NEW SERIES HIGHLIGHT SUMMER ON SHOWTIME

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 17, 2010) - This summer, SHOWTIME is premiering an exciting slate of new and returning programming, including three series debuts: THE BIG C, THE REAL L WORD and THE GREEN ROOM WITH PAUL PROVENZA, and the premiere of WEEDS (season 6) and PENN & TELLER: BULLSHIT! (season 8).

The centerpiece of the summer will be a big-ticket premiere night on Monday, August 16th beginning with the return of hit comedy WEEDS at 10pm PT/ET picking up after the shocking cliffhanger at the end of last season, followed by the debut of highly-anticipated new dark comedy series THE BIG C at 10:30pm, starring three-time Emmy(R) winner Laura Linney as a wife, mother and teacher who upends her life after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis. Emmy(R) nominee Oliver Platt (Huff, Frost/Nixon) stars as her immature, yet well-meaning husband, and Oscar(R) nominee Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) plays her precocious student. WEEDS viewers, still stunned by the last year's season finale, will finally learn what will become of the Botwins after Shane (Alexander Gould) clubbed Pilar (Kate del Castillo) to death.

The summer heats up earlier in June with the series premiere of THE REAL L WORD on Sunday, June 20th at 10pm, a new reality show inspired by the famed, long-running SHOWTIME series. Produced by the original producer of THE L WORD, Ilene Chaiken, and Magical Elves (Project Runway, Top Chef), this show will follow a group of real-life, hot and happening lesbians in their daily lives at work and play in Los Angeles. Sometimes real life is even more compelling than fiction.

For a dose of humor comes the debut of an unprecedented new comedy series - THE GREEN ROOM WITH PAUL PROVENZA Thursday, June 10th at 10:30p) - featuring comedian/actor/producer Paul Provenza and the world's greatest comedians in a roundtable setting, speaking off-the-cuff and uncensored before a studio audience. Panelists include Roseanne Barr, Sandra Bernhard, Eddie Izzard, Paul Mooney, Bob Saget, and Jonathan Winters, among other notable and legendary talents. And at 10pm on Thursday, June 10th comes the return of PENN & TELLER: BULLSHIT! featuring America's favorite muckrakers back on track for an amazing 8th season of skewering beloved topics, including "Cheerleaders," "Vaccinations," and "Teen Sex."

Schedule is as follows:

Thursday, June 10th

PENN & TELLER: BULLSHIT! - 10 pm

THE GREEN ROOM WITH PAUL PROVENZA - 10:30 pm

Sunday, June 20th

THE REAL L WORD - 10 pm

Monday, August 16th

WEEDS - 10 pm

THE BIG C - 10:30 pm

All times Eastern/Pacific