Heavy Duty Talent Weighs in for Showtime's 'FAT ACTRESS'

John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Jeff Zucker, Mark Curry to Appear on Series Premiering March 2005

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8 -- John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Mark Curry as well as NBC Universal TV Group President Jeff Zucker will join two- time Emmy(R) Award-winner Kirstie Alley for the first episode of FAT ACTRESS, the new seven-episode comedy series debuting on Showtime in March 2005.

Production for FAT ACTRESS began in Los Angeles on September 20 and the series is slated to premiere on SHOWTIME in March 2005. This irreverent series, co-created and executive produced by Alley and Brenda Hampton ("Seventh Heaven"), is unscripted, with each episode emanating from a story outline and the actors largely improvising the dialogue. Sandy Chanley ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") also executive produces through her production company, Production Partners, Inc. Tom Bull serves as supervising producer.

Taking her life experiences and recreating them in the extreme, Alley plays a fictional version of herself -- a successful television and movie star whose weight gain has become the subject of every tabloid imaginable, as well as the bane of her existence, as she tries to find work and true love in an unforgiving Hollywood.

Bravely willing to lampoon her image, which has been mercilessly ridiculed by the tabloids over the past few years, Alley will give us a glimpse of the humor and the irony in her battle to lose weight and get back on television in a tough business that prefers the once-svelte version of the Emmy(R) Award- winning star of "Cheers." Stories will be drawn from a heightened perception of her real-life experiences and some of Alley's friends have promised to appear in guest cameos to further blur the lines between truth and fiction. Anyone struggling with issues about weight or self-esteem -- or just looking for love and happiness -- will identify with Alley's life.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Viacom Inc., owns the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME(R) TOO(TM), SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE(R) and TMC xtra. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD(R), SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND(TM). SNI operates and manages the premium television network SUNDANCE CHANNEL(R), which is a venture between NBC Universal, Robert Redford, and Showtime Networks Inc. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME(R) PPV. Additionally, the advertiser-supported television network SHOWTIME is available in Turkey through a joint venture with UK-based Zone Vision.

SOURCE Showtime Networks Inc.
Web Site: http://www.SHO.com