JoBeth Williams and Rick Schroder On Call for TNT Original Hospital Drama 14 HOURS
A Johnson & Johnson Spotlight PresentationSM Produced by Cosmic Entertainment, MAGNA Global Entertainment and Paramount Network Television
Turner Network Television (TNT), television�s destination for drama, will tell the true story of a hospital brought to its knees by a horrific storm with 14 HOURS, A JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONSM, announced Michael Wright, senior vice president of original programming for TNT. Three-time Golden Globe nominee and three-time Emmy nominee JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist, From the Earth to the Moon) and Rick Schroder (Lonesome Dove, NYPD Blue) are signed to star in the two-hour original movie, which comes to TNT from Cosmic Entertainment, MAGNA Global Entertainment and Paramount Network Television. Goldie Hawn, Shanna Nussbaum and Jay Cohen serve as executive producers for Cosmic Entertainment, along with MAGNA Global Entertainment�s Frances Croke Page and Elaine Frontain Bryant. Gregg Champion (The Cowboy Way) is directing 14 HOURS from a screenplay by Danilo Bach (Beverly Hills Cop).
�This true story of how one hospital stood up to almost impossible odds to keep its doors open during a horrifying ordeal is drama at its most gripping,� said Wright. �We�re proud to be working with such fine talent both in front of and behind the camera, and we are thrilled to be partnering once again with Johnson & Johnson as we continue TNT�s tradition of creating memorable, high-quality dramatic television.�
�We are pleased to bring 14 HOURS to TNT as the latest in the JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONSM series," said Andrea Alstrup, vice president, advertising, Johnson & Johnson. "This exciting film tells the dramatic story of people pulling together to resolve their problems and helping others in a time of adversity."
14 HOURS tells the harrowing tale of a hospital in Texas besieged by a monstrous storm, one that threatens both patients and staff. But in a memorable show of community, everyone comes together to ensure that not a single life is lost during the ordeal.
Williams has starred in such memorable feature films as Kramer vs. Kramer, Poltergeist and The Big Chill, while also starring in such acclaimed television productions as The Day After, Baby M, My Name is Bill W., Breaking Through, From the Earth to the Moon and Homeward Bound. She also starred in the television series The Client. In 1994, Williams directed the short film On Hope, earning an Oscar� nomination. Williams can next be seen starring in the upcoming film Fever Pitch, the new Farrelly Brothers movie with Drew Barrymore.
Schroder�s extensive credits as a child actor include The Champ, for which he earned a Golden Globe, and The Earthling, as well as several made-for-TV features. In 1982, he was cast in a starring role in the hit comedy series Silver Spoons. His career continued to blossom as he grew into adulthood, starring in such memorable television productions as Lonesome Dove, Return to Lonesome Dove and Texas, as well as the big-screen blockbuster Crimson Tide. For three seasons, he played Detective Danny Sorenson on the hit series NYPD Blue and recently starred in the A&E telefilm The Lost Battalion. This year, Schroder marked his directing debut with the boxing tale Black Cloud, which earned the Audience Award at the Phoenix Film Festival. Schroder has also been nominated for a Country Music Award as the director of the Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss music video �Whiskey Lullaby.�
Champion has directed such theatrical films as Short Time and The Cowboy Way, as well as such television films as The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn, Dobson�s Journey, The Last Brickmaker in America, Stealing Christmas and Miracle Run. In addition, he directed episodes of the series Walker, Texas Ranger and The Magnificent Seven.
Bach�s writing credits include the original story for Beverly Hills Cop and the screenplay for April Fool�s Day. He also wrote and produced the television film Escape Clause.
14 HOURS is the sixth TNT Original to be produced under the JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONSM banner. The critically acclaimed, award-winning Door to Door, starring Emmy-winner William H. Macy as a successful door-to-door salesman with cerebral palsy, was the first JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONSM, premiering on TNT in July 2002. It was followed by Miss Lettie and Me, starring Mary Tyler Moore and Burt Reynolds, in December 2002; Wilder Days, starring Peter Falk and Tim Daly, in October 2003; and The Winning Season, with Matthew Modine and Kristin Davis, in April 2004.
The most recent entry in the series of acclaimed films is The Wool Cap, which re-teams Door to Door�s star/writer William H. Macy and writer/director Steven Schachter for the poignant tale of a mute building superintendent who finds a new lease on life through his friendship with a young homeless girl. The Wool Cap premieres on TNT Sunday, Nov. 21.
A service trademark of Johnson & Johnson, the JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONSM development effort was initiated by Interpublic�s MAGNA Global Entertainment. Johnson & Johnson has long supported the creation of quality programming, and through the JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONSM series, the company has partnered with TNT to bring inspirational stories to the American viewing public.
Cosmic Entertainment, whose principals are Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson, is currently in production on such projects as Two for the Money, with Matthew McConaughey and Al Pacino; Mad Money, with Diane Keaton; The Orphan King, starring Andrew McCarthy and Bill Pullman; and Red, a modern-day werewolf story. Cosmic Entertainment is also producing Beyond The Sound of Music and developing series for television.
MAGNA Global Entertainment (MGE) is a division of Interpublic�s MAGNA Global USA, which represents over $40 billion in aggregated Interpublic worldwide media billings. Less than three years old, MGE is already an industry leader in advertiser-supplied programming. MGE has produced 62 hours of original programming and over 200 hours of total television viewing on seven networks for 15 clients. Notable successes include the critically acclaimed hit series The Restaurant on NBC and Blow Out on Bravo.
Turner Network Television (TNT), television�s destination for drama and one of cable�s top-rated networks, offers award-caliber original films, such as the JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONSM The Wool Cap and the adventure drama The Librarian: Quest for the Spear; highly anticipated original series, including the Steven Spielberg 12-hour series, Into the West; powerful one-hour dramas, such as Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER, NYPD Blue, Charmed, Judging Amy and Angel; broadcast premiere movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is also available in high-definition.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming for the television industry.
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