LIVING Bags Viva Laughlin

LONDON, August 23: Sony
Pictures Television International has licensed the exclusive U.K. rights for Viva
Laughlin, the CBS version of the
BBC’s Viva Blackpool, to Virgin
Media Television-owned entertainment channel LIVING.

The 22×1-hour series stars
Briton Lloyd Owen (Monarch of the Glen), Melanie Griffiths (Working Girl, Bonfire of the Vanities), Madchen Amick (Twin Peaks, Sleepwalkers) and Hugh
Jackman (The Prestige, Van Helsing, X-Men), who also executive produces the show. Viva
Laughlin follows a small-time
casino owner (Owen), who struggles to support his family while pursing the
American Dream. The odds are stacked against him, but he is an ultimate gambler
who sees only deals to be struck and wagers to be won. The show is described as
part drama, part thriller and part musical, as it incorporates classic songs
such as Elvis Presley’s Viva Las Vegas and Blondie’s One Way or Another, among others, into its scenes.

Amy Barham, Virgin Media
Television’s head of acquisitions, noted: “LIVING viewers expect something
unique from our channel, and Viva Laughlin is a show that really pushes boundaries and exceeds expectations.
There is quite simply nothing like it in the marketplace and this is a huge
part of its appeal as well as its incredible cast and strong narrative.”

Viva Laughlin launches in the U.S. on CBS in October and on the
U.K.’s LIVING in 2008.