...Bear Stearns.
Why wasn't some form of...(unintelligible)...or some form of a structure
created--plan created in case there was another Bear Stearns?
Mr. PAULSON: (Unintelligible)...bothered me too because you get at the fact that
although Bear Stearns came on us suddenly, that Lehman was like seeing a plane
flying into the side of the mountains and seeing it for some time. I'd say--I'll
answer your question one way by just saying, `Well, look today.' Here we--it
should be painfully obvious to everyone that's thought how desperately we need
this--we don't ever want a Treasury secretary to be sitting where I was sitting
with--without the tools you need to present--to prevent disaster. And now, you
know, how long has it been since Lehman, and we have a popular president who's
asking for it, we've got congressional leaders that--a number of them that know
how important it is, and we still don't have it.
And so one of the things, if you'll look at the record, that I was talking about
publicly, about the need for resolution authority to wind down failing nonbanks
in June. Made speeches here and in the UK. We went out and consulted with
Congress. These are complicated, difficult issues, you know, in terms of how
they're structured. And it was pretty clear that in our system, unless there's a
pending crisis, an immediate crisis, you don't get Congress to act. And if we'd
gone up and said, `Guess what. We have a desperate situation. If we don't get
resolution authority, Lehman's going to fail and we're going to do nothing about
it,' it would have happened immediately. And so that which we most feared would
have come upon us. So instead, what we did was we talked quietly about it, we
made a few speeches, we consulted, and then we raced--I was racing to stabilize
Fannie and Freddie before Lehman announced their earnings, and then there was
all the discussions we had on Lehman and all their work to try to find private
capital buyers, investors and so on.
LIESMAN: I want to get to the Lehman weekend, but I want to start with a kind of
personal thing for me because I...(unintelligible). I get a call from Michele
Davis, your spokesman, and she says to me that you're not going to use
government money...(unintelligible). But I have never
understood...(unintelligible)...strategy? Or was that a negotiate...
Mr. PAULSON: That was a tactic. I think, when we...
LIESMAN: But you were prepared to use government money.
Mr. PAULSON: (Unintelligible)...and we lay out in the book. And it's very
interesting because Fannie and Freddie had been--went in conservatorship on the
7th of September. And we find out on--right afterwards the North--you know, the
Korea Development Bank wasn't going to make the investment in Lehman, and the
Lehman situation started to unravel. We also knew that Lehman had been all over
the world looking for buyers, money for people to put in capital. So it was
pretty clear that there was no one that was going to step up. You know, and
everyone was going to want to try to do a Bear Stearns. And as we talked about
it, as we say in the book, I think that was sort of the best reasonable case
you're looking at. But we wanted to, if possible, have the private sector ready
to do that because it wasn't at all clear that we were going to have a situation
where the Fed had the--where it was legally possible for the Fed to make a loan,
OK, that'll be secured to the satisfaction of the Fed board.
So what we did was we wanted to make sure that people didn't show up, the
industry didn't show up, expecting that the government was going to be there
with a checkbook. We thought the best way--yeah, I think we made this pretty
clear in the book that the best way to maximize the chance that there was going
to be a deal done was to have the banks, the private sector there ready to
assist in an acquisition, and to talk with the two potential buyers, you know,
as the week, you know, dragged on--or it didn't drag on, it raced on. But talk
with first B of A and then Barclays, and say, `We want you here. We'd like you
to do it on an unassisted basis, but if it takes assistance, you know, give us
your best offer and we'll get the private sector to help finance it.'
LIESMAN: I get that, but so you're saying this--that you would have been willing
to...(unintelligible)...government...(unintelligible).
Mr. PAULSON: First of all, I didn't have--Treasury didn't have government funds.
We didn't have the TARP, OK? So we--Treasury didn't have it. The Fed, we can--I
believe that if there had been a situation where we had a buyer--and remember,
we didn't have a buyer, so there was nothing to look at, because Bear Stearns
you had a capital problem and a liquidity problem. But JPMorgan was there to
solve the capital problem and guarantee the trading book, you know, to--while
there was a shareholder vote. So--but if we had had a situation where we had a
buyer and could have done that, and so the Fed wouldn't have had to lend into
a--to a run on the bank and there was a way that the Fed could have--could have
done something similar to Bear Stearns, we would have all talked about it very
quickly and made a decision. And--but my judgment is we would have made the
decision to do what we'd done with Bear Stearns, because Lehman--the system was
so fragile that I may not have known that the results were going to be as
disastrous as they were. But I knew it was going to be bad, and it was something
I didn't want to see.
LIESMAN: There were some incredible things that were going on inside
the...(unintelligible). Talk about how you got these rivals together, they
eventually come up with a $30 million fund that they're going to use. At the
same time there's a lot of mistrust amongst them. Willumstad didn't trust
Flowers and nobody trusted Jamie Dimon. Talk about that.
Mr. PAULSON: What I'll--I would say first of all, you got to separate the two
things because Willumstad and Flowers were in the room. OK, that was--that was
sort of the interesting thing. We got together and we were--we were--in the
industry, they were focusing on Lehman. And meanwhile, the same weekend, we
learned that AIG is facing a crisis. So we had two separate meetings. And
the--in terms of the Willumstad and Flowers, the--while we were having a meeting
with B of A, which was about Lehman, and while it was pretty clear that B of A
had no interest in Lehman from what they were--from what they were saying and
the way were acting, as I explain in the book, Flowers took me aside, and Chris
said to me, `You know, Hank, you should be aware of what's going on at AIG, and
it's not a pretty picture. And I think that there's a disaster waiting to happen
unless they do something. I think you should--you all should talk to them.' So
I--that was on the margin of the meeting, not where the other bankers were
there. The other bankers were all downstairs in the room, and Tim and I were
having a meeting with B of A, which we were dealing separately with the two
potential buyers for Lehman. And so on the margin of that meeting, B of--B of
A's financial adviser had said that, and so then--and it was pretty clear that
we had--and I just--I just talked...(unintelligible)...Willumstad. I
just--because I was his--whether Chris Flowers was representing them or not and
whether Chris should be at the meeting. And he said, no, he didn't--he didn't
see Chris as playing a constructive role there. And Chris, for his standpoint,
said what he saw was totally his view, which he said to us was just totally
inept management there. Now...
LIESMAN: And everybody thought Jamie Dimon wanted to take over the world, too.
Mr. PAULSON: Well, the--in terms of the meeting we had were all of the--the
banks and investment banks were there. I will--I will say this. Jamie played a
very constructive role in that meeting because Jamie was working and helping us
drive toward a--toward a rescue of Lehman, and I think would have played a
significant role if we had been able to get a buyer for Lehman. But there's
always going to be a certain amount of mistrust. I mean, these are competitors.
I came from that world. I mean, it's--you know, we competed very hard.
LIESMAN: When it all collapses Sunday night...(unintelligible)...that you were
scared. Talk about that.
Mr. PAULSON: Oh, that was one of the low points in--of my life because I had--if
you've run a financial institution, you know what it means. You know, so my
heart just went out not only to the--to the Lehman management and all the people
at Lehman. And then I knew, which was much more important to me--because as
Treasury secretary, I certainly didn't want my record to be, while I was sitting
in the seat, the economy and the financial system collapse. So I was just
saying, `What do we do?' And I didn't have answers. We'd been trying to turn
over every stone. I knew how difficult it is to sell an investment bank over a
weekend, and particularly where the markets are so fragile. But I said--I
just--my stomach knotted up. And usually when I'm playing offense, I--the fear
goes away because I know what to do. But from that moment there I had no idea
what to do, and I knew everyone was going to be looking to me for answers.
So as I say in the book, I stepped out of the room--and I just didn't want to do
this in front of other people--took my cell phone out of my pocketbook and
called my wife at home and just simply said, `Wendy, this is--this is really
tough. I'm scared. People are looking at me. I don't know what to do. Pray for
me.' And then I--you know, I pulled myself together and put back on my armor
and...(unintelligible)...like--pretended like I knew what we were going to do,
and we were going--we were all going to get together and we're going--we're
going to manage this. And we've been preparing for it for a long time and, you
know, we've got one team. You know, Tim and--Tim Geithner was president of the
New York Fed and just a really able person, a very able crisis manager. And
divided the industry up in teams to deal with one aspect or another, and we just
went into execution mode on that.
LIESMAN: In the book, it's a little difficult to see what you think about Dick
Fuld. (Unintelligible)...doesn't get it during a lot of...(unintelligible).
Mr. PAULSON: Well, it's certainly not...(unintelligible).
LIESMAN: (Unintelligible)
Mr. PAULSON: Well, I would say...
LIESMAN: (Unintelligible)...Lehman back together.
Mr. PAULSON: Yeah, I would say this about Dick Fuld. I knew Dick, when I
was...(unintelligible)...in the private sector, as a really able and strong
competitor. I think what comes out in the book is--the story we tell is someone
who's very engaged and focused, but it--sometimes if you've got your ego and
your whole life tied up in a company, you're not as realistic as you should be.
So I think he was--he was engaged and focused. No, he wasn't as realistic as he
should be. And then afterwards--and there was a guy struggling with tragedy. Who
knows what would have--you know, I just can't imagine--I could imagine something
worse. I can imagine being Treasury secretary when the economy melts down and we
have another Great Depression. That would be worse. But to be running a
financial institution when it fails, I mean, obviously Dick was in great pain
after that happened, and there'd be something wrong with him if he wasn't.
LIESMAN: (Unintelligible)...TARP was passed...(unintelligible).
Mr. PAULSON: Well, it wasn't after TARP was passed. After we talked to Congress,
I think.
LIESMAN: Right after you talked to Congress, yeah.
Mr. PAULSON: Yeah. Well, he was--yeah, that was--that was a--that was a
sad--that was a sad conversation. And I remember calling Tim Geithner and
saying--because things were moving so fast, we really didn't have a lot of time
to talk about it. But I said, `Boy, I just had a really upsetting call from
Dick.' And he said, `Yeah, I know. Did he...(unintelligible)?' And he'd had the
same call.
LIESMAN: This is--on the personal, but there's an incredibly poignant
moment...(unintelligible)...who as a Christian
Scientist...(unintelligible)...but have to get to sleep and you have a set of
sleeping pills. Could you tell us that story?
Mr. PAULSON: Well, the--first of all, I think there's no prohibition against
taking medicine as a--as a--as a Christian Scientist. I generally have--rely on
spiritual means for--but I clearly didn't want to be addicted or get dependent
on taking sleeping medication. I'd never done it. And I was--I was having
trouble sleeping. And so I'd had a friend give me something, and I thought,
`Well, won't this be good to have a--to get a great night's sleep?' And then I
just--I just looked at it and said, `I don't want to go Neverland.' I flushed it
down the toilet.
And I would say this, Steve. I--sure, I didn't sleep as much as I would have
liked to have slept during big parts of the crisis, but I always got enough
sleep. And some of the waking hours I spent in the evening, I did my very best
thinking. And as Wendy explained to me, she said--when I would talk about
sleeplessness, she said, `You need to put that into context. You know, you're
used to sleeping seven or eight hours.' She said I would--my head would hit the
pillow at 9:30 and I'd be snoring in five minutes. I then would wake up, you
know, bad nights--as I tell the story in the book, I'd wake up at midnight or
1:00 and then I'd be awake for much of the night.
LIESMAN: It's amazing in the book how hard you worked, and as a reporter
covering you...(unintelligible). Must be difficult for you right now, given the
anger that's out there, people really blame you for what happened. How do you
deal with that incongruity, that people think you messed up, and you worked so
hard to try to--and you think you openly saved the system.
Mr. PAULSON: Yeah, I--first of all I'll say, which is quite remarkable, that I
have people come up to me all the time, no one has ever said a rude thing, no
one has ever said anything but thank you. The closest I had was some guy come
to...(unintelligible). That was in the airport the other day when he came up and
said, `You're Hank Paulson, the Treasury secretary, aren't you?' And I said yes.
He said, `Well, doesn't it bother you to be recognized like this?' I said,
`People usually say pretty good things.' Then he looked at me perplexed and
said, `Gee, yeah, I guess people are pretty polite, aren't they?'
But to get to your question, I really--I feel so strongly that, looking in
hindsight, that the major decisions we made were the right ones. And we made
them without a playbook, dealing with very, you know, unprecedented challenges,
with imperfect tools to work with and in a really heated political environment.
And they worked, because the system didn't collapse. We don't have--we didn't
have 25 percent unemployment like we had in the Great Depression. And so that,
to me, is what's important. Because when the system froze and that week after
Lehman went down and the money market funds--you know, $3.8 trillion, 30 million
Americans, you know, getting ready to, you know, to break the buck and have a
run on the money market funds--and when blue chip industrial companies couldn't
raise money, I knew that, as sure as I was sitting there, the economy was going
to stall a number of weeks out.
Now, the legislators didn't understand that, Congress didn't see it, because
they hadn't seen it yet. But I knew that was going to happen. And when you have
a--in a meltdown, I look at it and say we would have millions more unemployed if
the system had melted down. We would have had millions more people lose their
homes. We would have had trillions of additional savings lost, because when
basic middle America business, mainstream business, can't raise bank funding to
finance their basic business operations, they don't pay suppliers, they don't
pay their employees, this ripples through the economy and you get economic
disaster.
LIESMAN: Switch gears just a little bit and talk about--oh,
sorry...(unintelligible).
***
LIESMAN: Want to switch gears. I want to talk about Goldman Sachs. Back during
the crisis, how much trouble...(unintelligible).
Mr. PAULSON: Steve, the weekend--the week after Lehman failed and Merrill Lynch
had to be acquired by B of A, there was real--a real crisis of confidence among
investors about the investment banking model. We initially recall the UK
bankruptcy administrator for Lehman Brothers, went in and seized--took
third-party customer collateral. So Morgan Stanley in particular was under a
huge pressure of liquidity draining off. And both investment banks were under a
lot of pressure. So you just got to recognize that, well, one of the things that
I'd seen happen was everything that--bad that could happen was happening, and it
was always much worse than I had imagined. But the regulators, we all felt that
there was a real chance that Morgan Stanley might go down, and if they went
down, they could very well take down Goldman and the whole system. And, of
course, what we cared about was then there'd be a meltdown and what would--what
the impact would be on the American people. It just would have been an economic
disaster.
And so I remember--and I tell the story in the book--I think one of the
conversations that was the most meaningful to me was one from Bob Scully, who is
a really senior banker at Morgan Stanley and had been very helpful working with
me and folks at Treasury to prevent the collapse of Fannie and Freddie. And he's
very understated. And he called me and I had a conversation with him the Tuesday
or the Wednesday after--when Lehman had failed on Monday, and talked to me about
the liquidity disappearing in Morgan Stanley, and wondering whether they were
going to make it. And of course, John Mack was heroic all through this.
LIESMAN: But Goldman had said it wasn't in jeopardy. You think it was in
jeopardy?
Mr. PAULSON: Well, I got to tell you, I sure believed it was in jeopardy. I--and
I believed that if any major financial institution, Goldman Sachs or any other
major financial institution, had gone down right then, with everything else
going on in the market, it would have been all...(unintelligible)...for the
American economy. And so I think the jeopardy, as I said, came from the
questions that had to do with the model. This was--people weren't being rational
anymore. This was--this was, you know, investment banks. What did they see? OK,
Bear Stearns, Lehman, Merrill, and there was--it was like serial attacks, these
banks. So we stayed in very close touch because we needed to know what was going
on in the banks and what was going on in the markets.
And again, this week--this week was a nightmare to end all nightmares because we
had the money markets frozen, so industrial companies not able to raise money.
The--one of the scariest things that's been written about very little and one
that--which I tell the story in the book is the story to--where we needed to
step in and on very short notice guarantee the money markets funds. And so with
all of that going on, making the decision to go to Congress with the TARP, and
then staying up quite late worrying about whether one of the investment banks
would go down and take the whole economy with it.
***
LIESMAN: In the book, you get a call from Lloyd Blankfein...(unintelligible).
Doesn't that reinforce the notion among people of "Government Sachs" that's been
out there?
Mr. PAULSON: They--well, what I was really focused on was doing my job. I
had--and I think what you're talking about is the Saturday of Bear Stearns
weekend. And I remarked that was the only time that I ever heard from Lloyd at
home when I was Treasury secretary. And it was--I knew it was very, very much my
job to know what was going on in the markets and what was going on with the
major investment banks.
LIESMAN: If you were back at the helm of Goldman today, how would you be
negotiating the public outrage...(unintelligible)?
Mr. PAULSON: I'm not there, and I'm not--I'm not going to--not going to give it
my side. I am very pleased that I'm no longer in the private sector. And my next
act is going to be conservation of the environment. I'm not going back to
banking.
LIESMAN: Do you think the outrage over compensation on Wall Street is warranted?
Mr. PAULSON: Here's what I think. OK, here's what I think. And it's very--the
American public, and me included, none of us like to see private business of any
kind, and particularly banking--no one likes bankers--but likes to see the
benefit from public assistance, number one. In our system, risk takers are
supposed to--supposed to have their--have the impact of their losses. They're
supposed to take their own losses. So of course the public is angry, but what I
keep saying to people is let's not let that divert us from what we need to do.
Let's channel that anger and then frustration to getting the kinds of reforms we
need so that we never again see a situation when the taxpayer needs to bail out
big banks. And so that's why I keep coming back over and over again and saying
we need really strong resolution authority so that when any institution,
regardless of type, financial institution, is facing failure, that whoever is
sitting in the seat where I was sitting has the ability to liquidate them and
liquidate them in a way in which it doesn't hurt the markets and the economy.
And that's really where the--where the problem came from.
LIESMAN: (Unintelligible)...channeling the anger. Bankers are taking almost 16,
$18 billion in bonuses.
Mr. PAULSON: Now, what--but--what I say in the book is that when I ran with
Goldman Sachs, even during benign times, I had felt the compensation in the
industry seemed out of whack, and I would occasionally go off in partners
meetings and say something to the effect, `I hope you guys all understand,' and
remind them, `people don't like you. Very few people do.' And sometimes I'd even
say, `Your mother likes you, and if you're lucky, your wife and kids like you
and some clients do. But you make life more difficult for yourself with
conspicuous, ostentatious consumption.' And that was during benign times.
So I understand, and I understand that at a time when the government had to do
what it did, not for the banks--and I just keep reminding people it wasn't done
for the banks, it was done for the American people who were going to be the
victims if there was a collapse on them. When government did what it did and
saved the entire financial system--and my personal view is every financial
institution benefited from that action. I even believe hedge funds, private
equity, all of them benefited. And these paychecks just seem so out of whack and
out of tune with what's going on with the public because...
LIESMAN: (Unintelligible)...big investment bank right now...(unintelligible).
Mr. PAULSON: I...
LIESMAN: Can I get the...(unintelligible).
Mr. PAULSON: No, I'm not running a big investment bank. And that's something
that I think they're all struggling with because just like the banks, when they
seized up, it was a while--there was a lag before the economy turned down. We
could see it coming. And we should all be very pleased that the banks are doing
better now and they're...(unintelligible). It's got to help the economy do
better.
As a government official, what was--what's important in looking at it from that
standpoint is safety and soundness of the system. What's really important is
incentives behind the bonus. But, as I've said, this anger is understandable, it
is intense, and it--again, I just say let's not let us divert us from doing what
we need to do. What we need to do is to fix the system, so we don't unleash this
anger again.
LIESMAN: Let's talk about fixing the system, but I want--I want to first do some
of that...(unintelligible). You had some interactions with Obama and
politicians. One that stands out for me is you threatened John McCain. Was
that...
Mr. PAULSON: Well, I wouldn't use the word "threaten" at all, but I would
say--here's what I would say. First of all, the--this book is a story in many
ways about the collision of politics and markets. So the crisis couldn't have
come at a worse time because it was--the election was six weeks away or
whatever. And so everyone who's running for office, Congress or the presidential
candidates, needed to have one eye on the markets and they other eye on the
elections. And then so I had some difficult hours and days, you know, where I
worried about John McCain and conversations with him. What I--what what my
enduring memory is, is great gratitude, because John McCain supported TARP and
didn't speak out against any of the bailout efforts. And it would have been very
easy, as he was falling behind in the polls, to give in to the populist
pressure. It would have been very easy to do that, and then we would have been
left defenseless and we would have gone down the tubes.
But I did have, you know, conversations which I recount in the book where--when
he came back to Washington and we had that meeting which is kind of unique, sort
of one-of-a-kind in American history, where--in the Cabinet Room, which ended up
very chaotic into almost a free-for-all and with my heart in my throat. And
going into that meeting, I just had a conversation that--where he just didn't
sound very happy and very supportive. And I just let him know that I'm not a
politician, but if the system collapsed it wasn't just going to be on me. If
someone did something, I was going to say publicly what I thought about it.
And--but I sure--I look--as we went through it and as I look back now, I feel
great respect for him and--because this had to be very difficult, and he was
supportive of TARP. We wouldn't have got TARP done if John McCain hadn't been
supportive of it.
LIESMAN: What did you tell the British chancellor of the exchequer on Sunday
when you--when you killed the Lehman deal?
Mr. PAULSON: Well, it was--well, again, remember that this is a--we were leaving
no stone unturned. We were--we were desperately fighting to get this done, and
the--and the British regulator had not approved it. Wouldn't disapprove it, but
just wouldn't approve it, which was tantamount to getting it done. I was--you
know, was quite frustrated. In fairness to him, you know, he had--you know, on
Friday he had--he'd given me a warning. He'd put up a yellow flag. And again, I
just couldn't leave any stones unturned. And so I felt--I felt great frustration
and I--what I say in the book is something that I wish I hadn't said. And I
didn't say it to him on the phone, but when I went down and met with the bankers
afterwards, told them the deal was dead, I said, `The British screwed us.' And
I--and as I say in the book, that's really pretty unfair when you look at how
fragile their system was and the questions that they must have had about
Barclays and, you know, and capital raising plans and risks that would have gone
along with acquiring Lehman. So--but it was a--it was a heated, intense moment
and I hadn't had a lot of sleep, and I went from the brain to the mouth.
LIESMAN: (Unintelligible) What about the president? For some president, it's
very decisive. What role did the president play during the crisis?
Mr. PAULSON: He played a much bigger role than is understood. He was--he
couldn't have been more supportive. He was engaged. I could get to him at any
time, talked with him a lot, met with him a lot. And this is a man that believes
in--first of all, he's no fan of Wall Street and certainly wasn't trying to do
favors for Wall Street. Believed in market principles, believed if you took
risks you should--you should--you should take the losses. But he understood
markets well enough to know that he--I can't tell you the number of times I
recounted conversations in the book where he would say, `This--we may not always
look good, but we're not going to let our economy be ruined. We're--we are going
to do what it takes to protect the economy and to protect the American people.'
And he constantly told me--which helped, because you were seeing markets and
politics clash--that, `We're going to do the right thing. Don't you worry about
the politics.'
But he also recognized that I had good working relationships with the Democratic
leaders as well as Republicans, and so he--you know, and I think one of the
things that I'm proudest of is that twice we were able to go to Congress on the
brink of disaster, first before Fannie and Freddie were ready to melt down--and
they were talking about $5.4 trillion in assets, and that just would have taken
everything down if it'd gone down. And I shouldn't say 5.4 trillion in assets.
I'd say in liabilities, either direct or guaranteed liabilities. But--and then
second with the TARP. And in both times, before we had the meltdown, Congress
acted and gave us unprecedented authorities.
LIESMAN: (Unintelligible)...a decisive president but not one who's incredibly
inquisitive.
Mr. PAULSON: Oh, he was--he was--he had--he was quite inquisitive. And he--you
know, he understood this. You know, I think there's going to be a lot of people
that are disappointed if they, you know, dislike George Bush, because what I saw
here was not the caricature of George Bush. I saw someone who got it quickly,
understood that the financial system is all about jobs for the American people
and was focused on the economy. Now, he had confidence in my knowledge of the
markets, and he knew I'm decisive by nature. And he encouraged that because he
thought that's what you need in a crisis.
LIESMAN: Secretary, I have said the term "$700 billion" so many times and never
stopped to think of where that number actually came from. And it appears as if
it was almost randomly arrived at in the hallway?
Mr. PAULSON: It--well, it wasn't randomly arrived at in the hallway, but when we
had got the authorities for Fannie and Freddie, got unlimited--you know, we
couldn't say unlimited, we said unspecified. And we knew we weren't going to get
that again. I would've liked unspecified or unlimited, because I felt we needed
to have something that'd be big enough to satisfy the market and to do the job.
And so we were--when I went up to the Hill, I talked with my advisers, and with
Kevin Fromer, my legislative aide, just did a great job through all this. And I
talked with him, and he said, `Hank, you know, what I--what are you thinking?'
And I said, `Well, I think we need at least $500 billion.' And he said, `Don't
put that number out there. It will'--he said, `Talk in terms of hundreds of
billions of dollars. And--because we need Congress. We need'--I wanted two
things from congressional leaders that night. I wanted them to say they were
going to act to get something done quickly, and I wanted them to go to the
microphone and say something that was going to calm the markets. So I told them,
`We'll work with you on the number, but it's hundreds of billions of dollars.'
Now, when we got ready to set the legislation up, he came to see me and said, `I
sense that you don't think $500 billion is enough.' And I said, `No, I don't. I
want more.' And he said, `Well, sure can't--better not be thinking about
something that starts with a T, because we're going to be dead on arrival if
it--if it's that.' So then we talked about it, and he and I talked and said, you
know, 500 billion, 700 billion, they're both big numbers. People are going to
gag when they hear either one, so we might as well get something that's going to
make the market happier and will give us, you know, more to work with. And so we
settled on 700 billion. I wish I could tell you there was some--we figured it
out on our calculator, but we didn't.
LIESMAN: There's one other political figure I wanted to ask you about, which
is--it already made some news, which is Sarah Palin. She kind of rubbed you the
wrong way.
Mr. PAULSON: Well, the--I knew John McCain, didn't know Barack Obama
and...(unintelligible)...know Joe Biden. So I'd never met her before. And
everyone calls me Hank, but the very first time I talked with her on the phone,
she called me Hank, and so there's sort of an instantaneous--a bit of a
reaction. But as I thought about it, that's what you do when you're in a
political campaign, when you're running for office. And I'll tell you one thing
that comes through in my book, and it was just a couple conversations with Sarah
Palin but, boy, she got the political issues. She was right on, you know, the
American public's distaste for the compensation. And if you have a failing
institution, are you taking out the CEOs? And so she was--she was really good on
that.
LIESMAN: What do we need to do here to get the markets running?
Mr. PAULSON: Well, I think if we don't get two things done, we will fail. So
there's two things that I'm going to point out that we absolutely need to do in
terms of regulatory reform. And the first one is the systemic risk regulator.
Right now, regulators are, you know, focused--I describe it on the trees, but we
need one regulator on the entire forest. So we need one
regulator that's got the information so that they can monitor the markets and
the power to intervene and restrain risk taking or activities, or activities
that can threaten the whole system, when it's necessary. That's number one.
And then number two, as you heard me say earlier, we sure better have resolution
authority so that in future no financial institution will be too big to fail.
And any institution, regardless of its size, you know, or business model or
whatever, that can't be liquidated and liquidated in a way in which it doesn't
take down the financial system and the American economy, and then we won't get
ourselves back in this trouble again.
Now, there's a series of other things we need to do. And I'd say if you wanted
me to cite one other, it would be let's get housing policy right. We've got so
many incentives for housing that we've overstimulated home ownership. And so
between Fannie and Freddie, which need to be reformed, scaled way back, in my
judgment--but between that and the--and the--you know, the FHA programs and
mortgage interest rate deduction, someone's got to look at it all and say,
`Let's scale this back a bit.'
LIESMAN: What are you going to do?
Mr. PAULSON: What I do next is something I've done all my life and really enjoy
and think is very important, and that's work with my wife, Wendy, the
conservation initiatives. Conservation and the environment. I've loved that and
done it all my--all my life, frankly, and in recent years have been very engaged
in it. And I'd like to do that full time.
LIESMAN: But happen if the phone rang, it was the president of the United States
who said, `I need someone to run the new version of Fannie and Freddie,' or come
back...(unintelligible)?
Mr. PAULSON: Well, I would certainly--I'm very good at coming up with ideas. And
one of the things I thought I did pretty well was got--brought some good people
down at very short notice who will run Fannie and Freddie, like Herb Allison is
now--who's now running TARP. But I'm a public-minded citizen. I'm not going to
run any financial institution, and particularly not Fannie and Freddie. But
the--but I will--I'm always pleased to give advice to people.
LIESMAN: Talked to Tim Geithner a lot?
Mr. PAULSON: Of course. Of course. You know, we worked closely when we were in
government, so I talk with him. But one of the things I really appreciated when
I was in government was to talk to and get advice from former senior officials
and keep that confidential. I think that's what I intend to do with any calls I
have from Tim.
LIESMAN: How do you think he's...(unintelligible)?
Mr. PAULSON: I think he's doing an excellent job. I think he's--I think he's
doing an excellent job. He's a very talented man, and the--what I'm focusing on
is what I know best, which is the programs that the administration has done to
stabilize the system, which I think are very--they're for the most part either
continuations or logical extensions of things that we did when we were here. And
I think he's--I think that he's--he has a real challenge for the reason we've
discussed. He was here and played a significant role, which he should be very,
very proud of, but played a significant role in doing some very unpopular
things. And so there's...(unintelligible)...it's pretty hard to lead during a
time like that and not draw some criticism.
LIESMAN: All right, there's one more thing...(unintelligible)...the president.
We didn't talk about the president yet. You had a lot of dealings with him,
especially in the transition period. Talk a little about working with
President-elect Obama.
Mr. PAULSON: Well, we--President Obama was very engaged, and I really
appreciated him right up to...(unintelligible)...the election, as supportive of
TARP, supportive of what we needed to do to prevent the economy
from...(unintelligible). Frankly, during the transition period I never talked to
Barack Obama after the election. And I found the transition period, that 10
weeks, to be barbaric. I mean, I just found it--it's our system. I mean, so to
have a new president and a new team. And it wasn't like we just were marking
time, because one thing I think that comes through in the book is right up until
the end, I was worrying about the safety of the system.
One of the--the second worst day I had when I was in the job had to do with the
couple days before we rescued Citi. And when I thought after everything we'd
done that Citi was going to collapse and we needed to take really strong
actions--and so I was worried about taking out the last $350 billion of TARP,
which I thought we needed to, during the transition period. So that was a--was a
tough period. But I--at the end of the day, I--you know, I'm also very grateful
that President Obama chose to continue with so many of the programs we put in
place.
LIESMAN: Secretary, thank you very much.
Mr. PAULSON: Thank you, Steve
Best in Show to be Crowned at 134th WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW Presented by Pedigree®, Live on USA Network February 15 and 16 at 8/7c
MSNBC’s Tamron Hall Replaces Mario Lopez as Co-Host
NEW YORK - January 29, 2010 - USA Network announced today that MSNBC’s Tamron Hall will replace Mario Lopez as the co-host of the 134th WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW, presented by Pedigree. Hall will be co-hosting the event with David Frei in his 21st consecutive year with the show. Also joining the team again this year will be NBC Sports’ Tiffany Simons as a sideline reporter. On Monday, February 15, USA will air the first hour of the show at 8pm and will then switch over to CNBC for the 9-11pm ET/PT portion of the broadcast. On Tuesday, February 16, USA will air all three hours, including the crowning of the 2010 Best in Show, from 8-11pm ET/PT.
Lopez, who is stepping down, explains, “It saddens me to say I will not be able to co-host this year’s Westminster Kennel Club dog show, due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts. I wish Tamron, David and all the dogs the best of luck. I will be cheering you all on from LA.”
"I've been a dog lover my entire life,” says Hall. “I currently have two furry 'best friends' in my family, and I can't wait for the show. I'm honored to be given the opportunity to join this team."
Hall anchors MSNBC Live weekday mornings and co-anchors weekday afternoons from 3-4 PM ET. Hall can also be seen on NBC News as a fill-in correspondent and newsreader for “The Today Show” and “Weekend Today.” In addition, Hall served as co-host of a 2009 “Dateline” series titled “You Might Be Rich.” Prior to joining MSNBC in July 2007, Hall spent 10 years at WFLD in Chicago, where she held a number of positions including general assignment reporter, consumer reporter, and most recently, host of the three-hour “Fox News in the Morning” program. She also anchored the weekday mornings and served as a noon anchor. While at WFLD, Hall covered several breaking news stories including one of Amtrak’s most devastating accidents in Illinois, and she secured a one-on-one interview with Sen. Barack Obama shortly before he announced his run for the presidency. Hall was nominated for an Emmy for her consumer report segment, “The Bottom Line,” which she launched in 1999. Before joining WFLD, Hall spent four years as a general assignment reporter at KTVT in Dallas. She began her broadcasting career at KBTX in Bryan, Texas, as a general assignment reporter.
This year also introduces three newly recognized breeds to the main event. The Irish Red and White Setter joins the Sporting Group; the Norwegian Buhund and the Pyrenean Shepherd debut in the Herding Group. Despite its name, the Irish Red and White Setter is a distinct breed, not just a different colored version of the Irish Setter. Bred primarily for the field, they are strong, powerful and athletic, with a keen and intelligent attitude. Once the cherished companion of Vikings, the Norwegian Buhund is a versatile farm dog from Norway that herds livestock, guards property and has been used for hunting game. The Pyrenean Shepherd is also known by its French name, Berger des Pyrénées, but fanciers of the breed in America often shorten his name to "Pyr shep."
Entries for the 2010 show totals 2,500 dogs, representing 48 states, the
District of Columbia and at least eight foreign countries. The largest entries
hail from California (251) and New York (224).
The highest breed entered this year came from the Australian Shepherds with 44; other large entries include Rhodesian Ridgebacks (43), Labrador Retrievers (42), Golden Retrievers (40), Pugs (36), French Bulldogs (36) and German Shorthaired Pointers (36).
There are also 120 entries in Junior Showmanship, where young handlers ages 9-18 compete based only on their handling abilities with their dogs.
This year’s Best in Show will be judged by Mr. Elliott Weiss of Eagle, Idaho. He heads a panel of 41 judges from 18 states.
The Westminster Kennel Club is America's oldest organization dedicated to the
sport of purebred dogs. Established in 1877, Westminster's influence has been
felt for more than a century through its famous all breed, benched dog show held
every year at New York's Madison Square Garden. The show is America’s second
longest continuously held sporting event, behind only the Kentucky Derby. For
additional information, log on to
www.westminsterkennelclub.org.
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.
The announcement was made today by Alan Wurtzel, President of Research, NBC
Universal and Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports and Olympics.
"The unique scope and duration of the Olympics provides us with the opportunity
to see consumer behavior at warp speed," said Wurtzel. "No other media event
gives us such an enormous amount of content that is consumed by so many people,
across so many different platforms, for such a long period of time. From a
research perspective, it's a fast-forward two or three years ahead in furthering
our understanding of media behavior, allowing us to see the future today."
Research Initiatives
The company will build on the findings from its "billion-dollar" Beijing
research lab and conduct a new series of studies to take its understanding of
cross-platform media use to the next level. In addition to tracking consumer
behavior, the research will incorporate various methodologies to demonstrate to
advertisers the effectiveness of their Olympics buy. The projects include:
Quantifiable Single Source Cross Platform Measurement: This groundbreaking study
will provide the industry with the first-ever projectable electronic measurement
of single source television and Internet use. Using data from the Arbitron
(NYSE: ARB) Portable People Meter media measurement service and Internet data
from comScore (SCOR) and Omniture, NBCU will measure TV and Internet use from
the same person and project those numbers to a broad population. Data will
include simultaneous online and TV viewing and differentiate video viewed for
the first time vs. repeat viewing to something seen on TV.
Social Media and Viral Communication Analysis: NBCU will use Keller Fay's
TalkTrack to measure all forms of Olympic "word of mouth," including
face-to-face, phone and Internet communication. It will utilize 8000 consumer
interviews conducted before and during the Olympics. The study will help the
company analyze the role of social networking and its impact on the Olympic
experience. The word of mouth component will also be used to research Olympic
advertising effectiveness.
