TNT Orders Pilot for Drama Series MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE, Starring Emmy� Winner Ray Romano

Romano to Star in New Series Exploring Male Friendship

Romano and Mike Royce Wrote Pilot

TNT has ordered a one-hour pilot of MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE, a new character-based drama from Everybody Loves Raymond Emmy� winners Ray Romano and Mike Royce. Romano will star in the project that takes a wry look at what it means to be a guy approaching mid-life while also exploring the unique bonds of male friendship. Romano wrote the pilot script with Royce and will executive-produce with Royce (who will serve as show runner), Rory Rosegarten and Cary Hoffman.

"MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE is about the highs and lows of being a guy in the modern era. It's about three best friends, each hoping to fulfill his dreams before the clock starts running out," said Michael Wright, senior vice president in charge of the content creation group for TNT and its sister networks, TBS and Turner Classic Movies. "It's an honest, emotional, funny and very personal take on the subject. MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE is a very special project for TNT, and we're proud to be doing it with Ray and Mike. When we read the script we knew right away this is a series we want to bring to our audience."

"Mike and I have always had success writing what we know. What we know now is that we're middle aged, neurotic and fat," said Romano. "We're excited to be working with Michael Wright and TNT, who have been incredibly enthusiastic and supportive."

MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE follows three guys who have been best friends since college. Now in their 40s, they're finding that life is indeed, as John Lennon once said, "what happens when you're making other plans." The show focuses on Joe (Romano), a friendly, 40-something, slightly neurotic, divorced father of two who had dreams of being a professional golfer but instead owns and runs a party store. He has two best friends: Owen, an overstressed African-American husband and father who is a car salesman at his dad's dealership, and Terry, an offbeat handsome, intelligent and still struggling-to-make it actor.

MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE is the latest project to emerge as part of TNT's aggressive plan to change most of the network's weekday, primetime schedule to originals by 2010. The network currently has 15 projects in various stages of development, including both scripted dramas and unscripted programs.

Turner Network Television (TNT), television's destination for drama and one of cable's top-rated networks, offers original movies and series, including the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; and Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton. TNT is also home to powerful one-hour dramas, such as Bones, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling prime-time specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards�; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.