VH1 Is in Search of America's 'Numero Uno Telenovela Star' on "Viva Hollywood!"

NEW YORK, April 7, 2008 -- Latin Telenovela stars are so hot, so sexy, so extreme -- and so emotional. Thanks to VH1, American viewers will get their first taste of how addicting these shows and stars truly are. VH1 is in search of America's "numero uno telenovela star" and will chronicle the journey to stardom in its newest original series, "Viva Hollywood!" premiering Sunday, April 13 at 10:30 PM ET/PT. After its 90-minute premiere episode the series will move to its regular time slot of 10 PM ET/PT each Sunday night.

VH1's "Viva Hollywood!": Hosted by Maria Conchita Alonso and Carlos Ponce (Source: VH1)

"VIVA HOLLYWOOD!" Premiering Sunday, April 13 and Hosted By Maria Conchita Alonso And Carlos Ponce, Challenges 12 Aspiring BILINGUAL Telenovela Stars To Bring The Hot, Steamy And Highly Emotional World Of Telenovelas To The American Public

The "Viva Hollywood!" cast, a bilingual group of aspiring Latino and Latina telenovela stars: Alexcy, Berto, Enrique, Geovannie, Gisel, Jainmy, Kalain, Janet, Jenn, Roseny, Silvia and Vinci will move into the "Casa De Locos" where they must master the "7 Deadly Sins of Telenovelas:" passion, lust, charisma, drama, fire, seduction and scandal. The "sins" are disciplines each cast member must learn in order to capture the over-the-top style and flair of a true telenovela star and impress the celebrity judges: the award- winning actress and singer Maria Conchita Alonso and accomplished actor singer/song-writer Carlos Ponce. International celebrity astrologer and Latino legend, Walter Mercado, will appear in each episode to give the contestants guidance on their journey and alert the cast of their upcoming challenges. Sofia Vergara, Daisy Fuentes, Angelica Vale, Charo, Christian De La Fuentes, Lorena Rojas, Maria Celeste Arraras and Perez Hilton have signed on as celebrity guests. "Viva Hollywood!" is the first reality show where the losers aren't just eliminated, they're killed off. As each week contestants watch themselves in an over the top telenovela death scene to see if they live another day or "die" trying. Ay Dios Mio!

"Each day, an astounding two billion people around the world watch telenovelas which are a vibrant and historic part of the Latino community. We wanted to tap into and expand on the passion that surrounds this phenomenon," said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Production, VH1. "If you love telenovelas, you will love this show, if you never heard of a telenovela you will love this show because the stakes are huge with a real chance at international superstardom and that is an appeal and a hook that is universal."

"With 'Viva Hollywood!' VH1 has given World of Wonder and our partners Latin World Entertainment the opportunity to produce a groundbreaking show that crosses cultural lines, and pays tribute to our obsession with the passion, fashion and machinations of telenovelas," said World of Wonder Executive Producer, Tom Campbell.

In the end, only one of the 12 bilingual contestants will have what it takes to win the coveted title of America's "Numero Uno Telenovela Star," and a prize package that includes a contract with Telemundo and a role in one of their upcoming telenovelas, representation from artist management company Latin World Entertainment ( latinwe.com ), a year's lease at one of Miami's hottest condominiums, the Flamingo South Beach and a cash grand prize of $100,000.

VH1.com will sneak peek episode one beginning Tuesday, April 8 -- five days before the series' on-air premiere and will be home to exclusive video content throughout the season. Additionally, each episode will be available on VH1.com every Monday following its Sunday on-air premiere.

"Viva Hollywood!" is executive produced by Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell and Danny Salles for World of Wonder Productions. Also serving as executive producers are Luis Balaguer for Latin World Entertainment and Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, Kristen Kelly, Jenn Levy and Alex Demyanenko for VH1.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 90 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com . Connect with VH1 at VH1.com .

Based in both Los Angeles and London, World of Wonder is best known for award-winning films and documentaries "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," "Party Monster" as well as the television series "What Perez Sez" (VH1), "Tori & Dean: Inn Love" (Oxygen), and "The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman" (IFC). World of Wonder is also a pioneer in on-line television with its own IPTV site wowtv.tv .

More information on WOW's exciting development slate can be found on their daily pop culture blog worldofwonder.net .

SOURCE VH1