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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
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