VETERAN COMIC & LATE-NIGHT FAVORITE JAKE JOHANNSEN'S I LOVE YOU TO PREMIERE ON SHOWTIME�, JANUARY 1st AT 9:30 PM PT/ET

Comedy special kicks off new year of ongoing SHOWTIME LAUGH OUT LOUD comedy franchise

LOS ANGELES, CA � (December 17, 2009) � Self-professed king of weird stories, Jake Johannsen, brings his hilarious insight and unique delivery to SHOWTIME with his latest stand-up comedy special I LOVE YOU, premiering January 1st at 9:30 pm PT/ET. The special marks the 2010 premiere of the highly successful SHOWTIME LAUGH OUT LOUD comedy platform that showcases adult comedy for premium television audiences.

Johannsen has been a permanent fixture on late-night television for years, having appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman more than 30 times. Throughout the one-hour special, the Iowa native waxes about everything from the hand sanitizer generation to the right approach to sneezing to the unique tax issues facing traveling comedians to �tapping out� during fights with your spouse. .

For his previous stand-up effort, This'll Take About An Hour, Johannsen received incredible reviews and was nominated for a Cable Ace award. It was ranked by People magazine as one of the ��ten best television shows of the year,� and TV Guide named the special one of the �50 Funniest Moments of TV.� He has also starred in feature films Breakfast of Champions, opposite Bruce Willis and Alan Rudolph; and Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle with Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Jason Leigh. He made his comedy debut at an open mic night at San Francisco's Cobbs Comedy Clubs and later went on to win the 11th Annual San Francisco Stand-Up comedian competition.

SHOWTIME LAUGH OUT LOUD has premiered popular, provocative specials from comedians such as Mo'Nique (�I Coulda Been Your CellMate�), Dave Chapelle (�For What It's Worth�), Sarah Silverman (�Jesus Is Magic�), George Lopez (�Why You Crying?�) and Mike Epps (�Underrated�.Never Faded & X-Rated�) that have all pushed the boundaries of televised comedy.