or


[01/11/05 - 12:00 AM]
Oxygen Seeks Gorgeous Guy to Grace the Covers of Harlequin Romance Novels

[via press release from Oxygen]

OXYGEN SEEKS GORGEOUS GUY TO GRACE THE COVERS OF HARLEQUIN ROMANCE NOVELS

------

Oxygen�s Newest Comedy/Reality Series, Mr. Romance, Awards Appearances on Romance Book Covers, Premieres Monday, March 14 at 10:00 PM*

------

LOS ANGELES, January 11, 2005 � The tension is palpable as Oxygen turns a comic eye on the search for the next Fabio. Mr. Romance, created by Gene Simmons of KISS, chronicles the trials and tribulations of aspiring Adonises who compete to see just who will grace the cover of the next Harlequin romance novel. The show, premiering Monday, March 14 at 10:00 p.m. features 12 beefy guys who enter a veritable �romance boot camp� and prepare to compete in the Mr. Romance man-pageant. The winner walks away with guaranteed appearances on Harlequin romance book covers and a $50,000 cash prize.

Cameras roll for five one-hour episodes and a two-hour finale as twelve participants train to strike the pose, walk the catwalk and sculpt their bodies into temples worthy of worship. Viewers will be left breathless and begging for more as their future knight in shining armor gets lessons in seduction and kissing for the camera. With no elimination until the final pageant, the season finale dramatically culminates with a grand man-pageant in front of a live, all-female studio audience and a panel of celebrity judges/guests and romance professionals, including Fabio, Gene Simmons and TV personality Tina Malave.

Comedian Fred Willard of Best in Show and Anchorman also joins the finale as a pageant commentator, similar to those of more traditional televised beauty pageants. Alongside Fabio and Malave, Willard provides the TV audience with color commentary punctuated by his notable humor and satiric observations.

Fabio, featured on the covers of over 1,000 romance titles, acts as a role model throughout the series, providing the contestants the inside knowledge and know-how on what it takes woo and charm the ladies. Whether making a gallant entrance on his white horse or dishing out words of wisdom, Fabio adds a flavorful and fun approach to finding the newest romance novel cover model.

Cindy Guyer, who has appeared on more romance novel covers than any other model, acts as the �headmistress of the romance academy.� Guyer, the former model for Nancy Drew book covers, has appeared on over 2,000 national magazines and book covers.

�We love this show because it�s funny, affectionate and sexy�all at the same time. It�s a funny take on a fairytale land,� said Debby Beece, President of Programming for Oxygen Media. �We want to paint a portrait of the quirky world of male modeling competitions�chronicling these men, not mocking them�giving women a glimpse into the absurd and the serious side of what it takes to get on the cover of a Harlequin Romance Novel.�

The Greif Company (Lifetime�s Intimate Portraits, Headliners & Legends) and Jude Weng (The Mole 3 and The Next Action Hero) are the series� producers.

About Oxygen Media

Oxygen Media is a 24-hour cable television network that puts a fresh spin on television for women. Oxygen airs a diverse array of original series including the spontaneous, unscripted, daily Oprah After the Show, the hidden camera prank show Girls Behaving Badly, and the live call-in show Talk Sex with Sue Johanson. Oxygen is also the home base for Ellen DeGeneres with the acquisition of her hit talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show and sitcom Ellen. Oxygen airs more original programming and delivers the youngest audience of all the women�s networks. Founded in 1998, the network is independently owned and now available in 54 million cable households. Oxygen Media also owns and operates www.oxygen.com.





  [january 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, THE (SYNDICATION)
· MOLE, THE (ABC)
· MR. ROMANCE (OXYGEN)
· NEXT ACTION STAR, THE (NBC)





[04/07/25 - 02:20 PM]
ABC Scores Third Most-Watched NCAA Women's Championship Ever on ESPN Platforms
The telecast averaged 8.5 million viewers and peaked at 9.8 million viewers.

