USA Network Starts Summer Off With a Bang and Continues With Year-Round Originals in Fall 2008 With The Starter Wife

NEW YORK, March 26 -- USA Network announced today that it will continue premiering originals year-round and launch the Emmy-Award winning THE STARTER WIFE as a new original series starring Debra Messing this fall. On the heels of the successful premiere of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT on USA last October, the network will repeat the formula and premiere the new 10-episode order of last year's hit miniseries on Friday nights at 10/9c in October. The announcement was made by Jeff Wachtel, executive vice president, original programming, USA Network.

"We've had great success on Friday night with MONK and PSYCH. Last year, CRIMINAL INTENT exceeded all expectations with its Fall launch, said Wachtel. "As we look to establish beach heads for USA around the schedule and around the year, THE STARTER WIFE is a great vehicle to bring a little Indian Summer to autumn on USA!"

Below please find a list of all USA's projects that will premiere and/or return in 2008:

IN PLAIN SIGHT (NEW)

Mary McCormack ("The West Wing," "Private Parts") stars as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal working in the highly secretive branch of the witness protection program (WITSEC) who relocates Federal Witnesses -- many of whom are career criminals and others who are innocents that had the misfortune of witnessing a crime. They all have one thing in common -- someone wants them dead. Mary's job is to see that doesn't happen, while at the same time attempting to manage her own dysfunctional family. IN PLAIN SIGHT also stars Frederick Weller ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "The Shape of Things"), Lesley Ann Warren ("Desperate Housewives," "Will & Grace"), Nichole Hiltz ("NYPD Blue," "Strong Medicine"), Paul Ben-Victor ("The Wire," "Entourage"), Cristian de la Fuente ("Dancing With The Stars," "Ugly Betty") and Todd Williams ("Tilt," "Third Watch"). In Plain Sight was created and written by David Maples ("Home Improvement," "Huff"), who serves as executive producer alongside Paul Stupin ("Dawson's Creek," "Beautiful People") and comes from NBC Universal Cable Studios.

Premieres Sunday, June 8 at 10pm/9c

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT

The series takes viewers into the minds of its criminals while following the psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve the crimes. The squad investigates high-profile cases, usually homicides, such as those involving VIPs, local government officials and employees, the financial industry and the art world. Criminal Intent differs from other series in the "Law & Order" franchise because it gives a great amount of attention to the actions and motives of the criminals, rather than showing (almost exclusively) the police and prosecution's side of the case. The show stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Chris Noth, Kathryn Erbe, Julianne Nicholson and Eric Bogosian. LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT is a Wolf Films production in association with NBC Universal Cable Studios and is Dick Wolf's third installment of the "Law & Order" brand, the second-longest running drama series in the history of television. Wolf, Warren Leight, Peter Jankowski and Norberto Barba are executive producers.

Premieres Sunday, June 8 at 9pm/8c

AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO WARREN BEATTY

Warren Beatty will receive the 36th AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, the highest honor given for a career in film. The award will be presented to Beatty at a gala tribute in Los Angeles on June 12 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Beatty has starred in some of the most highly-acclaimed movies including "Reds," "Bugsy," "Bonnie and Clyde," "Shampoo" "McCabe & Mrs. Miller," and "Bulworth." With a combination of producing, acting, writing and directing credits Beatty has been nominated a total of 14 times by the Academy Awards and won for directing "Reds" in 1981. He received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial award in 2000.

Premieres Wednesday, June 25 at 9pm/8c

BURN NOTICE Returning for a second season, BURN NOTICE finds Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) on a dangerous new mission that could give him clues about what or whom he is up against regarding his burn notice. Without money but with the help of Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), he continues to help those less fortunate while struggling to put his life back together. From Fox Television Studios and Fuse Entertainment, executive produced by Mikkel Bondesen, written and executive produced by Matt Nix. Starring Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell and Sharon Gless.

Premieres Thursday, July 10 at 10pm/9c

MONK Celebrating its 100th episode this season, MONK returns with Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, the obsessive- compulsive detective. One of the critically-acclaimed and most-watched shows on cable, MONK's seventh season will continue to have great guest stars, creative cases and an all-star cast including Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford and Stanley Kamel. Executive produced by David Hoberman, Andy Breckman, Tony Shalhoub, Randy Zisk and Tom Scharpling, MONK is from NBC Universal Cable Studios in association with Mandeville Films, Inc. and ABC Studios.

Premieres Friday, July 18 at 9pm/8c

PSYCH

PSYCH centers on Shawn Spencer (James Roday), who possesses uncanny powers of observation honed by his police officer father, Henry (Corbin Bernsen), who drilled young Shawn to note even the smallest details of his surroundings. Shawn has convinced the cops that he's a psychic and with the reluctant assistance of his best-friend Gus (Dule Hill), Shawn starts solving cases for an ever-skeptical -- but grudgingly impressed -- police force. The series also stars Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson and Kirsten Nelson. PSYCH is executive produced by Steve Franks ("Big Daddy") Kelly Kulchack and Chris Henze, in association with Tagline Pictures' and NBC Universal Cable Studios.

Premieres Friday, July 18 at 10pm/9c

US OPEN

As summer winds down, the USA Network heats up with the 2008 US OPEN. The top tennis players around the world converge in Flushing, NY for the last of the four Grand Slam events. The USA Network will be there with 95 hours of live tennis action.

Premieres Monday, August 25 and runs through September 7

THE STARTER WIFE On the heels of its stellar ratings and Emmy success, USA is bringing back the hit miniseries THE STARTER WIFE as a 10-episode series, with Emmy Award- winner Debra Messing returning to star and now serving as executive producer. The series will focus on the post-divorce adventures of the lead character, Molly Kagan (Messing), as she begins a new chapter in her life. The Emmy nominated writing team of Josann McGibbon & Sara Parriott ("Runaway Bride") return as executive producers and Gigi Levangie Grazer, who penned the NY Times bestselling novel on which the miniseries was based, also returns as executive producer. The project will be produced by NBC Universal Cable Studios in association with McGibbon/Parriott Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment. Stephanie Davis ("The Caveman's Valentine"), Howard Klein ("The Office," "Carnivale") and Molly Madden ("Picture Perfect") will also serve as executive producers for 3 Arts.

Premieres October 2008

WWE's MONDAY NIGHT RAW

MONDAY NIGHT RAW continues to be the most-watched regularly scheduled year-round program on basic cable television. USA continues record-breaking ratings along with the Superstars of RAW, including John Cena, Triple H, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Mr. Kennedy and the sassy and sexy Divas, Maria and Candice Michelle.

Airs Mondays from 9-11:05pm/8 central -- 52 Weeks A Year

USA NETWORK is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. The #1 network in basic cable, USA Network is seen in nearly 94 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at http://www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.