or


[10/07/08 - 12:29 PM]
Terry Pratchett's the Color of Magic Set to Make U.S. Debut on Ion Television
Sean Astin, Tim Curry and Sir David Jason star in the four-hour event, airing Sunday, November 23 at 7:00/6:00c.

[via press release from ION Media Networks]

TERRY PRATCHETT'S THE COLOR OF MAGIC SET TO MAKE U.S. DEBUT ON ION TELEVISION

RHI Original Miniseries Starring Sean Astin, Tim Curry and Sir David Jason, To Premiere Sunday, November 23

(West Palm Beach, Fla. and New York, N.Y. � October 07, 2008) � ION Television, the "Positively Entertaining" general entertainment network available to over 94 million homes, and RHI Entertainment, the leader in the production and distribution of groundbreaking movies, miniseries and series for television, today announced the U.S. debut of The Color of Magic, a four-hour original production making its television premiere on ION Television on Sunday, November 23 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The miniseries will be broadcast in its entirety in one evening.

Based on the first two books in best-selling author Terry Pratchett's hugely popular Discworld series, The Color of Magic stars Oscar nominee Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Toy Soldiers, Rudy), Emmy nominee Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Kinsey) and Sir David Jason (RHI's Hogfather). Additionally, Emmy Award-winning actor Brian Cox (Bourne trilogy, Running with Scissors) serves as the narrator and Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars Episodes II and III) takes on the vocal role of Death.

Discworld, a magical realm, has got its first tourist! Rincewind (Sir David Jason), an incompetent and cynical wizardry student, has recently been expelled from Unseen University and been given the task of guiding Twoflower (Sean Astin) through the city state of Ankh Morpork. The two are forced to flee the city after a terrible fire and are sent on a fantastical journey across the Disc, which is unknowingly being controlled by a board game played by the Gods. Along the way Rincewind encounters a few problems: firstly, as an expert coward, he doesn't feel he's the best person to guard a naive - and extremely rich, by local standards - tourist through one of the roughest cities in the multiverse. Then, of course, Rincewind experiences a vicious and bloody struggle with his arch-enemy, the power-hungry maniac Trymon (Tim Curry). Oh, and the world is coming to an end. Can Rincewind defeat his nemesis and save Discworld from ultimate destruction?

This critically acclaimed mini-series, which first debuted overseas, received rave reviews from the British press. TV Easy called it "visually stunning"; "Menacing performances from Tim Curry and Jeremy Irons are great." � TV Times; "With a starry cast, it's a wild adventure through a land full of magic and mystery." � TV Choice; "The two-part adventure will have you spellbound." � We Love Telly; and "It's the Lord of the Rings with a comic twist." � Bella.

"Originals such as The Color of Magic are invigorating ION Television," said Brandon Burgess, Chairman and CEO of ION Media Networks. "We are thrilled to provide compelling productions, airing alongside proven hit series, as we continue to build an entertaining network geared at the adult 25-54 audience."

"Major productions such as The Color of Magic are rapidly making the RHI movies on ION synonymous with must-see television," said Robert Halmi Jr., President and CEO of RHI Entertainment. "As we continue to deliver the finest in original event programming, awareness keeps growing and viewership keeps building." As one of the most popular authors today, Terry Pratchett has sold nearly 55 million books worldwide. Also based on another of Mr. Pratchett's Discworld novels, RHI's hit miniseries Hogfather aired on ION Television in November 2007. With a fan base spreading around the globe, the series of 36 Discworld books has been translated into over 35 languages.

Attracting over a million viewers, The Color of Magic first broadcast on Sky One, a UK entertainment TV channel, in March of 2008. The two-part television adaptation was well received by fans, garnering Sky One's highest performing program to date and scoring the largest audiences for the network since Hogfather aired in December of 2006.

The Color of Magic was filmed at London's legendary Pinewood Studios. The film was produced by Ian Sharples and Rod Brown and directed by Vadim Jean, who also directed RHI's Hogfather. RHI's Robert Halmi Sr. and Robert Halmi Jr. serve as executive producers on the project.

About ION Television

ION Television (www.iontelevision.com) is a general entertainment network which reaches over 94 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. Launched in 2006, ION Television features popular TV series and movies from the award-winning libraries of RHI Entertainment, CBS Television, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Television and Warner Bros. Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc., owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group. Using its digital multicasting capability, ION Media Networks has launched the digital TV brands qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital television spectrum. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com.