Set Top Box Data Study: Through its research partnership with TiVO, NBCU will
use second-by-second set top box data to measure audience retention for both
Olympic programming and commercials over the course of the Games, including data
on the impact of Olympic-themed advertising vs. general commercial messaging.
The TiVO data will also provide extensive information on the demographic and
psychographic drivers of Olympic viewing.
Three Screen Qualitative Study: NBCU will once again partner with iMMi to track
a single consumer's Olympic exposure across all media platforms. Panelists will
carry a sophisticated iMMi phone that will measure their Olympic viewing on
television, online and on their mobile devices. The iMMi study can now measure
viewing across all NBCU properties, exposure to nearly 100 different Olympic
sites, and provide detailed information on the particular video being viewed.
This more granular data will provide an even greater understanding of what
consumers are watching, when they're watching it and why they chose to watch on
a particular device.
TAMi Returns for Vancouver
NBCU will again issue a daily TAMi during the Vancouver Games, measuring total
Olympic exposure across the multiple media platforms airing Olympic content -
network and cable television, online, video on demand (VOD) and mobile. The TAMi
will provide information on total exposure to the Olympics each day, as well as
indicate trends that develop on any one particular platform over the course of
the Games.
About NBC Universal:
NBC Universal is 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. NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable
portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company,
significant television production operations, a leading television stations
group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General
Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.
The January 30th show features Jon Hamm, the Golden Globe-winner and star of the
award-winning drama "Mad Men," taking his second turn as host of "SNL." He has
also received SAG and Emmy nominations for his work on the critically lauded
cable series. Additionally, Hamm earned an Emmy nod for his guest-starring turn
on NBC's "30 Rock." Hamms' upcoming films include "The Town, directed by and
starring Ben Affleck, "Sucker Punch," directed by Zac Snyder, and "Howl" with
James Franco, which is currently playing at the Sundance Film Festival.
Grammy winning recording artist and world-class entertainer, Michael Bublé, will
take the 8H stage as musical guest. His current release, "Crazy Love," debuted
recently at number one on the Billboard Top 200 Chart remains a Top Twenty
album. Bubl? will also be performing "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" with
special guest Sharon Jones. The Canadian native has sold over 22 million albums
worldwide and his current single, "Haven't Met You Yet," just jumped to No. 1 on
several radio formats. His previous CD "Call Me Irresponsible" was a number one
album in over l5 countries and his 2005 release, "It's Time," holds the record
as the longest running title to remain on the Billboard Traditional Jazz charts
- a full two years. He is scheduled to start his "Crazy Love" concert Tour in
March 2010.
SNL welcomes back actor/producer, Ashton Kutcher, February 6 his fourth time as
host. He can next be seen opposite Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer
Garner, and more in the upcoming film "Valentine's Day," in theaters February
12. Kutcher's previous credits include "What Happens in Vegas," The Butterfly
Effect," "Guess Who," and the hit television series "Punk'd" and "That 70's
Show."
Them Crooked Vultures, rock's premiere new supergroup, will make their debut as
musical guest. The group consists of seven-time SNL veteran Dave Grohl of Foo
Fighters and Nirvana fame, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and, in his
first appearance on the SNL stage, the legendary John Paul Jones of Led
Zeppelin. The band's self-titled debut album was released in fall of 2009,
entering the Billboard charts at number 12 and remaining in the upper reaches
ever since, while its debut single "New Fang" has hit number 10 on Billboard's
Alternative chart and number 14 on their Mainstream Rock Tracks.
"Saturday Night Live" is from SNL Studios in association with Broadway Video.
The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels. Steve Higgins and Marci
Klein are producers. Ken Aymong is supervising producer. Seth Meyers is head
writer. Don Roy King directs
"We're pleased that Jay is returning to host the franchise that he helmed
brilliantly and successfully for many years," said Gaspin. "He is an enormous
talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on
television."
Leno previously hosted "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" from May 1992-May 2009.
The program will continue to showcase many of the features that made Leno
America's late-night leader for more than a dozen years.
"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" is from Big Dog Productions in association with
Universal Media Studios. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer.
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" made its broadcast debut on March 2, 2009 with
"Saturday Night Live" alum Fallon as the host of the comedy-talk show. The
program serves as a platform for comedy, music and A-list talent out of NBC's
Rockefeller Center Studio 6B. Fallon is joined by his house band -- the
critically acclaimed, Grammy-winning hip-hop band The Roots. Earlier, Fallon
launched his "Late Night" video blog (or "vlog"), giving viewers
behind-the-scenes access to his preparation for the show's official launch at
www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com.
Fallon joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1998 and quickly became an
audience favorite for his impressions of actors and musicians as well as for
creating many memorable recurring characters. In 2000, he became co-anchor of
the segment "Weekend Update" alongside Tina Fey. Fallon also appeared in the
Emmy Award-winning miniseries "Band of Brothers," and his feature films include
"Almost Famous," "Taxi" and "Fever Pitch."
Lorne Michaels, Emmy Award-winning creator of "Saturday Night Live," is "Late
Night's" executive producer. Michael Shoemaker, also an Emmy Award winner, is
the producer, bringing over 20 years of experience at "Saturday Night Live."
Gavin Purcell, from G4's critically praised "Attack of the Show," serves as
co-producer. "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" is a production of Universal Media
Studios in association with Broadway Video Entertainment.
Under terms of an agreement that was signed earlier today, NBC and O'Brien will
settle their contractual obligations and the network will release O'Brien from
his contract, freeing him to pursue other opportunities after September 1, 2010.
O'Brien will make his final appearance as host of "The Tonight Show" on January
22.
(X) "SU1727"
01/22/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Friday) :
.
(X) "HOPE FOR HAITI"
01/22/2010 (08:00PM - 10:00PM) (Friday) :
"THE JAY LENO SHOW"
(X) "87 - MARK HARMON"
01/25/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Monday) :
"THE BIGGEST LOSER 9"
(X) "904 "
01/26/2010 (08:00PM - 10:00PM) (Tuesday) : CONTESTANTS RACE FOR IMMUNITY AT THIS
WEEK'S WEIGH-IN -- This week starts off with a high-stakes pop challenge in
which contestants race for the prize of immunity - and the winning team also
gets three envelopes to give to the teams of their choice with instructions that
could have a dramatic impact at this week's weigh in. Also, tensions are high
between the trainers and one team suspected of game play, and a lifting
competition rewards the winning team with a prize that everyone wants. Alison
Sweeney hosts the series, and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels also
star.
"THE JAY LENO SHOW"
(X) "88 - MEL GIBSON"
01/26/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Tuesday) :
"MERCY"
(X) "SOME OF US HAVE BEEN TO THE DESERT"
01/27/2010 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Wednesday) : JASON RITTER GUEST STAR'S -
VERONICA TRIES TO GET HELP FOR UNRESOLVED BATTLE SCARS, WHILE EVERYTHING ELSE IN
HER LIFE FALLS APART AND THINGS GET COMPLICATED FOR CHLOE AS SHE STRUGGLES WITH
A PATIENT WHO KNOWS TOO MUCH--Veronica (Taylor Schilling) attends a veterans'
support group to deal with her PTSD, while also grappling with her crumbling
marriage and her father's downward spiral into Alzheimer's disease. Still, she
remains focused on her charming young cystic fibrosis patient in dire need of a
lung transplant. Meanwhile, Sonia (Jaime Lee Kirchner) helps a young mother
wrestling with her decision to give her newborn up for adoption. Also, when Dr.
Harris (James LeGros) suffers a bizarre and incapacitating injury, Chloe
(Michelle Trachtenberg) gets stuck with the most difficult kind of patient - a
doctor. Diego Klattenhoff, Guillermo Diaz , Kate Mulgrew and Peter Gerety and
also star.
"NBC NEWS SPECIAL"
(X) "STATE OF THE UNION "
01/27/2010 (09:00PM - 11:00PM) (Wednesday) :
"30 ROCK"
(X) "BLACK LIGHT ATTACK!"
01/28/2010 (09:30PM - 10:00PM) (Thursday) : JEALOUSY BREWS WHEN LIZ (TINA FEY)
AND JACK (ALEC BALDWIN) FIGHT FOR DANNY'S (CHEYENNE JACKSON) ATTENTION.
When Liz (Tina Fey) and Danny (Cheyenne Jackson) further their relationship,
Jack (Alec Baldwin) becomes jealous and plans to break them apart. Meanwhile,
Tracy (Tracy Morgan) recruits Sue (Sue Galloway) into his entourage, and Jenna
(Jane Krakowski) auditions for a role on "Gossip Girl." Also starring: Jack
McBrayer (Kenneth), Scott Adsit (Pete), Judah Friedlander (Frank), Keith Powell
(Toofer), John Lutz (Lutz), Katrina Bowden (Cerie), Kevin Brown (Dotcom), and
Grizz Chapman (Grizz).
Amber James
"THE JAY LENO SHOW"
(X) "89 - "
01/28/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Thursday) :
"LAW & ORDER"
(X) "BOY GONE ASTRAY"
01/29/2010 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Friday) : A RICH, YOUNG WOMAN IS MURDERED
LINKING HER TO A DRUG CARTEL.
When a young woman is found dead in her apartment, a few tell-tale signs quickly
lead Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson)
to believe that the killer was not after her wealth. After finding suitcases
filled with money and drugs in one of the victim's apartments, the detectives
watch a security video from her lobby. The video exposes two potential suspects
leading the detectives to a drug cartel. Also starring: S. Epatha Merkerson
(Lieutenant Anita Van Buren), Sam Waterston (District Attorney Jack McCoy),
Alana De La Garza (Connie Rubirosa), and Linus Roache (Michael Cutter).
Sharon Pannozzo
"THE JAY LENO SHOW"
(X) "90 - HOWIE MANDEL"
01/29/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Friday) :
"LAW & ORDER"
(X) "TBA"
01/30/2010 (09:00PM - 10:00PM) (Saturday) :
Sharon Pannozzo
"LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT"
(X) "QUICKIE"
01/30/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Saturday) : A WOMAN FOUND DEAD AND TO HAVE BEEN
HIV-POSITIVE, THE SEARCH THEN BEGINS FOR THE MAN WHO'S KNOWINGLY SPREADING THE
VIRUS
When seventeen year-old Andrea McWilliams is found strangled and beaten to death
in an alley, her ex-boyfriend leads the cops to a website that McWilliams used
to meet up with random men . Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) decides
to create a user account for the site and finds womanizer Peter Butler (guest
star Brian Geraghty), the man who met up with McWilliams. The case is closed
when a different suspect is proven guilty of her murder, and a new one opens
when McWilliams rape kit tests positive for HIV. Not only is HIV spreading as a
result of countless attacks, but now the detectives must also catch a rapist on
the loose. Also starring: Chris Meloni (Detective Elliot Stabler), Dann Florek
(Captain Donald Hagen), Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch), Ice-T (Detective
Odafin Tutuola), Stephanie March (ADA Alexandra Cabot), B.D. Wong (Dr. George
Huang), Tamara Tunie (M.E. Warner) and guest star Jack Larson (Dewey Butler).
"LAW & ORDER"
(X) "TBA"
02/05/2010 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Friday) :
"LAW & ORDER"
(X) "TBA"
02/06/2010 (09:00PM - 10:00PM) (Saturday) :
Sharon Pannozzo
"LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT"
(X) "SHADOW"
02/06/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Saturday) : THE BRUTAL MURDER OF A WEALTHY
COUPLE LEADS TO A FRAUD DETECTIVE WHOSE MAIN SUSPECT MAY ALSO BE A KILLER.
When a rich and powerful couple with political connections is found murdered in
their bedroom, Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler
(Christopher Meloni) decide to speak to the deceased couple's daughter, Anne
(guest star Sarah Paulson), for more information. After hearing Anne's account
of a nefarious man who has been following her, the detectives soon discover that
Anne's supposed stalker is none other than Detective Ash Ramsey (guest star
Naveen Andrews) of the Special Frauds division. Convinced that Anne killed her
parents for their money, Ramsey becomes suspicious of Anne's business manager
and is led to believe that he helped her steal money from the foundation she
runs. When blackmail and embezzlement come into play, the detectives find that
their lives may be at risk over a girl with some serious parent issues. Also
starring: Dann Florek (Captain Donald Hagen), Richard Belzer (Detective John
Munch), Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Stephanie March (ADA Alexandra Cabot),
B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang) and Tamara Tunie (M.E. Warner).
"THE BIGGEST LOSER 9"
(X) "901"
02/07/2010 (07:00PM - 09:00PM) (Sunday) :
ELEVEN FAMILY TEAMS OF TWO EXPERIENCE THEIR FIRST CHALLENGE -- AND THE FIRST
SURPRISE TWIST OF THE SEASON -- It is the heaviest cast ever when season nine
kicks off with twenty two contestants - eleven family teams of two - coming to
"The Biggest Loser" ranch hoping to transform their bodies, their health and
ultimately, their lives. The new season players include Maria and Michael, an
Italian mother-son duo who have always put others first while Michael's weight
soared to 526 lbs., identical twins James and John, who together weigh close to
half a ton, Tongan cousins Sam and Koli, who hope to inspire others in their
culture like Sione and Filipe Fa did in season seven, and Cherita, a competitive
mother who has already beat cancer and is ready to take on obesity along with
her determined daughter, Vicky. Before coming to the ranch, all of the
contestants have to weigh in - but for the first time ever, it will be in their
hometowns in front of friends, families and neighbors. Then they arrive on
campus and are faced with a strenuous bike challenge their first day - and a
shocking surprise from host Alison Sweeney. Trainers Bob Harper and Jillian
Michaels also star.
"THE BIGGEST LOSER 9"
(X) "903"
02/07/2010 (09:00PM - 11:00PM) (Sunday) : IT'S STUDENT-TEACHER WEEK AT "THE
BIGGEST LOSER" RANCH -- Host Alison Sweeney surprises the contestants with the
news that this will be student/teacher week, with the contestants on each team
assuming the role of either teacher or student. The "teachers" get to continue
working out with trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, but then have to
teach what they've learned to their teammates or "students," who don't get to
work out with the trainers. First, a temptation determines who will decide who
the student and teacher are on each team, and later, contestants have to unravel
their way through a challenge that grants immunity to the lucky winning team.
Also, one player threatens to leave after the trainers try to determine what is
causing her negative attitude, and an accusation about game play flies during a
tense weigh-in, after which another contestant is sent home.
( X Denotes Changes/Addition)
Monday, February 15, 2010 - Friday, February 19, 2010
Monday, February, 15, 2010
"HEAVY COMPETITION"
#RB124
Dwight chooses loyalty to Dunder Mifflin over loyalty to Michael, which leads to
a bitter battle between Michael and Dwight over Dwight's accounts. Back at
Dunder Mifflin, Jim pretends to confide in Andy.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
"BROKE"
#RB125
The Michael Scott Paper Company is gaining clients by by offering lower prices
than Dunder Mifflin, but is going broke in the process. However, Dunder Mifflin
is losing clients to him, and is desperate to buy him out.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
"CASUAL FRIDAY"
#RB126
Michael returns to Dunder Mifflin and brings Ryan and Pam in as salespeople, but
the existing salespeople demand that Michael return the clients they stole back
to them. Meanwhile, some employees take the idea of Casual Friday too far.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
"CAF? DISCO"
#RB127
Michael tries to create a place to escape from work in the storage room that
used to house the Michael Scott Paper Company, while Jim and Pam consider taking
off and getting married that day.
Friday, February 19, 2010
"COMPANY PICNIC"
#RB128
Michael runs into Holly at the company picnic, and the two of them accidentally
reveal that the Buffalo branch is closing during a comedy skit before corporate
has made the announcement.
THE OFFICE - SECOND RUN
Monday, February 15, 2010 - Friday, February 19, 2010
Monday, February, 15, 2010
"DIWALI"
#R3104R
Michael encourages the entire Scranton branch to support Kelly and attend a
local celebration of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. Meanwhile, Andy
convinces Jim to turn a late night of work into a drinking game.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
"BRANCH CLOSING"
#R3107R
When Jan tells Michael that the Scranton Branch will be shutting down, Michael
strives to keep his staff's spirits up. Meanwhile, everyone privately begins to
envision how their lives will change in the aftermath
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
"THE MERGER"
#R3172R
Jan informs Michael that the Scanton branch of Dunder Mifflin will be merging
with the Stamford Branch. Jim and Pam are reunited while the other employees of
both branches must adjust to their new co-workers.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
"THE CONVICT"
#R3110R
Michael learns that one of the new employees at Dunder Mifflin Scranton has a
criminal record. Meanwhile, Jim helps Andy make a move on Pam.
Friday, February 19, 2010
"A BENIHANA CHRISTMAS, PART 1"
#R3173R
Trouble among the members of the party planning committee results with the
office having two competing Christmas parties, but Michael isn't interested in
celebrating because he has just broken up with his girlfriend.
THE OFFICE - WEEKEND PRIMARY RUN
Saturday, February 20, 2010 - Friday, February 21, 2010
"CUSTOMER SURVEY"
#RB107
Dwight and Jim believe that something is suspicious about their low customer
performance ratings. After consulting with Angela, Andy finds the perfect site
for their wedding--Dwight's beet farm.
THE OFFICE - WEEKEND SECOND RUN
Saturday, February 20, 2010 - Friday, February 21, 2010
"BUSINESS TRIP"
#RB109
David Wallace sends Michael on a business trip to Winnipeg to help him forget
about Holly's transfer to Nashua, and Pam tells Jim that she failed a class and
has to stay in New York City.
LAW & ORDER: SVU - PRIMARY RUN
Monday, February 15, 2010 - Friday, February 19, 2010
Monday, February, 15, 2010
"HEAD"
#E4418
After discovering a hidden camera under a public toilet seats, the detectives
soon discover a young boy's molestation.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
"BIRTHRIGHT"
#E5201
The investigation into the attempted kidnapping of a six year old girl uncovers
a fertility doctor's scheme to steal embryos, and prompts a custody battle
between the child's biological and birth mothers.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
"DEBT"
#E5203
As Benson and Stabler investigate the disappearance of a mother and her teenaged
daughter, they uncover a conspiracy between a corrupt immigration attorney and
gangsters running a prostitution ring that is staffed by women they have
smuggled into the country and imprisoned as sex slaves.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
"OBSCENE"
#E5205
The detectives investigate the alleged rape of a sixteen-year-old television
star, which leads to conflict about whether or not an obscene shock jock should
be held responsible for setting the events in motion.
Friday, February 19, 2010
"SCAVENGER"
#E5207
The entire squad races against the clock to solve the puzzles and uncover the
clues scattered throughout the city by a serial killer who is taunting them to
find him and the next victims on his list.
"CHUCK VERSUS NACHO SAMPLER"
02/01/2010 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Monday) : CHUCK MUST TURN A RING SCIENTIST INTO
A SPY FOR THE CIA- KRISTIN KREUK ("SMALLVILLE") GUEST STARS-Chuck (Zachary Levi)
juggles his two lives as he trains new Nerd Herder Hannah (guest star Kristin
Kreuk) and gets his very own asset who is caught up with The Ring. Chuck thinks
he can handle his asset all on his own but Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Casey
(Adam Baldwin) feel the need to intercede. Meanwhile, Awesome (Ryan McPartlin)
must lie to Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) when she starts to ask questions about Chuck
and Morgan (Joshua Gomez), Jeff (Scott Krinsky) and Lester (Vik Sahay) do some
recon work to learn more about Hannah.
"I am beyond excited to be a part of 'Access Hollywood's' Golden Globes coverage
team," said Michaels. "I make a great ass-kicker on 'The Biggest Loser' campus
and taking celebrities to task on the red carpet seems like the obvious next
step for me."
Michaels will be on hand to interview the biggest stars from television and
film, capture behind-the-scenes moments and provide insight for the viewers on
the fashion from the red carpet.
"We are excited to have Jillian join 'Access Hollywood' on the red carpet," says
"Access Hollywood" Executive Producer Rob Silverstein. "Her energy, excitement
and unpredictability will be a welcome addition to our Golden Globes coverage."
Michaels will next be seen in "Losing It with Jillian Michaels," which will air
its first season later this year on NBC. The show will follow Michaels around
the country as she moves in with families for one week to teach them how to
exercise, be healthy and eat right.
"Access Hollywood" is distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television
Distribution. Rob K. Silverstein is the executive producer.
"SU1919"
01/31/2010 (07:00PM - 09:00PM) (Sunday) :
"NBC SPECIALS"
"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE SPORTS EXTRA"
01/31/2010 (09:00PM - 11:00PM) (Sunday) : This special will feature a
compilation of memorable sports sketches from the show's 35-year history.
"CHUCK"
"CHUCK VERSUS NACHO SAMPLER"
02/01/2010 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Monday) : CHUCK MUST TURN AN ENEMY AGENT INTO A
SPY FOR THE CIA- KRISTIN KREUK ("SMALLVILLE") GUEST STARS-Chuck (Zachary Levi)
juggles his two lives as he trains new Nerd Herder Hannah (guest star Kristin
Kreuk) and gets his very own asset who is caught up with The Ring. Chuck thinks
he can handle his asset all on his own but Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Casey
(Adam Baldwin) feel the need to intercede. Meanwhile, Awesome (Ryan McPartlin)
must lie to Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) when she starts to ask questions about Chuck
and Morgan (Joshua Gomez), Jeff (Scott Krinsky) and Lester (Vik Sahay) do some
recon work to learn more about Hannah.
Jamie French
"HEROES"
"THE WALL"
02/01/2010 (09:00PM - 10:00PM) (Monday) : SYLAR'S WORST FEARS COME TO LIFE AS
H.R.G. FACES HIS PAST - ERIC ROBERTS, MADELINE ZIMA, DEANNE BRAY AND ELIZABETH
ROHM GUEST STAR - Fueled by his vision of Emma (guest star Deanne Bray) in grave
danger, Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) attempts to rescue Sylar (Zachary Quinto) from
his worst nightmare. At the carnival, Samuel (Robert Knepper) reveals H.R.G.'s
(Jack Coleman) secret past in order to bring Claire (Hayden Panettiere) to his
side. Meanwhile, Lauren (guest star Elizabeth Rohm) makes a bold move to put a
stop to Samuel. Sendhil Ramamurthy also stars. Ashley Crow, Jimmy Jean-Louis,
Harry Perry, Todd Stashwick also guest star.
Gary Mednick
"THE JAY LENO SHOW"
"TBA"
02/01/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Monday) :
"THE BIGGEST LOSER 9"
"905"
02/02/2010 (08:00PM - 10:00PM) (Tuesday) : THE BLUE AND YELLOW TEAMS RETURN TO
TRY AND EARN A SPOT BACK ON THE RANCH -- This week, contestants are surprised by
the return of the blue and yellow teams, who were sent home after the first
challenge of the season. Now they're back, 30 days later, to weigh in and try to
earn a spot back on the ranch. Then a vigorous football challenge tests
everyone's stamina, except for one player sidelined with medical issues, and
provides immunity for the winner - but a big disadvantage for the losing team.
Later, after another elimination round sends a player home, host Alison Sweeney
surprises the contestants with exciting news. Trainers Bob Harper and Jillian
Michaels also star.
"THE JAY LENO SHOW"
"TBA"
02/02/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Tuesday) :
"MERCY"
"CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE GIGANTIC ELEPHANT IN THE AMBULANCE?"
02/03/2010 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Wednesday) : MERCY HOSPITAL AND ITS STAFF MEET
THE NEW HEAD OF THE ICU, DR. JOE BRIGGS (GUEST STAR JAMES VAN DER BEEK)- Mercy
staffers are jolted by the arrival of Dr. Joe Briggs (James Van Der Beek,
"Dawson's Creek"), the arrogant new head of ICU with whom Veronica (Taylor
Schilling) promptly locks horns. Meanwhile, Veronica and Dr. Sands (James
Tupper) must set aside their own icy relationship as they try to save a boy
found nearly frozen in the woods. Following the death of one of her patients,
Chloe (Michelle Trachtenberg) helps the grieving widower take the difficult step
of leaving the hospital and Sonia (Jaime Lee Kirchner) continues her turn as
private nurse to an upper-crust family. James LeGros, Diego Klattenhoff and
Guillermo Diaz also star.
"LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT"
"CONFIDENTIAL"
02/03/2010 (09:00PM - 10:00PM) (Wednesday) : A WOMAN'S MURDER IS LINKED TO A
VAST PONZI SCHEME THAT LEADS DETECTIVES BENSON (MARISKA HARGITAY) AND STABLER
(CHRISTOPHER MELONI) TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION OF A SIMILAR CRIME COMMITTED
TWENTY YEARS EARLIER
When security cameras record footage of a woman being abducted, it isn't long
before Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek) and the SVU squad find the woman dead
in the basement. Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) recalls a similar case
from twenty years before, sending Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay)
and Eliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) to Sing Sing to speak to the culprit, who
begs them to reopen his case and prove his innocence. As strange similarities
between the two cases begin to arise, Benson and Stabler face fierce opposition
from Ingrid Block (guest star Lena Olin), the pit bull attorney for the main
suspect who will do whatever it takes to prove her client's innocence.
Ultimately, it falls on DA Jack McCoy (guest star Sam Waterston) to decide
whether or not the ruthless lengths to which Block went to defend her client
constituted a crime itself. Also starring: Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola),
Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner), and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang).
"THE JAY LENO SHOW"
"TBA"
02/03/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Wednesday) :
"COMMUNITY"
"BEGINNER POTTERY"
02/04/2010 (08:00PM - 08:30PM) (Thursday) : "Beginner Pottery"-JEFF SHOWS OFF
HIS COMPETITIVE SIDE IN POTTERY CLASS-Jeff (Joel McHale) unexpectedly takes
interest in his new pottery class when another student shows natural talent.
Meanwhile, Pierce (Chevy Chase) brings Britta (Gillian Jacobs), Shirley (Yvette
Nicole Brown) and Troy (Donald Glover) along for a ride at his boating class.
Ken Jeong, Danny Pudi and Alison Brie also star.
"PARKS AND RECREATION"
"SWEETUMS "
02/04/2010 (08:30PM - 09:00PM) (Thursday) : LESLIE FIGHTS FOR HEALTH-- JUSTIN
THEROUX ("JOHN ADAMS," "TROPIC THUNDER") GUEST STARS-The Parks Department forms
a partnership with a local company to sell energy bars at the parks in Pawnee,
but Leslie (Amy Poehler) tries to stop the deal when she discovers how unhealthy
the snacks are. Mark (Paul Schneider) reluctantly agrees to help Tom (Aziz
Ansari) move out of his house. Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt also
star.
Joanne Park
Wendy Luckenbill
"THE OFFICE"
"SABRE "
02/04/2010 (09:00PM - 09:30PM) (Thursday) : DUNDER MIFFLIN GETS BOUGHT OUT-
KATHY BATES ("THE BLIND SIDE," "REVOLUTIONARY ROAD") GUEST STARS-When Sabre
comes in to take over Dunder Mifflin, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell)
struggles to accept Sabre's new policies. Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John
Krasinski) have an interview for a local daycare they really want to get into.
Andy(Ed Helms) and Erin (Ellie Kemper) work on a welcome song for Sabre as Erin
waits for Andy to ask her out. Rainn Wilson, Leslie David Baker, Brian
Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith, Oscar
Nunez, Creed Bratton, Paul Lieberstein and B.J. Novak also star.
Joanne Park
"30 ROCK"
"VERNA"
02/04/2010 (09:30PM - 10:00PM) (Thursday) : LIZ AND FRANK BECOME ROOMMATES, AND
JENNA'S MOTHER COMES TO VISIT. JAN HOOKS GUEST STARS.
Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) takes Frank (Judah Friedlander) in as a roommate, and is
pleasantly surprised when the two make a pact to help each other kick their bad
habits. Meanwhile, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) turns to Jack Donaghy (Alec
Baldwin) for help with her mother, Verna (Jan Hooks), who has come to visit.
Also starring: Tracy Morgan (Tracy), Jack McBrayer (Kenneth), Scott Adsit
(Pete), Keith Powell (Toofer), John Lutz (Lutz), Katrina Bowden (Cerie), Kevin
Brown (Dotcom), Grizz Chapman (Grizz), Sue Galloway (Sue).
Amber James
"THE JAY LENO SHOW"
"TBA"
02/04/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Thursday) :
"LAW & ORDER"
"SHOTGUN"
02/05/2010 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Friday) : A VIOLENT ARMED ROBBERY EXPOSES DEEPER
INTENTIONS.
When an elderly man defends his shop from an armed robbery, Detectives Kevin
Bernard (Anthony Anderson) and Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) suspect that this
incident could have been an inside job. After further investigation, the
detectives discover that the mugging might have been a scare tactic for a
shakedown. Also starring: S. Epatha Merkerson (Lieutenant Anita Van Buren), Sam
Waterston (District Attorney Jack McCoy), Alana De La Garza (Connie Rubirosa),
and Linus Roache (Michael Cutter).
Sharon Pannozzo
"DATELINE NBC"
"FR1920"
02/05/2010 (09:00PM - 10:00PM) (Friday) :
"THE JAY LENO SHOW"
"TBA"
02/05/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Friday) :
"MERCY"
"WAKE UP, BILL"
02/06/2010 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Saturday) : EVA AMURRI AND KELLY BISHOP GUEST
STAR - VERONICA AND SONIA ARE AFFECTED WHEN THEIR PATIENT'S ISSUES MIRROR THEIR
OWN LIVES AND CHLOE TRIES TO HELP A PATIENT'S HUSBAND IN HIS TIME OF NEED - A
newlywed cancer patient (Eva Amurri) undergoes a risky course of treatment and
Chloe (Michelle Trachtenberg) struggles to help her doting husband cope.
Meanwhile, a man wakes up after ten years in a coma and decides to confront the
woman he loves, prompting Veronica (Taylor Schilling) to spring to action in her
own love life. And Sonia (Jaime Lee Kirchner) gets a taste of how the other half
lives when she cares for a wealthy and eccentric family. James Tupper, James Le
Gros and Guillermo Diaz also star.
"LAW & ORDER"
"FED"
02/06/2010 (09:00PM - 10:00PM) (Saturday) : A VOLUNTEER IS MURDERED AND THE
DETECTIVES BECOME TRAPPED IN A HAZE OF DANGER AND POLITICAL SCANDALS. BENJAMIN
BRATT GUEST STARS.
Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson)
discover the disfigured remains of a man with the word "FED" written across his
bare chest. Missing a crucial piece of evidence, the detectives decide to
retrace the steps of the victim to hone in on the challenging investigation.
After the victim's perplexing past emerges and the list of suspects multiplies,
the detectives find themselves dealing with more than just dirty politics.
Sharon Pannozzo
"LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT"
"TBA"
02/06/2010 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Saturday) :
In addition, the new alternative series "Who Do You Think You Are?" from Lisa
Kudrow will premiere Friday, March 5 (8-9 p.m. ET) and the new game show "Minute
to Win It" joins the lineup on Sunday, March 14 (8-9 p.m. ET). Also, "Friday
Night Lights" will begin a new broadcast season on NBC on Fridays (8-9 p.m. ET)
starting April 30 after "Who Do You Think You Are?" concludes its run.
The long-running series "Law & Order" continues its 20th season debuting on a
new night with a two-hour telecast (9-11 p.m. ET) on Monday, March 1 before
settling into its regular time period the following week, Monday, March 8 (10-11
p.m. ET). "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" will move to Wednesdays at 10-11
p.m. (ET) beginning March 3. Encore episodes will air at 9-10 p.m. (ET) followed
by original episodes (10-11 p.m. ET). "Trauma" returns to the schedule Monday,
March 8 (9-10 p.m. ET).
"Parenthood" is a one-hour drama inspired by the box-office comedy hit of the
same name that debuts Tuesday, March 2 (10-11 p.m. ET). The re-imagined and
updated production introduces audiences to the large and colorful yet imperfect
Braverman family and features an all-star cast that includes Lauren Graham,
Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Erika Christensen, and Bonnie Bedelia among
others. Serving as executive producers are Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian
Grazer ("A Beautiful Mind," "Frost/Nixon"), Jason Katims ("Friday Night Lights")
- who wrote the pilot episode - and David Nevins ("Friday Night Lights,"
"Arrested Development"). Emmy Award winner Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") is
the director and executive producer of the pilot. "Parenthood" is from Imagine
Television and Universal Media Studios.
"The Marriage Ref" - which has a special sneak preview following the Closing
Ceremony of the Winter Olympics on February 28 - is NBC's new comedy panel
series about the unpredictable and hilarious institution commonly known as
marriage. It features comedian/actor Tom Papa, who was personally selected by
executive producer Jerry Seinfeld to host and serve as the "marriage ref." The
show will premiere in its regular slot on Thursdays (10-11 p.m. ET) beginning
March 4.
"The Marriage Ref" is produced by Seinfeld's Columbus 81 Productions and Ellen
Rakieten Entertainment. Seinfeld, Ellen Rakieten ("The Oprah Winfrey Show"),
Shed Media's Nick Emmerson ("Supernanny") and Jennifer O'Connell ("Supernanny"),
Al Berman ("The Biggest Loser Live Finale," "The Celebrity Apprentice Live
Finale"), Howard West ("Seinfeld") and George Shapiro ("Seinfeld") serve as
executive producers. International distribution is by Endemol.
"Who Do You Think You Are?" premieres Friday, March 5 (8-9 p.m. ET) and gives
viewers an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of
today's most beloved and iconic celebrities. Among the celebrities featured are
Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon,
Brooke Shields and Emmitt Smith. Ancestry.com is NBC's official partner on the
series. From executive producer Kudrow ("Friends," "The Comeback") - in
conjunction with her production company Is or Isn't Entertainment and the U.K.'s
Wall to Wall productions - "Who Do You Think You Are?" is an adaptation of the
hit BBC television documentary series created and executive-produced by Alex
Graham.
"Who Do You Think You Are?" is produced by Wall to Wall productions (a Shed
Media Company) in association with Is or Isn't Entertainment. Alex Graham and
Lucy Carter from Wall to Wall and Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky and Don Roos from
Is or Isn't Entertainment are the executive producers. Bryn Freedman is the
co-executive producer.
All-American chef and television personality Guy Fieri ("Diners, Drive-Ins and
Dives") will host NBC's new game show "Minute to Win It" as it debuts on Sunday,
March 14 (8-9 p.m. ET). Fieri will serve as master of ceremonies and will lead
competitors through a series of simple, yet nerve-wracking games that can reward
them a $1 million prize. Over eight one-hour episodes, competitors will face 10
challenges that escalate in level of difficulty using everyday household items.
Each game has a 60-second time limit and failure to finish the task on time will
eliminate the contestant. At various points throughout the game, the contestant
can walk away with the money earned up to that point - but it'll take nerves of
steel to complete all 10 tasks to win $1 million.
"Minute to Win It" is produced by Universal Media Studios with Friday
Television. Craig Plestis, Tim Puntillo (NBC's "Identity"), Mattias Olsson and
Jock Millgardh serve as executive producers.
The new post-Olympics program schedule grid follows (all times ET); new series
are in upper case.
MONDAYS
8-9 p.m. - "Chuck"
9-10 p.m. - "Trauma" (beginning March 8)
10-11 p.m. -"Law & Order" (returns March 1 with two-hour episode, 9-11 p.m.
(ET); resumes in regular time slot March 8)
TUESDAYS
8-10 p.m. - "The Biggest Loser"
10-11 p.m. - "PARENTHOOD" (premieres March 2)
WEDNESDAYS
8-9 p.m. - "Mercy"
9-10 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (encores beginning March 3)
10-11 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (originals beginning March 3)
THURSDAYS
8-8:30 p.m. - "Community"
8:30-9 p.m. - "Parks and Recreation"
9-9:30 p.m. - "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. - "30 Rock"
10-11 p.m. - "THE MARRIAGE REF" (premieres March 4; sneak preview February 28)
FRIDAYS
8-9 p.m. - "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" (premieres March 5; "Friday Night Lights"
returns on April 30)
9-11 p.m. - "Dateline NBC" (begins March 5)
SATURDAYS (all beginning March 6)
8-9 p.m. - "The Biggest Loser" (encore episode)
9-10 p.m. - "Law & Order" (encore episode)
10-11 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (encore episode)
SUNDAYS (all beginning March 14)
7-8 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. - "MINUTE TO WIN IT" (premieres March 14)
9-11 p.m. - "The Celebrity Apprentice" (season premiere March 14)
NEW YORK - Jan. 14, 2010 - NBC Universal will
present more than 835 hours of Vancouver Olympic Winter Games coverage -
representing the most total hours ever for a Winter Olympics, more than the last
two Winter Olympics combined, and the most live hours ever for a Winter Games.
