Spike TV Plays Amateur Detective to Solve Real-Life Crimes in 'Murder'

Bunim-Murray to Produce 10 Episode Series in which Amateur Sleuths Attempt to Correctly Solve Homicide Cases Pulled from Actual Police Files Premieres Summer 2007

NEW YORK, Feb. 20 -- Spike TV has ordered 10 one-hour episodes of the alternative/reality series "Murder" from reality innovator Bunim-Murray Productions, set to premiere in the Summer of 2007. Following in the dramatic tradition of "CSI" and "Law and Order," "Murder" is an unscripted series in which amateur sleuths try to correctly solve a real homicide pulled directly from police files.

Each episode of "Murder" begins with series host, 20-year Arlington, TX law enforcement veteran with multiple capital murder convictions, Detective Tommy Le Noir escorting two groups of civilians into an exact replica crime scene pulled from the files of an existing homicide case. The original crime scenes are re-created down to the very last detail, so that teams experience exactly what the original detectives encountered when they first entered the crime scene and began their investigation. Every pertinent detail available to the original detectives has been recreated and is available to the teams, who have the opportunity to assess the crime scene and collect evidence. Our real-life homicide detective also reveals a list of potential suspects, along with their backgrounds and alibis. The teams also meet with a coroner who reviews the findings of the original autopsy report.

The contestants are given 48 hours to complete their investigation, collect and catalogue their evidence and use their own smarts and instincts to find the murderer. Each group makes a dynamic visual presentation with its findings to Detective Le Noir. After the presentations, Detective Le Noir presents what actually happened at the crime scene and reveals which group came to the correct case conclusion. Each week, the group that made the correct, or more compelling case, will have a donation made in their names to a selected victim's charity.

"For the viewer, 'Murder' fuses the authenticity of a real-life crime scene with the suspense of trying to solve the murder before the contestants on the show," said Jon Murray, Executive Producer and Chairman and President, Bunim-Murray Productions. "We are excited to be working with Spike TV on such a cutting-edge series and hope the audience will take away a sense of how strategic and meticulous crime detectives must be on a daily basis."

Kevin Lee of Tollbooth Television, who created the series and Jon Murray of Bunim-Murray serve as Executive Producers for "Murder." Sharon Levy is Spike TV's Senior Vice President of Alternative Programming. Tim Duffy is Spike TV's Executive in Charge of Production.

Bunim-Murray Productions is the leading independent producer of innovative entertainment content. The company is widely credited with creating the reality television genre with its hit series "The Real World" (now in its 18th season on MTV). Bunim-Murray's other current programming includes "Road Rules" (with its return on MTV earlier this year), "Real World Road Rules Challenge" (MTV), "The Simple Life" (renewed for its fifth season on E!) and "The Bad Girls Club" (Oxygen). Bunim-Murray also recently launched M Theory Entertainment, a spin-off entity focusing on new media initiatives, to better reach the Digital Generation. Bunim-Murray Productions is based in Van Nuys, CA. It was founded in 1987 by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim.

Spike TV is available in 91.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

SOURCE Spike TV
http://www.spiketv.com/