The N Commences Production on The Block (working title), a New Series That Explores the Emotional Life of Teens From Executive Producers Sri Rao and Richard Kramer

10 Half-Hour Episodes Shot on Location in and Around Philadelphia

NEW YORK, May 2 -- The N, the nighttime network for teens, hits the city of brotherly love to commence production on a new half-hour series, The Block (working title). The series, which recently commenced production on location in and around Philadelphia, will continue shooting until Monday, June 19. The new series will premiere on The N in 2007.

The Block is written, directed, created and executive produced by Sri Rao. Richard Kramer, an award-winning writer/producer on many acclaimed series including, the first series of Tales of the City, thirtysomething, Once & Again and My So Called Life, also serves as executive producer.

"Sri Rao and Richard Kramer have created an honest and unapologetic look at teen life in 2006," said Amy Friedman, Senior Vice President, Development / Creative Director, Nickelodeon Digital Television. "What makes this show unique is the compelling male point of view, which we believe our audience will love."

The Block is an ensemble drama that explores the lives of five teenagers growing up in a typical suburban neighborhood. The series takes an honest look at the journey of adolescence -- figuring out who you are in the context of who you were and who you want to be. The Block delves into the spaces these teens live their lives outside of school -- chronicling the relationships with parents, families, friends and crushes.

The story opens with Brady Carter, the quintessential 16-year-old jock. Charming and outgoing, Brady is the guy that all the girls want and all the guys want to be. But underneath the charisma lies the true struggle that all boys face -- figuring out how to be a man. Through Brady, The Block explores the emotional life of boys -- a world that covers hardship with bravado and connection with competition.

Brady lives at home with his father and older brothers Noah and Justin. His four neighbors, Dia, Coral, Meghan and Ethan, each play an integral part in his life.

Brady's girlfriend is Dia, a beautiful and feisty bi-racial Indian American girl. On the outside, everyone thinks they know who Dia is -- the "smart girl." But on the inside, Dia knows that's all a sham. Her journey will be to reconcile others' expectations of her with who she is in reality.

New to the neighborhood is Coral, a troubled girl with tragedy in her past. As Coral connects with Brady and his brother Noah, she must learn how to live life -- how to move beyond the pill-popping cliche and let happiness in.

Coral's new stepsister is Meghan, the "every girl." With an athletic and "normal" body, Meghan grapples with the same insecurities that many girls face. Her story is about a young woman discovering her sexuality -- a complicated and confusing journey that places her as neither virginal nor promiscuous ... but rather, somewhere in between.

Brady develops an unlikely friendship with Ethan, his gay next door neighbor. Ethan is out with his sexuality and proud. Coming out is "so 1999" -- so his orientation is not an issue. But actually having a relationship with another guy is a totally different story. It's one thing to be out, it's another thing to be emotionally vulnerable.

Chad Hodge, Ian Goldberg (Related), Joshua Sternfeld (Winter Solstice), James Still, Trista Gladden, Jason Schafer (Trick) and Savannah Dooley join as writers.

The series is produced by Sri & Company, an independent film and television production company with offices in New York City and Philadelphia. Sri & Company maintains its own 30,000-square-foot film studio which allows the company to offer a full range of production services. Sri & Company's upcoming slate includes the scripted drama series The Block for The N and the indie film "Tuesday."

The N, the nighttime network for teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 48 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television. The N's mission is to be the authentic voice for teens and help them figure out their lives with relevant, topical programming on-air and online at the network's web site http://www.the-n.com. The N airs everyday from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (ET). The N and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

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