The Vancouver Games, which will be the first Winter Olympics to be presented
entirely in high definition, commence with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Feb.
12. The announcement was made today by Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal
Sports & Olympics and executive producer of NBC Universal’s Olympic coverage.
The more than 835 total hours of coverage on six NBC Universal platforms - NBC,
USA, MSNBC, CNBC and Universal HD, as well as NBCOlympics.com - nearly doubles
the coverage from Torino (419) and is more than Torino and Salt Lake City
(375.5) combined (794.5).
Following is a breakdown of the Vancouver Olympics coverage on the NBC Universal
networks:
· The six NBC Universal platforms - NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC and Universal HD, as
well as NBCOlympics.com - will offer the most in-depth coverage in history for
a Winter Olympics. The more than 835 hours is nearly double Torino (419) and is
more than Torino and Salt Lake City (375.5) combined (794.5).
· Over the 17 days of the Vancouver Games (Feb.12-28), NBCU’s coverage will
average nearly 50 hours per day - that’s more coverage in one day than all of
the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics (43.5) on ABC.
· The networks of NBCU will provide coverage of every one of the 15 Winter
Olympic sports.
· Vancouver will be the first Winter Olympics broadcast 100-percent in high
definition, including the first-ever online HD.
· The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games represent the 12th Olympics broadcast
by NBC, the most Olympic broadcasts by any U.S. network (ABC is second with 10).
A breakdown of coverage platform-by-platform follows:
NBC
The NBC network schedule is divided into three dayparts - afternoon, primetime
and late night - for a total of 193.5 hours of coverage over 17 days beginning
with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Primetime
coverage will heavily consist of men’s and women’s figure skating and alpine
skiing. Other sports to be featured in primetime will include freestyle skiing,
speed skating, snowboarding, and short track.
Ebersol: "What’s unique about Vancouver is that more than any time in winter
sports history, the United States over the last two years has emerged as the
dominant international winter sports power. I remember the 1964 and 1968 Winter
Olympics when the U.S. team won one gold medal in each. This U.S. team should
have potential medal winners almost every single day of the Vancouver Olympics."
Kicking off the first night of primetime is the men’s 1500m gold medal final in
short track speed skating. Team USA is particularly strong this year, led by
Apolo Ohno, a five-time Olympic medalist who needs two medals in Vancouver to
pass Bonnie Blair and become the most decorated Winter Olympic athlete in U.S.
history. Ohno, the 2007 Dancing With the Stars champion, remains one of the most
recognizable U.S. Olympic athletes. He will again be one of the favorites
competing in his third Games, this one practically in the Seattle native’s
backyard. He competes in four gold medal events across five nights with his
biggest competition coming from South Korean and Canadian athletes.
In alpine skiing, Team USA should also be a strong contender for Olympic gold
with World Champion Lindsey Vonn, who is the first American woman in history to
win back-to-back overall World Cup titles. She heads into the Olympic season
with two World Championship titles and 28 World Cup victories (as of Jan. 14,
2010), tops among U.S. female alpine skiers. She currently leads this season’s
World Cup standings and has won the past five World Cup downhill races dating
back to last season (as of Jan. 14, 2010). The only medal Vonn is missing is an
Olympic gold.
In speed skating, Shani Davis of Chicago, who four years ago in Torino became
the first African-American athlete to win a Winter Games gold medal in an
individual event, will be featured on multiple nights in primetime. Davis, one
of the sport’s dominant stars, plans to skate in five individual events, making
him the first U.S. Winter Olympian to do so since Eric Heiden 30 years ago in
Lake Placid.
Shaun White won gold in his first Olympics four years ago. His Torino Olympic
gold medal and unique style led to the rare feat of gracing the covers of both
Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone in the same week. The redheaded action
sports icon is the headliner of the deep-as-ever U.S. snowboarding team. With
his style and new “double cork” trick, he is the frontrunner to repeat his gold
medal performance in the men’s halfpipe competition.
USA Network
USA Network, available in 98.5 million homes, is the cable home of the U.S.
Olympic Team for the Vancouver Games. The USA men’s and women’s curling and ice
hockey teams will be the staples of USA Network’s Olympic coverage from
Vancouver. All Team USA hockey games, both men’s and women’s, will be seen live,
the majority on USA Network. USA Network will also feature a live curling match
nine of the 12 days of the Olympic curling tournament. USA’s 41 hours of
coverage begins on Sunday, Feb. 14.
MSNBC
MSNBC, available in 91.6 million homes in the U.S., will provide 100 hours of
Olympic coverage from Vancouver highlighted by live quarterfinal, semifinal and
medal round hockey competition. MSNBC’s hockey coverage also features the
much-anticipated USA vs. Canada men’s hockey game. MSNBC will also provide
extensive live curling coverage, including medal round games, in addition to
live speed skating and figure skating. MSNBC begins coverage on Saturday, Feb.
13.
CNBC
CNBC, available in 95 million households in the U.S, will carry 100.5 hours of
Olympic programming over 14 days, beginning Saturday, Feb.13. On most days
beginning at 5 p.m. ET, CNBC will feature live long-form coverage of Olympic
curling. CNBC will also have expanded, live long-form coverage of numerous
Olympic sports, including ice hockey and biathlon.
UNIVERSAL HD
Universal HD, currently available in approximately 17 million homes, will re-air
USA Network’s coverage.
NBCOlympics.com, Mobile, and VOD
NBCOlympics.com will provide more than 400 hours of live event competition from
Vancouver. In addition, the site will offer more than 1,000 hours of on-demand
access to full-event replays from broadcast and host-feed coverage of all 15
sports on the Winter Games program, as well as extensive highlights such as
event recaps, best-of montages, commentator analysis and athlete-specific clips.
Powered by Microsoft's Silverlight technology, the video player will present
video in stunning high-definition quality and offer DVR-style controls (allowing
users to pause and rewind live Olympic video), enhanced navigation and more. By
comparison, in Torino, NBC streamed two hours of live action of the men’s gold
medal hockey game, mostly as a back-end test.
NBCOlympics mobile will provide up-to-the-minute results, breaking news, as well
as video highlights of every event, while Olympics video highlights and event
replays will be available on set-top boxes for on-demand viewing.
STANDARD MONDAY-FRIDAY SCHEDULE
Times may vary
(Check NBCOlympics.com or local listings)
(*ET; **ET/PT)
By Network:
NBC: 3 p.m.- 5 p.m.**
8 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. **
12:35 a.m. - 2 a.m.**
2 a.m. - 5 a.m.**
CNBC: 5 p.m.- 5 a.m.*
MSNBC: 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.*
3 a.m. - 5:30 a.m.*
USA: Noon - 5:30 p.m.*
Universal HD - 9 a.m. - Noon*
Chronological:
Universal HD: 9 a.m. - Noon
USA: Noon - 5:30 p.m.
NBC: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
CNBC: 5 p.m. - 5 a.m.
MSNBC: 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
NBC: 8 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
NBC: 12:35 a.m. - 2 a.m.
NBC: 2 a.m. - 5 a.m.
MSNBC: 3 a.m. - 5:30 a.m.
# # #
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held annually since 1914, is the nation's
most prestigious figure skating event, and this year's event will go a long way
in determining the U.S. team for Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, which begin
Feb. 12 on NBC.
Coverage of this year's championships will include 13 hours of live competition
in the ladies and men's singles, pairs and ice dancing, with the ladies
competition airing next Saturday live in primetime and the announcement of the
U.S. Olympic team next Sunday in primetime. Universal Sports will present live
coverage of the short programs and will re-air the NBC Sports broadcasts.
NBC's Olympic figure skating broadcast team of Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Scott
Hamilton (analyst), Sandra Bezic (analyst), and Andrea Joyce (reporter) will
call the action from the Spokane Arena in Spokane Wash. Event host Bob Costas
and legendary skater and announcer Dick Button join the team for the second
weekend of coverage.
COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS:
- This Saturday, 4:30-6 p.m. ET - Pairs Free Skate (Live), Pairs Short, Men's
Short
- This Sunday, 4:30-6 p.m. ET - Men's Free Skate (Live)
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 3-6 p.m. ET - Free Dance (Live), Ladies Short
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT - Ladies Free Skate (Live)
- Sunday, Jan. 24, 4-6 p.m. ET - Recap of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships
- Sunday, Jan. 24, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT - Exhibition of Champions and announcement of
U.S. Olympic Team
UNIVERSAL SPORTS COVERAGE: Universal Sports, available in 57 million homes, will
present five hours of live, original coverage and eight hours of re-airs of the
NBC Sports shows starting this Friday. Coverage details below:
- This Saturday, 12:30-2:30 a.m. ET (late Friday night) - Men's Short and Pairs
Short (Live)
- This Saturday, 6:30-8 p.m. ET - Pairs Free Skate, Pairs Short, Men's Short
(Re-Air of NBC Show)
- This Sunday, 6:30-8 p.m. ET - Men's Free Skate (Re-Air of NBC Show)
- Friday, Jan. 22, 12:30-2:30 a.m. ET (late Thursday night) - Ladies Short
(Live)
- Friday, Jan. 22, 11 p.m. - 12 midnight ET - Original Dance (Live)
- Saturday, Jan. 23, 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. ET - Ladies Short and Free Dance (Re-Air
of NBC Show)
- Sunday, Jan. 24, 2-4 a.m. ET (late Saturday night) - Ladies Free (Re-Air NBC
Show)
COMPETITION PREVIEW
LADIES: Two Olympic berths are at stake. 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha
Cohen makes her much anticipated return to competitive skating in Spokane. She
made her last competitive appearance at the 2006 World Championships in Calgary.
Competing against Cohen for a berth on the U.S. Olympic team is two-time
defending U.S. silver medalist Rachel Flatt. Flatt, the 2008 World Junior
Champion and Japan's Miki Ando are the only ladies who have beaten world
champion Kim Yu-Na in a competition segment this season (no one has beaten her
overall). Flatt defeated Kim in the free skate at Skate America in November.
Other competition for the Olympic spots will come from defending U.S. champion
Alissa Czisny, defending U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang and 2008 U.S.
champion Mirai Nagasu. 2007 U.S. silver medalist Emily Hughes makes her first
appearance at nationals since 2007; she missed the past two years due to
injuries. She is on a one-year break from Harvard, hoping to qualify for her
second Olympics. Hughes is the younger sister of 2002 Olympic champion Sarah
Hughes.
HAMILTON ON THE LADIES COMPETITION: "Alissa Czisny is coming back to defend her
title and when she's on, she's wonderful, but she's going to have to turn in
performances like she did last year without major errors in order to be in the
top two or three. Rachael Flatt has been very strong and recently beat Kim Yu-Na
in the free skate at Skate America. Then there is Sasha Cohen who is coming back
after four years of being away. She's a national champion and an Olympic silver
medalist so you have to put her in as a factor, but she hasn't skated
competitively in four years so that's a tall order. There's a lot of pressure.
Ashley Wagner's been really good this year and Mirai Nagasu, who won the title a
couple years ago, kind of melted under the spotlight of being the National
Champion, but now seems to be coming on strong again. And I'm sure the press
will love to talk about Emily Hughes, but I don't really know if she's going to
be competitive. Sasha, Alissa, Rachael, Mirai, and Ashley would be my five going
for the two spots."
MEN'S: Three Olympic berths are at stake and three U.S. champions in the field
are the favorites to claim them. 2009 world champion Evan Lysacek is not only
the favorite in Spokane but also a contender for gold in Vancouver. Challenging
Lysacek will be defending U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott, who unseated Lysacek at
last year's Nationals in Cleveland; three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir, who
won bronze at the Grand Prix Final in December; two-time world junior champion
Adam Rippon, who won his first Grand Prix medal in Paris in October; 2009 U.S.
silver medalist Brandon Mroz; and 2007 U.S. silver medalist Ryan Bradley.
HAMILTON ON THE MEN'S COMPETITION: "The three men with the most experience and
have the most international success would be Evan Lysacek, Jeremy Abbott, and
Johnny Weir. Those would be the three that most people would expect to be on the
Olympics team, but with this scoring system and the nature of how it all works,
you never know. Ryan Bradley was on the podium at the Nationals in Spokane a
couple of years ago so he's going back to a very familiar rink where he's had
success, don't count him out. You've got a young skater, Adam Rippon, who's
coming on strong and we can't forget Brandon Mroz, who was second last year at
the National Championships. So the men's event is going to be very exciting."
PAIRS: Two spots on the U.S. Olympic Team are at stake. Two-time and reigning
champs Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker are the frontrunners, looking for
their third consecutive senior title. Competing against them will be two-time
U.S. champions Rena Inoue and John Baldwin, 2007 U.S. champions Brooke Castile &
Ben Okolski and last year's surprise silver medalists, Caydee Denney & Jeremy
Barrett.
HAMILTON ON THE PAIRS COMPETITION: "Denney and Barrett and McLaughlin and
Brubaker would probably be the favorites going into this competition. The
two-time defending champions, Brubaker and McLaughlin, had a coaching switch
this year so it'll be real interesting to see how that's changed not only their
look but their technical consistency because that's something that was an issue
last year. I expect great things from them. You've also got Inoue and Baldwin
who've won this championship a couple times and have been top five in the world.
They could mount a comeback as well and get on the podium because they've got
all the experience and they're much older and a seasoned pair team. So a lot of
things can happen in the pairs but I'd say the two to look for would be Denney
and Barrett and McLaughlin and Brubaker."
DANCE: Three Olympic berths are at stake. Five-time U.S. champions Tanith Belbin
and Ben Agosto compete for their sixth U.S. title; a win would give them the
record for most U.S. dance titles. Belbin and Agosto are already the most
successful U.S. dance team in history, with four world medals, three Four
Continents titles, and an Olympic silver medal from Torino. Their main
competition will come from 2009 U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White,
who are fresh off a win at the Grand Prix Final, the first-ever by an American
team. Davis & White have never defeated Belbin & Agosto in competition. They won
at Nationals last year when Belbin and Agosto did not compete. Also competing
for one of the three Olympic spots are are two-time U.S. bronze medalists
Kimberly Navarro & Brent Bommentre, defending U.S. silver medalists Emily
Samuelson & Evan Bates and 2009 world junior champions Madison Chock & Greg
Zuerlein, who will make their senior debut in Spokane.
HAMILTON ON DANCE COMPETITION: "The U.S. has never been this well represented in
a dance event going into Olympics as we are this year. Tanith and Ben and Meryl
and Charlie are two of the best dance teams in the world, so they're going at it
nose to nose competing for the National Title because that would give them
momentum into the Olympics. It's going to be interesting to see who wins there
because Charlie and Meryl have been on the rise like crazy, but Tanith and Ben
won a medal last Olympics and they've been dominant on the international stage."
NBC SPORTS AND U.S. FIGURE SKATING ASSOCIATION: NBC Sports and U.S. Figure
Skating are in the third year of a multiyear partnership under which NBC will
broadcast live high-definition coverage of the AT&T U.S. Figure Skating
Championships, including Saturday night primetime coverage of the ladies free
skate, as well as Skate America. The deal between NBC and the USFSA was extended
last year and continues through the 2014 U.S. Championships
Billy Bush ("Access Hollywood") and Natalie Morales (NBC's "Today" show) will
host "The Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet Special" (4-5 p.m. PT, 7-8 p.m. ET).
The pre-show will feature interviews with the biggest stars from television and
motion pictures, segments devoted to fashion and a behind-the-scenes look at the
planning of the event.
Nick Cannon (NBC's "America's Got Talent") will host "Golden Globe Awards: After
Party Show" post-show directly following the awards (8-9 p.m. PT, 11 p.m.-12
a.m. ET.) The post show will showcase interviews with the night's big winners
along with a behind-the-scenes look at the exclusive after party.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, dick clark productions and NBC made the
announcements today.
Bush is the anchor of "Access Hollywood," the daily entertainment newsmagazine
in its 14th season of providing the most comprehensive coverage of entertainment
news and personalities on television. Morales joined "Today" as a National
Correspondent in February 2006 and was named Co-Host of the third hour of
"Today" in March 2008. Morales also serves as a National Correspondent for all
NBC News platforms including "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams," "Dateline
NBC," and MSNBC. Most recently, Cannon was seen as the host of the fourth season
of NBC's hit reality series "America's Got Talent." Cannon is a successful,
multi-faceted entertainer: film star, comedian, musician, writer and executive
producer of his own hit TV shows.
This year's Golden Globes is hosted by Ricky Gervais and will be broadcast live
coast-to-coast from 5-8 p.m. (PT) and 8-11 p.m. (ET) from the Beverly Hilton
Hotel in Beverly Hills.
"The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards" will be seen in more than 160 countries
worldwide and is one of the few awards ceremonies that span both television and
motion picture achievements. The special will be produced by dick clark
productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Philip Berk is President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Orly
Adelson, president of dick clark productions and Barry Adelman will
executive-produce the special. Chris Donovan is the director and Bob Bardo is
the executive in charge of production.
The announcements were made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime
Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.
* On the drama side, "Prime Suspect" is based on the award-winning BBC series
centering on a courageous female detective who investigates complex mysteries in
a politically explosive big city. Casting will be announced later. The pilot is
produced by Universal Media Studios and ITV. Hank Steinberg ("Without a Trace")
and Erwin Stoff ("The Blind Side") are the executive producers.
* In "The Rockford Files," the successful NBC drama from the 1970s is
re-imagined by executive producers David Shore ("House") and Steve Carell (NBC's
"The Office"). The title character, Jim Rockford, remains a roguish private eye
who tackles the dangerous, quirky and unpredictable cases that no other
detective wants to handle. The pilot is from Universal Media Studios and
Carousel Productions.
* "The Event" is a thriller with a unique storytelling device that features
multiple points of view concerning a decent, regular fellow who battles against
mysterious circumstances that envelope a larger conspiracy. Universal Media
Studios produces the pilot that includes Steve Stark ("Medium") as the executive
producer; Nick Wauters ("The 4400") is the co-executive producer/writer. Casting
will be announced later.
* In "Undercovers," a domesticated husband and wife return from years in
retirement and are re-activated as CIA agents. As they work together for the
first time on new cases, they discover new aspects from their past - even as
they re-ignite their passion for each other. J.J. Abrams ("Lost," the 2009
feature film "Star Trek"), Bryan Burk ("Lost," "Star Trek") and Josh Reims
("Dirty Sexy Money") are the executive producers; Abrams and Reims are the
writers. The pilot is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Bad Robot
Productions.
* "Chase" is a new action-procedural drama from Emmy Award-winning executive
producer Jerry Bruckheimer (the "CSI" franchise, "The Amazing Race," "The
Pirates of the Caribbean" feature films). "Chase," based on a real-life group
and set in the American Southwest, follows a crucial fugitive apprehension team
comprised of U.S. Marshals that tracks down the nation's most notorious
criminals. Tension builds as the cat-and-mouse game of the ultimate search
escalates in each episode. The series is from Warner Bros. Television and Jerry
Bruckheimer Television. Joining Bruckheimer as executive producers are Jennifer
Johnson ("Cold Case") and Jonathan Littman ("CSI," "Cold Case").
* "Kindreds," created by Emmy Award winner David E. Kelley ("Boston Legal," "The
Practice," "L.A. Law"), follows a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer and his group of
misfit associates as their lives come together to form an unconventional kind of
law practice. The series is from Warner Bros. Television and David E. Kelley
Productions. Kelley is the writer and executive producer.
* "Love Bites" is an hour-long romantic comedy produced by Universal Media
Studios and Working Title Films. Writer Cindy Chupack ("Sex in the City,"
"Everybody Loves Raymond"), Timothy Bevan & Eric Fellner (both for "Love
Actually," "Bridget Jones' Diary") and Shelley McCrory are the executive
producers. Casting and producer credits will be announced later.
* Among the comedies is the Adam Carolla comedy project that features the
humorous radio and TV personality Carolla ("The Man Show," "The Hammer") as a
contractor who sets out to re-build his life following a divorce. The pilot is
produced by Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun. The executive producers are
Carolla, Kevin Hench (The Hammer"), Jon Pollack (NBC's "30 Rock"), Jimmy Kimmel
("The Jimmy Kimmel Show"), Gail Berman (NBC's "Mercy"), Lloyd Braun (NBC's
"Mercy"), Daniel Kellison ("The Jimmy Kimmel Show," "The Man Show") and James
Dixon ("Ace in the Hole").
(X) "WAKE UP, BILL"
01/20/2010 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Wednesday) : EVA AMURRI AND KELLY BISHOP GUEST
STAR - VERONICA AND SONIA ARE AFFECTED WHEN THEIR PATIENT'S ISSUES MIRROR THEIR
OWN LIVES AND CHLOE TRIES TO HELP A PATIENT'S HUSBAND IN HIS TIME OF NEED - A
newlywed cancer patient (Eva Amurri) undergoes a risky course of treatment and
Chloe (Michelle Trachtenberg) struggles to help her doting husband cope.
Meanwhile, a man wakes up after ten years in a coma and decides to confront the
woman he loves, prompting Veronica (Taylor Schilling) to spring to action in her
own love life. And Sonia (Jaime Lee Kirchner) gets a taste of how the other half
lives when she cares for a wealthy and eccentric family. James Tupper, James Le
Gros and Guillermo Diaz also star.
"LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT"
(X) "SUGAR"
01/20/2010 (09:00PM - 10:00PM) (Wednesday) : WHEN A DEAD WOMAN IS FOUND STUFFED
INSIDE A SUITCASE, DETECTIVES ELLIOT STABLER (CHRIS MELONI) AND OLIVIA BENSON (MARISKA
HARGITAY) BELIEVE SHE WAS MURDERED BY HER SUGAR DADDY.
A young woman's body is found stuffed inside a suitcase, and police believe that
Mindy Keefe, the victim, was a train passenger on her way to Tampa when she was
murdered. Detectives Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska
Hargitay) turn to Keefe's financier boyfriend, Owen Cassidy's (Guest Star Matt
C. Burns) yacht to investigate. However, Cassidy claims he was on his boat
during the time of the murder. After further searching, the detectives discover
Keefe belonged to an online dating website. But when the CEO of the dating
website, Vance Shepard (Guest Star Eric McCormack), refuses to comment on the
case, the detectives turn to ADA Sonya Paxton (Christine Lahti) for help. Also
starring: Richard Belzer (Detective John Much), Dann Florek (Captain Donald
Cragen), Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner),
and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang).
INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR RIHANNA TO PERFORM ON 'NBC'S NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH CARSON DALY,' THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31
Rihanna And Green Day Will Perform During The Two Hour Special
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.-December 14, 2009-Grammy Award winner and multiple Hot
100 chart topper, Rihanna, will help to ring in 2010 on "NBC's New Year's Eve
with Carson Daly." Having sold over 12 million records, she released her fourth
critically acclaimed album, Rated R, last month, making it her best-selling
album debut to date. Rihanna will perform multiple songs from New York City,
joining fellow Grammy winner Green Day, giving the special an exciting musical
lineup and making NBC the number one place to celebrate New Year's Eve.
The two-hour special will air live on Thursday, December 31, beginning in
primetime from 10-11 p.m. (ET), and continuing at 11:30 PM (ET) with the
countdown to 2010 and the first performances of the New Year. "NBC's New Year's
Eve with Carson Daly" will broadcast in high definition from the middle of the
world's most famous New Year's Eve destination, Times Square in New York City.
Beginning at 11:30 PM, (ET) CNBC will join in the countdown festivities by
simultaneously airing the New Year's Eve special too. "Today" co-host and
national correspondent Natalie Morales and Alison Stewart will help Daly's
coverage of the celebration with live reports from the heart of Times Square
among the one million spectators.
In 2008, 8.6 million viewers tuned in to watch "NBC's New Year's Eve With Carson
Daly." This special, which premiered in 2004, delivered its fourth straight year
of gains scoring its biggest ratings results to date.
"NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" is executive-produced by Daly ("Last
Call with Carson Daly") and David Friedman ("Last Call with Carson Daly")
through Universal Media Studios. Guy Oseary ("Last Call with Carson Daly") is
co-executive producer.
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN" LISTINGS
xxMonday, December 14: Tom Arnold, Cheryl Hines and musical guest Adam Lambert
Tuesday, December 15: Musical guest Norah Jones
Wednesday, December 16: Wanda Sykes, James Cameron and comedian Myq Kaplan
Thursday, December 17: John Krasinski and musical guest Robin Thicke
Friday, December 18: Animal Expert Nigel Marven and musical guest Foreigner
Monday, December 21: Christina Applegate, David Gregory and musical guest
Silversun Pickups
Tuesday, December 22: Lance Armstrong, Carson Daly
Wednesday, December 23: Derek Fisher
Thursday, December 24: Pre-empted
Friday, December 25: Megan Fox, Louis CK and musical guest Kevin Skinner
Monday, December 28: Drew Barrymore, Jockey Joe Talamo and musical guest
Paramore
Tuesday, December 29: Jamie Foxx, Jason Alexander and musical guest Grizzly Bear
Wednesday, December 30: Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Max Records and musical guest
Dashboard Confessional
Thursday, December 31: Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde and musical guest Zac Brown Band
Friday, January 1: Reese Witherspoon, Gabourey Sidibe and musical guest Kris
Allen
December 14, 2009
NBC ANNOUNCES NEW MID-SEASON PREMIERES FOLLOWING THE WINTER OLYMPICS AS 'PARENTHOOD' AND 'THE MARRIAGE REF' DEBUT WHILE 'THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE' AND 'THE BIGGEST LOSER' RETURN
"Parenthood" Debuts Monday, March 1 (9-10 p.m. ET) While "The Marriage Ref"
Premieres on Sunday, March 14 (8-9 p.m. ET)
"The Celebrity Apprentice" Premieres Sunday, March 14 (9-11 p.m. ET) and "The
Biggest Loser" Begins a New Season on Tuesday, January 5 (8-10 p.m. ET)
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - December 14, 2009 - NBC revealed its mid-season and
post-Winter Olympics schedule today as the new drama "Parenthood" debuts Monday,
March 1 (9-10 p.m. ET) while "The Marriage Ref," a hilarious comedy panel series
from Jerry Seinfeld about marriage, premieres on Sundays (8-9 p.m. ET) beginning
March 14.
In addition, "The Celebrity Apprentice" returns in its third installment with an
all-star lineup of celebrity candidates on Sunday, March 14 (9-11 p.m. ET).
Likewise, the ninth edition of the popular "The Biggest Loser" kicks off on
Tuesday, January 5 (8-10 p.m. ET) with 11 family teams of two ready to transform
their bodies, their health and ultimately their lives. Other January programming
includes "The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards" hosted by Ricky Gervais on
Sunday, January 17 (8-11 p.m. ET) and "The AT&T U.S. Figure Skating
Championships" on Saturday and Sunday, January 23-24 (9-11 p.m. ET).
"Parenthood," from Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer along with fellow
executive producers Jason Katims ("Friday Night Lights") and David Nevins, is
inspired by the box-office hit of the same name and features a star-studded
cast. The series assumes the Monday (9-10 p.m. ET) time slot beginning March 1
following the season finale of "Heroes" on Monday, February 8 and NBC
Universal's exclusive coverage of the Winter Olympics from February 12-28.
"Chuck," as previously announced, will return with a two-hour premiere on
Sunday, January 10 (9-11 p.m. ET) before moving to its regular day and time
Monday, January 11 (8-9 p.m. ET).
For more information about each program, please log on to www.nbcumv.com.
The new mid-season additions to NBC's program schedule grid follows (all times
ET).
MONDAYS
8-9 p.m. -- "Chuck" (begins January 11; two back-to-back season premiere
episodes on January 10 from 9-11 p.m.)
9-10 p.m. -- "Parenthood" (premieres March 1)
10-11 p.m. -"The Jay Leno Show"
TUESDAYS
8-10 p.m. - "The Biggest Loser" (new season premieres on January 5)
10-11 p.m. - "The Jay Leno Show"
WEDNESDAYS
8-9 p.m. - "Mercy"
9-10 p.m. - "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
10-11 p.m. - "The Jay Leno Show"
THURSDAYS
8-8:30 p.m. - "Community"
8:30-9 p.m. - "Parks and Recreation"
9-9:30 p.m. - "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. - "30 Rock"
10-11 p.m. - "The Jay Leno Show"
FRIDAYS
8-9 p.m. -- "Law & Order"
9-10 p.m. -- "Dateline NBC"
10-11 p.m. - "The Jay Leno Show"
SATURDAYS
8-11 p.m. -- Encore Dramas
SUNDAYS
7-9 p.m. -- "Dateline NBC" (through March 7, then moves to 7-8 p.m. beginning
March 14)
8-9 p.m. - "The Marriage Ref" (debuts March 14)
9-11 p.m. -- "The Celebrity Apprentice" (premieres Sunday, March 14)
Other special programming includes (all times ET):
SUNDAY, JANUARY 17
7-8 p.m. - "The 67th Annual Golden Globe Red-Carpet Show"
8-11 p.m. - "The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards"
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23
9-11 p.m. - "The AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships"
SUNDAY, JANUARY 24
9-11 p.m. -- "The AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships"
The two-hour special will include brand-new material with Alec Baldwin, Steve
Martin, the infamous troublemaker "Gilly" (played by Kristen Wiig), and others.
The special will also feature favorite holiday-themed sketches from SNL's
35-year history.
SNL holiday favorite sketches will include "NPR's Delicious Dish and the
Schweddy Balls" with Alec Baldwin, "A Holiday Wish" with Steve Martin, alongside
newer fare like Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg's "D**k in a Box."
"Saturday Night Live" is from SNL Studios in association with Broadway Video.
The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels. Steve Higgins produces.
PHILADELPHIA, PA and FAIRFIELD, CT - Dec. 3, 2009 - Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK) and General Electric (NYSE: GE) announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement to form a joint venture that will be 51 percent owned by Comcast, 49 percent owned by GE and managed by Comcast. The joint venture, which will consist of the NBC Universal (NBCU) businesses and Comcast's cable networks, regional sports networks and certain digital properties and certain unconsolidated investments, will be well positioned to compete in an increasingly dynamic and competitive media and digital environment.
The combination of assets creates a leading media and entertainment company with the proven capability to provide some of the world's most popular entertainment, news and sports content, movies and film libraries to consumers anytime, anywhere. The joint venture will provide consumers the broadest possible access to content, and support high-quality, award-winning content development across all platforms including film, television, and online. It will be anchored by an outstanding portfolio of cable networks and regional sports networks that will account for about 80 percent of its cash flow, including USA, Bravo, Syfy, E!, Versus, CNBC and MSNBC. The joint venture will be financially strong with a robust cash-flow-generation capability.
Under the terms of the transaction, GE will contribute to the joint venture NBCU's businesses valued at $30 billion, including its cable networks, filmed entertainment, televised entertainment, theme parks, and unconsolidated investments, subject to $9.1 billion in debt to third party lenders. Comcast will contribute its cable networks including E!, Versus and the Golf Channel, its ten regional sports networks, and certain digital media properties, collectively valued at $7.25 billion, and make a payment to GE of approximately $6.5 billion of cash subject to certain adjustments based on various events between signing and closing.
Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts said, "This deal is a perfect fit for Comcast and will allow us to become a leader in the development and distribution of multiplatform 'anytime, anywhere' media that American consumers are demanding. In particular, NBCU's fast-growing, highly profitable cable networks are a great complement to our industry-leading distribution business. Today's announced transaction will increase our capabilities in content and cable networks. At the same time, it will enhance consumer choice and accelerate the development of new digital products and services. GE has provided NBCU with a great home and has dramatically and positively transformed the business. We are honored that under this agreement Comcast would take over the stewardship of this important collection of assets and are absolutely committed to investing in NBCU and ensuring that it is a vibrant, financially strong company able to thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace by delivering innovative programming. We are particularly pleased to be creating this new joint venture with GE and Jeff Immelt and to have their continued involvement.
"For Comcast, this transaction is strategically compelling and will generate attractive financial returns and build shareholder value," continued Roberts. "It is also expected to be immediately accretive and will also allow us to maintain our strong commitment to returning capital to shareholders- all while increasing the scale, capabilities and value of our cable distribution, content and digital assets. Significantly, it is entirely consistent with our intense focus on value creation and our disciplined strategy of pursuing profitable growth in areas complementary to our distribution business."
GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said, "The combination of Comcast's cable and regional sports networks and digital media properties and NBCU will deliver strong returns for GE shareholders and business partners. NBCU has been a great business for GE over the past two decades. We have generated an average annual return of 11 percent, while expanding into cable, movies, parks and international media. We are reducing our ownership stake from 80 percent to 49 percent of a more valuable entity. By doing so, GE gets a good value for NBCU. This transaction will generate approximately $8 billion of cash at closing with an expected small after-tax gain. We have many opportunities to invest in our high-technology infrastructure businesses at attractive returns. I believe that the new NBCU will deliver value for both Comcast and GE in the future. We will give consumers and advertisers more choice and our cable and digital assets will be second to none. I am confident Brian Roberts and his team at Comcast will be great partners."
Comcast also announced the creation of Comcast Entertainment Group (CEG), which will house Comcast's interest in the joint venture and will stand alongside Comcast Cable, which operates the company's traditional cable business.
Comcast Chief Operating Officer Steve Burke said, "Both Comcast and NBCU have excellent track records of integrating and growing multi-billion dollar businesses, including significant content acquisitions. In addition, we have both developed some of the country's most popular programming and built many of the most watched and valued networks in the industry. We are confident that we'll be even stronger together, and look forward to working with Jeff Zucker and the NBCU team to deliver the best consumer experience."
Jeff Zucker, current president and CEO of NBCU, will be CEO of the new joint venture and will report to Burke. Zucker said, "Combining the assets of NBCU, ranging from our suite of cable properties and two broadcast networks to a legendary film studio and global theme park business, with the content assets and resources of Comcast, will enable us to continue to thrive in an ever-changing media landscape. Consumers of all of our products - on screens large and small - will have the benefit of enhanced content and experiences, delivered to them in new and better ways as a result of this transaction. This marks the start of a new era for NBCU, and I'm genuinely excited that I will be leading this wonderful organization, along with the Comcast team, at this important time in our history."
Headquarters for the business will remain in New York. The joint venture board will have three directors nominated by Comcast and two nominated by GE.
Key Elements Of The Transaction:
• NBCU will borrow approximately $9.1 billion from third-party lenders and
distribute the cash to GE.
• NBCU, valued at $30 billion, will be contributed to the newly formed joint
venture. Comcast will contribute its programming businesses and certain other
properties valued at $7.25 billion.
• GE will acquire Vivendi's 20% interest in NBCU for $5.8 billion. GE will
purchase approximately 38% of Vivendi's interest (or approximately 7.66% of all
outstanding NBCU shares) from Vivendi for $2 billion in September 2010, if the
Comcast transaction is not closed by then. GE will acquire the remaining 62% of
Vivendi's interest (or approximately 12.34% of all outstanding NBCU shares) for
$3.8 billion when the transaction closes.
• Comcast will make a payment to GE of approximately $6.5 billion in cash
subject to certain adjustments based on various events between signing and
closing.
• The new venture will be 51% owned by Comcast and 49% owned by GE.
• GE expects to realize $9.8 billion pre-tax in cash before debt reduction and
transaction fees and after buyout of the Vivendi stake. GE expects to realize
approximately $8 billion in cash after paying down the existing NBCU debt and
transaction fees.
