Calling All Fans of 'THE L WORD(R)' - Showtime and FanLib Want You to Script a Fanisode(TM)

Competition Will Create First-Ever Network-Sanctioned, Fan-Written Original Script For the Critically-Acclaimed Drama

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1 -- Showtime Networks Inc. and FanLib announced today that registration is open for the first network-sanctioned, collaborative writing event featuring fans developing a script for an existing series.

Registration is now open for "THE L WORD - A Fanisode" at http://www.LwordFanisode.com. People who register prior to February 3rd have a chance to win a shopping spree from saks.com worth $5000.

Each week through March 31, 2006, millions of fans of THE L WORD will be invited online to write, read, rate and discuss short scenes based on an instructive "scene mission" provided by a member of the writing team from the hit cable series. Fans submit their original scenes, the online community votes, and at the end of each week, the most popular fan-submitted scene will be added to the script in progress. The process will repeat each week with a new "scene mission" until the entire script is complete.

"It's exciting to get to share the fate of these characters with people so passionate about them. I'm really curious to see the diverging stories coming from so many different fans," said Ariel Schrag, a member of the THE L WORD writing team, and moderator of the online event.

"For the first time ever, fans are invited to team-up with a writer from their favorite show to collectively write an episode. By creating this "fanisode," viewers of THE L WORD have a golden opportunity to interact with the characters that they've grown to love in a new and exciting way," said Chris Williams, co-creator of FanLib and a former executive at Yahoo!, Inc.

All participants, including those who vote, and those who submit, will have the opportunity to win prizes that will be provided by Showtime and the event sponsors.

"THE L WORD - A Fanisode" is sponsored by FOX Searchlight's "Imagine Me & You," now in theaters, saks.com, the online retail destination for esteemed retailer Saks Fifth Avenue, LendingTree, and Love and Pride jewelry.

Prizes include a private online mentoring session with a writer for THE L WORD, as well as original wardrobe from the show, an autographed script, and DVDs and other merchandise. Other prizes include shopping sprees at saks.com, and merchandise from Love and Pride jewelry store.

Contributors of highly-rated scenes and other winners will be featured prominently online during the event, giving them a taste of online fame. FanLib's innovative system enables Showtime to establish an incomparable consumer-generated media community where fans can interact with each other and with their favorite show.

At the conclusion of the event, Showtime and FanLib will publish a free commemorative eZine (a downloadable digital magazine) featuring the completed script, plus a number of alternative scenes and editorial features including profiles of the winning contributors and other participants. The eZine will be distributed online to all of the participants and voters and other members of the show's online community as a pass-along memento of the event.

The third season of THE L WORD which stars Jennifer Beals, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner, Katherine Moennig, Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey, Sarah Shahi, Rachel Shelley and Pam Grier, premiered on Sunday, January 8, and new episodes continue every Sunday at 10pm ET/PT only on Showtime.

Though the script will not be produced as part of the show's upcoming third season, Showtime and the producers of THE L WORD have the option to produce the finished script in the future.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates 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(TM), SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(TM) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND(TM). SNI also is an owner of 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.

FanLib(R) is driven by a simple idea -- People powered entertainment. Our unique software and services unleash the creativity of entertainment fans and keep our customers at the forefront of entertainment, marketing and technology. In synch with the Participation Age, FanLib's community-driven online experiences produce consumer-generated media that is ready for the marketplace. The result: More value for marketers, more manageability for producers and, most importantly, more fun for fans. Conceived by veteran film writer/director Craig Singer and developed by online entertainment pioneer David B. Williams, the patent-pending FanLib technology empowers mass audiences to create quality stories and scripts collectively and democratically. FanLib is a division of My2Centences LLC(R), a provider of entertainment, technology and marketing solutions founded in 2001 by Craig Singer and former Yahoo! executive Chris Williams. On the Web: http://www.FanLib.com.

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