ION Television Acquires the Award-Winning Original TV Series "Durham County"
Network to Launch Its First Original Series to U.S. Audiences in 2009
(West Palm Beach, Fla. - January 06, 2009) - ION Television has signed a deal with ITV Global Entertainment to acquire the exclusive U.S. rights to the critically acclaimed and award-winning original TV series, "Durham County." The network has secured all U.S. television, digital media rights, internet streaming and video-on-demand rights for the program. ION Television will debut the procedural crime one-hour series to U.S. audiences in 2009.
Produced by Back Alley Films and Muse Entertainment, "Durham County" stars Hugh Dillon, star of the CBS police action series "Flashpoint". In "Durham County", Dillon plays Detective Mike Sweeney, a homicide detective who moves his family to suburban Durham County to start over after his partner is killed and his wife Audrey (Helene Joy) is diagnosed with breast cancer. However, he soon discovers that his neighbor and childhood nemesis Ray Prager (Justin Louis) may be a serial killer, setting off an intense showdown between the two complex men and their families.
"Durham County" brings award-winning suspense, storytelling, and casting to ION"s first foray into 2009 original programming," said Brandon Burgess, Chairman and CEO, ION Media Networks. "With eerie crime storylines, Durham County, along with the CBS hit show Criminal Minds, will offer 'Positively Thrilling' primetime appointment viewing on ION Television."
"Durham County" has received rave reviews and is continuing to garner accolades. Critical acclaim from major press outlets include:
"Dillon and Louis, in particular, give performances that crackle with treacherous intensity, one that obliterates the line between good and evil and coats everything with an opaque ambiguity." - Toronto Star
"Durham County" is written by Laurie Finstad-Knizhinik ("Bliss") and helmed by award-winning directors Holly Dale ("Cold Case," "Absolution") and Adrienne Mitchell ("Bliss," "Drop the Beat"). Michael Prupas ("This is Wonderland") of Muse Entertainment and Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell ("Bliss") of Back Alley Films serve as executive producers. The series has received 11 Gemini Award nominations, including three wins: Best Actor for Justin Louis, Best Actress for Helene Joy and Best Direction for Holly Dale. In addition, the show was nominated for four Director's Guild of Canada Awards, winning two and taking home the CFTPA's Indie Award for "Best Dramatic Series." The program was also recognized with nominations from the Writer's Guild of Canada, ACTRA Montreal and the Leo Awards.
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 ITV Global Entertainment Ltd.
ITV Global Entertainment is one of the world's leading International TV Distribution, Home Entertainment, Publishing and Consumer Product businesses, led by Peter Iacono, President and Managing Director of ITV Global Entertainment Ltd.
|