• GE will be entitled to elect to cause the joint venture to redeem one-half of
its interest at year 3 ˝ and its remaining interest at year 7. The joint
venture's obligations to complete those purchases will be subject to the
venture's leverage ratio not exceeding 2.75X EBITDA and the venture continuing
to hold investment-grade ratings. Comcast also has certain rights to purchase
GE's interest in the venture at specified times. All such transactions would be
done at a 20% premium to public market value with 50% sharing of upside above
the closing valuation.
• To the extent the joint venture is not required to meet GE's redemption
requests, Comcast will provide a backstop up to a maximum of $2.875 billion for
the first redemption and a total backstop of $5.750 billion.
The transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of GE and Comcast. It is subject to receipt of various regulatory approvals, including clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and approvals of the Federal Communications Commission and certain international agencies. The transaction is also subject to other customary closing conditions. NBCU has obtained $9.85 billion of committed financing through a consortium of banks led by J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BofA Merrill Lynch and Citi. This financing is expected to receive solid investment-grade ratings from S&P and Moody's.
Comcast and GE intend to submit regulatory applications supporting the pro-competitive and strong public interest benefits of the transaction, including how the joint venture will better meet the entertainment, communications and information needs of the American public.
"We are prepared to make affirmative commitments to ensure that the pro-consumer and public interest benefits of the transaction are realized," Roberts said. "Today, we have announced a number of initial commitments that expand on the capabilities that Comcast and NBCU have built over the years, and the new opportunities that this combination makes possible. These commitments address the needs of various audiences and stakeholders, and we will provide additional details on these and other commitments in our public interest filing with the Federal Communications Commission."
Advisors
Morgan Stanley is lead financial advisor to Comcast with UBS and BofA Merrill
Lynch acting as co-advisors. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is Comcast's legal
advisor. J.P. Morgan is lead financial advisor to GE with Goldman Sachs and Citi
acting as co-advisors. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is GE's and NBCU's legal
advisor.
Teleconference and Webcast
Comcast will host a conference call with the financial community today, December
3, 2009, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) to discuss this morning's announcement
with Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian L. Roberts, Comcast Chief Operating Officer
Stephen B. Burke and Comcast Chief Financial Officer, Michael J. Angelakis. The
conference call will be broadcast live via the Company's Investor Relations
website at www.cmcsa.com or
www.cmcsk.com. Those parties interested in
participating via telephone should dial (800) 263-8495 with the conference ID
number 44380493. A telephone replay of the call will be available on the
Investor Relations website starting at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time on December 3,
2009 and will be available until December 8, 2009 at midnight Eastern Time. To
access the rebroadcast, please dial (800) 642-1687 conference ID 44380493.
GE will also host a webcast with the financial community today, December 3, 2009, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time / 7:30 a.m. Central Time to discuss this morning's announcement with GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt, GE Chief Financial Officer Keith Sherin and NBCU President and CEO Jeff Zucker. The webcast will be available at www.ge.com/investors. A replay will be available later in the day on the site.
Additional media materials are available at www.ge.com/newnbcu, www.comcast.com/nbcutransaction and https://www.nbcumv.com/mv/.
The description of this transaction included in this press release is qualified in its entirety by, and is subject to, the terms of the definitive documentation for the transaction to be filed by Comcast with the Securities and Exchange Commission on a Current Report on Form 8-K.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance
and media company taking on the world's toughest challenges. From aircraft
engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, and
television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about
300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at
www.ge.com.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com)
is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and
communication products and services. With 23.8 million cable customers, 15.7
million high-speed Internet customers, and 7.4 million Comcast Digital Voice
customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and
operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.
About NBC Universal:
NBC Universal is 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. NBC Universal owns
and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier
motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading
television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%
owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.
Combined Assets/Properties
The assets and properties owned or controlled by the new joint venture will
include some of the best known brands in the entertainment industry, including:
• Several of television's most successful cable networks, including USA, Bravo,
CNBC, MSNBC, Syfy, E!, Style, Versus and the Golf Channel;
• One of the nation's largest television groups, including:
o The NBC Television Network;
o Local broadcast TV stations in ten top U.S. markets including New York, Los
Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia;
o The national Telemundo Network and 16 Telemundo O&O stations in locations
such as Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, Chicago and Dallas/Ft.Worth;
• Preeminent television production operations that produce Emmy Award winning
programs like The Office, 30 Rock, Law & Order, Heroes, Saturday Night Live and
The Tonight Show, as well as syndicate operations through NBC Universal Domestic
and International Distribution and a 3,000-title library of television episodes;
• NBC News, the leading source of global news and information in the United
States with top-rated programs such as Nightly News with Brian Williams, Today
and Meet the Press;
• A robust sports programming lineup featuring the Olympics (through 2012), NBC
Sunday Night Football, NHL/Stanley Cup, PGA Tour, US Open, Ryder Cup, Wimbledon
and the Kentucky Derby, Versus, Golf Channel and Comcast's 10 regional sports
networks;
• Universal Pictures, which has produced Academy Award winners Atonement, The
Bourne Ultimatum, Brokeback Mountain, Ray and A Beautiful Mind, Focus Features,
which recently produced Away We Go, and an extensive movie library with more
than 4,000 titles through Universal Studios Home Entertainment;
• Fast growing digital media properties including CNBC.com, iVillage, NBC.com,
Fandango, and Daily Candy, which together generate more than 40 million unique
users each month;
• Ownership of theme parks in Florida (50% interest), California (100% interest)
and a financial interest in a theme park in Japan;
• A minority interest in A&E, Biography, The History Channel, The Weather
Channel, Lifetime and Hulu.com.
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains "forward-looking statements" - that is, statements
related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements
often address expected future business and financial performance and financial
condition, and often contain words such as "expect," "anticipate," "intend,"
"plan," "believe," "seek," "see," or "will." Forward-looking statements by their
nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. These
statements are made on the basis of the views and assumptions of management.
Particular uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially
different than those expressed in these forward-looking statements include: the
timing of, or ability to obtain, necessary regulatory and governmental approvals
on acceptable terms; the timing and completion of the financing of NBC Universal
on contemplated terms before the closing of the proposed joint venture; the
receipt of an investment grade rating from the rating agencies of the proposed
joint venture between GE and Comcast; adverse developments in the business and
operations of NBC Universal, including potential disruption that may make it
more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; and the
successful combination, operation and overall performance of the joint venture
post closing. For GE, an additional uncertainty includes its ability to redeploy
its capital into high-growth technology businesses. For Comcast and NBC
Universal, additional uncertainties include the ability to integrate the
programming assets of Comcast and NBC Universal in the new joint venture; the
ability of the new joint venture to create popular programming, to develop new
digital products and services, and to succeed in the highly competitive media
industry; the ability of the new joint venture to generate attractive financial
returns and strong cash flows; and, the effect of any conditions that regulators
may impose in permitting the transaction to proceed. These uncertainties may
cause actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in
these forward-looking statements. None of GE, Comcast nor NBC Universal
undertake to update these forward-looking statements.
Monday, December 28, 2009 - Friday, January 1, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
"JOB FAIR"
# R8617
Dunder-Mifflin participates in a high school job fair, but few students are
interested. Jim, Andy, and Kevin play a round of golf with a prospective client.
Back at the office, everyone but Dwight and Angela leave for the day.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
"PILOT"
# RP006R
The premiere episode introduces the boss and staff of the Dunder-Mifflin paper
company in Scranton, Pennsylvania in a documentary about the workplace.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
"DIVERSITY DAY"
# R1101R
Michael's off color remark puts a sensitivity trainer in the office for a
presentation, which prompts Michael to create his own.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
"HEALTH CARE"
# R1105R
Michael leaves Dwight in charge of picking the new healthcare plan for the
staff, with disastrous results ahead.
Friday, January 1, 2010
"THE ALLIANCE"
# R1103R
Just for a laugh, Jim agrees to an alliance with Dwight regarding the downsizing
rumors
THE OFFICE - SECOND RUN
Monday, December 28, 2009 - Friday, January 1, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
"CONFLICT RESOLUTION"
# R2520
When Michael takes over conflict resolution duties from HR, chaos ensues at
Dunder Mifflin.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
"CASINO NIGHT"
# R2521
In the season finale, Michael and the Dunder Mifflin crew hold a Casino Night
for charity in their warehouse and take some big gambles.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
"GAY WITCH HUNT"
# R3101R
Michael apologizes to Oscar, after he finds out he's gay, for calling him a
homosexual slur--but his apology outs Oscar to the entire office. And Jim
decides to take a promotion at the Stamford office.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
"PHYLLIS'S WEDDING"
# R3116
Michael exaggerates the importance of his small role in Phyllis's wedding and
makes an ass out of himself, and Pam notices that Phyllis stole all of her
wedding ideas from her original wedding plans.
Friday, January 1, 2010
"BUSINESS SCHOOL"
# R3117
Michael is a guest speaker for Ryan's business class, but they have a
falling-out after Michael finds out that Ryan spoke negatively about Dunder-Mifflin.
And back at the office, Dwight tries to kill a bat that he found in the ceiling.
THE OFFICE - WEEKEND PRIMARY RUN
Saturday, January 2, 2010 - Sunday, January 3, 2010
"THE MERGER"
# R3172
Jan informs Michael that the Scanton branch of Dunder Mifflin will be merging
with the Stamford Branch. Jim and Pam are reunited while the other employees of
both branches must adjust to their new co-workers.
THE OFFICE - WEEKEND SECOND RUN
Saturday, January 2, 2010 - Sunday, January 3, 2010
"THE CONVICT"
# R3110
Michael learns that one of the new employees at Dunder Mifflin Scranton has a
criminal record. Meanwhile, Jim helps Andy make a move on Pam.
LAW & ORDER: SVU - PRIMARY RUN
Monday, December 28, 2009 - Friday, January 1, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
"ANGELS"
# E3106
The body of a battered young boy found in a luggage compartment of an airport
shuttle bus sends the detectives to his guardian who was discovered to be a
pedophile only to find his corpse in bed with his genitals removed. The
subsequent investigation leads them to a travel agency specializing in exotic
trips for sexual predators.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
"DOLLS"
# E3114
When the decomposing body of sexually molested five-year-old girl is discovered,
Detectives Benson and Stabler's investigation leads them to the painful reality
that they are searching for a serial pedophile as they race to save the life of
his latest victim. As the mother of the missing girl frantically awaits news of
her daughter's whereabouts, she must reconcile the fact that her own recent bout
with addiction may have played a part in her daughter's fate.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
"WASTE"
# E3111
The investigation into the rape of a comatose woman leads to a doctor whose stem
cell research is funded by a billionaire with Parkinson's disease who is
desperate for a cure.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
"RESILIENCE"
# E3113
When a fourteen year old girl is saved from jumping in front of a train, SVU is
called in to help her. She falsely accuses an ex-boyfriend of raping her, but
when the search turns to her dysfunctional family, surprise discoveries are
made. From an overly helpful father, mysterious children, an overaffectionate
little girl, a bracelet, and finally sperm from two men who never raped, SVU
discovers that the family is even worse off than they thought.
Friday, January 1, 2010
"DAMAGED"
# E3109
When a six-year-old girl who was critically in an apparent robbery gone bad
later dies and is found to have tested positive for a sexually transmitted
disease, detectives investigate the family, the store clerk, and the son of a
prominent attorney who had appeared to foil the crime. After evidence turns up
that the little girl's older sister was dating the alleged sexual predator,
Cabot has to work some legal magic to erradicate the deal that had been made
with the older sister for her testimony.
Confirmed Town Hall participants include:
· Mike Allen, Chief White House Correspondent, Politico
· The Honorable Xavier Becerra, Representative, California
· The Honorable Cory Booker, Mayor, Newark, NJ
· The Honorable Max Cleland, Secretary, American Battle Monuments Commission
· Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Professor of Sociology, Georgetown University
· Wade Henderson, President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
· Jon Bon Jovi, Singer, Songwriter, Philanthropist
· David Mixner, Writer and Civil Rights Activist
· Kathleen Parker, Syndicated Columnist
· Chancellor Michelle Rhee, DC Public Schools
· Dr. Christine Sierra, Professor of Political Science, University of New Mexico
Actor Dulé Hill, co-star of USA Network's "Psych" will also be a special guest
in attendance.
"It's time to get past the labeling. We're all different, and we all bring
something unique to the table," said Bonnie Hammer, president, NBCU Cable
Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions. "We need our differences to unite
us, not drive us apart."
"People across the country are making tough decisions every day and working to
maintain their own unique American character. Too often, instead of coming
together to address conflicts, groups demonize each other because of their
different beliefs and opinions," said Tom Brokaw, NBC News Special
Correspondent.
During the Characters Unite Town Hall, Brokaw will preview his new documentary,
American Character Along Highway 50, produced by Peacock Productions, set to
premiere on USA Network on Martin Luther King Day, January 18, 2010. The film
follows Brokaw's journey at a pivotal point in our country's history as he
travels across legendary US Highway 50 discovering how Americans are fairing
during these extraordinary times, immersing himself in the lives of ordinary and
extraordinary people to reveal uniquely American stories of hardship, survival
and hope.
"Tom Brokaw's upcoming documentary makes him the ideal moderator for this
conversation," said Hammer. "We're confident that he will steer the Town Hall
toward fresh ideas for individual and collective actions aimed at bringing all
of us, with the combined strength of our diversity, together."
In conjunction with the Town Hall, USA Network will announce the results of a
new Characters Unite national opinion poll, the United or Divided Survey, which
will provide an in-depth profile of American attitudes on prejudice,
discrimination and intolerance. The nationally representative poll is being
conducted by two of America's leading public opinion research firms representing
both sides of the political aisle -- Hart Research Associates (D) and Public
Opinion Strategies (R). The survey will examine how Americans view the social
trends that are transforming the nation, and will look across generations, race,
ethnicity and gender at how change is affecting our country's social fabric.
In partnership with Charter and Comcast, high schools across the country will
have the opportunity to submit questions for the panel and five students will
win a trip to Washington, DC, to attend the Town Hall event.
Cisco Webex Solutions will serve as the technology partner for the Characters
Unite National Town Hall. The event will be webcast live for free, and viewers
may register in advance at www.passtheball.com.
Following the Town Hall, the first Characters Unite Award will be presented to
an individual who has made a significant and lasting difference in efforts to
fight discrimination, champion civil rights and promote respect. The honoree
will be profiled on charactersunite.com and receive a $10,000 grant to support
his/her project or nonprofit organization. Nominations for the award are being
made by the Characters Unite campaign's 20 non-governmental partners, which
include the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Association of
People with Disabilities, the National Parent Teacher Association, the Federal
Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Council of La Raza, GLAAD,
National Council of Women's Organizations, American Federation of Teachers,
Anti-Defamation League, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Asian
American Justice Center, Children's Defense Fund, General Board of Church &
Society of The United Methodist Church, Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights
First, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National
Association of Counties, National Congress of American Indians, National
Education Association and Southern Poverty Law Center.
ABOUT USA NETWORK
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.
ABOUT CHARACTERS UNITE
Characters Unite, USA Network's new community affairs program, was created in
January 2009 to address the social injustices and cultural divides still
prevalent in our society. Created on the simple premise that life is richer when
people see beyond stereotypes and appreciate individual differences, Characters
Unite kicked off with a national on-air public service campaign and a multimedia
pledge drive for unity and understanding.
Inspired by USA Network's iconic "Characters Welcome" brand and with the support
of leading national not-for-profit organizations, the ongoing, multimedia
campaign is dedicated to supporting activities and messaging that combat
prejudice and intolerance while promoting understanding and acceptance - on-air,
online, and in communities across the country.
ABOUT "AMERICAN CHARACTER ALONG HIGHWAY 50"
Premieres January 2010
USA Network and legendary journalist Tom Brokaw have set out to capture the
changing face of a nation in the documentary "American Character Along Highway
50." As he traverses the 12 states along this 3000 mile transcontinental road,
beginning on the eastern shore of Maryland and making his way west to
California, Brokaw is documenting the lives of the Americans he encounters,
exploring the profound economic, political and cultural changes they are
experiencing during these uncertain, and particularly historic, times. As Brokaw
journeys from big cities to small towns across the country, he will present
stories of hardship and hope and chronicle an America on the threshold of a new
era. "American Character Along Highway 50" is produced by Peacock Productions.
Universal Studios Hollywood's 'Buy a Day, Get 2009 Free' Value Pass Offers Guests Year Round Access to the Entertainment Capital of L.A. for the Price of a One Day Admission Ticket, Thru April 30
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ --
Universal Studios Hollywood has introduced its popular "Buy A Day, Get 2009
Free" annual pass program, an exceptional value offering Southern California
residents free admission to The Entertainment Capital of L.A. for the entire
2009 calendar year with every full-priced admission ticket purchased now through
April 30.
Featuring a full slate of movie and
television-based special events, musical entertainment and attractions designed
to keep guests immersed in the excitement of behind-the-scenes Hollywood action,
Universal Studios Hollywood's "Buy A Day, Get 2009 Free" pass provides
exceptional value for Southern Californians seeking local, cost effective
entertainment for the whole family.
With pass in hand, guests will also have a chance
to be among the first to see Universal Studios Hollywood's newest attraction,
"The Creature from the Black Lagoon--The Musical," when it lights up the stage
this Spring with all-original songs, spectacular stage effects and
Broadway-level production values.
This June, the theme park's signature attraction,
the Studio Tour, will be upgraded to feature a Hi-Definition TV digital system
with new flat-screen HD monitors installed in each Tram car.
Bonus incentives for pass-holders include $12 off
general admission for up six guests, discounts on food, beverage and merchandise
and discounts off Universal Cinema tickets, as well as online newsletters
updating Annual Pass holders to the latest in breaking news and special offers.
Central to the Annual Pass program is the access
Universal Studios Hollywood fans receive and the unlimited opportunity to play
on some of the theme park's most popular thrill rides and attractions, from "The
Simpsons Ride," and "The Revenge of the Mummy--The Ride" to "Jurassic Park--The
Ride."
The "Buy A Day, Get 2009 Free" pass can be
purchased online at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com or at the Universal
Studios Hollywood ticket booths and can be redeemed at the theme park's Annual
Pass processing center.
This is a Special Offer for Southern California
Residents. Tickets are only valid for Southern California residents within ZIP
codes 90000-93599. Proof of residency will be verified at the Front Gate.
Black-out Dates and restrictions will apply.
Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment
Capital of L.A., includes a movie-based theme park and Studio Tour, the CityWalk
entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal Cinemas and the Gibson
Amphitheatre concert and special event venue. The theme park features the
groundbreaking attractions "The Simpsons Ride," "Revenge of the Mummy--The
Ride," "Shrek 4-D," "Jurassic Park--The Ride" and the world-renowned Studio
Tour, which takes guests behind-the-scenes of such landmark TV and movie
locations and sets as Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" and "Desperate
Housewives." Universal CityWalk features 65 entertainment-themed restaurants,
nightclubs, shops and dynamic entertainment options. The Universal CityWalk
Cinemas, which includes California's largest IMAX venue, features the best
movie-going experience in Los Angeles.
Universal Studios Hollywood is a unit of
Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of Universal Studios, a part of NBC
Universal. NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment
companies in the development, production, marketing of entertainment, news, and
information to a global audience. Formed in May of 2004 through the combining of
NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a
valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture
company, significant television production operations, a leading television
stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by
General Electric (NYSE:GE)
, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.
Source: Universal Studios Hollywood
Web Site:
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/
New Stargate Series Targeted For Summer 2009
Premiere
NEW YORK – SCI FI Channel and MGM Television Entertainment
have reached an agreement to extend MGM's Stargate brand with a new series for
the Channel. Production on the first season of Stargate Universe, a weekly
series based on the popular Stargate franchise, will begin in early 2009, with
the show targeted to premiere that Summer. Brad Wright and Robert Cooper,
co-creators of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis and who both currently serve
as executive producers on Atlantis, will serve as executive producers and
writers on the new series.
"SCI FI has enjoyed tremendous success with Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis
and we're proud to be the home of the new Stargate Universe," said Mark Stern,
Executive Vice President, Original Programming for SCI FI & Co-Head Original
Content, Universal Cable Productions. "Universe will continue the Stargate
legacy of vibrant storylines and compelling adventures, but will re-invent the
format in a whole new way."
"The Stargate franchise enjoys a loyal and substantial fan base that welcomes
each new installment with fevered enthusiasm," said Charles Cohen, Senior
Executive Vice President and Corporate Development for MGM. "We are delighted to
be working again with Brad and Robert and look forward to seeing new adventures
with the launch of Stargate Universe on SCI FI Channel next year. Stargate
Universe will continue the longstanding relationship between MGM's stellar
science fiction franchise and cable's premiere destination for all passionate
science fiction fans."
Thomas Vitale, Senior Vice President Programming & Original Movies said, "Stargate
Universe is a natural progression for the Stargate brand and for our network.
Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis have been key drivers for SCI FI and we are
looking forward to seeing where this next chapter leads, as each new installment
of the Stargate franchise further engages the SCI FI audience."
Wright and Cooper said: "In 'Universe,' we plan to keep those elements that have
made the franchise a success, such as adventure and humour, while breaking new
ground in the relationships between mostly young and desperate explorers, thrust
together and far from home. Above all, we believe the Stargate itself remains an
enduring icon with infinite potential as a jumping off point for telling
stories."
After unlocking the mystery of the Stargate's ninth chevron, a team of explorers
travels to an unmanned starship called the Destiny, launched by The Ancients at
the height of their civilization as a grand experiment set in motion, but never
completed.
What starts as a simple reconnaissance turns into a never ending mission, as the
Stargate Universe crew discovers the ship is unable to return to Earth, and they
must now fend for themselves aboard the Destiny.
The crew will travel to the far reaches of the universe, connecting with each of
the previously launched Stargates, thus fulfilling the Destiny's original
mission. Challenges will arise though as the ship comes into range of Stargates
placed centuries ahead of the Destiny and the crew is unable to control the
ship's navigational schedule. If someone is left behind, there is no way to go
back for them, adding to the drama of encountering new races, enemies and
adventures.
Stargate Universe will debut as a two-hour movie event on SCI FI. Following its
premiere, Universe will assume a regular hourly slot in Summer 2009.
Universe will be distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.
About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries is actively engaged
in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television
programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The
company owns the world's largest library of modern films, comprising around
4,100 titles. Operating units including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM
Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM
International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home
Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM
Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV
channels reaching approximately 120 countries and territories around the world.
MGM ownership is currently as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), Texas
Pacific Group (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ
Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information,
visit www.mgmchannel.com
SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI
fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster
movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic
Web site (www.scifi.com
| 'THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO'S'
MERCEDES-BENZ SUMMER CONCERT SERIES REVS UP WITH HOT NEW SHOWS FROM
THE JONAS BROTHERS, DAVID COOK, GNARLS BARKLEY, THE TIME, COLDPLAY,
AND JEWEL ON NBC Published: June 12, 2008
|
Universal CityWalk's 'Summer Block Party' Sizzles With Seven Nights a Week of Free Non-Stop Entertainment Showcasing Celebrity and Tribute Band Concert Performances, Talent Competitions, Latin Nights and Free Outdoor Movies, June 26 - August 31
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., June 9- Universal CityWalk kicks "Summer Block Party"
into high-gear with seven-nights-a-week -- 66 continuous days -- of free,
non-stop entertainment, featuring top celebrity and tribute band concert
performances, the ever-popular free outdoor movie night, all-new salsa dance
lessons and star-turning talent competitions, from June 26 to August 31.
On June 26 at 8 p.m., "Summer Block Party" festivities kick off with an
energetic dance party with KIIS-FM.
CityRock Live! jump starts Monday nights from 7:30-10 p.m. as L.A.'s top
alternative and indie bands jam for enthusiastic crowds on CityWalk's outdoor
stage. CityRock Live! begins on June 30 and continues July 7, 14, 21, 28; August
4, 11, 18, 25.
On Tuesday nights, CityWalk takes on a Latin spin as Rumba Room presents
"Summer Night Salsa" bringing professional dance instructor Marco Antonio and a
live band to the stage from 7:30-10 p.m. Event dates are: July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29;
August 5, 12, 19, 26.
"Wannabe Wicked" Wednesdays take CityWalk by storm as the new platform for
talent discovery begins July 2 from 7-9 p.m. In this first-ever U.S. competitive
performance series, "Wannabe Wicked" challenges aspiring performers to sing 'til
"they're green in the face" for a chance to win a walk-on role in the Los
Angeles blockbuster "Wicked" production. More information is available at
http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/Wicked. "Wannabe Wicked" will take place on
CityWalk on July 2, 9, 16, 30 and August 6, 20.
Alternating Wednesdays, the CityWalk stage becomes set for young talent as
Hollywood Launch Teen Talent Search returns, kicking off with an open audition
on Saturday, June 28 from 1-3 p.m. Hollywood Launch Teen Talent Search will take
place on July 23; August 13, 27. The grand prize winner will receive: recording
contract with Mavrick Artists Agency, professional photo shoot, scholarship to
Hollywood Launch's elite training program, and an original demo song written and
recorded by Genuine Music Group.
On Thursday, July 3 from 7:30-10 p.m., the very popular "Big FREE Outdoor
Movie" night returns to CityWalk's giant outdoor screen with encore performances
showcasing such family favorites as "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who!" (July 3),
"Hairspray" (July 10), "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - A VeggieTales Movie"
(July 17), "The Simpsons Movie" (July 24), "Transformers" (July 31), "Shrek The
Third" (August 7), "Annie" (August 14), "Curious George" (August 21), and
everyone's back-to-school favorite, "Grease" (August 28).
Guests may need to do a double take on "Flashback Fridays" as popular '70s,
'80s and '90s tribute and cover bands turn heads and beg the question: are they
or are they not? "Flashback Fridays" kicks off one week early beginning on June
20 from 7:30-10 p.m., with "Lights -- The Premiere Tribute to Journey." "Face to
Face -- A Tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John," "Surfin Safari -- The Ultimate
Tribute to the Music of the Beach Boys," "Bad Medicine -- a Bon Jovi Tribute
Show," "Bonfire -- A Tribute to Early AC/DC," "Hollywood U2," and "KISS Army" to
name a few, will follow each Friday night as follows: June 20, 27; July 4, 11,
18, 25; August 1, 15, 22, 29.
The stars shine bright on CityWalk as Saturday evenings rock to the rhythmic
sounds of popular Celebrity Bands who act / dance by day and sing by night. The
series begins one week early on June 21 from 7:30-10 p.m. with the musical
talents of Mark Ballas and Derek Hough ("Dancing With the Stars"). Other
celebrity performances include, Lucy Lawless ("XENA: Warrior Princess") on June
28; Eric Balfour ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre") on July 5; Bill Mumy ("Lost in
Space") on July 12; Thomas Ian Nicholas (upcoming "The Bridge to Nowhere,"
"American Pie" films) on July 19; Justin Guarini ("American Idol") on July 26;
Hal Sparks ("Queer as Folk") on August 2; Shawnee Smith ("SAW") and Missi Pyle
("Charlie & The Chocolate Factory") on August 9; E.G. Daily ("PeeWee's Big
Adventure") on August 16; Lucy Walsh ("Rock the Cradle") on August 23 and
Malcolm-Jamal Warner ("The Cosby Show") on August 30.
Sundays on CityWalk will have a Latin appeal with the return of Descarga en
CityWalk con Telemundo y mun2, featuring a dynamic mix of live Latin bands
performances and celebrity guest appearances from 6-9 p.m. Event dates are June
29; July 6, 13, 20; August 3, 10, 17 24, 31.
More information on CityWalk's "Summer Block Party" is available at
http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/ or by calling 818-622-1111.
Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A., includes a
full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour, the CityWalk entertainment,
shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the Gibson
Amphitheatre concert and special event venue. Universal CityWalk features over
60 entertainment-themed restaurants, nightclubs, shops and dynamic entertainment
options. Universal CityWalk Cinemas, offering the best movie-going experience in
Los Angeles, features 19 screens including one of Southern California's largest
IMAX(R) venues and newly renovated stadium-style seating. The theme park
features such groundbreaking attractions as "The Simpsons Ride," "Revenge of the
Mummy(SM) - The Ride," "Shrek 4-D(TM)," "Jurassic Park(R) - The Ride" and the
world-renowned Studio Tour, which takes guests behind-the-scenes of such
landmark TV and movie locations and sets as Steven Spielberg's "War of the
Worlds."
Universal Studios Hollywood (http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/)
is a unit of Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of Universal Studios, a part
of NBC Universal. NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and
entertainment companies in the development, production, marketing of
entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May of 2004
through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal
owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a
premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a
leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal
is 80% owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi.
Source: Universal CityWalk
Web site:
http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/
| SCI FI CHANNEL ANNOUNCES SUMMER LINEUP OF HIT
SERIES! Published: May 29, 2008
|
NBC REVEALS FALL SERIES PREMIERE DATES
|
Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family Productions Acquires Distribution Rights to RL Stine's Mostly Ghostly From Toonz Animation
From the Creator of the Best-Selling Goosebumps Series, the Spooky All-New Feature-Length Movie Will Debut This Fall Exclusively on DVD!
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., May 22 -- Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family
Productions has acquired distribution rights from independent production shingle
Toonz Animation to RL Stine's Mostly Ghostly, the latest spookfest from the
renowned Goosebumps author. An all-new, feature-length family adventure that's
sure to have parents and kids happily hiding behind the sofa pillows this
Halloween season, the film features a red-hot cast including Madison Pettis (The
Game Plan, Horton Hears a Who!, "Cory in the House"), Luke Benward (How to Eat
Fried Worms, Because of Winn-Dixie), Maiara Walsh ("Cory in the House"), Ali
Lohan ("Living Lohan"), Brian Stepanek ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,"
Transformers) Kim Rhodes ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody") and introduces Noah
Cyrus (younger sister of Hannah Montana's Miley Cyrus) in her first movie. RL
Stine's Mostly Ghostly is slated for release exclusively on DVD in fall 2008.
Based on the first in the popular eight-book Mostly Ghostly series by
best-selling children's author R.L. Stine (Goosebumps), the film chronicles the
eerie adventures of 11-year-old outcast Max as he helps protect Nicky and Tara
-- the sibling ghosts who live in his house -- from the fume-spewing demon
Phears. The film is directed by "Hannah Montana" co-creator Rich Correll ("The
Suite Life of Zack and Cody," "Cory in the House") and produced by Yvonne
Bernard, Arthur Cohen and Steve Stabler. The screenplay is written by Emmy(R)
nominee Pat Proft (Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4, The Naked Gun series) and
Correll.
Stine catapulted to fame with the Goosebumps series of books, a children's
publishing phenomenon which has sold more than 220 million copies to date, and
became the No. 1 best-selling author in America three years in a row. The
"Goosebumps" television series was the No. 1-ranked show on the Fox Kids'
Network for four years, and was honored with a Writers Guild Award and twice
named by TV Guide among the best television shows for children. Stine's books,
including The Nightmare Room, Fear Street and Nightmare Hour, have been
translated into more than 20 languages and published in more than 30 countries.
He has been honored with a Children's Choice Award, three Nickelodeon Kids
Choice Awards, and three Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards.
RL Stine's Mostly Ghostly tells the story of Max, an 11-year-old who is
teased for his smarts by his classmates, bullied by his brother and under
pressure from his dad to become more athletic or be sent to a military boarding
school. Max becomes even more of a target when he meets Nicky and Tara-the
ghosts of siblings who used to live in his house and who are desperately trying
to find their parents. Max agrees to help them, but is terrorized by Phears -- a
fume-spewing demon who gets around by assuming the forms of everyday animals and
who is hunting for Nicky and Tara. Things come to a head when Phears -- assuming
the form of a giant cockroach -- attacks the school during the Halloween party,
threatening to eat everyone. Can Max defeat Phears and save the school? Will he
have to go to boarding school? And can he help Nicky and Tara finally find their
paranormal scientist parents? Filled with excitement, adventure and chills to
thrill the whole family again and again, RL Stine's Mostly Ghostly promises tons
of spooky fun!
The Universal Studios Family Productions banner, which includes Universal
Animation Studios, develops, produces, and acquires live-action and animated
family productions directly for the home entertainment and television markets.
Among the group's portfolio of prized properties is The Land Before Time, the
most successful feature-length children's home entertainment franchise of all
time, having earned more than one billion dollars worldwide to date. Since its
formation in 2005, the group has built an exceptional slate of family fare,
including the all new DVD Original release Bring It On: In It to Win It, the
latest winning installment in the hugely successful Bring It On film franchise;
the Daytime Emmy(R) nominated "Curious George" television series on PBS KIDS;
"The Land Before Time" television show on Cartoon Network; and a string of
Barbie movies, based on the world-renowned Mattel-branded doll. Universal
Studios Family Productions is part of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a
division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/).
Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004
through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal
owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a
premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a
leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal
is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site:
http://www.universalstudios.com/
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: 'The Mummy Returns' - Special Edition Coming to DVD and Blu-ray(TM) High Def
BRENDAN FRASER STARS IN ONE OF THE GREATEST THRILL RIDES EVER
'THE MUMMY RETURNS - DELUXE EDITION'
JULY 8, 2008 THE DIGITALLY RESTORED 2-DISC SET ARRIVES ON DVD
JULY 22, 2008 'THE MUMMY RETURNS' DEBUTS ON BLU-RAY(TM) HI DEF FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., May 15 - OVERVIEW: Relive one of the most intense
action-adventure movies ever with "The Mummy Returns Deluxe Edition" DVD. Now,
experience the pulse-pounding action and spectacular special effects like never
before from director Stephen Sommers. Digitally restored for optimum picture
quality, this deluxe edition is loaded with thrilling bonus features including
behind-the-scenes footage, commentaries and a sneak peek and a ticket offer for
one of the summer's most anticipated movies "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon
Emperor." "The Mummy Returns Two-Disc Deluxe Edition" DVD also features an
exclusive downloadable digital copy of the film!
BONUS FEATURES (DVD AND BLU-RAY(TM)):
-- VISUAL AND SPECIAL EFFECTS FORMATION -- Visual effects supervisor John
Berton walks the audience through the step-by-step process of creating
the visual effects for the film.
-- AN ARMY TO RULE THE WORLD PART 2 -- A recap of the villainous armies
and the special effects behind "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns."
-- "THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR" SNEAK PEEK
-- FEATURE COMMENTARIES: With director/writer Stephen Sommers and
executive producer/editor Bob Ducsay
-- UNRAVELING THE LEGACY OF THE MUMMY- A look back at the evolution of one
of the most enduring franchises of all time.
-- AN EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON
-- SPOTLIGHT ON LOCATION AND THE MAKING OF
-- STORYBOARD TO FINAL FILM COMPARISON
... and much more!
BONUS FEATURES -- EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAY(TM):
-- U-CONTROL -- This uniquely-immersive, in-movie experience from
Universal allows you to customize your own high definition experience
with spectacular interactive features -- all without stopping the
movie!
-- PICTURE IN PICTURE -- Enjoy a behind the scenes look at the making of
the film while watching the feature.
FILM SYNOPSIS:
One of the greatest action-adventure movies of all time is back with a
vengeance in "The Mummy Returns Two-Disc Deluxe Edition"! Brendan Fraser and
Rachel Weisz reunite with director Stephen Sommers (producer of the upcoming
"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor") in this thrilling sequel. Now, the fate
of mankind is at stake: the Mummy has been resurrected with an even more
powerful force, The Scorpion King (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). Bursting with
exciting bonus features and a digitally restored picture, this bold epic is
"breathlessly action-packed" (New York Daily News).
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Street Date: July 8, 2008
Selection Number: Widescreen 61102383
Price: $19.98 SRP
Running Time: 2 Hours 10 minutes
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Radio: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Rating: PG-13 for adventure, action, and violence
Language/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
TECHNICAL INFORMATION -- BLU-RAY(TM):
Street Date: July 22, 2008
Selection Number: Widescreen 61104868
Price: $29.98 SRP
Running Time: 2 Hours 10 Minutes
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 2.35:1
Rating: PG-13 for adventure, action, and violence
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Sound: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
CAST AND FILMMAKERS:
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, and Dwayne
"The Rock" Johnson
Written and Directed by: Stephen Sommers
Produced by: Jim Sacks and Sean Daniel
Executive Producers: Bob Ducsay and Don Zepfel
Production Designer: Allan Cameron
Edited by: Bob Ducsay and Kelly Matsumoto
Costume Designer: John Bloomfield
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a
division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/).
Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004
through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal
owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a
premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a
leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal
is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site:
http://www.universalstudios.com/
| SCI FI CHANNEL ACQUIRES OFF-NET CABLE RIGHTS
TO CBS TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION'S GHOST WHISPERER Published: May 5, 2008
|
From Universal Home Entertainment ... Get Ready to See Green as The Incredible Hulk Smashes Onto DVD. The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Third Season and The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Fourth Season on DVD June 3, 2008
LOS ANGELES, April 18 OVERVIEW: The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Third
Season and The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Fourth Season come to DVD for the
first time on June 3rd, starring Emmy(R) Award nominee Bill Bixby and
bodybuilding icon Lou Ferrigno respectively as the mild-mannered scientist Dr.
David Banner and his alter ego, the Incredible Hulk. Relive all 23 exciting
episodes from Season Three and 18 exciting episodes from Season Four plus
all-new exclusive DVD bonus extras that provide compelling insight into one of
television's most popular action heroes. Both releases will be available in
specially created lenticular packaging that transforms Bruce Banner into the
Incredible Hulk.
As an additional bonus that will appeal to "Hulk" fans, contained inside
specially marked DVDs are a free movie ticket and an exclusive sneak-peek
featuring Edward Norton in one of the summer's most anticipated upcoming
Universal Pictures releases ... The Incredible Hulk also starring Liv Tyler, Tim
Roth and William Hurt.
BONUS FEATURES - SEASON THREE:
-- REMEMBERING "THE INCREDIBLE HULK": AN AMERICAN CLASSIC: The continued
success of "The Incredible Hulk" is explored, including the audience's
visceral connection to the main character, the superb behind-the-scenes
writing and production, the music, and the visual "look" of the show.
BONUS FEATURES - SEASON FOUR:
-- AUDIO COMMENTARY ON TWO-PART SEASON PREMIERE "PROMETHEUS", WITH
CREATOR/ PRODUCER KENNETH JOHNSON
-- CREATING AN ICONIC CHARACTER: THE HULK: A featurette that dissects the
creation of the character of The Hulk, the fascinating casting search
that ultimately led to Lou Ferrigno in the part, the makeup and
costume, dubbing of the Hulk's voice/growl, and the artistic visual
transformation of the "Hulk Out", which occurred in each episode.
-- INSIDE AN EPISODE: "PROMETHEUS" PHOTO GALLERY: With captions by
Creator/Producer Kenneth Johnson
BONUS FEATURES - SEASONS THREE & FOUR:
-- THE INCREDIBLE HULK SNEAK PEEK: Get an exclusive sneak-peek of the
all-new upcoming Universal theatrical release of The Incredible Hulk,
featuring behind the scenes footage and interviews with Edward Norton,
Marvel Executives and Director Louis Leterrier.
SYNOPSIS: Hit the road again with mild-mannered scientist David Banner
(Primetime Emmy Award nominee Bill Bixby) as all 23 Season Three and 18 Season
Four episodes of The Incredible Hulk smash onto DVD for the first time! After
accidental exposure to gamma radiation causes him to transform into the
uncontrollable and enraged Hulk (Lou Ferrigno), Dr. Banner travels from town to
town seeking a cure. Along the way, he finds action-packed adventures that
require his heroic abilities and his alter ego's immense strength and power.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Street Date: June 3, 2008 Copyright: 2008 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved Price: $39.98 SRP Selection Number: Season Three: 61102104, Season Four: 61102117 Layers: Single Sided Aspect Ratio: Full Frame 1.33:1 Languages/Subtitles: English Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a
division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/).
Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004
through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal
owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a
premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a
leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal
is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
http://www.incrediblehulkdvd.com/
Source:
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site:
http://www.universalstudios.com/
http://www.incrediblehulkdvd.com/
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment ... Saturday Night Live: The Complete Third Season Arrives on DVD May 13, 2008
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., April 17 /OVERVIEW: "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" For more than 30 years, this catch phrase has made its way into the homes of millions of viewers. Now, for the first time, all 20 episodes of the classic third season with digitally re-mastered picture and sound are available in a seven-disc set featuring limited edition packaging and four-collectible character cards. Saturday Night Live: The Complete Third Season features over 22 hours of hilarious sketches and all of the original musical performances. Saturday Night Live: The Complete Third Season is destined to be a must-have addition to any "Saturday Night Live" collection.
BONUS FEATURES:
-- Things We Did Last Summer: Exclusive featurette showcasing selected
cast members from Season 3 as they explain the stories, events and
antics of their summer vacations.
-- Wardrobe Test with John Belushi and Howard Shore
SYNOPSIS: Continuing the enormous success of the previous two years, the third season of "SNL" (1977-78) showcased a fearless cast that created some of the most memorable sketches to ever appear on the show. With hilarious breakthrough characters like The Nerds (Bill Murray and Gilda Radner), Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin), lounge singer Nick Winters (Bill Murray), Samurai Warrior (John Belushi), a singing King Tut (legendary "SNL" host Steve Martin) and featuring Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello) as well as "The Franken and Davis Show" (Al Franken and Tom Davis), SNL continued to define itself as the pinnacle of irreverent humor and political satire.
The Complete Third Season of "SNL" contains unforgettable appearances by hosts Steve Martin, Michael Palin, Hugh Hefner, Buck Henry, Robert Klein, Chevy Chase, Madeline Kahn, Richard Dreyfuss, O.J. Simpson and the winner of the "Anyone Can Host" contest, Miskel Spillman, and classic musical performances by Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Leon Redbone, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Ashford & Simpson, Meat Loaf and The Blues Brothers.
Pre-Order Close: 4/8/2008
Copyright: (C) 2008 NBC Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $ 69.98
Selection Number: 61102157
Running Time: 22 Hours 33 Minutes
Layers: Dual
Aspect Ratio: Full Frame (1.33:1)
Rating: Not Rated
Languages: English/ English SDH
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (
http://www.universalstudios.com/). Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web Site:
http://www.universalstudios.com/
Universal Unveils Inaugural Slate of Film and TV Offerings Coming to Blu-ray(TM) Disc Day and Date With DVD
'Heroes: Season Two' Will Mark the Studio's First Global Event Release
Lineup to Include Summer 2008's Most Anticipated Films From Universal Pictures: THE INCREDIBLE HULK, Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mamma Mia! and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, As Well as Some of the Studio's Other Biggest Titles
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., April 17 Universal Studios Home Entertainment revealed its initial lineup of film and television properties arriving later this year on Blu-ray(TM) Disc, day and date with DVD, it was announced today by Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms. Marking the rollout of the studio's first global release on Blu-ray(TM) will be the "Heroes: Season Two," which will debut beginning August 26, 2008.
The highly anticipated premier of the sophomore season of NBC's "Heroes" will be buoyed by the simultaneous debut of "Heroes Season One" on Blu-ray(TM). Later in the year and in time for the holidays, five of the year's most promising feature films will arrive in high definition: THE INCREDIBLE HULK, the action-packed new chapter of one of the most popular Super Hero sagas of all time that stars Edward Norton, William Hurt and Liv Tyler; Wanted, the action-thriller from stunning visualist director Timur Bekmambetov that stars Morgan Freeman, James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie; Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the epic vision of imagination from acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro; Mamma Mia!, the musical romantic comedy in which Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in the adaptation of the beloved musical; and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the next installment in The Mummy franchise in which Jet Li, Maria Bello, Michelle Yeoh and newcomer Luke Ford join the returning Brendan Fraser and John Hannah for a supernatural adventure that shifts the series to the Far East.
"We're thrilled that our preliminary slate of Blu-ray(TM) offerings comprises such a brilliant collection of high-def centric fare," said Mr. Kornblau. "As awareness for Blu-ray(TM) continues to grow, consumers will learn to rely on the superior quality picture, sound, interactivity and connectivity that only high-definition home entertainment delivers."
The first wave of Universal Blu-ray(TM) releases, which hits U.S. stores July 22nd, gives fans of The Mummy franchise a chance to relive the iconic blockbuster films' thrilling beginnings in crystal-clear high-definition. The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, starring Brendan Fraser, and the hugely successful action-packed spin-off The Scorpion King, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, all will be released on Blu-ray(TM) for the first time that day.
The first of Universal's new theatrical Blu-ray(TM) releases hitting store shelves this summer day and date with its DVD counterpart is the apocalyptic thrill-ride DOOMSDAY, starring Rhona Mitra, Malcolm McDowell and Bob Hoskins. Other titles on deck for 2008 include American Gangster, Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Miami Vice, End of Days, U-571 and Land of the Dead, among others.
Furthering Universal's aggressive rollout of Blu-ray(TM) product globally, Universal Pictures International Entertainment, the company's international home entertainment arm, is concurrently announcing its initial slate of Blu-ray(TM) releases for the international marketplace today.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (
http://www.universalstudios.com/). Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
| NBC REVEALS COMPLETE 52-WEEK PROGRAM
STRATEGY, EARLIER THAN EVER, THAT GIVES ADVERTISERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO
CREATE UNIQUE MARKETING SOLUTIONS Published: April 2, 2008
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| NBC PICKS UP CLASSIC, EMMY AWARD-WINNING 'ER'
FOR 15TH AND FINAL SEASON Published: April 2, 2008
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| KATHIE LEE GIFFORD JOINS 4th HOUR OF 'TODAY' Published: March 31, 2008
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| Sunday March 23, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER MISBEGOTTEN A SCIENTIST’S CONTROVERSIAL RESEARCH IS EXPOSED AFTER A MYSTERIOUS PACKAGE EXPLODES. An explosion hospitalizes a pregnant guard, leading Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) and Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) to a Gen-Tech scientist whose lab is housed in the same building where the bomb is delivered. When the detectives discover the injured security guard had been one of the doctor’s research subjects, ADAs Michael Cutter (Linus Roache) and Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) suspect the security guard’s brother-in-law. Also starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT HARM VOLUNTEERISM AT A VICTIMS REHAB CENTER LEAD THE DETECTIVES TO EXPOSE SOME MILITARY SECRETS -- When a private school teacher is found stabbed to death, the detectives link her case to a victim’s center, where she was working with an Iraqi man. When military doctor Faith Sutton (guest star Elizabeth McGovern) admits to being involved in psychological protocols for torture - major military secrets are uncovered. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong. |
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| Monday March 24, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | MY DAD IS BETTER THAN YOUR DAD 104 |
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| 1.0 | DEAL OR NO DEAL EPISODE 354 NEW JERSEY WOMAN TRIES HER HAND AT BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE—In tonight’s episode, Mary Beth Holtzheimer of Deptford, New Jersey plays for the top prize of $1 million in a high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Howie Mandel hosts. |
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| 1.0 | MEDIUM WICKED GAME, PART ONE In PART ONE of A GRIPPING two-part episode, Allison’s VISIONS REVEAL INVESTIGATOR Cynthia KEENER’s (Academy Award Winner Anjelica Huston) TERRIBLE SECRET -- In the first of a two-part episode, while working with Cynthia (guest star Anjelica Huston) to find a missing local girl, Allison dreams about the kidnapping of another young woman (guest star Sarah Drew, “Everwood”) and learns that Cynthia’s daughter Suzie has been missing for nearly 10 years. Meanwhile, Bridgette’s (Maria Lark) science class project sparks Joe’s (Jake Weber) imagination -- and tests his relationship with Allison. Miguel Sandoval, Sofia Vassilieva, David Cubitt and Miranda Carabello also star. |
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| Tuesday March 25, 2008 | ||
| 2.0 | THE BIGGEST LOSER 513 COMPETITION HEATS UP WITH ONLY SIX CONTESTANTS LEFT -- Only six players are left, and the remaining women try to hold their own against the men who are still in the game. In a surprising pop quiz, one player wins a mysterious prize. And at this week’s challenge, the players get the chance to sabotage one another by giving each other calories. Alison Sweeney is the host, and Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels also star. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT SNITCH A WEBSITE SENDS A POLYGAMIST AND HIS FAMILY FOR PROTECTION WHEN ONE OF HIS WIVES IS FOUND MURDERED -METHOD MAN GUEST STARS -- When a polygamist’s wife is killed, the Nigerian national fears his testifying in a separate crime may have led to his wife’s murder. Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) investigate only to find a website exposing potential witnesses to the other crime leading the SVU to believe that his cultural tradition may be the root cause of his wife’s murder. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong. |
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| Wednesday March 26, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT SMILE A Park Avenue dentist's murder turns out to be connected to the death of one of his young patients. Detectives Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) look into both murders, they follow a trail of counterfeit and poisoned mouthwash from the streets of Harlem to the FDA and Wall Street. Also starring: Eric Bogosian, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Noth , and Alicia Witt. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT LONELYVILLE A threeway turns deadly, and a pair of emerald earrings are the only clue. Writer Noah Brezner has awakened after a threeway with a blonde and a brunette, to find the blonde dead, the brunette gone, and Noah with no idea what happened. Major Case is called in to investigate the death of a Jane Doe tied in Japanese bondage ropes, then strangled. Mike Logan (Chris Noth) and Nola Falacci (Alicia Witt) are intially stumped by this lurid puzzle - their only clue to the girl’s identity and demise is the pair of emeralds hanging from her ears. Also starring: Eric Bogosian, Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, and Julianne Nicholson. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER DRIVEN A TEENAGER AND YOUNG GIRL ARE FOUND DEAD NEAR A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYGROUND AROUSING RACIALLY CHARGED ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY:ALLY WALKER GUEST STARS - When a Caucasian teenage boy and young African American girl are found dead near a neighborhood playground, Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) have trouble getting witnesses to talk after realizing the boy was targeted and the girl was killed accidentally. Two brothers and friends of the murdered boy, Andy (guest star Jeremy Allen White) and Josh Steel (guest star Miles Chandler), lead the detectives to a local kid Will Manning (guest star Tristan Wilds). Ultimately, it’s Will’s father Ray Manning (guest star Kevin Carroll) who admits to being the shooter. Ray’s defense is that he feared for his son’s life when he saw three boys chasing Will with baseball bats. This new information leads the detectives to suspect the Steel brothers and their overly aggressive mother, Gretchen (guest star Ally Walker). With racial tensions high in the community, the DA’s office must decide how to charge and prosecute the case. Also starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza. |
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| Thursday March 27, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | DEAL OR NO DEAL EPISODE 355 PAKISTAN NATIVE TAKES HIS CHANCE AT BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE—In tonight’s episode, Saima Shah from Pakistan plays for the top prize of $1 million in a high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Howie Mandel hosts |
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| 2.0 | THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE 713 EPISODE 713 TITLE: “UNDER THE HAMMER” TASK: CHARITY AUCTION & CONCERT As the finalists work down to the wire preparing for the charity auction and concert, one celebrity fears the entertainers will refuse go onstage if their demands can’t be met. The other decides to limit the food for the event, hoping the guests will be more generous with their bids if they are drunk. The moment of truth arrives, and so do the stars. With the auction over and nearly a half million dollars raised for charity, Donald Trump is faced with the final decision – who will be fired, and who will become the Celebrity Apprentice. The Celebrity Apprentice does not win a position in Trump’s organization, but wins $250,000 dollars for their charity. Trump’s Eyes and Ears: Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. |
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| Friday March 28, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | AMNE$IA EPISODE 105 DENNIS MILLER HOSTS NEW COMEDY GAME SHOW AS CALIFORNIA MAN PUTS HIS MEMORY TO THE TEST FOR MONEY -- In tonight's episode, Tim McCoy of Cathedral City, California puts his memory to the test as he is challenged to answer a variety of questions from his own life to win money in this high-energy, original comedy game show. Dennis Miller ("Dennis Miller Live") hosts. |
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| Saturday March 29, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT SMILE A Park Avenue dentist's murder turns out to be connected to the death of one of his young patients. Detectives Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) look into both murders, they follow a trail of counterfeit and poisoned mouthwash from the streets of Harlem to the FDA and Wall Street. Also starring: Eric Bogosian, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Noth , and Alicia Witt. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT BLINDED THE INVESTIGATION OF A MISSING GIRL LEADS TO A SCHIZOPHRENIC SERIAL RAPIST AS TENSION BREWS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. When Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) discover a kidnapped girl in the trunk of a stolen rental car, they are led to her abductor; a violent, schizophrenic artist named Saul Picard (guest star Arye Gross). Picard’s rage seriously injures Elliot, and the trial drives A.D.A. Casey Novak (Diane Neal) to face not only a complicated case on temporary insanity, but her own dark past as well. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Richard Belzer, and Tamara Tunie. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER TANGO A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL IS KILLED AND THE TWO UNLIKELY SUSPECTS INCLUDE A PROSTITUTE AND PIMP. Two inebriated high-school girls, Kelly Daugherty (guest star Lisa Joyce) and Anne-Marie Liscomb (guest star Molly Ephraim), are agitated after their car is towed at a party. Liscomb walks off to make a phone call in an attempt to call a ride, and is found dead in a dumpster days later. After tracking down the cab driver that picked up Liscomb, new information leads the detectives to a drug-addicted prostitute with an affluent past, known as “Sugar” (guest star Maria Dizzia) and her partner Tito Cabassa (guest star Pedro Pascal). A war of words unfold as the detectives pit the prostitute and pimp against each other to see who will talk first. When the case goes up for trial, ADA Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) appears to have an unrelenting admirer in the jury pool. Also Starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Linus Roache. |
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| Sunday March 30, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER BOTTOMLESS A DRYCLEANING MIX-UP LEADS TO A MURDERED ATTORNEY AND A TRAIL OF CORPORATE CORRUPTION AND GREED - When a pair of men’s pants goes missing from a drycleaner, Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) and Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) suspect the lost pants may be linked to the gruesome murder of a young lawyer. The evidence trail soon leads the detectives to a suspicious businessman who may be covering up a forbidden affair with a co-worker, and perhaps, far more. Also starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT SAVANT A MENTALLY CHALLENGED GIRL WITNESSES THE SAVAGE BEATING OF HER MOTHER -- Ben Nicholson (guest star Aidan Quinn) finds his wife Corrine (guest star Judy Kuhn) beaten into a coma, and the only witness is their mentally challenged daughter, Katie (guest star Paulina Gerzon). Because of Katie’s sensitive mental condition - the detectives are reluctant to have her testify. Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Dr. Huang (B.D. Wong) work with Katie, and begin to piece together the night of the beating and some of Corrine’s well-hidden secrets. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong. |
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| Monday March 31, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | MY DAD IS BETTER THAN YOUR DAD 101 "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad," a fun-filled, family-friendly competition series from the producers of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" (Mark Burnett Productions) and NBC’s "The Biggest Loser" (Reveille). Dads will be at the forefront of the action competing with their families in a series of unique stunt-driven challenges. The series will finally prove the familiar schoolyard boast -- "My dad is better than your dad!" In the end, the families will win the ultimate prize and bragging rights. |
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| 1.0 | DEAL OR NO DEAL EPISODE 356 DELAWARE MAN TRIES HIS LUCK AT BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE—In tonight’s episode, Todd Ranck from Wilmington, Delaware plays for the top prize of $1 million in a high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Howie Mandel hosts. |
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| 1.0 | MEDIUM WICKED GAME, PART TWO IN THE CONCLUSION OF THIS DRAMATIC TWO-PART EPISODE, ALLISON AND CYNTHIA’S (ACADEMY AWARD WINNER ANJELICA HUSTON) PURSUIT OF SUZIE KEENER’S KIDNAPPERS COMES TO A SHOCKING END -- In part two of this episode, Allison (Emmy winner Patricia Arquette) and Cynthia Keener’s (guest star Anjelica Huston) investigation into the decade-old kidnapping, imprisonment and murder of Cynthia’s daughter Suzie (guest star Sarah Drew, “Everwood”) comes to a shocking, brutal conclusion. Meanwhile, Bridgette (Maria Lark) predicts good fortune for Joe (Jake Weber), who’s looking into funding for his new invention. Miguel Sandoval, Sofia Vassilieva, David Cubitt and Miranda Carabello also star. |
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| Tuesday April 1, 2008 | ||
| 2.0 | THE BIGGEST LOSER 514 LAST FIVE CONTESTANTS GET SURPRISE TRIP TO AUSTRALIA Since The Biggest Loser is a global phenomenon, the last five players are surprised with a trip to the other side of the globe Australia! Once there, they get a visit from the Biggest Loser: Australia winner, Adro, compete in a race around the city of Sydney, and climb the legendary Sydney Harbor Bridge. In the end, the final four players are determined by an emotional weigh-in and elimination. Alison Sweeney is the host, and Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels also star. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT STREETWISE A WEALTHY TEENAGE GIRL IS FOUND MURDERED IN NEW YORK'S CENTRAL PARK, AND THE CLUES LEAD TO A GANG OF HOMELESS CHILDREN. Park Avenue socialite Shelby Crawford’s body is found in NYC'S Central Park, and Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliott Stabler (Christopher Meloni) initially suspect her wealthy boyfriend. But when Shelby’s priceless earrings turn up in a pawnshop, the detectives realize someone wants to cash in on her death. While questioning former classmate Josie Mayes (guest star Madeline Taylor), Benson and Stabler are led to Cole (guest star Thom Bishops) and Cassidy (guest star Mae Whitman), the leaders of a homeless community. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong. |
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| Wednesday April 2, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | DEAL OR NO DEAL EPISODE 357 MASSACHUSETTS WOMAN AND TEXAS WOMAN TRY THEIR LUCK AT BECOMING MILLIONAIRES- In tonight’s episode, Cathy Burns of Lowell, Massachusetts and Uchenna Emenaha of Houston, Texas play for the top prize of $1 million in a high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Howie Mandel hosts. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT DEPTHS A dead body sends the detectives into the world of deep sea treasure hunters. When the body of a diver washes up on shore, Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) clash with the FBI over possible terrorist connections, then track the murderer into the high-stakes world of deep sea treasure hunters. Also starring: Eric Bogosian, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Noth , and Alicia Witt. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER POLITICAL ANIMAL A TRIPLE HOMICIDE THOUGHT TO BE A LOVERS’ QUARREL TURNS OUT TO BE THE WORK OF A CAREER CON ARTIST. When three roommates are found dead in their apartment Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Green) and Cyrus Lupo’s (Jeremy Sisto) initial examination of the crime scene suggests a murder-suicide amongst jealous lovers. This notion is quickly dismissed when the detectives discover one of the victims, Todd Stewart (guest star Jonathan Sale) an environmental attorney, had a closeted relationship with a prominent political figure. After the politician’s fingerprints don’t match the prints on the murder weapon the investigation shifts focus to Victor Vargas, a political fundraiser who gave the detectives their first lead. When Vargas’ address turns out to be bogus and then a little background research uncovers a past of illegal activities including fraud, the detectives realize they’ve got their guy. But no one is prepared for the lengths to which Vargas will go and who among his political allies he will turn on to keep his freedom. Also starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache and Alana De La Garza. |
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| Thursday April 3, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | MY NAME IS EARL I WON'T DIE WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS, PT. 1 & 2 GOODBYE EARL? —NBC UNIVERSAL CEO, JEFF ZUCKER, ALYSSA MILANO, AND PARIS HILTON GUEST STAR—NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker gives an insightful recap to viewers to catch them up on the show. Earl (Jason Lee) is still lying in the middle of the road next to Billie (Alyssa Milano), both of whom are unconscious after being hit by a car. The accident puts Earl in a coma and takes him to an alternate world in the form of a sitcom. Meanwhile, Randy (Ethan Suplee), Darnell (Eddie Steeples), Joy (Jaime Pressly) and Catalina (Nadine Velazquez) begin doing whatever they can to ensure Earl lives. After several attempts, Earl continues to be stuck in a fevered state and is visited by Paris Hilton in his dream. The group realizes they are all out ideas and turn to their last option, a little boy that can cure everything with his finger. The boy refuses to help because he thinks Joy has the devil on her side, so Darnell and Randy try to prove to him that she does not. Has Earl’s bad karma gotten the best of him? Will he find the strength to survive his coma? |
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| 0.5 | THE OFFICE LOCAL AD THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ADVERTISING-- When the Scranton branch is asked to participate in a Dunder Mifflin ad, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) seizes his chance to exhibit his creativity. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) explores the online world of Second Life. John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J Novak, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star. |
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| 0.5 | THE OFFICE BRANCH WARS BATTLE OF THE BRANCHES-RASHIDA JONES ("Boston Public") GUEST STARS--When Karen (guest star Rashida Jones) tries to woo Stanley (Leslie David Baker) away from Scranton, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) fights back, dragging her ex, Jim (John Krasinski), into his war. Meanwhile, the existence of a "Finer Things Club" further disturbs Dunder Mifflin's calm. Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, B.J Novak, Ed Helms, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star. |
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| 0.5 | THE OFFICE SURVIVOR MAN INTO THE WOODS-SPECIAL GREEN WEEK EPISODE--After Ryan (B.J. Novak) excludes Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) from a corporate wilderness retreat, Michael heads into the woods for his own survival adventure with nothing but the suit on his back. Back at work, Jim (John Krasinski) tries to revolutionize the office birthday party. Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Ed Helms, Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star. |
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| 0.5 | THE OFFICE THE DEPOSITION SUE CRAZY IN THE OFFICE--Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) finds himself between a rock and a hard place when Jan (Melora Hardin) sues Dunder Mifflin and Michael is deposed as a witness. Meanwhile, Kelly (Mindy Kaling) trash-talks Pam (Jenna Fischer) after Darryl (Craig Robinson) beats Jim (John Krasinski) at ping-pong. Rainn Wilson, B.J. Novak, Leslie David Baker, Ed Helms, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, and Creed Bratton also star. |
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| Friday April 4, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | AMNE$IA 102 DENNIS MILLER HOSTS NEW COMEDY GAME SHOW AS CALIFORNIA MAN PUTS HIS MEMORY TO THE TEST FOR MONEY -- In tonight's episode, Jason Rodewald of Orange, California puts his memory to the test as he is challenged to answer a variety of questions from his own life to win money in this high-energy, original comedy game show. Dennis Miller ("Dennis Miller Live") hosts. |
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| Saturday April 5, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT LONELYVILLE A threeway turns deadly, and a pair of emerald earrings are the only clue. Writer Noah Brezner has awakened after a threeway with a blonde and a brunette, to find the blonde dead, the brunette gone, and Noah with no idea what happened. Major Case is called in to investigate the death of a Jane Doe tied in Japanese bondage ropes, then strangled. Mike Logan (Chris Noth) and Nola Falacci (Alicia Witt) are intially stumped by this lurid puzzle - their only clue to the girl’s identity and demise is the pair of emeralds hanging from her ears. Also starring: Eric Bogosian, Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, and Julianne Nicholson. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT FIGHT A TEENAGER’S BODY IS DISCOVERED IN THE WOODS AND PROFESSIONAL FIGHTER MIKE KONA’S (GUEST STAR FORREST GRIFFIN) DNA IS FOUND ON THE SCENE -- A young girl's death seems to be linked to the world of ultimate fighting, but after questioning Kona and his girlfriend (guest star CoCo), the evidence trail leads Detectives Chester Lake (Adam Beach) and Odafin "Fin" Tutuola (Ice-T) to two young brothers (guest stars “Friday Night Lights” Gauis Charles and Arlen Escarpeta) who have more than a few skeletons in their closet. When the brothers are arrested, tension brew within the SVU. Also starring: Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER BETRAYAL WHEN A PSYCHIATRIST WHO TREATS DISTURBED TEENS IS FOUND MURDERED HIS TROUBLED PATIENTS AND JEALOUS WIFE ARE THE PRIME SUSPECTS - A psychiatrist is found shot to death in his office, and Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) and Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) initially suspect one of his young patients. Clues lead the detectives to the doctor’s jealous and much younger wife, Catherine (guest star Moira Kelly). The pressures of the case drive Catherine to admit her troubled past leading to his murder. The prosecuting team, Michael Cutter (Linus Roache) and Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) are then faced with the daunting task of convincing the jury that Catherine’s troubled youth is no excuse for murder. Also starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza. |
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| Thursday March 20, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | DEAL OR NO DEAL EPISODE 337 TENNESSEE MAN TRIES HIS LUCK AT BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE - - In tonight’s episode, Mike Fisher of Bedford County, Tennessee plays for the top prize of $1 million in a high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Howie Mandel hosts. |
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| 1.0 | THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE 712 EPISODE 712 TITLE: “GOING ONCE, TWICE, YOU’RE FIRED” TASK: CHARITY AUCTION & CONCERT Just as the final four celebrities are ready to celebrate and relax, Donald Trump calls them back into the boardroom and tells them the next task will begin immediately. Each celebrity is interviewed by Jim Cramer, host of “Mad Money”, and Erin Burnett of CNBC. Jim and Erin report back to Donald Trump, then the finalists fight for their lives in a surprise Boardroom. The axe falls, and only two celebrities remain. The next morning, Donald Trump reveals their last task – the finalists will put on a charity auction and concert, with each celebrity responsible for different aspects of the event. The planning begins for a huge night, with the finalists assisted by former Celebrity Apprentice alumni. As they race to organize the event, one struggles to meet the demands of the musical talent, while the other is let down by one of their celebrity helpers. Guest Stars: CNBC’s Jim Cramer and Erin Burnett Trump’s Eyes and Ears: Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. |
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| 1.0 | LIPSTICK JUNGLE CHAPTER 7: CARPE THREESOME THREE’S COMPANY OR THREE’S A CROWD? – BOBBY CANNAVALE AND MARSHA MASON GUEST STAR--Wendy (Brooke Shields) is dealing with a very difficult scriptwriter, Lorraine Lippman (Marsha Mason), who cannot seem to put an ending to her movie. Wendy makes a bold move and tells production to move forward, leaving it up to her to get the final script from Lorraine in time. Nico (Kim Raver), still very caught up in her dual life with Kirby, faces a harsh reality when she receives news that Charles (Chris Cousins) has had a heart attack. The scare makes her realize how much she misses her marriage and brings her life back into perspective. What will this mean for Kirby? Elsewhere, Victory (Lindsay Price) is getting used to the idea of Joe Bennett (Andrew McCarthy) as her boss instead of her boyfriend. Hockey superstar, Chris “Parks” Parker (Bobby Cannavale) and his wife grow very fond of Victory. The relationship heats up, which puts Victory in a very compromising position. |
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| Friday March 21, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | AMNE$IA 104 "Amne$ia" -- Dennis Miller ("Dennis Miller Live") hosts this high-energy, original comedy game show where contestants are challenged to answer a variety of questions from their own life for money. Memories will be tested and blasts from the past will be revealed as contestants wrack their brains to answer some of the most challenging questions – often times with hilarious results. |
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| Saturday March 22, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE 712 EPISODE 712 TITLE: “GOING ONCE, TWICE, YOU’RE FIRED” TASK: CHARITY AUCTION & CONCERT Just as the final four celebrities are ready to celebrate and relax, Donald Trump calls them back into the boardroom and tells them the next task will begin immediately. Each celebrity is interviewed by Jim Cramer, host of “Mad Money”, and Erin Burnett of CNBC. Jim and Erin report back to Donald Trump, then the finalists fight for their lives in a surprise Boardroom. The axe falls, and only two celebrities remain. The next morning, Donald Trump reveals their last task – the finalists will put on a charity auction and concert, with each celebrity responsible for different aspects of the event. The planning begins for a huge night, with the finalists assisted by former Celebrity Apprentice alumni. As they race to organize the event, one struggles to meet the demands of the musical talent, while the other is let down by one of their celebrity helpers. Guest Stars: CNBC’s Jim Cramer and Erin Burnett Trump’s Eyes and Ears: Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT SIGNATURE DETECTIVE OLIVIA BENSON (MARISKA HARGITAY) TEAMS UP WITH SPECIAL AGENT LAUREN COOPER (GUEST STAR ERIKA CHRISTENSEN) WHEN A SERIAL KILLER IS THE SUSPECT. A woman’s body is found murdered in a park alongside a man with a bullet in his head - Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Special Agent Cooper (Guest Star Erika Christensen) join forces and suspect “The Woodsman”, a serial killer Cooper has tried to catch for years. Detective Chester Lake (Adam Beach) and Benson begin to question Cooper’s true motives when the male victim is later identified as “The Woodsman”. Also starring: Christopher Meloni, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Richard Belzer, and Tamara Tunie. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER EXECUTIONER BEING AT THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME PROVES TO BE DEADLY FOR ONE SURGEON. Dr. Mark Burns (guest star Alan Zweibel) is found murdered in his hotel room while attending a out-of-town convention. Detectives Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) learn that Dr. Burns’ made a large withdrawal from his bank account moments before he was murdered. Evidence rules out the con artists who scammed Burns as suspects, but a hotel surveillance tape shows a man with a southern accent vehemently knocking on the door looking for a different physician, Dr. Garrison (guest star James Rebhorn). This finding leads the detectives to believe Dr. Garrison may have been the intended target and his life is still at risk. Also Starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza. |
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| Sunday March 23, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER MISBEGOTTEN A SCIENTIST’S CONTROVERSIAL RESEARCH IS EXPOSED AFTER A MYSTERIOUS PACKAGE EXPLODES. An explosion hospitalizes a pregnant guard, leading Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) and Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) to a Gen-Tech scientist whose lab is housed in the same building where the bomb is delivered. When the detectives discover the injured security guard had been one of the doctor’s research subjects, ADAs Michael Cutter (Linus Roache) and Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) suspect the security guard’s brother-in-law. Also starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT HARM VOLUNTEERISM AT A VICTIMS REHAB CENTER LEAD THE DETECTIVES TO EXPOSE SOME MILITARY SECRETS -- When a private school teacher is found stabbed to death, the detectives link her case to a victim’s center, where she was working with an Iraqi man. When military doctor Faith Sutton (guest star Elizabeth McGovern) admits to being involved in psychological protocols for torture - major military secrets are uncovered. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong. |
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| Monday March 24, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | MY DAD IS BETTER THAN YOUR DAD 104 |
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| 1.0 | DEAL OR NO DEAL EPISODE 354 NEW JERSEY WOMAN TRIES HER HAND AT BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE—In tonight’s episode, Mary Beth Holtzheimer of Deptford, New Jersey plays for the top prize of $1 million in a high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Howie Mandel hosts. |
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| 1.0 | MEDIUM WICKED GAME, PART ONE In PART ONE of A GRIPPING two-part episode, Allison’s VISIONS REVEAL INVESTIGATOR Cynthia KEENER’s (Academy Award Winner Anjelica Huston) TERRIBLE SECRET -- In the first of a two-part episode, while working with Cynthia (guest star Anjelica Huston) to find a missing local girl, Allison dreams about the kidnapping of another young woman (guest star Sarah Drew, “Everwood”) and learns that Cynthia’s daughter Suzie has been missing for nearly 10 years. Meanwhile, Bridgette’s (Maria Lark) science class project sparks Joe’s (Jake Weber) imagination -- and tests his relationship with Allison. Miguel Sandoval, Sofia Vassilieva, David Cubitt and Miranda Carabello also star. |
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| Tuesday March 25, 2008 | ||
| 2.0 | THE BIGGEST LOSER 513 COMPETITION HEATS UP WITH ONLY SIX CONTESTANTS LEFT -- Only six players are left, and the remaining women try to hold their own against the men who are still in the game. In a surprising pop quiz, one player wins a mysterious prize. And at this week’s challenge, the players get the chance to sabotage one another by giving each other calories. Alison Sweeney is the host, and Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels also star. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT SNITCH A WEBSITE SENDS A POLYGAMIST AND HIS FAMILY FOR PROTECTION WHEN ONE OF HIS WIVES IS FOUND MURDERED -METHOD MAN GUEST STARS -- When a polygamist’s wife is killed, the Nigerian national fears his testifying in a separate crime may have led to his wife’s murder. Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) investigate only to find a website exposing potential witnesses to the other crime leading the SVU to believe that his cultural tradition may be the root cause of his wife’s murder. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong. |
