Entertainment

Action Will Help Ensure New York Remains a Premier Destination for the Movie and Television Industry

April 23, 2008 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced that he will sign legislation this afternoon, which will dramatically expand the Empire State film production tax credit program and help attract even more movie and television industry business to New York.

Manhattan film set: Photo by Napoleon Cole (CC)    » read more »

April 15, 2008 -- LOS ANGELES -- The Writers Guild of America, West's Animation Writers Caucus (AWC) has awarded its tenth-annual Animation Writing Award for lifetime achievement to acclaimed Pixar writer-director Brad Bird, whose most recent film, Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille, won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.

Brad Bird: Photo by Steve Rhodes (CC)

Bird's two-decade career and craft will be feted at the WGA West's 2008 Honorary Awards Luncheon on April 23 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.    » read more »

Beverly Hills, CA, April 10, 2008 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in association with the Film Department of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, will present “A Centennial Tribute to Bette Davis” on Thursday, May 1, at 8 p.m. in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Hosted by Robert Osborne, the program will honor the legendary actress with an evening featuring clips of her indelible screen performances as well as onstage discussions with several of her colleagues, friends and family, including Joan Leslie, James Woods, Kathryn Sermak, Gena Rowlands, and Davis’s son, Michael Merrill.    » read more »

Five-Part Series by Renowned Reality Producers Thom Beers and Bertram van Munster Provide Viewers with Heart-Pounding Adventures and Innovative Digital Media Content

Building on Key Viewer Engagement

LOS ANGELES, Ca., April 08, 2008 – TLC kicks off the 2008 upfront season by unveiling a new brand, an aggressive slate of programming and a scheduling strategy that creates three unique ways for advertisers to be organically integrated into the network and speak directly to their target audience. Boasting the most engaged audience on cable (#1 with A18-49), the brand’s "real-life" content delivers an unmatched connection with its viewers and for its advertisers across all platforms.    » read more »

On Hooves of Recent Rebrand, Network Announces Most Ambitious Series & Specials Roster Ever

LOS ANGELES, Ca., April 08, 2008 – Animal Planet, the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom, unveils its most ambitious slate ever for the 2008-2009 season. The new Animal Planet, which relaunched with an "Entertainment Has a New Face" brand campaign in February, presents bold new entertainment-focused programming that taps into people’s primal instincts with compelling stories, engaging characters and the innate drama of the natural world.    » read more »

LOS ANGELES, Ca., April 08, 2008 – This upfront season, Science Channel and Science Channel HD are immersing viewers in a full spectrum of scientific topics ranging from string theory and futuristic cities to accidental discoveries and outrageous inventions. Science Channel’s 2008–09 Upfront Season celebrates the cause and effect, the trials and errors, and the eureka moments—sometimes born out of amusing miscalculations—that only science can deliver.    » read more »

LOS ANGELES, Ca., April 08, 2008 – Discovery Communications started a new conversation today about what it means to be green as it unveiled a robust slate of programming for Planet Green, the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network. At 6 p.m. EDT on June 4, 2008, when Discovery Home Channel is re-branded Planet Green, the network will reach 50 million homes with more than 250 hours of original green lifestyle programming. An authoritative and diverse group of celebrities and personalities including Adrian Grenier, Tom Bergeron, Emeril Lagasse, Maria Menounos, Tom Brokaw and Tom Green share their passion for the planet through a host of entertaining series and specials.    » read more »

Premiere Series and Specials Offer Audiences Real Human Interest Television

LOS ANGELES, Ca., April 08, 2008 – The Discovery Health upfront slate for 2008-2009 combines top-quality content, true-life stories and esteemed experts to deliver viewers content that matters. Up through its transition to OWN: THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK later in 2009, Discovery Health will continue to provide audiences with relevant, premium programming that they can look to for entertainment, information and inspiration.    » read more »

Featuring Dramatic Stories of Human Nature, Culture and Civilization, Investigation Discovery Continues Its Growth with 2008/2009 Upfront Line-Up

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 08, 2008 – Military Channel takes viewers "behind the lines," presenting the real-world stories of human drama, heroism and technological innovation intrinsic to the armed forces. Viewers are responding positively to this unique programming offering. In first quarter 2008, Military Channel experienced its strongest quarterly primetime and total day delivery levels among key demographics including P2+, P25-54 and M25-54, representing double-digit increases over first quarter 2007.*    » read more »

LOS ANGELES, Ca., April 08, 2008 – Discovery Kids is the destination for kids of all ages looking to satisfy their curiosity about everything. Committed to bringing the real world to real kids, Discovery Kids educates, engages and fosters curiosity in its viewers. Discovery Kids is also the recipient of multiple daytime Emmy® and Parents Choice nominations and awards, recognizing the network’s dedication to delivering real life-based, entertaining programs to kids.    » read more »

LOS ANGELES, Ca., April 08, 2008 – FitTV, the network focused on fitness and wellness programming, is designed to give viewers the tools and motivation to take control of their lives by taking control of their health. FitTV not only instructs but it also inspires with programming that reveals the power of the body, mind and spirit. By creating new programming blocks, FitTV aims to help viewers get up and get moving with the following themed nights:

* Get Started Mondays – Healthy cooking tips to kick-start the week
* Transformation Tuesdays – Unconventional workouts to keep things lively
* Living Fit Wednesdays – Experts sharing the secrets of living a healthy lifestyle
* Kick Butt Thursdays – At-home training from fitness gurus    » read more »

Produced by BBC’s award-winning PLANET EARTH team

LOS ANGELES, Ca., April 08, 2008 – Discovery Channel announces an ambitious Upfront slate packed with specials and series that embrace imagination, exploration and adventure.

From the last great race left on the planet to the competition for a new kind of life beyond Earth, from the heart of Amazonia to the caves of Timbuktu, Discovery Channel documents the world in all its wonder.

"Discovery Channel is a window into the awesome power of the Earth," said John Ford, president and general manager, Discovery Channel. "Using the highest-quality storytelling and filmmaking techniques, our programs delve into topics ranging from science and engineering to anthropology and archaeology. No one can match Discovery’s ability to invite our viewers into the action as it unfolds."    » read more »