[04/07/25 - 11:56 AM]
"The White Lotus" Finale Episode Draws 6.2 Million U.S. Sunday Night Viewers, Breaking Viewership Records for Third Consecutive Week
Sunday's season finale episode performed an astounding 51% higher than the Season 2 finale (4.1 million U.S. viewers).

[04/07/25 - 11:50 AM]
FOX Flips "The Great North," "Krapopolis" on Sundays
Effective this Sunday, April 13, look for "The Great North" to follow "Krapopolis" in the anchor slot.

[04/07/25 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Documentary Films Presents "The Dark Money Game" Featuring Two Films, "Ohio Confidential" and "Wealth of the Wicked," Debuting April 15 & 16
The films investigate the shadowy world of political donations and fundraising 15 years after the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizen's United case, which enabled unlimited spending by hidden sources on many political campaigns.

[04/07/25 - 09:31 AM]
The Sabotage Game Is Back in "Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out" Where Culinary Skills Meet Culinary Curveballs
The nine-episode series premieres on Tuesday, May 13 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, and streams next day on Max.

[04/07/25 - 09:00 AM]
Prime Video Releases Key Art for Benito Skinner's Comedy Series "Overcompensating"
The comedy series, produced by A24, Strong Baby and Amazon MGM Studios, will premiere all eight episodes on May 15 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[04/07/25 - 08:30 AM]
Quirky New Zealand Crime Drama, "The Brokenwood Mysteries," Returns to Acorn TV on Monday, April 21
Starring Neill Rea as Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd and Fern Sutherland as by-the-book Detective Kristin Sims, the captivating series sees the formidable duo and their team investigate crimes in the sleepy and secret-filled town of Brokenwood, New Zealand.

[04/07/25 - 08:04 AM]
Three Mothers United by Tragedy Share Their Heart-Wrenching Journey for Answers in "The Bakersfield 3: A Tale of Murder and Motherhood"
The three-part docuseries will premiere on Sunday, May 11 from 8-11pm ET/PT on ID and will stream on Max.

[04/07/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Havoc" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a drug heist swerves lethally out of control, a jaded cop fights his way through a corrupt city's criminal underworld to save a politician's son.

[04/07/25 - 07:04 AM]
Shudder Teams with Greg Nicotero, Award-Winning Special Effects Artist and Executive Producer, on New Unscripted Horror-Based Competition Series "Guts & Glory"
"Guts & Glory," which features an integrated sponsorship by Hyundai, is set to debut later this year on both Shudder and AMC+ (U.S. and Canada).

[04/07/25 - 07:04 AM]
Acorn TV Greenlights Brooke Shields Crime Drama "Allie & Andi"
Set in a quaint New England colonial town, the six-episode murder mystery series follows a bestselling novelist (Shields) who forms an unlikely alliance with an aspiring writer and influencer to find the killer of a close friend.

[04/07/25 - 07:03 AM]
Horror Is Scary Good Business
This Halloween season, AMC Networks and Sphere are teaming up for a first-of-its-kind co-branded advertiser promotion that will offer brands unprecedented exposure across three high-profile platforms: AMC's annual FearFest event, Shudder, and Sphere's annual "Sphere of Fear" Exosphere show.

[04/07/25 - 07:02 AM]
Big Anniversaries, Fan-Favorite Franchises, Content Room Has Something for Every Brand This Upfront
Opportunities include the 15th anniversary of "The Walking Dead" this October (on Halloween) and a year-long "backstage pass" to rock star Lestat's headlining role in the upcoming third season of "Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire."

[04/07/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Battle Camp" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In "Battle Camp," the greatest stars from across Netflix's broad slate of reality and doc-series return to face the ultimate physical and mental competition, where a giant spinning wheel randomly decides who stays and who goes.

[04/07/25 - 07:01 AM]
AMC Networks Building "Great American Stories" Television Franchise Honoring America's Most Talented Writers and Timeless Stories, Starting with John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath"
Each season of the anthology series will be devoted to a different celebrated work, historical moment, or individual narrative celebrating and highlighting the American spirit.