Murder, Mayhem and Dysfunctional Families Reside in ION Television's "Durham County"

Original TV Series To Premiere to U.S. Audiences This Fall

Award-Winning Series Marks ION's First Venture Into Original Programming

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- What you don't know about your neighbors could kill you. That's just everyday reality in "Durham County," the new original scripted prime time series premiering this Fall to U.S. audiences on ION Television. "Durham County," an eerie combination of suspense and family drama, marks the first original prime time series to premiere on ION Television. The show will bow to U.S. audiences in early September.

Produced by Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Films, the Award-Winning "Durham County" series follows the troubled world of Homicide Detective Mike Sweeney (Hugh Dillon, CBS' "Flashpoint") who moves his family to quiet suburbia for a fresh start after his partner is killed and his wife Audrey (H�l�ne Joy) is diagnosed with breast cancer. While Durham County seems like the perfect place to begin again, Sweeney soon discovers that his neighbor Ray Prager (Justin Louis) may be a serial killer. What's more, Prager is not just a random stranger � he is Sweeney's arch high school nemesis. As events unfold and young women begin disappearing, an intense showdown develops between the two complex men and their families.

"'Durham County' is the perfect new show to serve as a prime time anchor as we build our schedule of compelling original and hit off-network series," said Leslie Chesloff, Executive Vice President, Programming, ION Media Networks. "'Durham County' is unlike anything else on television and it will instantly grab and hold onto viewers, particularly our key 25-54 demographic. It is this kind of programming that makes ION Television a destination for anyone who is looking for TV that is truly different."

"'Durham County' continues in the vein of edgy, contemporary and hard-hitting drama whose pace has been set by the great HBO shows like �The Sopranos' to �Six Feet Under'", said Michael Prupas, President of Muse Entertainment and executive producer of Durham County.

Co-creator and Executive Producer Janis Lundman of Back Alley Films adds, "We believe U.S. audiences will embrace this powerful off-beat, gritty series. The multiple awards this series has received is already a testament to the quality production value, superb acting and compelling plot lines this drama offers."

"Hugh Dillon and Justin Louis explode off the screen in mesmerizing performances that will haunt and compel viewers long after they watch the series - their onscreen chemistry is truly unforgettable," said Co-creator and Executive Producer/Director Adrienne Mitchell.

"Durham County" is written by Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik ("Bliss") and helmed by award-winning directors Holly Dale ("Cold Case," "Absolution") and Adrienne Mitchell ("Bliss," "Drop the Beat"). Michael Prupas ("Human Trafficking") of Muse Entertainment and Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell ("Bliss") of Back Alley Films serve as executive producers. The series has received 13 Gemini Award nominations, including five wins: Best Actor for Justin Louis, Best Actress for H�l�ne Joy, Best Direction for Holly Dale, Best Writing for Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik and Best Sound. 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 and ACTRA Montreal. In a deal signed last January with ITV Global Entertainment, ION Television acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the critically acclaimed and award-winning original TV series, "Durham County." In addition, the network secured all U.S. television, digital media rights, internet streaming and video-on-demand rights for the program.

About ION Television

ION Television (www.iontelevision.com) is a general entertainment network which reaches over 96 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 Muse Entertainment Enterprises

Muse Entertainment Enterprises, headed by President & CEO Michael Prupas, is a major Canadian independent film and television producer and the country's leading service producer for international studios and networks. Muse Entertainment is known for bringing well-crafted, high-quality, award-winning productions with strong international appeal to big and small screens. Since 1998, Muse has produced, co-produced or provided production services on 100 TV movies and mini-series, television series and feature films. Muse's head office is located in Montreal. Muse has four production operations in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles.

About Back Alley Film Productions Ltd.

Back Alley Film Productions Ltd. has been producing entertaining and cutting edge film and television in Canada for over 15 years. Founded by Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell, the company is synonymous with high-quality, innovative auteur-driven productions that aim to entertain both domestic and international audiences. With their strong backgrounds in producing (Lundman/Mitchell) and directing (Mitchell) the two partners have produced and co-created award winning and critically acclaimed series for networks in both Canada and the U.S. and their work has been distributed internationally with great success world-wide. Back Alley Films offices are located in Toronto and Montreal.