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| Wednesday March 26, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT SMILE A Park Avenue dentist's murder turns out to be connected to the death of one of his young patients. Detectives Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) look into both murders, they follow a trail of counterfeit and poisoned mouthwash from the streets of Harlem to the FDA and Wall Street. Also starring: Eric Bogosian, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Noth , and Alicia Witt. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT LONELYVILLE A threeway turns deadly, and a pair of emerald earrings are the only clue. Writer Noah Brezner has awakened after a threeway with a blonde and a brunette, to find the blonde dead, the brunette gone, and Noah with no idea what happened. Major Case is called in to investigate the death of a Jane Doe tied in Japanese bondage ropes, then strangled. Mike Logan (Chris Noth) and Nola Falacci (Alicia Witt) are intially stumped by this lurid puzzle - their only clue to the girl’s identity and demise is the pair of emeralds hanging from her ears. Also starring: Eric Bogosian, Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, and Julianne Nicholson. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER DRIVEN A TEENAGER AND YOUNG GIRL ARE FOUND DEAD NEAR A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYGROUND AROUSING RACIALLY CHARGED ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY:ALLY WALKER GUEST STARS - When a Caucasian teenage boy and young African American girl are found dead near a neighborhood playground, Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) have trouble getting witnesses to talk after realizing the boy was targeted and the girl was killed accidentally. Two brothers and friends of the murdered boy, Andy (guest star Jeremy Allen White) and Josh Steel (guest star Miles Chandler), lead the detectives to a local kid Will Manning (guest star Tristan Wilds). Ultimately, it’s Will’s father Ray Manning (guest star Kevin Carroll) who admits to being the shooter. Ray’s defense is that he feared for his son’s life when he saw three boys chasing Will with baseball bats. This new information leads the detectives to suspect the Steel brothers and their overly aggressive mother, Gretchen (guest star Ally Walker). With racial tensions high in the community, the DA’s office must decide how to charge and prosecute the case. Also starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza. |
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| Thursday March 27, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | DEAL OR NO DEAL EPISODE 355 PAKISTAN NATIVE TAKES HIS CHANCE AT BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE—In tonight’s episode, Saima Shah from Pakistan plays for the top prize of $1 million in a high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Howie Mandel hosts |
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| 2.0 | THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE 713 EPISODE 713 TITLE: “UNDER THE HAMMER” TASK: CHARITY AUCTION & CONCERT As the finalists work down to the wire preparing for the charity auction and concert, one celebrity fears the entertainers will refuse go onstage if their demands can’t be met. The other decides to limit the food for the event, hoping the guests will be more generous with their bids if they are drunk. The moment of truth arrives, and so do the stars. With the auction over and nearly a half million dollars raised for charity, Donald Trump is faced with the final decision – who will be fired, and who will become the Celebrity Apprentice. The Celebrity Apprentice does not win a position in Trump’s organization, but wins $250,000 dollars for their charity. Trump’s Eyes and Ears: Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. |
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| Friday March 28, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | AMNE$IA EPISODE 105 DENNIS MILLER HOSTS NEW COMEDY GAME SHOW AS CALIFORNIA MAN PUTS HIS MEMORY TO THE TEST FOR MONEY -- In tonight's episode, Tim McCoy of Cathedral City, California puts his memory to the test as he is challenged to answer a variety of questions from his own life to win money in this high-energy, original comedy game show. Dennis Miller ("Dennis Miller Live") hosts. |
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| Saturday March 29, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT SMILE A Park Avenue dentist's murder turns out to be connected to the death of one of his young patients. Detectives Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) look into both murders, they follow a trail of counterfeit and poisoned mouthwash from the streets of Harlem to the FDA and Wall Street. Also starring: Eric Bogosian, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Noth , and Alicia Witt. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT BLINDED THE INVESTIGATION OF A MISSING GIRL LEADS TO A SCHIZOPHRENIC SERIAL RAPIST AS TENSION BREWS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. When Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) discover a kidnapped girl in the trunk of a stolen rental car, they are led to her abductor; a violent, schizophrenic artist named Saul Picard (guest star Arye Gross). Picard’s rage seriously injures Elliot, and the trial drives A.D.A. Casey Novak (Diane Neal) to face not only a complicated case on temporary insanity, but her own dark past as well. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Richard Belzer, and Tamara Tunie. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER TANGO A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL IS KILLED AND THE TWO UNLIKELY SUSPECTS INCLUDE A PROSTITUTE AND PIMP. Two inebriated high-school girls, Kelly Daugherty (guest star Lisa Joyce) and Anne-Marie Liscomb (guest star Molly Ephraim), are agitated after their car is towed at a party. Liscomb walks off to make a phone call in an attempt to call a ride, and is found dead in a dumpster days later. After tracking down the cab driver that picked up Liscomb, new information leads the detectives to a drug-addicted prostitute with an affluent past, known as “Sugar” (guest star Maria Dizzia) and her partner Tito Cabassa (guest star Pedro Pascal). A war of words unfold as the detectives pit the prostitute and pimp against each other to see who will talk first. When the case goes up for trial, ADA Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) appears to have an unrelenting admirer in the jury pool. Also Starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Linus Roache. |
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| Sunday March 30, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER BOTTOMLESS A DRYCLEANING MIX-UP LEADS TO A MURDERED ATTORNEY AND A TRAIL OF CORPORATE CORRUPTION AND GREED - When a pair of men’s pants goes missing from a drycleaner, Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) and Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) suspect the lost pants may be linked to the gruesome murder of a young lawyer. The evidence trail soon leads the detectives to a suspicious businessman who may be covering up a forbidden affair with a co-worker, and perhaps, far more. Also starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache, and Alana De La Garza. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT SAVANT A MENTALLY CHALLENGED GIRL WITNESSES THE SAVAGE BEATING OF HER MOTHER -- Ben Nicholson (guest star Aidan Quinn) finds his wife Corrine (guest star Judy Kuhn) beaten into a coma, and the only witness is their mentally challenged daughter, Katie (guest star Paulina Gerzon). Because of Katie’s sensitive mental condition - the detectives are reluctant to have her testify. Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Dr. Huang (B.D. Wong) work with Katie, and begin to piece together the night of the beating and some of Corrine’s well-hidden secrets. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong. |
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| Monday March 31, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | MY DAD IS BETTER THAN YOUR DAD 101 "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad," a fun-filled, family-friendly competition series from the producers of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" (Mark Burnett Productions) and NBC’s "The Biggest Loser" (Reveille). Dads will be at the forefront of the action competing with their families in a series of unique stunt-driven challenges. The series will finally prove the familiar schoolyard boast -- "My dad is better than your dad!" In the end, the families will win the ultimate prize and bragging rights. |
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| 1.0 | DEAL OR NO DEAL EPISODE 356 DELAWARE MAN TRIES HIS LUCK AT BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE—In tonight’s episode, Todd Ranck from Wilmington, Delaware plays for the top prize of $1 million in a high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Howie Mandel hosts. |
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| 1.0 | MEDIUM WICKED GAME, PART TWO IN THE CONCLUSION OF THIS DRAMATIC TWO-PART EPISODE, ALLISON AND CYNTHIA’S (ACADEMY AWARD WINNER ANJELICA HUSTON) PURSUIT OF SUZIE KEENER’S KIDNAPPERS COMES TO A SHOCKING END -- In part two of this episode, Allison (Emmy winner Patricia Arquette) and Cynthia Keener’s (guest star Anjelica Huston) investigation into the decade-old kidnapping, imprisonment and murder of Cynthia’s daughter Suzie (guest star Sarah Drew, “Everwood”) comes to a shocking, brutal conclusion. Meanwhile, Bridgette (Maria Lark) predicts good fortune for Joe (Jake Weber), who’s looking into funding for his new invention. Miguel Sandoval, Sofia Vassilieva, David Cubitt and Miranda Carabello also star. |
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| Tuesday April 1, 2008 | ||
| 2.0 | THE BIGGEST LOSER 514 LAST FIVE CONTESTANTS GET SURPRISE TRIP TO AUSTRALIA Since The Biggest Loser is a global phenomenon, the last five players are surprised with a trip to the other side of the globe Australia! Once there, they get a visit from the Biggest Loser: Australia winner, Adro, compete in a race around the city of Sydney, and climb the legendary Sydney Harbor Bridge. In the end, the final four players are determined by an emotional weigh-in and elimination. Alison Sweeney is the host, and Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels also star. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT STREETWISE A WEALTHY TEENAGE GIRL IS FOUND MURDERED IN NEW YORK'S CENTRAL PARK, AND THE CLUES LEAD TO A GANG OF HOMELESS CHILDREN. Park Avenue socialite Shelby Crawford’s body is found in NYC'S Central Park, and Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliott Stabler (Christopher Meloni) initially suspect her wealthy boyfriend. But when Shelby’s priceless earrings turn up in a pawnshop, the detectives realize someone wants to cash in on her death. While questioning former classmate Josie Mayes (guest star Madeline Taylor), Benson and Stabler are led to Cole (guest star Thom Bishops) and Cassidy (guest star Mae Whitman), the leaders of a homeless community. Also starring: Adam Beach, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Richard Belzer, and BD Wong. |
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| Wednesday April 2, 2008 | ||
| 1.0 | DEAL OR NO DEAL EPISODE 357 MASSACHUSETTS WOMAN AND TEXAS WOMAN TRY THEIR LUCK AT BECOMING MILLIONAIRES- In tonight’s episode, Cathy Burns of Lowell, Massachusetts and Uchenna Emenaha of Houston, Texas play for the top prize of $1 million in a high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. Howie Mandel hosts. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT DEPTHS A dead body sends the detectives into the world of deep sea treasure hunters. When the body of a diver washes up on shore, Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) clash with the FBI over possible terrorist connections, then track the murderer into the high-stakes world of deep sea treasure hunters. Also starring: Eric Bogosian, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Noth , and Alicia Witt. |
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| 1.0 | LAW & ORDER POLITICAL ANIMAL A TRIPLE HOMICIDE THOUGHT TO BE A LOVERS’ QUARREL TURNS OUT TO BE THE WORK OF A CAREER CON ARTIST. When three roommates are found dead in their apartment Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Green) and Cyrus Lupo’s (Jeremy Sisto) initial examination of the crime scene suggests a murder-suicide amongst jealous lovers. This notion is quickly dismissed when the detectives discover one of the victims, Todd Stewart (guest star Jonathan Sale) an environmental attorney, had a closeted relationship with a prominent political figure. After the politician’s fingerprints don’t match the prints on the murder weapon the investigation shifts focus to Victor Vargas, a political fundraiser who gave the detectives their first lead. When Vargas’ address turns out to be bogus and then a little background research uncovers a past of illegal activities including fraud, the detectives realize they’ve got their guy. But no one is prepared for the lengths to which Vargas will go and who among his political allies he will turn on to keep his freedom. Also starring: Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Linus Roache and Alana De La Garza. |
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AMERICA'S BELOVED BROTHER & SISTER DUO, DONNY
AND MARIE OSMOND, TO HOST THE 2008 MISS USA PAGEANT TELECAST LIVE ON
NBC FROM PLANET HOLLYWOOD RESORT & CASINO IN LAS VEGAS ON APRIL 11
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| NBC LIGHTS UP SUMMER WITH A BURST OF ORIGINAL
PROGRAM PREMIERES AS PART OF 'NBC'S ALL-AMERICAN SUMMER' Published: March 5, 2008
|
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: 'Bionic Woman': Volume One
ON DVD MARCH 18, 2008 FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
-- OVERVIEW: Join one of TV's most stunning breakout heroines as the
action-packed series "Bionic Woman" leaps on to DVD! From executive producer
David Eick (Battlestar Galactica) comes this gripping re-imagining of the
universally beloved character. Jamie Sommers is a hard-working woman struggling
to take care of her younger sister. But after a serious, life-threatening
accident, Jamie is saved by a top-secret procedure that makes her much more than
just an ordinary woman ... it makes her superhumanly bionic. Starring hot
newcomer Michelle Ryan, as well as Miguel Ferrer (Crossing Jordan), Molly Price
(Third Watch), Will Yun Lee (Witchblade), Lucy Kate Hale (How I Met Your
Mother), and guest stars Isaiah Washington (Grey's Anatomy) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar
Galactica), it's a non-stop thrill ride unlike anything you've seen before!
BONUS CONTENT: -- Pilot commentary with Executive Producer David Eick -- Real Life Bionics -- The Making of the Car Crash -- The Stunts -- Profiles TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Street Date: March 18, 2008 Price: $29.98 SRP Selection Number: 61102667 Widescreen Running Time: 5 Hours 38 Minutes Layers: Dual Layers Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Languages: English, Spanish Subtitles: English, Spanish Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a
division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/).
Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004
through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal
owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a
premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a
leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal
is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site:
http://www.universalstudios.com/
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON TALKS WITH NBC NEWS' TIM RUSSERT LIVE ON "MEET THE PRESS
Columbia, S.C. - January 13, 2008 - Fresh off her comeback win in New Hampshire,
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) joined NBC News' Tim Russert for an exclusive,
in-depth interview live from South Carolina on this morning's "Meet the Press."
A full transcript of the interview is below.
Tim Russert is moderator of "Meet the Press." Betsy Fischer is the executive
producer. Michelle Jaconi and Rebecca Samuels are producers. For more
information on "Meet the Press" visit www.mtp.msnbc.com.
***
MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: Obama wins Iowa.
(Videotape):
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): Thank you, Iowa.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: Clinton wins New Hampshire.
(Videotape):
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY): Let's give America the kind of comeback that
New Hampshire has just given me.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: Next stops, Nevada and South Carolina. Our MEET THE
CANDIDATES 2008 series continues. An exclusive interview with Democrat
Hillary Clinton.
For 12 years, she was the first lady of the state of Arkansas, for eight
years the first lady of the United States, and in 2000 was elected United
States senator from New York. This morning, Hillary Clinton joins us for
the full hour on MEET THE PRESS.
MR. TIM RUSSERT: Senator Clinton, welcome back to MEET THE PRESS.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY): Thanks, Tim. Good to be with you.
MR. RUSSERT: When we arrived in South Carolina yesterday this was The
State newspaper, and the headlines agree to this. And let me share it
with you and our viewers: "Clinton Camp Hits Obama, Attacks `painful' for
black voters. Many in state offended by criticism of Obama," and "remarks
about" Martin Luther "King." Bob Herbert, in The New York Times,
columnist, weighed in this way: "I could also sense how hard the Clinton
camp was working to undermine Senator Obama's main theme, that a campaign
based on hope and healing could unify rather than further polarize the
country. So there was the former president chastising the press for the
way it was covering the Obama campaign and saying of Mr. Obama's effort,
`The whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen.' And there was
Mrs. Clinton telling the country we don't need `false hopes,' and taking
cheap shots at, of all people, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
We've already seen Clinton surrogates trying to implant the false idea
that Mr. Obama might be a Muslim, and perhaps a drug dealer to boot."
What is this all about?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, beats me, because there's not one shred of truth in
what you've just read. And I regret that, because obviously a lot of
people have been, you know, given information or an impression that is
absolutely false.
First, with respect to Dr. King, you know, Tim, I was 14 years old when I
heard Dr. King speak in person. He is one of the people that I admire
most in the world, and the point that I was responding to from Senator
Obama himself in a number of speeches he was making is his comparison of
himself to President Kennedy and Dr. King. And there is no doubt that the
inspiration offered by all three of them is essential. It is critical to
who we are as a nation, what we believe in, the dreams and aspirations
that we all have. But I also said that, you know, Dr. King didn't just
give speeches. He marched, he organized, he protested, he was gassed, he
was beaten, he was jailed. He understood that he had to move the
political process and bring in those who were in political power, and he
campaigned for political leaders, including Lyndon Johnson, because he
wanted somebody in the White House who would act on what he had devoted
his life to achieving.
So I think it's important to set the record straight. Clearly, we know
from media reports that the Obama campaign is deliberately distorting
this. And, you know, I think we should just take a step out here for a
minute. This is the most exciting election we've had in such a long time
because you have an African American, an extraordinary man, a person of
tremendous talents and abilities, running to become our president. You
have a woman running to break the highest and hardest glass ceiling. I
don't think either of us want to inject race or gender in this campaign.
We are running as individuals, we are making our cases to the American
people, and it's imperative that we get the record and the facts straight
because people are entitled to have that information. But I have no
intention of either, you know, doing something that would move this race
in a wrong way, or, frankly, sit standing by when I think tactics are
being employed that are not in the best interests of our country.
And let me address the point that Bill was making. Because, again, I
think it's been unfairly and inaccurately characterized. What he was
talking about was very directly about the story of Senator Obama's
campaign, being premised on a speech he gave in 2002. And that was to his
credit. He gave a speech opposing the war in Iraq. He gave a very
impassioned speech against it and consistently said that he was against
the war, he would vote against the funding for the war. By 2003, that
speech was off his Web site. By 2004, he was saying that he didn't really
disagree with the way George Bush was conducting the war. And by 2005, '6
and '7, he was voting for $300 billion in funding for the war. The story
of his campaign is really the story of that speech and his opposition to
Iraq. I think it is fair to ask questions about, "Well, what did you do
after the speech was over?" And when he became a senator, he didn't go to
the floor of the Senate to condemn the war in Iraq for 18 months. He
didn't introduce legislation against the war in Iraq. He voted against
timelines and deadlines initially.
So I think it's important that we get the contrasts and the comparisons
out. I think that's fair game. You know, I think that we don't want
anyone, any of our supporters, anyone--and that's why in my campaign, any
time anybody has said anything that I thought was out of bounds, they're
gone, you know? I have gotten rid of them, I have said that is not
appropriate in this campaign. You know, when Senator Obama's chief
strategist accuses me of playing a role in Benazir Bhutto's
assassination, there's silence. So let's have one standard. This is an
exciting and historic campaign. One of us is going to make history, which
is thrilling to me. I've worked all my life on behalf of civil rights and
women's rights and human rights, and so I want a good, vigorous campaign
about the differences between us and our various qualifications and
experiences to be the president that America needs.
MR. RUSSERT: It just isn't at Senator Obama who is taking offense. This
is exactly what President Clinton said in Dartmouth. Here's the tape.
(Videotape, Hanover, New Hampshire, Monday):
PRES. BILL CLINTON: Give me a break. This whole thing is the biggest
fairy tale I've ever seen.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, who's
neutral...
SEN. CLINTON: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: ...said this, "To call that dream a fairy tale, which Bill
Clinton seemed to be doing, could very well be insulting to some of us."
SEN. CLINTON: Tim, let me--let me just stop you right there.
MR. RUSSERT: But, no...
SEN. CLINTON: No, wait a minute.
MR. RUSSERT: No, I didn't stop you. Let me just go through...
SEN. CLINTON: No, but you did not give the entire quote and so...
MR. RUSSERT: No, but you...
SEN. CLINTON: The entire quote was clearly about the position on Iraq.
MR. RUSSERT: But I'm...
SEN. CLINTON: It was not about the entire candidacy. It was not about the
extraordinary, you know, abilities.
MR. RUSSERT: But Congressman--but Congressman Clyburn has been covering
this race. Donna Brazile, herself a longtime activist in the Democratic
Party, this is what she said. Here's Donna Brazile.
(Videotape, Tuesday):
MS. DONNA BRAZILE: As an African American, I find his words and his tone
to be very depressing.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: So these are people who are not supporters of Obama, who are
listening. Let me just go to the Martin Luther King thing because you had
your opportunity to talk about this at the beginning of the show and I
want to lay this out for our viewers. This is how The New York Times
categorized it. "In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Mrs. Clinton
... tried to make a point about presidential leadership. `Dr. King's
dream began to be realized when President Johnson passed the Civil Rights
Act of '64.' Mrs. Clinton said in trying to make the case that her
experience should mean to voters than the uplifting words of Mr. Obama.
`It took a president to get it done.'" Again, Congressman Clyburn, "We
have to be very, very careful about how we speak about that era in
American politics. ... That bothered me a great deal."
A writer in the Washington Post today, a black woman said it's as if you
are minimizing "I Have a Dream." That you're saying it's a nice
sentiment, but it took a white president to get blacks to the
mountaintop.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, you know, I...
MR. RUSSERT: That's her take.
SEN. CLINTON: I understand the taking out of context and the
mischaracterization. I've spoken with Congressman Clyburn. I have spoken
with a number of my very strong and adamant supporters, but Tim, I can't
let you get away with that mischaracterization and those snippets. I was
responding to a speech that Senator Obama gave in New Hampshire where he
did compare himself to President Kennedy and to Dr. King. You know,
President Kennedy served in the Congress for 14 years, he was a war hero.
He'd been engaged in many of the battles that led to his election in the
1960 election. Dr. King had been on the front lines. He had been leading
a movement. But Dr. King understood, which is why he made it very clear,
that there has to be a coming to terms of our country politically in
order to make the changes that would last for generations beyond the
iconic, extraordinary speeches that he gave. That's why he campaigned for
Lyndon Johnson in 1964. That's why he was there when those great pieces
of legislation were passed. Does he deserve the lion's share of the
credit for moving our country and moving our political process? Yes, he
does. But he also had partners who were in the political system.
And I think it is such an unfair and unwarranted attempt to, you know,
misinterpret and mischaracterize what I've said. Look at what I've done
my entire life. I have been working on behalf of civil rights, women's
rights, human rights for years and I know how challenging it is to change
our political system and I have the highest regard for those who have put
themselves on the line. You know, Congressman Clyburn was part of that
movement. So many of the people whom I admire in my country who have
given of themselves to make these changes went into politics in order to
realize the changes, worked to elect people in order to make the changes.
You know, this is, you know, an unfortunate story line that the Obama
campaign has pushed very successfully. They've been putting out talking
points, they've been making this, they've been telling people in a very
selective way what the facts are. And I'm glad to have the opportunity to
set the facts straight.
MR. RUSSERT: In Newsweek, you gave an interview to Jon Meacham, and you
talked about the personal narrative that candidates develop. You seem to
compare Barack Obama to, you say, demagogues like Huey Long.
SEN. CLINTON: Oh, that is so untrue and unfair. Look, if you are running
for president based primarily on a speech you gave in 2002 and speeches
you have given since, most notably at the Democratic Convention, then I
think it is fair to say we need to know more beyond the words. You know,
if you are part of American political history, you know that the speeches
are essential to frame an issue, to inspire and lift up people. But when
the cameras are gone and when the lights are out, what happens next? How
do you translate your words into deeds?
And I think, you know, starting in New Hampshire it became clear that one
of the significant contrasts in this campaign is between talking and
doing, between rhetoric and reality. And I have the greatest regard for
rhetoric and particularly the ability that Senator Obama has to, you
know, lift our sights and our hearts with his oratory. But I think it is
fair to point out that he has not had a record of actually producing
positive change. Translating those words into action is something that is
the, you know, the slow, hard, boring of hard boards in politics, and I
think that people, you know, deserve to ask themselves questions about
that contrast.
MR. RUSSERT: You use the terms in Newsweek you'd be a work horse, and
suggested he's a show horse. Isn't that a bit patronizing?
SEN. CLINTON: No. There's a wonderful phrase in Senate lexicon whether
senators are show horses or work horses. And what I was saying is that
when I arrived in the Senate in 2001, a lot of people thought I'd be a
show horse, you know, somebody who frankly was on your show all the time,
Tim, somebody who was doing the press conferences all the time. But I
said to my colleagues the very first day that we went into session, I
intend to be a work horse, because I think it's important the results you
deliver for people. That...
MR. RUSSERT: Is Senator Obama a work horse or a show horse?
SEN. CLINTON: I was talking about myself. I believe I am a work horse. I
believe that that is what our country needs right now. We need a
president who will, you know, roll up our sleeves collectively as a
nation and tackle the problems that we confront. And that's what I've
been doing. You know, here in South Carolina, 68,000 children have
healthcare because of the Children's Health Insurance Plan that I helped
to create 10 years ago.
MR. RUSSERT: In New Hampshire, now, the famous scene in Portsmouth where
you showed some emotion, was that exhaustion, frustration? What was it?
SEN. CLINTON: No. It was actually, Tim, a moment of real emotional
connection. Those of us who are running for office and holding office, I
know it may be hard to believe, we're also human beings. And when I spend
my time out on the campaign trail, it's usually about what I can do for
somebody else. You know, I'm very other directed. I don't like talking
about myself, I don't like, you know, sort of the, the whole atmosphere
of how people, you know, are judged in American politics too often as to,
you know, what you say instead of what you do. And so for me it's always
about what can I do for you? How can I help you? And I was very touched
when that woman said, "Well, how are you doing? How do you get up in the
morning?" Because really, the question is for so many of the people that
I meet, how does anybody get up in the morning?
I just went door-to-door in Las Vegas. I met construction workers who've
lost their jobs, I met a man who's been laid off from the casinos because
the economy is beginning to go down. I meet people who can't get
healthcare for their families, people who are just distressed over, you
know, what is happening in our country. So when somebody asks me, "How do
you get up?" it really triggered in me, you know, the feeling that, you
know, that's what I, I want us all to think about each other. How do we
get up? How do we, you know, pull on our shoes, go out and deal with the
problems America faces. That's what I intend to do as president.
MR. RUSSERT: The woman who asked the question said the next day that she
wound up voting for Barack Obama.
SEN. CLINTON: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: Because after your emotional moment, she said that, "You
stiffened up and took on a political posture again," and said that some,
"Some of us are right, some of us are wrong, some of us are ready and
some of us are not." Do you believe that Barack Obama is ready to be
president?
SEN. CLINTON: Look, this is up to the voters of our country to determine.
But I want them to have accurate information about our respective
records, what we've accomplished, the working that each of us have done
when given a chance to serve. And I think it is relevant. I mean, we face
huge problems at home and around the world. Nobody can diminish those.
And the next president is going to walk into that Oval Office on day one
having to end the war in Iraq, having to deal with what's happening in
Afghanistan, the Middle East and across the world, dealing with our tough
problems from the economy going south to 47 million people uninsured. And
I think we're going to need a president who has really prepared and
thought about what to do on that very first day. That is...
MR. RUSSERT: But is...
SEN. CLINTON: You know, that is my case to...
MR. RUSSERT: But is Barack Obama ready to be president?
SEN. CLINTON: That is up for voters to decide, Tim. You know, you can ask
that question of him, voters can ask that question, but that's what I
want. I thought the campaign really started at the debate in New
Hampshire. For the first time we really had a debate that compared and
contrasted our records. When Senator Obama was asked, what is your major
accomplishment in the Senate, he said it was passing ethics reform and
getting legislators to be prohibited from having lunch with lobbyists.
And then, you know, Charlie Gibson said, "Well, wait a minute. You can
have lunch if you're standing up, not if you're sitting down." So if
that's his main claim for legislative accomplishment, people deserve to
know that. And finally, in New Hampshire, we had an atmosphere where
tough questions were asked and answered. I answered hundreds and hundreds
of questions, saw thousands and thousands of people, and I think that the
results really speak to what people are hungry for. They want to get
beyond, you know, just the coverage of the campaign, to really understand
what motivates us, what we bring to this campaign, and what we will do as
president.
MR. RUSSERT: If you don't think Senator Obama is ready to be president,
then he wouldn't be ready for vice president.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, you know, I'm not--you're once again taking words I
didn't say. I'm asking people to compare and contrast our records. I
believe that we need a president ready on day one. I'm putting forth my
qualifications, my experience, my 35 years of proven, tested leadership,
sometimes, as you well know, you know, walking through the fires, being
prepared to take on whatever the Republicans send our way. I want people
to make an informed decision. Look, I trust voters. Voters decide on
whatever basis they think is important to them. I just want them to have
a full range of information to make that decision.
MR. RUSSERT: We had the event in New Hampshire, the so-called emotional
event. When I did the debate with Rick Lazio, with you in Buffalo in
2000, Mr. Lazio walked over to your podium and asked you to sign a
document that banned soft money, and people said that he had violated
your space. One of your campaign advisers said he was menacing. After the
Philadelphia debate, your campaign said that the men were piling on,
which led some women, commentators, writers, to say this. Maureen Dowd:
"If the gender game worked when Rick Lazio muscled into her space, why
shouldn't it work when Obama and Edwards muster some mettle? If she could
become a senator by playing the victim ... surely she can become
president by playing the victim now."
Ruth Marcus, Washington Post: "Hillary Clinton doesn't need to play the
woman-as-victim card ... using gender this way is a setback."
SEN. CLINTON: Well, you know, I don't think that either of us should use
gender. I don't think this campaign is about gender, and I sure hope it's
not about race. It needs to be about the individuals. Each of us is
running for the highest position, the most difficult job in the world.
And, you know, I am, I think, very clearly someone who's gone through a
tremendous amount of criticism, you know. That's fine. I'm more than
willing to shoulder that. I think voters and viewers can draw their own
conclusions when they watch whatever it is that we are doing.
And I believe that, you know, for me, this is about who is ready on day
one. And much of what I've gone through in my entire life is, I believe,
preparation for being able to go into that Oval Office. Clearly, I bring
the experiences of women. As a daughter, as a mother, as a wife, as a
sister. That is who I am. Those experiences are part of me. And it is
part of our American journey that we have moved through so much of what
used to hold people back because of gender, because of race. Are we there
yet? Is the journey over? I don't think so, and I don't think any fair
person would say that.
So we still have to overcome barriers and obstacles. And the very fact
that Barack and I are in this campaign, each of us having won one of the
first two contests, being prepared to take our case to the country, I
think will do more to put to rest so many of these old shibboleths, and
all of the, you know, kind of commentary and punditry. Just look at us as
individuals. Take us as to who we are, analyze our records, compare and
contrast us, and then let the American people make their own decision.
MR. RUSSERT: Let me turn to Iraq. You brought it up. President Bush had
talked to General Petraeus the other day. General Petraeus is to report
back to Congress in March. If General Petraeus says the surge is working,
that reconciliation started in a big way yesterday when the Iraqi
parliament said that former members of the Saddam government can
participate in new government, don't pull 35,000 troops out now, keep
them there for at least the remainder of the year, would you be open to
that?
SEN. CLINTON: No, and here's why, Tim. The surge was certainly explained
and rationalized as giving the Iraqi government space and time to make
the hard decisions that they needed to make. 2007 was the deadliest year
for American troops, and, you know, from my perspective, part of the
reason that the Iraqis are doing anything is because they see this
election happening and they know they don't have much time, that the
blank check that George Bush gave them is about to be torn up. I have
said that as soon as I become president, I will ask the Joint Chiefs,
secretary of defense, my security advisers to give me a plan to begin
withdrawing our troops within 60 days.
The reason I have to do that is because last spring, I asked for a
briefing on what the planning was. Secretary of defense and the
Department of Defense basically said "We're not going to tell you." And I
said, "Well, yes you are." We had such a briefing. It was classified. I
can't talk about it, but the bottom line is it was cursory. I don't think
that the Bush White House wants there to be much planning. So starting on
day one of my presidency, we will begin that planning. We will begin to
withdraw our troops within 60 days. I think we can take out one to two
brigades a month. At the same time, I will put increasing pressure on the
Iraqi government. I will engage in a full diplomatic effort to work with
the countries in the region and others who have an interest in the
stability of Iraq.
But Tim, I think that the large part of the reason that we're seeing the
Iraqi government do anything is because time is running out. And yes, I
believe President Bush will give them the rest of this year no matter
what we try to do, and we don't have the votes to reverse course. But as
of January 20, 2009, we will begin to bring our troops out of Iraq.
Therefore, I certainly believe it's in the interests of the Iraqi
government and the people of Iraq that a lot of this reconciliation that
I've been calling for going back four or five years start and actually
get implemented now.
MR. RUSSERT: If General Petraeus says, "Senator, in September you called
the surge the suspension of belief. It has worked, and you know it's
worked"--let me finish--"you can see on the ground. I'm saying to you,
Senator, or president-elect Clinton, don't destroy Iraq. It's working,
the surge is working. Keep troops there just a few more months to get
this reconciliation complete."
SEN. CLINTON: Tim, I'm going to go back to what the whole point of the
surge was, and the testimony that we heard last fall. The point of the
surge was to push the Iraqi government to make these tough choices. Now,
if we put in 30,000 of our finest young men and women, who are going to
go after the bad guys and quell violence in certain parts of Iraq,
there's no doubt that can be done. The partnerships that have been
created by the tribal sheiks in Anbar province and elsewhere gave us an
extra advantage. But that doesn't in any way undermine the basic reality.
The point of the surge was to quickly move the Iraqi government and Iraqi
people. That is only now beginning to happen, and I believe in large
measure because the Iraqi government, they watch us, they listen to us. I
know very well that they follow everything that I say. And my commitment
to begin withdrawing our troops in January of 2009 is a big factor, as it
is with Senator Obama, Senator Edwards, those of us on the Democratic
side. It is a big factor in pushing the Iraqi government to finally do
what they should have been doing all along.
MR. RUSSERT: Let me bring you back to October 10 of 2002, when the Senate
had to vote on the authorization to go to war. This was Senator Clinton
on the floor of the Senate.
(Videotape, October 10, 2002):
SEN. CLINTON: So it is with conviction that I support this resolution as
being in the best interest of our nation. And it is a vote that says
clearly to Saddam Hussein, this is your last chance. Disarm or be
disarmed.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: Casting your vote for conviction for the authorization for
use of military force against Iraq resolution. That same week Senator
Obama gave a speech, and this is what he said: "I know that Saddam poses
no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors.
... I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S.
occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with
undetermined consequences. I know that" "invasion of Iraq without a clear
rationale" "without strong international support will only fan the flames
of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than the best,
impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of
al-Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars."
Who had the better judgment at that time?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, Tim, let's put this in context. You didn't show my
entire speech--of course, you don't have time to do that--because I made
it very clear that my vote was not a vote for preemptive war. I said that
on the floor, I said it consistently after that. It was a vote to put
inspectors back in to determine what threat Saddam Hussein did in fact
pose. And in Senator Obama's recent book, he clearly says he thought that
Saddam Hussein had chemical and biological weapons, and that he still
coveted nuclear weapons. His judgment was that, at the time in 2002, we
didn't need to make any efforts. My belief was we did need to pin Saddam
down, put inspectors in. But I said I was against preemptive war, I spoke
out against it.
But let's look at the--let's look at the...
MR. RUSSERT: But...
SEN. CLINTON: Wait a minute, let me finish.
MR. RUSSERT: It's, it's import...
SEN. CLINTON: Let's look at the entire context.
MR. RUSSERT: Well, let's just...
SEN. CLINTON: Because by 2004, Tim, by the summer of 2004, Senator Obama
said he wasn't sure how he would have voted. And when you asked him about
that, he said, well, he didn't want to say something that could have hurt
our nominees, Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards. Well, the fact is he's
always said he doesn't take positions for political reasons. That is a
political explanation. If he was against the war in 2002, he should've
strongly spoke out in 2004. He should've followed what he said in his
speech, which was that he would not vote for funding in '05, '06 and '07.
That is inconsistent with what he is now running his campaign on. The
story of his campaign is premised on that speech.
MR. RUSSERT: Viewers can read the transcript from November 11 when I did
talk to Senator Obama about this. He also added that from his vantage
point, the administration had not made the case, but let people read it
and make up their own minds.
I want to stay with your vote because that same day, Senator Levin
offered an amendment, the Levin amendment, and this is how the New York
Times reported it. "The [Levin] amendment called ... for the U.N. to pass
a new resolution explicitly approving the use of force against Iraq. It
also required the president to return to Congress if his U.N. efforts
failed." ... Senator Levin said, "Allow Congress to vote only after
exhausting all options with the United States." You did not participate
in that vote. You voted against Carl Levin, who was saying give diplomacy
a chance and yet you said no. You voted to authorize war. The resolution
you voted for, Robert Byrd said was a blank check for George Bush. Ted
Kennedy says it was a vote for war. James Carville and Paul Begala said
anyone who says that vote wasn't a vote for war is bunk.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, Tim, if I had a lot of paper in front of me, I could
quote people who say something very differently, so I know you're very
good at this and I respect it, but let's look at the context here. Number
one, the Levin amendment, in my view, gave the Security Council of the
United Nations a veto over American presidential power. I don't believe
that is an appropriate policy for the United States, no matter who is our
president.
