"TORI & DEAN" RETURN TO LAUNCH MONDAYS ON OXYGEN WHILE "DANCE YOUR ASS OFF" TAKES ON THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE THIS SUMMER WITH SPICE GIRL MEL B AS NEW HOST!
PASADENA, CA, January 10, 2010 � Powered by another year of double digit growth, Oxygen expands to a second night of original programming on Monday nights with the move of the wildly popular "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood" this spring. "Dance Your Ass Off," the plus-sized hit of 2009, is back and hotter than ever this summer with new host Mel B. The announcements were made today by Jason Klarman, General Manager and Amy Introcaso-Davis, Senior Vice President, Original Programming and Development, Oxygen Media, respectively.
"Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," season five, will debut on Mondays this spring, with the new night serving as an anchor for the network's expansion into a second night of original programming and into the premiere of "Dance Your Ass Off," season two, which will air Mondays beginning this summer. The returning hit series" Bad Girls Club" continues its current season on Tuesdays, beginning January 5 at 10pm ET/PT, offering all-new episodes.
"Originals are the building blocks of our brand and our business," said Jason Klarman, General Manager for Oxygen Media. "Tuesdays have been a huge success and adding Mondays gives us another night to engage and super serve our audience."
In addition to Oxygen's second night of programming comes the announcement of Spice Girl Mel B as host of season two of "Dance Your Ass Off." Last year, the show set records for an Oxygen freshman series with the biggest series premiere ever.
"Our returning shows are powerhouses in every sense, having dedicated fans who continually come back each season, both on-air and online," said Amy Introcaso-Davis, Senior Vice President, Programming and Development for Oxygen Media. "We are so happy to welcome Mel B to the Oxygen family. Her commitment to health and fitness inspires the people around her and captures the core essence of a show like 'Dance Your Ass Off.' "
"After the birth of my second daughter, I wanted to find a fun and effective way to drop the pounds and get back in shape," said Mel B. "I realized I didn't have to look far to find the answer. Whether I was dancing around the house with headphones on, on stage with the Spice Girls, working on my high energy fitness DVD, or performing eight times a week in my Las Vegas show, I learned firsthand that dancing was the key to shedding off the pounds and keeping them off. I'm excited and looking forward to teaming up with Oxygen to cheer on the contestants as they dance their pounds off."
The British-born Mel B, one of the prime influencers of the "Girl Power" phenomenon, boasts a vast array of accomplishments. Her roles include author, fashion leader, television personality, stage actress, philanthropist and mom. Her claim to fame as one of the Spice Girls, a defining pop sensation group from the UK, has led her through several different ventures over the years, including becoming a fan favorite and finalist on "Dancing with the Stars." Most recently, she headlined "Peep Show," the most sexy and sophisticated show to hit the Las Vegas strip, on stage at Planet Hollywood.
Mel B has also seen success as a stage actress in productions of "RENT" and "The Vagina Monologues." She has hosting experience under her belt, most recently as the host of the 2008 Miss Universe pageant and as a special correspondent for "Access Hollywood." Mel B is also known for her incredible physique and released a workout and health DVD, "Totally Fit," in early 2009.
"Dance Your Ass Off"
The critically acclaimed series, and Oxygen's most-watched freshman series in network history, "Dance Your Ass Off" is set to premiere its second season this summer. "Dance Your Ass Off" features talented, full-figured contestants who struggle with their weight and dance to unleash their inner thin. Last season, the contestants' 'thinspiration" resulted in more than 500 lbs. lost. The series pairs contestants with a professional dance partner who trains them for their weekly stage performances. Then they burn up the dance floor and the calories in front of a live studio audience and a panel of expert judges. The judges score the routines, and then the contestants weigh in to reveal their weekly weight loss. The dance score and the weight loss are combined for an overall score, which determines who is sent home each week.
Magical Elves' Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz will serve as executive producers. Lisa Ann Walter conceived the original "Dance Your Ass Off" and executive produces along with Kate Rigg.
"Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood"
Returning for a fifth season is the popular and record-breaking reality series "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," premiering this spring. In the new season, Tori and Dean will offer an even closer look into their family life and at their own relationship, which will include a first-ever Spelling-McDermott cross-country family road trip. When the season kicks off, fans will be treated to a fun-filled, bumpy ride while Tori and Dean take turns at the wheel. Last season, "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood" became Oxygen's most watched season among A18-49, W18-49 and total viewers. In addition, the series finale marked another Oxygen first, delivering over one million viewers in the key A18-49 demo.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott created the series and executive produce the series along with Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder Productions. Richard Courtney and Robert Sizemore serve as co-executive producers.
"Bad Girls Club"
Already out of the gate is the fourth season of "Bad Girls Club," which premiered to record ratings becoming the most watched "Bad Girls Club" season premiere ever among A18-49, W18-49 and total viewers. "Bad Girls Club" season four is pacing to be Oxygen's highest season ever, delivering double digit growth above season three by 55% among A18-49, 52% among W18-49, 46% among W18-34, and up 62% among total viewers. Continuing in 2010 with the remaining eight episodes, "Bad Girls Club" features seven new self-proclaimed "bad girls" living together in a beautiful mansion in Los Angeles. These women recognize that their outrageous behavior has hindered their relationships, careers and lives. They have issues with anger, trust and control. In a house full of women with similarly explosive personalities, clashes erupt between roommates and housemates over everything from who's on cleaning duty to where they should go out at night. Will these bad girls, faced with the mirrored image of their own behavior, learn to moderate and control their bad girl energy or will they spin out of control and flee this opportunity for change?
"Bad Girls Club" is produced by Bunim-Murray Productions.
About Oxygen Media
Oxygen Media is a multiplatform lifestyle brand that delivers relevant and entertaining content to young women, wherever they are. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's media, with a vast array of unconventional and original content including "Bad Girls Club," "Dance Your Ass Off" and "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood." Popular features online include OxygenLive, shopOholic, makeOvermatic, tweetOverse and hormoneOscope. CPFTFC Available in 75 million homes, online at www.oxygen.com, or on mobile devices at wap.oxygen.com, Oxygen Media is a service of NBC Universal.
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