About RHI Entertainment

RHI Entertainment (NASDAQ: RHIE) develops, produces and distributes new made-for-television movies, miniseries and other television programming worldwide, and is the leading provider of new long-form television content in the United States. Under the leadership of Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr., RHI has produced and distributed thousands of hours of quality television programming, and RHI's productions have received more than 100 Emmy Awards. During 2007, RHI developed, produced and distributed 43 new television movies and miniseries to broadcast and cable networks around the world. In addition to the development, production and distribution of new content, RHI owns rights to approximately 1,000 titles, or over 3,500 broadcast hours of long-form television programming, which are licensed to broadcast and cable networks and new media outlets globally. For more consumer information visit www.rhitv.com.





  [october 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· COLOR OF MAGIC, THE (ION)
· HOGFATHER (ION)





[04/04/25 - 09:01 AM]
Hit the Gas! Prime Video Releases Premiere Date and First-Look Images for Electrifying New YA Drama "Motorheads"
All 10 episodes will debut exclusively on Prime Video on Tuesday, May 20 in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[04/04/25 - 08:31 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Wolf Man" Beginning April 18
Directed by acclaimed horror filmmaker Leigh Whannell, the film stars Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, Matilda Firth, Benedict Hardie and more.

[04/04/25 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Original Film "Mountainhead," Written and Directed by Jesse Armstrong, Debuts May 31
The film finishes production this week in Park City, Utah and marks Armstrong's feature directorial debut.

[04/04/25 - 07:45 AM]
Prime Video Greenlights "Taurasi"
The three-part docuseries chronicles the extraordinary story of basketball legend Diana Taurasi, whose relentless pursuit of greatness has transcended the boundaries of sport.

[04/04/25 - 07:02 AM]
Video: "Earnhardt" - Larger Than Life Teaser - Prime Video
The new original series is coming to Prime Video on Memorial Day Weekend.

[04/04/25 - 07:01 AM]
Paramount+'s New Series "MobLand" Breaks Record as Biggest Global Series Premiere Ever with 2.2 Million Global Viewers on Premiere Day
"'MobLand' is a runaway success thanks to the visionary work of Guy, Jez, Ronan and David Glasser and brought to life by the exceptional Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren who transport us into a world audiences clearly cannot get enough of," said Chris McCarthy.

[04/04/25 - 02:26 AM]
"Rotten Legacy", Starring Jose Coronado, Premieres on Netflix May 26
In "Rotten Legacy," Federico (Jose Coronado) is forced to step away from his communication companies to recover from an illness that kept him sidelined for two years.

[04/03/25 - 02:00 PM]
Video: Trailer and Key Art for "Not Just A Goof" Available Now
Just in time for the 30th anniversary of "A Goofy Movie," this documentary follows a young creative team tackling their first Disney feature, facing disappointment upon release, only for the film to gain a passionate following decades later.

[04/03/25 - 12:06 PM]
Twelve Rebellious Chefs Are Set for Battle on NBC's Bold New Cooking Competition Series "Yes, Chef!" Hosted by Emmy-Award Winning Chefs Jose Andres and Martha Stewart
The series will premiere on Monday, April 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC following "The Voice."

[04/03/25 - 12:01 PM]
ABC Renews "9-1-1," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Rookie," "Shifting Gears" and "Will Trent" for 2025-26 Season
The network confirmed the pickups on social media this afternoon.

[04/03/25 - 12:00 PM]
CBS to Present MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) for the First Time, Airing Live Sunday, Sept. 7 from UBS Arena, and Streaming on Paramount+
The 2024 VMAs delivered its biggest multi-network audience in four years and ranked as the most social VMAs in show history, with 66.7 million social interactions.

[04/03/25 - 11:53 AM]
Awesomeness Aquires the Rights to "Racing Hearts," Highly Anticipated Debut Novel from Ann Adams
Set in the cinematic world of competitive rowing, "Racing Hearts" is a coming-of-age romance that follows Olympic hopeful Katherine Parker, who is sent home to Berkeley after another failed race to work with a new coach, Adrian.

[04/03/25 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Gives First Look at "The Equalizer" Spin-Off Featuring Titus Welliver and Juani Feliz
In the episode, airing April 20, McCall is contacted by Samantha Reed, whose father, ex-CIA agent Elijah Reed, is missing.

[04/03/25 - 10:07 AM]
NBC Celebrates the Life and Career of Joan Rivers with "Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute" Special Airing May 13 on NBC
To celebrate the decade since her passing, the comedy community will revisit Rivers' legendary cabinet of jokes and add their own personal spin to reflect today's social and cultural landscape, along with a dose of their original material.

[04/03/25 - 10:02 AM]
Date Announcement & First Look: Hulu Original Series "Nine Perfect Strangers" Season Two
Season two premieres on May 21, with two episodes at launch, followed by weekly releases on Hulu.