SHOWTIME(R) SALUTES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Documentary on Singer-Songwriter Bill Withers, Multi-Award-Winning Feature Film MISSISSIPPI DAMNED & Comedy Specials Headline Month-Long Celebration

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 27, 2011) - In honor of Black History Month, SHOWTIME will premiere STILL BILL, an intimate portrait of soul music legend Bill Withers on Friday, February 4th at 8:30 pm et/pt. The documentary offers a unique, rarely seen look inside the world of the incomparable soul stirrer who, during his 13-year career, has penned such classics as "Ain't No Sunshine," "Lean On Me," "Lovely Day," and "Just the Two of Us," and whose songs have been covered by artists as wide ranging as Joe Cocker and KIIS. Through concert footage, journeys to his coal mining West Virginia birthplace, interviews with music legends, peers, family and his closest friends, STILL BILL spotlights a largely unsung artist who has written some of the most beloved songs of his generation.

Also in February, SHOWTIME will premiere the multi-award-winning film festival darling MISSISSIPPI DAMNED. Based on a true story, the film focuses on three African-American children living in rural Mississippi who must find strength and determination to overcome the painful, sometimes insurmountable obstacles that have plagued them since childhood. It is written and directed by Tiny Mabry (Itty Bitty Titty Committee), a recent James Baldwin Fellow who received a United States Artist Fellowship for her work on the film.

In addition, SHOWTIME will premiere new stand-up comedy specials from Mike Epps, Bill Bellamy, Alonzo Bodden and larger-than-life comic Bruce Bruce:

Mike Epps Presents: Live From Club Nokia (Saturday, February, 5th at 11pm et/pt)

Mike Epps brings the laughs to L.A. Live as he hosts his brand new comedy special, delivering non-stop laughs from the downtown L.A. hotspot along with his hand-picked crew of comedy misfits -- Henry Welch, Vanessa Fraction, Gary Owen, Robert Stapleton, Scrunch, Kenny Howell and G-Thang -- as they attack everything from relationships to recent outrageous current events.

Stand Up For Family (Saturday, February 12th, at 10:30pm et/pt)

Veteran comic Bill Bellamy has teamed up with some of his comic friends -- Earthquake, Doug Williams, Wil Sylvince, D'Lai, Nikki Carr and Pat Brown -- for a breakthrough comedy special filmed live at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, GA. Bellamy and his crew bring comedy inspired by the everyday family experience.

Alonzo Bodden: Who's Paying Attention? (Saturday, February 19th at 9pm et/pt)

Alonzo Bodden shot to the top of the comedy world when he won NBC's "Last Comic Standing." With his quick wit and searing delivery, Bodden is a comedy fixture on movies (Bringing Down the House, Scary Movie 4), television (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman), and radio (The Adam Carolla Show). He has headlined international comedy festivals from Montreal to Australia with his laugh-out-loud rants about the continuing decline of Western Civilization. In this one-hour live concert event, taped in New York City, Bodden tackles the absurdity of pop culture.

Bruce Bruce: Losin' It (Saturday, February 26th at 9pm et/pt)

Larger-than-life comic Bruce Bruce is back with his new stand-up comedy special delivering raucous laughs as he puts his own unique spin on topics ranging from family, dating younger women and church. Filmed in Boston, MA in front of a live audience at the historic Wilbur Theatre, Bruce Bruce brings down the house with his true-to-life humor and raw comedic wit.