Turner Reveals New Programming Slate, Ad Initiative

NEW YORK, May 14: At its
Upfront presentation in New York today, Turner Entertainment Networks presented
an extensive new programming lineup for its three cable networks—TNT, TBS
and truTV—and unveiled TVinContext, a new targeted advertising initiative
that pairs commercials with related on-air content.

TVinContext, which has
been in development for more than a year, includes the examination and cataloging
of thousands of scenes from Turner's library of films and TV series, as well as
the custom matching of advertising content to place spots adjacent to relevant
scenes. If a movie features a scene about marriage, Turner will be able to
place an ad in the next commercial break for a related product, such as wedding
rings, and a movie scene in a cafe could be followed by an ad for coffee.

"The combined
strength of Turner's portfolio of networks makes our company unique in
television," said Steve Koonin, the president of Turner Entertainment
Networks. "We are rivals to broadcasters in every way. Our solid brands
reach huge audiences and offer quality programs. Our focus on valuable, new
offerings like TVinContext also shows that Turner is staying ahead of the
game."

David Levy, the president
of Turner Broadcasting Sales and Turner Sports, added: "At Turner
Entertainment Networks, we have solid brands, wide reach, dynamic programming
and innovative promotions. Our strong, branded entertainment portfolio presents
an excellent opportunity for advertisers, with expansive reach and ratings, as
well as diverse audiences."

On the programming front,
TNT’s original series The Closer and
Saving Grace will return with
new episodes in July. By 2010, the network expects to offer original content
Mondays through Wednesdays in prime time. In an effort to reach this goal, the
network is working on the development of several new, scripted dramas. These
include Delta Blues (working
title), following an unusual Memphis cop who also happens to be an Elvis
impersonator living at home with his mother. Other offerings include Morse
Code (working title), a crime
drama about a young war hero/Drug Enforcement Administration officer; the
cop-themed series Angel City (working
title); and from Lionsgate Television, Tough Trade, a show focusing on a family of country stars.
There are also two untitled projects in the pipeline for TNT. The first,
written and executive-produced by 24 co-creator Joel Surnow and Todd Robinson, is a drama about the life of
an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the second is a
family drama executive-produced by Rob Ulin (Roseanne, Malcolm in the Middle).

As previously announced,
TNT has greenlit three new series that will debut later this year or in early
2009: the legal drama Raising the Bar, from ABC Studios; Leverage, starring Oscar-winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People, Nero Wolfe); and Truth in Advertising, starring Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) and Tom Cavanagh (Ed). TNT has also ordered a pilot for the scripted
drama Men of a Certain Age,
starring Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), focused on three middle-aged best friends. In
terms of unscripted shows, TNT has ordered the series Wedding Day, from Mark Burnett Productions and DreamWorks
Television. Other unscripted content in development include Scott Free’s
Crimes of the Century (working
title); Behind the Drama, a
series of documentaries about the little-known stories of films, TV dramas and
top actors; Shadow of a Doubt
and Heroes Among Us (working
title).

TBS is renewing the
original series 10 Items or Less.
It is also ordering 26 additional episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which ranks as ad-supported cable's number one
original sitcom of all time. The network initially ordered 100 episodes of the
series, which debuted last summer and returns with new episodes in June.

TBS is also in development
on a number of new scripted comedy series, including an Untitled William H.
Macy/Steven Schachter Project, an Untitled
Hervey/Simmons Project and National
Banana Already in Progress, a
late-night sketch show. The network’s previously announced scripted comedy fare
included an Untitled Dave Caplan Project, an Untitled Late-Night Henson Sketch Show and an Untitled Robert Townsend Show.

Late-night comedy series
are also in development for TBS, including an Untitled Bunim/Murray Project and an Untitled Jamie Foxx/Marcus King Project.

truTV, the latest addition
to Turner's stable of networks, is bulking up its lineup of original series
with offerings like Principal’s Office (working title), focused on the life of a school administrator; Black
Gold, which premieres on June 18
and is centered on the risks and rewards of oil drilling; Ski Patrol, a personal look at men and women who work in some
of the most extreme environments in the U.S; and Man vs. Cartoon, which features a team of scientists, engineers
and inventors who investigate whether inv entions inspired by cartoons will
work in real life.

—By Irene Lew