HISTORY(R) TO HONOR AND COMMEMORATE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL WAR WEEKLONG PROGRAMMING EVENT

TWO-HOUR FEATURE DOCUMENTARY SPECIAL EXEC PRODUCED BY TONY AND RIDLEY SCOTT GETTYSBURG PREMIERES MEMORIAL DAY 9-11PM

SAM ROCKWELL TO NARRATE

LEE & GRANT PREMIERES TUESDAY, MAY 31, 9-11PM

AMERICAN PICKERS PREMIERES WED JUNE 1, 9PM

PAWN STARS PREMIERES MON MAY 30TH, 8:30PM &WED JUNE 1, 10PM

New York, NY, May 9, 2011 - This Memorial Day, HISTORY(R) will launch a four-year initiative to both honor and commemorate the Civil War, which marks its 150th anniversary in 2011, starting with a weeklong programming event.

Civil War Week kicks off with a two-hour feature documentary, Gettysburg, Executive Produced by the Scott brothers, Tony (Unstoppable; Man on Fire; Top Gun) and Ridley (Gladiator; Black Hawk Down; American Gangster). "HISTORY is the perfect partner for us to tell the epic true story of Gettysburg. We are excited to bring this battle to audiences in a powerful new way," said Scott Free, principal Ridley Scott.

The network announced today that Gettysburg will be narrated by renowned actor, Sam Rockwell (Conviction, Iron Man 2, The Green Mile).

Following Gettysburg will be special Civil War themed episodes of Pawn Stars, American Pickers and the premiere of the two-hour special, Lee & Grant.

Gettysburg strips away the romanticized veneer of the Civil War and presents the engagement in a new light: a visceral, terrifying experience with everything on the line. At its core, this is the story of the soldiers on the ground, not the generals who commanded from behind the frontlines. Compelling CGI and powerful action footage place viewers in the midst of the fighting, delivering both an emotional cinematic experience and an information packed look at the turning points, technology, and little known facts of perhaps America's greatest battle.

Lee & Grant, produced with the cooperation of leading Civil War historian Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump, is a personal look at two iconic leaders of the Civil War. Surprising details reveal the bold choices Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union General Ulysses S. Grant made on decisive battlefields like Vicksburg and Gettysburg that, within days of each other, turned the tide of the war. As part of HISTORY's Civil War Week, this special features a unique perspective, exploring how these men changed the course of American history.

As part of its ambitious four-year programming commitment to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, HISTORY(R) is partnering with the Civil War Trust and the National Park Foundation for GIVE 150(TM), a massive educational and fund-raising initiative to enhance Civil War education nationwide, and to protect and preserve battlefields and other key sites from this pivotal period in American history. HISTORY will be matching grants up to $150,000. To learn more go to: www.give150.com. HISTORY is also donating $100,000 to the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership.

HISTORY has also launched a dedicated website, Civil War 150. Visit www.History.com.

National advertisers Bank of America, RAM, and GEICO have signed on to sponsor the week-long event.

Gettysburg is being produced for HISTORY by executive producers Tony and Ridley Scott as well as Mary Lisio; Showrunner is Ben Fox. Director is Adrian Moat; Writers are Richard Bedser and Ed Fields; Graphics produced by Stargate Studios; HISTORY Executive Producers are David McKillop, Mary Donahue and Julian P. Hobbs.

Lee & Grant is produced for HISTORY by Motion Picture Production, Inc. John Alon Walz is Executive Producer for Motion Picture Production. Mike Stiller is Executive Producer for HISTORY.

ABOUT HISTORY(R)

HISTORY(R) and HISTORY HD(R) are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network's program offerings are hit series such as American Pickers, Ax Men, Brad Meltzer's Decoded, Ice Road Truckers, Top Gear, Pawn Stars and Top Shot, as well as acclaimed specials including America the Story of Us, WWII in HD, 102 Minutes That Changed America, The President's Book of Secrets and Life After People. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, seven Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, 12 News & Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network's signature initiative connecting America's schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The HISTORY website, located at www.history.com, is the leading online resource for all things history, featuring over 20,000 videos, images, audio clips, articles and interactive features that allow visitors to dig deeper into a broad range of thousands of historical topics.

ABOUT SCOTT FREE PRODUCTIONS:

Scott Free Productions was formed in 1995 and is the film and television production vehicle of acclaimed film directors, brothers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. With offices in Los Angeles and London, Scott Free works closely with RSA Films, one of the world largest and most successful commercial production houses in the world.

Scott Free Television, headed up by President David Zucker, produces the Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) nominated hit TV show The Good Wife for CBS, and the Golden Globe(R) nominated mini-series The Pillars of the Earth, based on the best-selling book by Ken Follett.