Number two, I have the greatest respect for Senator Levin. He is my
chairman on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And I--immediately after
we did have the vote on the authorization, went to work with him to try
to make sure that every piece of intelligence we had was given to the
U.N. inspectors. And Senator Levin and I sent a letter to Secretary
Powell, we pushed that position very hard because we both had the same
view that we were going to put inspectors back in and we needed to let
the inspectors do the job that they were asked to do.
Number three, I actually joined with Senator Byrd on an amendment that
would limit the president's authorization to one year. I was very
strongly in favor of limiting what President Bush could do.
Unfortunately, that amendment did not pass.
Fourth, it is absolutely unfair to say that the vote as Chuck Hagel, who
was one of the architects of the resolution, has said, was a vote for
war. It was a vote to use the threat of force against Saddam Hussein, who
never did anything without being made to do so.
MR. RUSSERT: The title of the act was The Authorization For Use of
Military Force Against Iraq resolution.
SEN. CLINTON: But, you know, Tim, that was exactly what would happen if
we weren't successful with the diplomacy and if we weren't successful in
persuading Hussein to do something. And let me just add here that when we
were moving toward the preemptive war that George Bush decided to wage,
the inspectors were in Iraq, we were getting information, finally, that
would give us a basis for knowing. I believe if the inspectors had been
allowed to do their work, we would've learned that what Saddam Hussein
had constructed was a charade. It could've very well brought him down by
his own people.
Now, we can sit here and argue about 2002 or we can say what has happened
since and what needs to happen going forward in the future. And I think
that you have two different story lines here. You have Senator Obama's
story line, the speech he gave in '02, to his credit, which then was not
followed up on. By '03, it was off his Web site. By '04, he was saying he
didn't know he would vote and that he basically agreed with George Bush
on the conduct of the war. There were others, Tim, who voted against it,
spoke out against it and never wavered over that period of time.
MR. RUSSERT: But you voted for all the funding for the war.
SEN. CLINTON: I did. I never--I'm not premising my campaign on something
different.
MR. RUSSERT: And then until '06 was against the timetable.
SEN. CLINTON: But I did what I--my principle concern has always been
doing what I thought was best for our country and what I thought was best
for our troops. I'm not here saying anything different than that. I'm not
giving you a story line that does not hold up...
MR. RUSSERT: But did he have better...
SEN. CLINTON: ...under the facts and the times we were in.
MR. RUSSERT: Did he have better judgment in October of 2002?
SEN. CLINTON: You know, look, judgment is not a single snapshot. Judgment
is what you do across the course of your life and your career.
MR. RUSSERT: A vote for war is a very important vote.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, you know, Tim, we can have this Jesuitical argument
about what exactly was meant. You know, when Chuck Hagel, who helped to
draft the resolution, said it was not a vote for war, when I was told
directly by the White House in response to my question, "if you are given
this authority, will you put the inspectors in and permit them to finish
their job," I was told that's exactly what we intended to do. Now, I
think it's important to take a look at the entire context here. If
Senator Obama's going to get credit for his speech and his position
against the war, then he deserves to be asked what happened in '03, '04,
'05, '06 and '07. I voted for the authorization...
MR. RUSSERT: I asked him those very questions...
SEN. CLINTON: And his answer was very political.
MR. RUSSERT: ...in November.
SEN. CLINTON: I mean, his whole point is that he doesn't make political
decisions.
MR. RUSSERT: Let me, let me ask you this way. Doris Kearns Goodwin,
presidential historian, I talked to her and she's been on MEET THE PRESS,
talked about the qualities in a president. And she said one of the most
important is that you learn from mistakes. Looking back on your vote in
October of 2002, what can you learn from that mistake, the way you'll
make decisions in the future?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, I have said that obviously, I would never do again
what George Bush did with that vote. He misused and abused the authority
that was given to him, in my opinion. And we can't turn the clock back.
I've taken responsibility for it. It was a sincere vote at the time,
based on my assessment of, number one, what the potential, you know,
risks might be if left unchecked, given the problems that we were facing
in the world with global terrorism, and the hope that we would get
inspectors back in to figure out what had been going on since '98. We
hadn't had inspectors since '98. I, I would not have given President Bush
the authority if I knew he would deliberately misuse and abuse it. And as
I said, I was told by the White House personally that the point of the
authority was to send a very clear message to Saddam Hussein that he was
going to have to be held accountable finally, that we would know once and
for all what he had there that could be used as he had used it in the
past.
But you know, Tim, I think that it's only fair to look at the entire
context, because, you know, I was against a preemptive war. I said at the
time that would be a mistake. Obviously, President Bush doesn't listen to
me or a lot of other people, and unfortunately, we're in the situation we
are now, and we're going to have to have very careful and steady
leadership to get us out with the least amount of damage.
MR. RUSSERT: Again, learning from mistake, do you wish you had read the
National Intelligence Estimate, which had a lot of caveats from the State
Department and the Energy Department as to whether or not Saddam Hussein
really had a biological and chemical and active nuclear program?
SEN. CLINTON: I was fully briefed by the people who wrote that. I was
briefed by the people from, you know, the State Department, the CIA, the
Department of Defense; all of the various players in that. And many
people who read it--well, actually, not very many people read the whole
thing because we were getting constant briefings. And people--some people
read it and voted for the resolution, some people read it and voted
against the resolution. I felt very well briefed. And it wasn't just what
the Bush administration was telling us in the NIE, I went way outside of
any kind of Bush administration sources; independent people, people from
the Clinton administration, people in the British government. I looked as
broadly as I could at how to assess this.
And if, of course, you see the vote as I saw it as opposed as how it's
been characterized, I thought it was a vote to put inspectors back in, to
make it very clear that Saddam Hussein wouldn't be able to go off
unchecked. If those inspectors had been permitted to do the job that they
were set up to do, we would have avoided war. It became clear in
retrospect, Tim, once people started writing books and information came
out of the administration, the president had no intention of letting the
inspectors do their job. That's not what I was told by the Bush White
House. That's not what we were told in constant briefings from high-level
Bush administration officials. That's not what the president told the
country in his speech in Cincinnati shortly before the vote. If you
remember, he said this vote was the best chance to avoid some kind of
confrontation.
MR. RUSSERT: We're going to take a quick break. We'll be back in South
Carolina with more of our conversation with Senator Hillary Clinton,
Democratic candidate for president, right after this.
(Announcements)
MR. RUSSERT: And we're back talking to Senator Hillary Clinton. In a few
moments, the presidential primary: Iowa and New Hampshire are down. Next
up, Nevada, South Carolina. We'll be right back.
(Announcements)
MR. RUSSERT: And we are back in South Carolina. The Democratic primary
here a week from Saturday. Our guest is Senator Hillary Clinton, the
Democrat from New York, candidate for president.
Experience is a big issue in this campaign...
SEN. CLINTON: Mm-hmm.
MR. RUSSERT: ...that your campaign has talked about extensively. I want
to go back to a debate back in October of 1992, when a young governor
from Arkansas was talking about experience. Let's listen.
(Videotape, October 11, 1992):
Pres. CLINTON: I believe experience counts, but it's not everything.
We need a new approach. The same old experience is not relevant.
And you can have the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of
experience. Mine is rooted in the real lives of real people, and it will
bring real results if we have the courage to change.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: That could've been written by Barack Obama.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, you know, by the time Bill ran in 1992, he was the
senior most serving governor in our country. He had done a lot of work on
the economic and trade issues that affected the state of Arkansas. And I
do think that there's not a contradiction between experience and change.
I think that they have been somehow put in these opposing categories, and
I don't think that's the way that we make decisions in our life. What the
question is is who has the experience we need to make the changes we
want. And I believe that my experience over the course of 35 years of my
life equips me very well to do exactly what Bill said in that clip.
I am rooted in the real lives of real people. That is what I've cared
about, that's what motivates me. That's what I want to do as president.
And so when I go out, it is to talk with people about what I can do to
help them, and it is a reflection then of everything that I have done
over the course of my life, you know, as a public servant, as a public
office holder. I just think it's imperative that we quit this false
distinction. It is who has the experience we need to make the changes we
want. And we need and want to have it happen in America, and I believe
that I am tested and ready and prepared to do it.
You know, we just spent the most--the first part of the program talking
about a speech and vote from 2002. What people are talking to me about is
the economy. They're losing their jobs. You know, economic activity is
slowing down. We need to focus very clearly on what we're going to do to
make this economy as, you know, ready to be able to navigate through the
potential of a recession. We're slipping toward recession. Some people
think we're in recession right now. And I've proposed a very vigorous
package of economic action that I think would, you know, forestall and
maybe, hopefully mitigate against what is going on in the economy.
MR. RUSSERT: You don't pay for it.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, you know, Tim, I am probably the strongest on fiscal
responsibility in this campaign. Senator Edwards, I respect, he said
that's not a priority for him. Senator Obama puts out a lot of his
policies without paying for them, about 50 billion, as we have
calculated. I have paid for everything. I tell you how I will pay for my
healthcare plan, how I will pay for the American retirement accounts.
MR. RUSSERT: But not for this stimulus.
SEN. CLINTON: But this--stimulus shouldn't be paid for. The whole point
of stimulus--now, as we end the war in Iraq, we're going to be bringing
that money home. But the stimulus, by the very nature of the economic
problems we're facing, is going to require an injection of federal
funding. And I would start with the mortgage crisis. You know, I've been
doing events in Nevada and California, which have very high rates of
mortgage foreclosure. I want to have a moratorium on foreclosures for 90
days so we can try to work them out. I want to freeze interest rates for
five years, and I want to have a $30 billion package that will go in and
try to stabilize the housing market and stabilize communities that are
going to be affected by that.
MR. RUSSERT: But, Senator, many people opted for those cheaper mortgages.
They could've had a fixed mortgage at a higher rate, but they opted for a
cheaper one. Should they not bear some responsibility?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, Tim, I think all of us should. But I'd say three
things about that. The bankers, the mortgage lenders, the brokers, all
bear a lot of the responsibility, because many of the practices that were
followed were just downright predatory and fraudulent. There is no doubt
about that. I started talking about this last March. A lot of people got
into subprime loans who frankly could've been in a conventional
fixed-rate loan. They were basically told that this was a better
opportunity for them. Should they take responsibility? Yes, but look at
what will happen if we continue this cascade of foreclosures. Housing
values are down. They're down 6 percent. That's over $1.3 trillion in
housing values in the last year. So everybody bears some responsibility.
I went to Wall Street last month to tell Wall Street they had to be part
of the solution because they sure had been part of the problem.
What I have proposed would begin to stabilize the situation as it is
today. You know, even Alan Greenspan said give money to homeowners so
that they can be able to withstand the pressures of this mortgage crisis.
I would do it a little differently, but I think the--we're seeing the
same problem. If we allow these foreclosures to continue, we are going to
be facing even a deeper and longer set of economic problems. So I think
we've got to take action now.
MR. RUSSERT: You say you've been deeply involved in the eight years of
the Clinton administration. One of the powers given to a president is the
power of pardon. At the end of the president's second term, he granted
140 pardons, including one to Marc Rich, someone who had been convicted
of tax evasion, fraud and making illegal oil deals with Iran. Were you
involved in that pardon?
SEN. CLINTON: No. I didn't know anything about that.
MR. RUSSERT: No one talked to you whatsoever?
SEN. CLINTON: No. No. Unh-unh.
MR. RUSSERT: His ex-wife gave $109,000 to your campaign.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, no one talked to me about it, Tim.
MR. RUSSERT: Nobody?
SEN. CLINTON: Nobody.
MR. RUSSERT: Your two brothers proposed people for pardons and you were
paid money. One brother, you asked to give the money back.
SEN. CLINTON: That's right. That's right.
MR. RUSSERT: Were you aware your brothers were involved?
SEN. CLINTON: No, I was not.
MR. RUSSERT: If you're president, will you make a pledge that your family
will not recommend people...
SEN. CLINTON: Absolutely. Absolutely.
MR. RUSSERT: And you'll file--follow Justice Department guidelines?
SEN. CLINTON: Yes. Yes. Well, number one, I want to have a much more
transparent government, and I think we now have the tools to make that
happen. You know, I said the other night at an event in New Hampshire, I
want to have as much information about the way our government operates on
the Internet so the people who pay for it, the taxpayers of America, can
see that. I want to be sure that, you know, we actually have like agency
blogs. I want people in all the government agencies to be communicating
with people, you know, because for me, we're now in an era--which didn't
exist before--where you can have instant access to information, and I
want to see my government be more transparent. I want to make sure that
we limit, if we can't eliminate all the no-bid contracts, the cronyism, I
want to cut 500,000 government contractors.
MR. RUSSERT: But follow Justice Department guidelines on pardons?
SEN. CLINTON: Absolutely. Absolutely.
MR. RUSSERT: Back in 1998, a very painful period for you, beginning of
the Lewinsky scandal, you said, "This may be the result of a vast
right-wing conspiracy." Do you believe that the vast right-wing
conspiracy still exists?
SEN. CLINTON: Oh, I don't know. I haven't paid much attention to it for
about 10 years. I really don't have any idea. I know that I've been
involved in, you know, championing causes I care deeply about for a very
long time. And that does sometimes draw a little bit of controversy and
criticism. Some of it's organized, but you know, I'm just too busy to
worry about that.
MR. RUSSERT: The voters who voted for you in New Hampshire were asked
also who would be the most likely to unite the country. And it was quite
interesting. This is what they said: Obama 51, Clinton 28. That's a state
that you carried, yet they say that Barack Obama would unite the country.
Why?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, I believe that my record of uniting New York, of
going to the Senate, when people said I wouldn't work with Republicans
and Republicans wouldn't work with me, is evidence. You know, I am
willing to find common ground wherever I can, Tim, but I also know you
have to stand your ground. I don't believe that the political system in
Washington will immediately just lie down and give up. You know it better
than anybody. The interests are deeply entrenched. You know, they've gone
after me consistently for 16 years and I bear some scars from that
because I have stood up against them on universal healthcare, for
example. I'm proud of those scars because yes, I will find common ground
and create solutions to our problems, but I am against a lot of what
those on the other side want to do to our country.
MR. RUSSERT: A lot of Democrats have--are concerned about that, as to
whether you can win a general election. Again, this is New Hampshire.
Who's most likely to win the general election? Again, they say Obama by a
margin of 44 to 35. The Wall Street Journal and NBC News had a poll where
we matched Clinton-Huckabee to Obama-Huckabee. Let me take you through
that. Clinton is 46; Huckabee 44. Obama is 48; Huckabee's 32. And when
you look at the independent voters, it's Clinton 35, Huckabee 46; Obama
wins independents 40 to 35. Obama gets 20 percent of the Republican vote.
Why is that? Why is there--independents and Republican resistance to you?
SEN. CLINTON: You know, Tim, one think I think everybody should've
learned after New Hampshire is let's not pay so much attention to polls,
you know. We need to let voters actually make up their minds, and voters
who will see and judge each of us in the Democratic primary and then in
the general election. You know, there are other polls we could put up
done by other networks and other kinds of outlets that have different
results. I don't pay much attention to any of that. I think that the fact
is that we're taking our case to the American people. We're taking it on
a day-by-day, week-by-week basis. And I'm very--you know, I'm very
gratified by the positive response. But I didn't pay attention to polls
before New Hampshire and I'm not going to start paying attention to it
after New Hampshire.
Whoever is nominated, and it's likely to be Senator Obama or myself, will
get a fresh look by the people of America, will get an increased amount
of, you know, questions about who we are and where we're from. Because
all of a sudden it becomes real. You've covered this for a long time. You
know, when my husband ran in '92, he finally clinched the nomination in
June in California. He was running third behind President Bush and behind
Ross Perot. Others of our candidates on both sides of the aisle start out
behind and wage a winning campaign.
So I think what people who are concerned about electability should be
looking at is number one, who can be the best president, the best
president from day one, who is prepared, who has taken tough positions,
because you're going to have to take them. You know, Senator Obama voted
present 130 times in the state Senate. When you're president, you can't
vote present. You have to make a decision. Sometimes it's a split second
decision. You don't have time to, you know, think about it. You've got to
actually decide. So I'm going to take the case to the country as the
nominee that I've been tested, I've been proven. I have the experience we
need to make the changes we want and I think that's a winning case, and,
you know, whomever the Republicans nominate.
MR. RUSSERT: In Iowa, you expressed concern that the time of the caucus
prevented a lot of shift workers from voting, they were disenfranchised.
SEN. CLINTON: Right.
MR. RUSSERT: You may confront the same thing in Nevada. They have now
scheduled, the state party there, to have caucuses at the place of work
so that shift workers can show up. Many people, minorities particularly,
supporters of yours, have filed a suit to try to stop having those caucus
locations at the workplace. Do you support that suit?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, first of all, I don't think it's supporters of mine.
There seems to be some misunderstanding about that. I was asked yesterday
in Reno. The teachers union who brought the suit has not endorsed me, and
so I think their concern is to have as many people participate as
possible, which is certainly what it should be. This is now in the
courts. The courts and the state party will have to work it out. But I
don't want to disenfranchise anybody. I want...
MR. RUSSERT: So why not drop the lawsuit and let people vote?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, that's up to the people who brought it.
MR. RUSSERT: Well, what's your view?
SEN. CLINTON: But Tim, as I understand it, there are a lot of people
working at many places who won't be able to work. The places for doing
the caucus are not at their workplace across the state. I mean,
that's--the caucus idea is for neighbors to get together to argue and
talk about their choices. The problem is that if you have a limited
period of time, as I've pointed out long before anything happened in
Nevada, you're going to essentially leave people out who can't be there
during those one to two hour periods of time. And so, you know, I haven't
read the lawsuit. The coverage of it seems to suggest that some people
are saying, "Well, wait a minute, what about us? Those are not our
workplaces. We have to be at work. How are we going to participate?" It's
up to the courts to work that out.
MR. RUSSERT: Doris Kearns Goodwin said, "What's the biggest public
adversity a person has ever faced?" What's yours?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, I think we all know that, we lived through it, didn't
we, and it's something that was very painful and very hurtful.
MR. RUSSERT: What did you learn from it?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, you know, first of all, it is who I am as a person. I
belive that you have to withstand whatever problems come your way. You
have to make the decisions that are best for you. You're going to get a
lot of advice coming from many different quarters to do things that don't
feel right to you, that don't reflect who you are and what your values
are. So you have to be grounded in who you are and what you believe. And
you're not always going to make the right decisions, but you have to be
guided by what you think is important, and that's what I've done.
MR. RUSSERT: Senator Clinton, we thank you very much for joining us here
in South Carolina and sharing your views, and we'll see you Tuesday night
in Nevada.
SEN. CLINTON: Thank you. Good to see you.
MR. RUSSERT: And we'll be right back.
(Announcements)
MR. TIM RUSSERT: Clinton, Edwards, Obama debate at 9 p.m., Tuesday night
on MSNBC. A special thanks to the great folks here at WIS in South
Carolina. What a great partner and team you are and we'll see you next
weekend because if it's Sunday, it's MEET THE PRESS.
Academy Award(R) Winner Cate Blanchett Stars in the Epic Thriller 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' on DVD and HD DVD February 5, 2008 From Universal Studios Home Entertainment
OVERVIEW: Academy Award(R) winner Cate Blanchett reunites with Academy Award(R) winner Geoffrey Rush and joins Academy Award(R) nominee Clive Owen in this gripping historical thriller laced with treachery and romance. When Queen Elizabeth's (Blanchett) reign is threatened by ruthless familial betrayal and Spain's invading army, she and her shrewd advisor (Rush) must act to safeguard the lives of her people. But when a dashing seafarer, Walter Raleigh (Owen), captures her heart, she is forced to make her most tragic sacrifice for the good of her country. Full of suspense, intrigue, passion and adventure, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" is a sweeping epic about this tumultuous time during her reign and her crusade to control her love, destroy her enemies and secure her position as a beloved icon of the western world.
BONUS FEATURES:
-- DELETED SCENES
-- THE REIGN CONTINUES: MAKING "ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE": Cate
Blanchett, Clive Owen and Geoffrey Rush join director Shekhar Kapur in
this exclusive look at how the next chapter in the monarch's life came
to the big screen.
-- INSIDE ELIZABETH'S WORLD: Discover the secrets behind the film's
elaborate production design.
-- COMMANDING THE WINDS: CREATING THE ARMADA: An insider's look at how
the film's massive ships and dramatic battles were created.
-- TOWERS, COURTS AND CATHEDRAL: A look at the spectacular locations and
sets used in the film.
-- AUDIO COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR SHEKHAR KAPUR
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Street Date: February 5, 2008
Price: $29.98 SRP Standard Definition; $39.98 HD DVD Combo Disc
Selection Number: 61033332 Widescreen; 61102688 HD DVD Combo Disc
Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Rating: PG-13 for violence, some sexuality and nudity.
Languages: English, Spanish, French
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
CREDITS:
Cast: Cate Blanchett ("Elizabeth"), Geoffrey Rush ("Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World's End"), Clive Owen ("Children of Men"), Rhys Ifans
("Notting Hill"), Jordi Molla ("Sultanes del Sur"), Abbie Cornish ("Stop
Loss") and Samantha Morton ("In America").
Directed by: Shekhar Kapur
Written by: William Nicholson, Michael Hirst
Produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jonathan Cavendish
Executive Producers: Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin, Michael Hirst
Co-producer: Mary Richards
Director of Photography: Remi Adefarasin, BSC
Production Designer: Guy Hendrix Dyas
Editor: Jill Bilcock, ACE
Costume Designer: Alexandra Byrne
Makeup and Hair Designer: Jenny Shircore
Music by: Craig Armstrong, Ar Rahman
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/). Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site: http://www.universalstudios.com/
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: 'American Gangster' as Never Before Seen!
The Original Theatrical Film AND The Unrated Extended Edition
AVAILABLE ON DVD & HD DVD February 19, 2008 FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
OVERVIEW: Inspired by a true story, "American Gangster," the grippingly intense crime-thriller acclaimed by critics and audiences as one of the best films of 2007, will be available in two versions on the exclusive "American Gangster" 2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition DVD that includes both an unrated, extended movie with over 18 additional minutes and an alternate ending PLUS the original theatrical film. Academy Award(R) winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe portray one of Harlem's most notorious crime bosses and the outcast cop who pursues him, respectively, ultimately leading to a climactic confrontation that alters the destiny of an entire generation in New York City. Directed by Ridley Scott and produced by Brian Grazer and Scott, "American Gangster" boasts an all-star cast including Josh Brolin, Ruby Dee, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Chiwetel Ejiofor, Armand Assante, Carla Gugino, and popular rap artists Common, RZA and Tip "T.I." Harris.
In addition, the "American Gangster" 3-Disc Collector's Edition, available for a limited time only, includes over five hours of bonus features, a 32-page collectible book and a downloadable digital copy of the unrated, extended film. Also available on February 19 is "Gangsters: The Ultimate Film Collection," a nine-disc set containing four of Hollywood's most iconic gangster films including "American Gangster," "Scarface," "Casino" and "Carlito's Way."
CONTENT BREAKDOWN / BONUS FEATURES:
2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition
Disc 1
-- Unrated Extended Version -- 18 additional minutes of never-before-seen
footage and an alternate ending
-- Original Theatrical Version Including Commentary with Director Ridley
Scott and Writer Steven Zaillian
Disc 2
-- Deleted Scenes- Including an alternate opening
-- Fallen Empire: Making "American Gangster"
-- Tru Blu: The Real Story: An in-depth look at the true story that
inspired the movie and the long road to developing the film.
Featuring interviews with the former real-life Harlem crime boss
Frank Lucas and now retired detective Richie Roberts
-- Killer Threads: A look at how the world of the 1970's was brought
back to life
-- Crime War: Follow production from the streets of NY to the jungles
of Thailand
-- Rhythm of the Streets: Look into the film's music, featuring tracks
such as "Do You Feel Me" performed by Anthony Hamilton
-- Into the Arena: Ali vs. Frazier: Setting up the infamous Ali-Frazier
fight
-- Case Files
-- Setting Up the Takedown -- Be on the set as Ridley Scott directs the
climactic drug bust and watch this master director at work
-- Script Meeting: A look into the production office where director
Ridley Scott, writer Steven Zaillian, and detective Richie Roberts
discuss the script and break down of the scenes.
-- Drug Test: Ridley Scott receives information on the preparation of
heroin from a New York detective
3-Disc Collector's Edition
Includes Above Bonus Features PLUS
-- Hip Hop Infusion -- Featuring popular rap artists Common and Tip "T.I."
Harris discussing their roles
-- Music Videos
-- Do You Feel Me (Remix) Performed by Anthony Hamilton featuring
Ghostface Killah
-- Blue Magic From Jay-Z's album "American Gangster"
-- BET Special -- The Making of "American Gangster"
-- Dateline NBC: "American Gangster" First Look
-- Digital Copy of the Unrated Extended Movie For Your PC
SYNOPSIS: Academy Award(R) winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe team with director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) in this powerful epic story. Armed with ruthless, streetwise tactics and a paradoxically strict sense of honor, crime boss Frank Lucas (Washington) rules Harlem's chaotic drug underworld. When outcast cop Richie Roberts (Crowe) sets out to bring down Lucas's multimillion-dollar empire, both men are plunged into a legendary confrontation.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: 2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition
Street Date: February 19, 2008
Copyright: 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved
Selection Number: 61032280
Price: $29.98 SRP
Running Time: 2 Hour 38 Minutes
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Rating: R for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and
sexuality
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
3-Disc Unrated Extended Edition
Street Date: February 19, 2008
Price: $34.98 SRP
Gangsters: The Ultimate Film Collection
Street Date: February 19, 2008
Price: $69.98 SRP
CAST AND FILMMAKERS
Cast: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding,
Jr., Josh Brolin, Ted Levine, Armand Assante, John Ortiz, John Hawkes,
RZA, Lymari Nadal, Yul Vasquez, Ruby Dee, Idris Elba, Carla Gugino, Joe
Morton, Common, Tip "T.I." Harris.
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Produced By: Brian Grazer
Written By: Steven Zaillian
Executive Producers: Nicholas Pileggi, Steven Zaillian, Branko Lustig,
Jim Whitaker, Michael Costigan
Director of Photography: Harris Savides
Editor: Pietro Scalia
Production Designer: Arthur Max
Costume Designer: Janty Yates
Co-Producer: Jonathan Filley
Music By: Marc Streitenfeld
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/). Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site: http://www.universalstudios.com/
Amanda Bynes Stars in the Hilarious Underdog Tale 'Sydney White' on DVD January 22, 2008 From Universal Studios Home Entertainment
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, Calif., -- OVERVIEW: America's sweetheart Amanda Bynes brings her trademark style of comedy to the funny and charming underdog tale, "Sydney White." When tomboy Sydney (Bynes) is banished from the most popular sorority on campus, she is taken in by seven socially challenged but endearing guys. With the help of her new friends, Sydney stands up for outcasts everywhere and takes on the reigning campus queen in a popularity showdown and battle for campus dominance. But can she succeed and also win the heart of gorgeous frat guy Tyler Prince? You'll love this hilarious and sweet age-old story with a charming modern-day twist.
BONUS FEATURES:
-- DELETED SCENES: Hilarious deleted scenes extend the fun of the film.
-- GAG REEL: Laugh with the cast as you watch their bloopers from the
set.
-- SYDNEY AND HER PRINCE: An in-depth look at the film's two main cast
members, Amanda Bynes and Matt Long. See what makes them tick while in
and out of character, and the chemistry the two had on set.
-- KAPPA'S FOREVER?: Meet the Kappa sorority sisters and find out if
sisterhood is all it's cracked up to be.
-- MEET THE DORKS: An endearing featurette on the film's lovable outcasts.
-- WELCOME TO THE VORTEX: Tour the infamous nerd palace in all its
squalor.
-- THE SKOOZE: Meet the beloved "mascot" Skoozer.
-- THE ORIGINAL DORK: Take a look inside the making of the movie with
director Joe Nussbaum as he and the cast discuss his directing style,
and the fun that was had on the set of Sydney White.
http://www.myyearbook.com/SydneyWhite
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Street Date: January 22, 2008
Copyright: 2007 Morgan Creek. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $29.98 SRP
Selection Number: 61102740 WS; 61102739 FF
Running Time: 1 hour 48 Minutes
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1, Full Frame 1.33:1
Rating: PG-13 for some language, sexual humor and partying.
Languages: English, French
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
CAST AND FILMMAKERS
Cast: Amanda Bynes (Hairspray), Sara Paxton (Aquamarine), Matt Long
(Ghost Rider), Jack Carpenter (TV's Held Up), Jeremy Howard (Accepted),
Crystal Hunt (TV's The Guiding Light) and John Schneider (TV's
Smallville)
Directed By: Joe Nussbaum
Produced By: James G. Robinson, Clifford Werber, David Robinson
Written By: Chad Gomez Creasey
Executive Producers: Guy McElwaine, Wayne Morris
Director of Photography: Mark Irwin CSC, ASC
Edited By: Danny Saphire
Production Designer: Mark Garner
Costume Designer: Beverly Safier
Co-Producer: Dara Resnik Creasey
Music By: Deborah Lurie
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (
http://www.universalstudios.com/). Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: Battlestar Galactica: Season Three on DVD March 25, 2008
'One of the Best Dramas on TV' -Time Magazine
UNIVERSAL CITY, OVERVIEW: The adventure of one of television's finest dramas continues with Battlestar Galactica: Season Three from the immensely popular SCI FI Channel series, the Peabody Award-winning Battlestar Galactica. The Colonies' survivors have found their hopes of eluding their Cylon pursuers dashed by an invasion and occupation of their new home. As the fate of all human life hangs in the balance, friends become enemies, enemies become unexpected allies, and decisions are made that will haunt some people for the rest of their lives. Relive all 20 episodes of the season that challenges everything you thought you knew about the Battlestar Galactica universe. Presented in Dolby 5.1 surround sound, the 6-disc set features over 15 hours of extensive special features, including the DVD exclusive extended version of the episode "Unfinished Business" containing 25 additional minutes of never-before-seen footage.
With over 15 hours of special features presented in Dolby 5.1 surround sound, this thrilling season is a must own for any Battlestar fan!
BONUS FEATURES: The Battlestar Galactica: Season Three DVD is loaded with extras highlighted by an extended DVD exclusive version of the pivotal episode, "Unfinished Business" containing an additional 25 minutes of footage, insightful behind-the-scenes commentaries by series creator Ronald Moore and executive producer David Eick, and over 20 deleted scenes.
Disc 1
-- DELETED SCENES from episodes Occupation, Precipice, Exodus
-- Ronald Moore's Podcast Commentaries
Disc 2
-- DELETED SCENES from episodes Collaborators, Torn, A Measure of
Salvation
-- Battlestar Galactica -- The Resistance Webisodes
-- David Eick's Video Blogs for episodes Testimonials, Who Dies,
Prosthetics, Lucy and David, and Introducing Bulldog
-- Ronald Moore -- Podcast Commentaries for episodes Collaborators, Torn,
A Measure of Salvation
Disc 3
-- DELETED SCENES from episode Hero
-- HERO -- Commentary with Executive Producer David Eick
-- David Eick Video Blogs for episodes Characters, Adama on Adama, On the
Road, Episode 6 Read Through, Steve McNutt Gets a Video Blog, The
Soldier's Code: Leave No Man Behind
-- Ronald Moore's Podcast Commentaries for episodes Hero, Unfinished
Business with Grace Park and Tahmoh Penikett
Disc 4
-- DELETED SCENES from episodes The Passage, The Eye of Jupiter, Rapture
and Taking a Break from All Your Worries
-- Ronald Moore's Podcast Commentaries for The Passage, The Eye of
Jupiter, Rapture, Taking a Break from all Your Worries
Disc 5
-- DELETED SCENES from episodes The Woman King, A Day in the Life, Dirty
Hands and Maelstrom
-- Ronald Moore's Podcast Commentaries for The Woman Kind, A Day in the
Life, Dirty Hands, Maelstrom
Disc 6
-- DELETED SCENES from episodes The Son Also Rises, Crossroads Parts 1
and 2
-- Ronald Moore's Podcast -- The Son Also Rises (with actor Mark Shappard
and writer Michael Angeli), Crossroads Parts 1 and 2
-- David Eick's Video Blogs for episodes Takin' A Break From All Your
Worries, On The Road: Part 2, Some Guy Named Colin, Building a Better
Show, Katee's Scrapbook, Shooting
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Street Date: March 25, 2008
Pre-Order Close: February 19, 2008
Copyright: 2008 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved
Price: $59.98
Selection Number: 61101285 WS
Running Time: 15 Hours and 57 Minutes
Layers: DVD-9 Single Sided
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic 1.78:1,
Languages/Subtitles: English, Spanish
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Web site:
http://www.ushepublicity.com/
| NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION EARNS NINE GOLDEN
GLOBE NOMINATIONS AS UNIVERSAL MEDIA STUDIOS NETS SEVEN NODS AND NBC
RECEIVES SIX Published: December 13, 2007
|
| NBC ANNOUNCES THE NEWEST WARRIORS TO BATTLE
ON 'AMERICAN GLADIATORS' Published: December 13, 2007
|
| UPDATED 'KNIGHT RIDER' REVS UP TO RETURN TO
NBC FOR SPECIAL TWO-HOUR MOVIE EVENT ON FEBRUARY 17 AS NEW KITT CAR IS
REVEALED Published: December 12, 2007
|
| NBC ROLLS OUT A FULL SLATE OF ORIGINAL
PROGRAMMING FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2008 Published: December 6, 2007
|
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: 'The Kingdom' on DVD and HD DVD December 26, 2007
Universal City, Dec. 4 OVERVIEW: Jamie Foxx leads an all-star ensemble cast including Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman and Jeremy Piven in an explosive action-packed thriller directed by Peter Berg about an elite FBI team sent to Saudi Arabia to stop a terrorist before he strikes again in -- "The Kingdom."
BONUS FEATURES:
-- Deleted Scenes
-- Character By Character: The Apartment Shootout: Follow the journeys of
six characters during the pulse-pounding rescue sequence.
-- Creating "The Kingdom": An inside look at the making of the film.
-- Constructing The Freeway Sequence: This featurette deconstructs the
process of bringing the freeway sequence to the big screen.
-- History of "The Kingdom": An Interactive Timeline: Viewers scroll
through decades of history to learn more about key events in this
animated timeline that branches off into archival news stories, short
featurettes, text based stories, etc.
-- Feature Commentary with Director Peter Berg
SYNOPSIS: "A High-Octane Action Movie." -- A. O. Scott, The New York Times
Oscar(R) winners Jamie Foxx (Collateral) and Chris Cooper (Breach) and Golden Globe(R) winners Jennifer Garner (Daredevil) and Jason Bateman (Smokin' Aces) ignite the screen in this high-intensity thriller about a team of elite FBI agents sent to Saudi Arabia to solve a brutal mass murder and find a killer before he strikes again. Out of their element and under heavy fire, the team must join forces with their Saudi counterparts. As these unlikely allies begin to unlock the secrets of the crime scene, the team is led into a heart-stopping, do-or-die confrontation.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Street Date: December 26, 2007
Copyright: 2007 Universal Studios and MDBF Zweite Filmgeseltschaft mbH &
Co.KG. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $29.98 SRP $39.98 HD SRP
Running Time: 1 hour 50 Minutes
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1, Full Frame 1.33:1
Rating: R for intense sequences of graphic brutal violence and for
language
Languages/Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (
http://www.universalstudios.com/). Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site:
http://www.universalstudios.com/
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: 'Bring It On: In It To Win It'
'Bring It On' is Back With High-Flying Fun, Hot Music and No-Holds-Barred Competition
The All-New, High-Energy Comedy Premieres Exclusively On DVD December 18, 2007
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Nov. 26- Featuring hot young stars, daring athletics
and high-impact competition with just a dash of romance, "Bring It On: In It to
Win It" leaps onto DVD December 18, 2007 with all the spunk, attitude and fun
you won't want to miss. Presented by Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family
Productions and Beacon Pictures, this latest installment of the hugely
successful cheerleading franchise stars Ashley Benson ("Days of Our Lives"),
Cassie Scerbo ("Slumber Party Girls"), Jennifer Tisdale ("The Suite Life of Zack
and Cody"), Michael Copon ("One Tree Hill") Kierstin Koppel (Sydney White), and
in their feature film debuts, Anniese Taylor Dendy and Noel Areizaga. Directed
by Steve Rash ("Bring It On: All or Nothing," "Can't Buy Me Love"), "Bring It
On: In It To Win It" features even more gravity defying, high-energy
cheerleading routines from master choreographer Tony "Tony G" Gonzales. The
movie is also loaded with hot music including "He Said, She Said" from Ashley
Tisdale's new CD from Warner Bros. Records "Headstrong".
With a loyal audience of hip admirers who have been fans since the original
theatrical release, the successful property has resulted in over $250 million in
home entertainment sales in North America alone. "Bring It On: In It To Win It"
follows in the footsteps of the extraordinarily successful "Bring It On: All Or
Nothing," which along with fellow Universal DVD Original releases "American Pie
Presents Band Camp," "American Pie Presents The Naked Mile" and "Bring It On
Again" make up four of the top five non-family DVD premieres of all time.
"With 'Bring It On: In It To Win It,' we've taken the franchise to a whole
new level, pumping up the athletics, competition and excitement," said Craig
Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal
Pictures Digital Platforms. "The films' hallmarks-fresh young talent,
cutting-edge music, groundbreaking choreography and compelling stories-have been
integral to the continuing success of Universal's DVD Originals(TM) line."
The DVD is priced at $29.98 SRP. High Steppin' Fun with "Bring It on: In It to Win It" BONUS FEATURES
Bring It On: In It To Win It delivers more high-energy fun with all-new
original DVD bonus features including:
-- DELETED SCENES
-- LIGHTS, CAMERA, BRING IT!: Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making
of the film from auditions and cheer camp through production.
-- EAST COAST PROPER: Choreographer Tony G and the East Coast Jets teach
their techniques of the trade.
-- WEST COAST FLAIR: Tony G's back with the Sharks to show the viewer how
to dance West Coast style.
-- THE RUMBLE WITH TONY G: Watch the Sharks and the Jets 'rumble' with
the new cheers they've learned.
-- CHEER OFF! LEARN HOW TO CHEER WITH TONY G: Learn how to do a cheer with
Tony G and the actors from the film.
http://www.myyearbook.com/bringiton
SYNOPSIS
In "Bring It On: In It To Win It," Southern California high-school senior
Carson (Ashley Benson) arrives at the all-important "Cheer Camp Nationals"
determined to lead her squad, the West High Sharks, to victory. But chic New
Yorker Brooke (Cassie Scerbo) and her team, the East High Jets, are equally
steadfast in their pursuit of the competition's coveted "Spirit Stick." As
tension mounts between the two rival squads, Carson falls for fellow cheerleader
Penn (Michael Copon), not realizing he's a Jet. When Brooke discovers the
budding romance, she raises the stakes by challenging Carson to a one-on-one
cheer-off. A spectacular "cheer fighting" sequence erupts into a no-holds-barred
brawl and cheerleaders on both sides are suspended from the competition. With
their dreams of taking home the top prize all but shattered, the leaders of both
squads realize they'll have to take drastic measures to stay in the game.
CAST & FILMMAKERS Director: Steve Rash Written By: Alyson Fouse, Elena Song Produced By: Wayne Morris Executive Produced By: Armyan Bernstein and Charlie Lyons Director of Photography: Levie Isaacks Production Designer: Mark Garner Edited By: Tony Lombardo Costume Designer: Beverly Safier Original Music By: Transcenders
Cast: Ashley Benson, Cassie Scerbo, Jennifer Tisdale, Michael Copon, Kierstin
Koppel, Anniese Taylor Dendy, Noel Areizaga
FEATURE TECHNICAL INFORMATION
DVD
Street Date: December 18, 2007
Copyright: 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $29.98 SRP
Selection Number: 63101316 widescreen; 63101315 full-screen
Running Time: 1 hour 30 Minutes
Layers: Dual Layer
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1; Full Screen 1.33:1
Rating: PG-13 for language, suggestive content and rude humor
Technical Info:
-- English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Subtitles
-- Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Subtitles
-- French: Dolby Digital 5.1, Subtitles
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a
division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/).
Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004
through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal
owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a
premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a
leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal
is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
Source:
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site:
http://www.myyearbook.com/bringiton
| NBC GIVES PICKUPS TO PROMISING FRESHMAN
DRAMAS 'CHUCK' AND 'LIFE' FOR NINE EPISODES TO COMPLETE 2007-08 SEASON Published: November 26, 2007
|
| NBC KICKS OFF THE SEASON FROM THANKSGIVING TO
THE NEW YEAR WITH ORIGINAL HOLIDAY-THEMED SHOWS, TRADITIONAL SPECIALS
AND CLASSIC MOVIE FAVORITES Published: November 15, 2007
|
| LAILA ALI JOINS HULK HOGAN AS CO-HOST OF
NBC'S 'AMERICAN GLADIATORS' Published: November 9, 2007
|
| HEROES THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE Published: November 6, 2007
|
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: A Shocking Supernatural Thriller From the Producers of White Noise, Starring Nathan Fillion and Katee Sackhoff
WHITE NOISE 2 (http://www.whitenoisemovie.com/)
Creeping Exclusively onto DVD and HD DVD on January 8, 2008 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment
-- The line between the living and the dead is once again blurred and taken to terrifying new levels in White Noise 2 (
http://www.whitenoisemovie.com/), coming exclusively to DVD on January 8, 2008 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Rogue Pictures. Starring Nathan Fillion ("Desperate Housewives," Serenity) and Katee Sackhoff ("The Bionic Woman," "Battlestar Galactica"), the shocking thriller dives deep into the eerie real-life phenomenon known as Near Death Experience (NDE), an unpredictable new dimension in the communication between the living and the dead, sometimes with unexpected consequences. Drawing on the similar mysterious and unexplainable issues that drew attention to the original hit film White Noise and the paranormal elements of Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), White Noise 2 (http://www.whitenoisemovie.com/) tells the story of how communication with the other side can lead to a spiritual awakening for some and frightening experiences for others. The DVD is priced at $29.98 SRP.SPINE-TINGLING BONUS MATERIALS
The White Noise 2 (
http://www.whitenoisemovie.com/) DVD contains a fascinating, sometimes chilling look at the mysterious real-life phenomenon behind the film's story and the film itself:-- More than 30 minutes of terrifying Deleted Scenes
-- Exploring Near Death Experience -- A look at the truth behind NDE, the
well-documented phenomenon that inspired the film.
-- The Making Of White Noise 2 -- From concept to completion, this
featurette is filled with interviews, b-roll and behind-the-scenes
footage that showcase the cast, the crew and the craziness it took to
bring this frightening tale to life.
-- Journey Into Madness -- Star Nathan Fillion and the film's location and
witchcraft expert Barbara Copp take viewers on a full tour of the
Crease Clinic, Vancouver's infamous psychiatric hospital where much of
the film was shot.
SYNOPSIS
Following the brutal murder of his wife and child, Abe Dale (Nathan Fillion) barely survives a suicide attempt, and begins to believe that his Near Death Experience has left him with the power to identify those about to die. A glowing aura that only he can see singles out the doomed and Dale, traumatized by his inability to save his own family, is determined to keep as many of people alive as possible. But when he begins to pull those back from the verge of death, he finds that the price for cheating fate is higher than he could ever have imagined. Inspired by stories of the very real phenomenon of Near Death Experience, White Noise 2 examines the ultimate penalty for interfering with destiny.
CAST AND FILMMAKERS
Directed By: Patrick Lussier
Written By: Matt Venne
Produced By: Shawn Williamson
Director of Photography: Brian Pearson
Production Designer: Anthony Neskoromny
Edited By: Tom Elkins, Patrick Lussier
Costume Designer: Maya Mani
Original Music By: Normand Corbeil
Cast: Nathan Fillion, Katee Sackhoff, Craig Fairbrass, Adrian Holmes,
Kendall Cross, Teryl Rothery
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
DVD
Street Date: January 8, 2008
Pre-Order Close: December 4, 2007
Copyright: 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $29.98 SRP
Rating: PG-13 (Intense sequences of violence and terror, some disturbing
images, thematic material and language)
Aspect Ratio: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 (English and Spanish)
Running Time: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Visit
http://www.whitenoisemovie.com/
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site:
http://www.universalstudios.com/
| ILLEGAL TENDER ON DVD DECEMBER 18, 2007 FROM
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT Published: October 25, 2007
|
NBC Universal's 'Green Is Universal' Initiative Includes More Than 150 Hours of Green-Themed Content
Ongoing Plans to Create Cleaner Operations Worldwide
Funding Awarded to Environmentally-Focused Organizations
NEW YORK, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- NBC Universal announced details for more than 150 hours of environmentally themed content encompassing all of NBCU's divisions across multiple platforms for the week of Nov. 4 - 10. Additionally, the company took further steps to green its own operations worldwide, and for the first time, will award funds from the NBC Universal Foundation to three environmentally-focused organizations. The announcements, part of NBC Universal's ongoing "Green Is Universal" initiative, were made by Jeff Zucker, President and CEO, NBC Universal and Lauren Zalaznick, Chairman, NBC Universal Green Council and President, Bravo Media.
"The environment has become both a corporate and cultural issue," said Zucker. "As a leading media and entertainment company, NBC Universal has a responsibility, both in our own operations and in driving awareness. Green is good for the world and the bottom line."
"Starting with this launch week of programming, the ongoing 'Green Is Universal' initiative will help reach hundreds of millions of NBCU's consumers, raising awareness, entertaining and ultimately, driving results," said Zalaznick. "This week reinforces NBCU's continued commitment to help raise environmental awareness through what we do in front of the cameras and behind the scenes, in our offices, and in how we interact with the community."
Separate related announcements are being made today by NBC Entertainment, NBC Universal Entertainment Cable, the Sundance Channel, Universal Parks and the Telemundo Network. Highlights of the company's efforts are listed below.
NBC Universal's corporate commitment to green its own operations worldwide continues to grow with its recently announced creation of a new West Coast News Headquarters and Content Center. The Center will be a leading example of sustainable design, construction and transit-oriented development under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED(R) rating system. NBC Universal will seek LEED Silver certification for new construction for the Center and will target LEED for existing buildings for its ongoing operations. Completed in May 2007, the Universal Studios lot installed its first solar energy system, the largest in the industry. Located on approximately 2.5 acres of hillside property, NBC Universal's long-term goal is to secure an increasing portion of its power from solar or wind generators.
In 2007, a different car service was introduced in New York, resulting in a 75 percent air pollution improvement over the old service and will be further improved by yearend when 25 percent of the fleet is replaced by Hybrid vehicles. Additionally, NBC Universal is in the process of deploying multi- functional office machines to enable employees to scan and e-mail documents, thus eliminating the need for multiple devices and reducing paper use.
NBC Universal's office supplier now provides paper with 34 percent recycled content. This equates to 145,000 gallons of water saved, 400 trees saved and 81,000 KWH conserved, or the equivalent of providing electricity to seven homes a year.
NBC Universal has been measuring greenhouse gas emissions since 2004 and in the coming months, the company has committed to conducting Energy Conservation Surveys ("eco audit") that will identify and prioritize additional internal environmental improvements. The company will work with GreenOrder, a sustainability strategy firm to provide an independent, quantitative analysis and verification of its environmental footprint.
Separately, the NBC Universal Foundation, which supports non-profit organizations that concentrate on strengthening public secondary education, has selected one national and two local environmentally-focused organizations to receive grants to promote environmental education and help employees get directly engaged in environmental efforts in their communities. They are the Student Conservation Association (www.thesca.org); New York Restoration Project (www.nyrp.org) and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps (www.lacorps.org).
"The More You Know," NBC Universal's award-winning public service campaign, will debut brand new environmentally-themed spots to be broadcast across all platforms. The messages will focus on global warming, pollution and recycling as well as provide viewers with ways to make a difference. Participating NBCU talent include: Molly Sims, Josh Duhamel and James Lesure ("Las Vegas"); Noah Gray-Cabey ("Heroes"); Christopher Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU"); Ann Curry ("Today"); Jesse Martin and Jeremy Sisto ("Law & Order"); Linda Cardellini ("ER"); Donald Faison ("Scrubs"); Tim Gunn ("Project Runway" and "Guide To Style," Bravo); Jeffrey Donovan ("Burn Notice," USA); Tricia Helfer ("Battlestar Galactica," Sci-Fi); Maria Celeste ("Al Rojo Vivo con Celeste," Telemundo).
The company will launch a digital home for NBC Universal's "Green Is Universal" initiative -- www.GreenIsUniversal.com -- to bring an environmental perspective to its networks, platforms, audiences and communities. Kicking-off on Nov. 4 with seven days of environmentally-themed programming, GreenIsUniversal.com will live on with green tips, green clips, and a fast- paced blog covering everything at NBC Universal, and beyond.
Highlights of the company's 150 hours of green-themed content for the week of Nov. 4-10 include:
NBC Sports kicks-off "Green Is Universal" on Nov. 4 during the "Sunday Night Football" game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. NBC's "Football Night in America" host Bob Costas will explain the programming effort on NBC during the NFL studio show as NBC Universal's networks simultaneously turn their respective network logos green at 8 p.m. ET. The broadcast also will feature additional announcements about "Green Is Universal," as well as incorporate the themes throughout its broadcast on Sunday night.
The following Saturday, Nov. 10, the Air Force vs. Notre Dame college football game will feature the University of Notre Dame's students' and professors' research for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2), from the emissions of power plants, which could ultimately contribute to reversing the effects of global warming.
Highlighted by the "Today" show's "Ends of the Earth" trip (see separate release), NBC News will dedicate programming across many of its platforms as part of the Initiative. "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" will feature a five-part green series -- dedicating each night to a single topic: water, wind, grass, bio-fuels, nuclear, and how to "green your house." NBC News' Environmental Correspondent, Anne Thompson, will contribute to this series.
MSNBC will broadcast green-themed segments and programming all week, including an emphasis on the politics of Green on "Super Tuesday," Nov. 6. Throughout the week, the channel's "best and worst weather in America" segments will focus on how environmental changes affect weather.
MSNBC.com will kick off its green series with special stories and interactive features, including user-generated content showing what it's like to be green in America. The FirstPerson eco-gallery will feature videos and photos from consumers across the nation illustrating what they're doing to help the environment. MSNBC.com will also feature interactive slideshows, original stories, and video on a range of environmental issues.
MSNBC.com's interactive features include "Warming World," a gateway into compelling video, slideshows and stories about climate change around the world. Consumers can also log on and learn about carbon trading, see how the greenhouse effect happens, discover interesting engineering ideas to cool the Earth, check out the greenest and meanest cars, and find out about new and environmentally-friendly commuting options.
CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, will focus on investing opportunities in the rapidly expanding and dynamic green movement covering what Wall Street, venture capital firms and corporations are doing in such areas as clean technology, alternative energy, and sustainability, providing information for investors. In addition, CNBC will have "conversations" with CEOs of top companies that are making a business in the green space; large investors; environmental trailblazers in both the private and government sectors; economic experts, as well as those who question the business value of green. On Nov. 7, CNBC will report from the Pacific Growth Equities 2007 Clean Technology & Industrial Growth Conference in San Francisco; on Nov. 8, CNBC's housing reporter Diana Olick will report from Chicago and the Green Build Conference and Expo. That night, the network will broadcast a special green edition of CNBC's "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" at 10 p.m. ET.
From the first and largest community of women online, iVillage's iGo Green channel (www.ivillage.com/green) helps moms make the green lifestyle work for them by featuring a wide variety and depth of green content, from organic Thanksgiving ideas to eco-friendly gifts. In addition, iVillage's gURL.com will feature a recycling game and Astrology.com will feature Green Scopes. Every day, new green content will be featured both on iVillage.com's main page and on its iGo Green channel, including opportunities to give green within iVillage Cares, with click-to-donate links for a variety of causes.
On November 1, iVillage.com will launch the iVillage Forest, (www.ivillageforest.com), a virtual wintertime forest where visitors can help offset the 32 million trees that are cut down each December for holiday decorating. For each $5 donation, a virtual tree is planted in the iVillage Forest and a live tree is planted by The Conservation Fund (www.conservationfund.org).
The NBC Owned-and-Operated Stations will incorporate extensive environmentally- themed stories throughout their newscasts and display green logos and graphics on air. In addition, the group will run a half-hour special on "Going Green at Any Age!" (check local listings). The stations' Going Green websites will also have a green theme and will provide calculators that can determine an individual's impact on the earth according to carbon, water and energy use. Users can also download widgets to get regional and national environmental news as well as the latest local headlines sent to their desktops. Many of the stations will also continue to partner with local organizations to promote green awareness in their communities.
NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution's "Access Hollywood" will report on Hollywood celebrities making an environmental difference, with additional green interviews posted online at (www.accesshollywood.com). On the Nov. 6 edition of "The Martha Stewart Show," (check local listings) naturalist, media personality and author David Mizejewski of the National Wildlife Federation, joins Stewart with several creepy-crawly friends to help educate her viewers on the growing importance of involving children in green activities and encouraging them to spend more time outdoors. "Lyons and Bailes Reel Talk" will highlight Al Gore's Oscar-winning documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth" on the November 10-11 episodes. Additionally, "The Jerry Springer Show," "Maury," "The Steve Wilkos Show," "The Chris Matthews Show," "The Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo," "Your Total Health" and "Lyons & Bailes" are all participating in the effort.
Universal Pictures will prominently promote "Green Is Universal" on www.universalpictures.com with a lead editorial placement and banner at the bottom of the page. Universal Pictures also will send its more than 400,000 newsletter subscribers information on the "Green Is Universal" initiative, and GetOnBoardNow.org will be updated with current content. Universal Pictures will run the "Green Is Universal" PSA's as a post-roll on their online trailers during this programming week and as ads in theater lobbies.
About NBC Universal
NBC Universal is 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. Formed in May, 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.
Source: NBC Universal
Web site:
http://www.nbcuni.com/
| SCI FI CHANNEL GREENLIGHTS NEW CBS PARAMOUNT
PILOT REVOLUTION FROM WRITERS/EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ED REDLICH AND JOHN
BELUCCI AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SIMON WEST Published: October 18, 2007
|
| NBC TOPS ALL BROADCAST NETWORKS AT 59TH
ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS Published: September 17, 2007
|
'THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW' GETTING FEMININE
TOUCH FOR 17TH SEASON IN NATIONAL SYNDICATION
|
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: 'Evening'
Tentative Street Date: 9/25/2007
-- OVERVIEW:
A stellar, all-star cast, including Academy Award(R) winners Vanessa Redgrave and Meryl Streep, Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Glenn Close, and introducing Glenn Close's daughter Naomi Gummer breathe glorious life into Susan Minot's beloved novel. "Evening" is a critically acclaimed, heart-warming and deeply engaging story about secrets of the past revealed and the bonds formed between mothers and daughters, family and friends, and the loves of our lives.
PRELIMINARY BONUS FEATURES:
-- Deleted Scenes
-- One Weekend By The Sea: Remembering "Evening": A look at the making
of "Evening."
-- Adapting "Evening": Focusing on author Susan Minot and Screenwriter
Michael Cunningham we'll learn how "Evening" was adapted from the
pages of a novel to the pages of a script, and how it will come alive
on screen.
SYNOPSIS: As Ann Grant (Academy Award(R) winner Vanessa Redgrave) nears the end of her life, she confesses to her daughters (Academy Award(R) nominee Toni Collette and Tony Award winner Natasha Richardson) the story of a weekend 50 years earlier when she met the one true love of her life. In those two days of passion, Ann (played as a young woman by Golden Globe-winner Claire Danes) learns that the choices we make often lead to unspeakable joys and even to unbearable tragedies, but always to the twists of fate that shape the story of our lives. As the daughters piece together this extraordinary story of their mother's past and present, it brings them all together in a way none of them could ever have imagined.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Street Date: September 25, 2007
Pre-Order Close: September 11, 2007
Price: $29.98 SRP Also available on HD DVD Combo Disc.
Selection Number: 62033446 WS
Running Time: 1 Hour 57 Minutes
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1
Rating: PG-13 for some thematic elements, sexual material, a brief
accident scene and language.
Languages/Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
| THREE OF THE MOST INFAMOUS BIG SCREEN HORROR
ICONS — FREDDY, JASON AND LEATHERFACE — WREAK HAVOC AT UNIVERSAL
STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD, THE ENTERTAINMENT CAPITAL OF L.A., AS 'HALLOWEEN
HORROR NIGHTS' COMES TO LIFE FOR 10 TERROR-FILLED NIGHTS BEGINNING,
FRIDAY OCTOBER 5 Published: September 6, 2007
|
| IT'S A SIZZLING SUMMER FOR THE NBC UNIVERSAL
CABLE GROUP, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR TWICE AS MANY TOP-25 ORIGINAL SUMMER
SERIES AS ANY OTHER BASIC CABLE GROUP Published: September 4, 2007
|
| NBC Universal Television Content Now Available on Amazon Unbox |
Hit TV Series, Including The Office, Heroes, and 30 Rock, as Well as All New Fall NBC Series Available on Amazon.com's Digital Download Service SEATTLE, Wash. & ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Sep 04, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and NBC Universal today announced that a wealth of quality TV content from NBC Universal is now available on Amazon Unbox (http://unbox.amazon.com), Amazon.com's digital video download service. Amazon Unbox and NBC Universal are offering customers a variety of content packages, including up to 30 percent off when purchasing full seasons of their favorite TV series. Popular NBC shows now available on Amazon Unbox include the Emmy(R) Award-winning series The Office, the critically acclaimed drama Heroes, and Emmy(R)-nominated comedy 30 Rock. Beginning on September 10, Amazon Unbox customers can download for free -- in advance of their network premieres -- the pilot episodes of NBC's new shows Bionic Woman, Chuck, Journeyman and Life. New episodes will be available on Amazon Unbox the day after they air on TV. Amazon Unbox has offered movies from Universal Pictures, Rogue Pictures and Focus Features since September 2006. Offerings include new releases such as Smokin' Aces and Hot Fuzz; classics such as Psycho and National Lampoon's Animal House; and later this year Knocked Up and Evan Almighty. "With the addition of NBC Universal TV content to Amazon Unbox, fans now have the ultimate convenience for enjoying their favorite shows whenever or wherever they want," said Jean-Briac Perrette, President, NBC Universal Digital Distribution. "This further expands our longstanding relationship to bring a robust content offering to the marketplace in a variety of ways that will benefit the consumer and, at the same time, protects our content." "We are excited to bring NBC Universal shows like the award-winning The Office, 30 Rock and Battlestar Galactica to our Amazon Unbox customers," said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President for Digital Music and Video. "Our customers can now enjoy their favorite NBC Universal shows either on their personal computer or on their TV through the Amazon Unbox on TiVo service." NBC Universal's networks include USA Network, SCI FI Channel, Bravo, Telemundo, mun2, NBC Sports, and NBC News. Examples of shows now available on Amazon Unbox from these networks include USA Network's Emmy(R)- and Golden Globe(R) Award-winning Monk, SCI FI Channel's Emmy-nominated Battlestar Galactica, Bravo's Emmy(R)-nominated Top Chef, Telemundo's El Cuerpo De Deseo, and mun2's popular The Chicas Project. Additional shows and episodes from NBC Universal's networks will be added to Amazon Unbox regularly. These NBC Universal shows are part of a growing selection on Amazon Unbox that includes over 10,000 television shows, movies and other video content for rent or purchase. With the fall television season about to start, customers can now catch up or stay current with their favorite NBC Universal shows by watching them on their PC, on portable video players, or on their TV through the Amazon Unbox on TiVo service. Shows are available to purchase the day after they air on TV and complete seasons may be purchased as soon as the season concludes. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc., seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries and affiliates, unless the context indicates otherwise. Amazon Forward-Looking Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and all subsequent filings. About NBC Universal Digital Distribution NBC Universal Digital Distribution, a division of NBC Universal, drives the company's development of digital content and distribution in the areas of digital business development and sales, digital platforms and wireless products. NBC Universal Digital Distribution manages product strategy and development for NBCU's content efforts by deploying it across multiple digital platforms, including mobile, Internet portals, wireless carriers, emerging digital companies and nontraditional customers. In addition, NBCU Digital Distribution spearheads the company's development of industry-leading technologies such as interactive television, on demand, electronic sell-through and IPTV. NBCU Digital Distribution also directs and manages the company's cable investments, including A&E, The History Channel, History Channel International, The Biography Channel and the Sundance Channel. |
PRODUCTION BEGINS ON JOEL AND ETHAN COEN'S
BURN AFTER READING, STARRING GEORGE CLOONEY, FRANCES McDORMAND, BRAD
PITT, JOHN MALKOVICH
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The 'Amazing Journey' Project, Two Powerfully Charged Films About The Who, Lays Bare One Of Rock's Greatest Icons Like Never Before
Film One: 'AMAZING JOURNEY: THE STORY OF THE WHO' Spitfire Pictures Unveils Film for World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
Film Two: 'AMAZING JOURNEY: SIX QUICK ONES' (sister film) A Feature Taking the Viewer, In-Depth, Behind What Drives The Who's Magic
Available in Highly Collectible Two-Film DVD Set On November 6, 2007 From Universal Studios Home Entertainment
-- "Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who and Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones", two exhilarating feature-length films about one of the seminal and most influential rock bands in history, produced by Spitfire Pictures in association with Trinifold Management, will be released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment on DVD on November 6, 2007.
Marking 40 years since The Who's first U.S. appearance in North America, "Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who" will make its worldwide debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2007.
Spanning over four decades, "Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who" reintroduces The Who now and to generations-to-come, as it tells one of the greatest stories of rock. The film tells the unfolding story of The Who and how they have straddled the rock world for forty years, in a tale as gripping in adventure, life and personality as the searing power of their music. The film features all-new, exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and others, rare and recently discovered concert footage, artist profiles and much, much more, all in 5.1 Surround Sound.
"Amazing Journey transcends all generational barriers and offers a profoundly personal account of rock history," commented Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms. "As an authorized piece, the film is the definitive anthology of one of the most important bands of our time. We are very pleased to be able to make this film available to those who already love the band, and perhaps more importantly, to showcase its legacy to those who may have not had the good fortune to have seen them perform live."
The companion feature film, "Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones", takes the viewer inside the mysteries that drive a rock band to the pinnacle of musical achievement.
Deliberately conceived as two complimentary pieces of work, one film for a wide audience and one for the die-hard rock fan, the two films present a complex and complete picture of the legendary musicians as they have never been seen before. Music greats including Sting, U2's The Edge, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Oasis' Noel Gallagher, offer insightful commentaries on The Who's indelible influence. Alongside a companion booklet and additional DVD
bonus content, this set comprises one of music's most collectible and comprehensive compilations ever assembled about one of rock's greatest bands.
"Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who" was produced by Spitfire Pictures' Nigel Sinclair, and Trinifold's Bill Curbishley and Robert Rosenberg. It is directed by Paul Crowder (ONCE IN A LIFETIME) and Academy Award(R) winner Murray Lerner (FESTIVAL). The film is presented by Universal Pictures, and was produced by Spitfire Pictures in association with Trinifold, VH1 Rock Docs, MLF Productions and Pony Canyon.
"Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones" was produced by Spitfire Pictures' Nigel Sinclair, and Trinifold's Bill Curbishley and Robert Rosenberg. The film is presented by Universal Pictures, and was produced by Spitfire Pictures in association with Trinifold.
Added Nigel Sinclair: "If there are four legs to the table of the 60's rock movement that has inspired and defined popular music ever since, they are The Who -- as well as, of course, The Beatles, The Stones and Dylan -- and it was both daunting and thrilling to be charged with producing the authorized story for this work. As part of the foundation of rock n' roll, The Who's legacy is still evolving, of course, as they continue to fill houses and inspire artists all over the world. Part of the power of The Who's music is its honesty and authenticity and we have tried our hardest to remain true to that spirit while making these two films."
Beginning with their first hit single "I Can't Explain," The Who emerged from Mod-Era London to electrify the world with their unique sound. The music and live performances of Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon tore through the existing boundaries of rock. The band has recorded 11 remarkable albums, including the world's first rock opera Tommy, and the ensuing masterwork Quadrophenia. The British legends produced some of the most compelling and original music of the era, including the songs, "Won't Get Fooled Again," "Happy Jack," "Pictures of Lily" and the immortal "My Generation."
The two-disc set is priced at $29.98 SRP. Pre-Order close is October 2, 2007.
ACCOMPANYING FEATURE FILM
The band's monumental legacy is celebrated not only by flagship title "Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who" but also by a second feature film, "Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones". The films will be released side-by-side on two discs in 5.1 Surround Sound. The two features represent approximately four hours of must-see materials, much of which have never been seen before.
"Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones" takes us through, in four individual pieces, the virtuoso musical abilities of each band member: Roger Daltrey; Pete Townshend; John Entwistle; and Keith Moon.
Then, in "Who Art You," the fifth constituent part of this feature, the viewer is taken into The Who's trademark bullseye, and the Mod and Pop Art movements, as The Who's 1960s journey to become a band as visual as they were musical is explored.
Finally, in a coup de grace, during 2003, The Who allowed legendary filmmakers, the Pennebakers, into the studio to film them record the hit song "Real Good Looking Boy." Recorded for the album Then and Now, this work was the band's first new studio recording in over 20 years. "Who's Back" -- the sixth "Quick One" -- is the intimate portrait that emerged of these artists at work.
IN ADDITION, THE DVD SET CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ADDED BONUSES:
- The Scrapbook: Five Additional Insider Insights into the World of The Who:
-- Dinner with Moon
-- A Legal Matter
-- Won't Get Fooled Again
-- Cincinnati: The Whole Story
-- Royal Albert Hall 2000
- The High Numbers at the Railway Hotel: The earliest footage of the band known to be in existence, seen in its entirety here for the first time.
SYNOPSIS
"Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who" is the definitive, authorized film of the iconic rockers. The filmmakers amassed a wealth of never-before-seen personal images, all-new interviews and rare and unreleased concert footage to tell the story of how four diverse Londoners -- Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon -- combined to create their own style of rock music, building a dedicated fan base the world over, and, as a result, surviving at the top for over 40 amazing years.
Whether they were The Detours, The High Numbers or The Who, their music and their story is the ultimate rock and roll tale. The film chronicles it all: from their roots as a 1960s pub cover band, through their meteoric rise, encompassing all the fascinating ups and downs, twists and turns, stops and starts, successes and failures that made this band one of the greatest in the world. Follow them as they evolve four decades of rock.
The narrative of "Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who" and sister-film "Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones" are both driven by compelling new interviews -- with surviving members Daltrey and Townshend, and those close to the band -- in which thoughts and memories of The Who, their music, and their history are shared with the viewer. These eyewitnesses include The Who's manager Bill Curbishley (the film's Executive Producer), and Chris Stamp (with Kit Lambert, one of The Who's original co-managers). Additional insight is provided by close friends, family and colleagues; and commenting on their musical legacy are Sting, U2's The Edge, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Oasis' Noel Gallagher.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Street Date: November 6, 2007
Pre-Order Close: October 2, 2007
Selection Number: 61102505
AWS Running Time: 120 minutes Disc 1; 117 minutes Disc 2.
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: Not Rated
Languages/Subtitles: English
SDH Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spitfire is currently in post production on "Addicted", a sexy psychological thriller starring Sarah Michelle Gellar ("The Grudge", "Cruel Intentions"). Spitfire is also responsible for the Grammy Award-winning documentary of 2005, "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan", directed by acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese. Spitfire's partners Nigel Sinclair and Guy East's acclaimed projects includes "Sliding Doors", "The Wedding Planner", "Iris", "The Life Of David Gale", "The Quiet American", and the box office smash hit "Terminator 3, The Rise Of The Machines". For more information, visit www.spitfirepix.com.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and Entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
| NBC, MGM AND REVEILLE ENTER ARENA WITH
UPDATED PRIMETIME SERIES VERSION OF POPULAR 'AMERICAN GLADIATORS' HIT
FOR A NEW GENERATION Published: August 23, 2007
|
| EIGHT COUNTRIES IN EIGHT DAYS -- NBC
ANNOUNCES CAST DESTINATIONS AND KEY FAN EVENTS FOR THE 'HEROES WORLD
TOUR,' PRESENTED BY NISSAN Published: August 21, 2007
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EVAN ALMIGHTY ON DVD AND HD DVD OCTOBER 9, 2007 FROM UNIVERSAL
STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
OVERVIEW: Funnyman Steve Carell ("The Office") is at his hilarious best as Evan
Baxter. When his simple wish to change the world turns into a baffling request
from God (Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman) to build an ark, Evan's
seemingly perfect life is turned upside down. With the help of his family and a
comical cast of animals, Evan's unbelievable adventure becomes a life-changing
experience filled with laugh-out-loud moments. Co-starring Lauren Graham ("The
Gilmore Girls"), John Goodman (Cars), Wanda Sykes (Monster-in-Law), Jonah Hill
(Knocked Up) and Molly Shannon (Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby).
BONUS FEATURES:
• Over 12 Minutes of Hilarious Deleted Scenes and Outtakes.
• The Building of Noah's Ark: Go behind the scenes and follow the building of
the ark from its beginning as an artist's rendering to its final construction.
Steve Carell provides comedic insight on the process.
• Steve Carell Unscripted: In this hilarious improvised stand-up routine on
Capitol Hill, Steve Carell shows us what the ancient tools were "really" used
for and how he made friends with all the animals.
• Becoming Noah: Spend some time in hair, wardrobe and makeup with Steve Carell
and see what it takes to transform from Evan to Noah.
• Training the Animals: Head animal trainer Mark Forbes and his team of animal
experts teach us what it takes to get a "perfect take" from animals on set.
• Interactive Ark Animals Game: Fun for the whole family, this interactive game
has the player collecting the animals two by two, answering trivia questions
before the floodwaters rise.
• Environment-Friendly Set: Director Tom Shadyac, Morgan Freeman and Habitat for
Humanity's Ryan Jacobi talk about the efforts taken on set to make this an
environmentally efficient production.
• Designing the Visual Effects: The designers at ILM and Rhythm & Hues
demonstrate how they created the computer-generated sequences.
SYNOPSIS: Junior congressman Evan Baxter, whose wish is to "change the world,"
is heard by none other than God (Morgan Freeman). When God appears with the
perplexing request to build an ark, Evan is sure he is losing it, along with his
family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and the news media. But soon mysterious
deliveries of wood and tools are being dropped on his doorstep, animals of every
shape and size are flocking to him two by two, and Evan's predicament starts to
mount, as well as the laughs.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Street Date: October 9, 2007
Pre-Order Close: September 4, 2007
Copyright: 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved
Price: $29.98 SRP
Selection Number: 61028674 WS; 61028675 FF
Running Time: 1 hour 36 Minutes
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1; Full Frame 1.33:1
Rating: PG for Mild Rude Humor and Some Peril
Languages/Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
CAST AND FILMMAKERS
Cast: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman, John Michael
Higgins, Jimmy Bennett, Wanda Sykes, Jonah Hill, Molly Shannon
Directed By: Tom Shadyac
Screenplay By: Steve Oedekerk
Story By: Steve Oedekerk, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow
Produced By: Tom Shadyac, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Neal H. Moritz, Michael
Bostick
Executive Producers: Ilona Herzberg, Dave Phillips, Matt Luber, Tom Hanks, Gary
Goetzman
Director of Photography: Ian Baker
Production Designer: Linda DeScenna
Film Editor: Scott Hill
Visual Effects Supervisor: Douglas Hans Smith
Costume Designer: Judy Ruskin Howell
Music By: John Debney
Co-Producer: Jonathan Watson, Amanda Morgan Palmer, Ori Marmur
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division
of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part 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. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of
NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a
valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture
company, significant television production operations, a leading television
stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by
General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
(C) 2010
