BASEBALL & COMEDY HEAVY HITTERS STEP UP TO THE PLATE ON SHOWTIME(R) THIS JULY

"THE FRANCHISE: A SEASON WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS" To Debut Wednesday, July 13th at 10 PM ET/PT

"THE GREEN ROOM WITH PAUL PROVENZA" Returns Thursday, July 14th at 11 PM ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, CA (May 18, 2011) - The boys of summer will heat up SHOWTIME this July with the premiere of its new documentary series, THE FRANCHISE: A SEASON WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS, which will debut on Wednesday, July 13th at 10 PM ET/PT. The following night, on Thursday, July 14th at 11 PM ET/PT, the nation's top comics share the real stories behind their craft in the second season of the late-night comedy series THE GREEN ROOM WITH PAUL PROVENZA.

In 2010, a group of self-proclaimed "misfits" took the baseball world by storm and gave the city of San Francisco its first World Series title. This summer, Showtime Networks Inc. and Major League Baseball Productions team up to capture the essence of championship-caliber baseball, on and off the field with, THE FRANCHISE: A SEASON WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS. This series will delve beyond the wins and losses of the rigorous season to provide insight into the professional lifestyle and baseball experience through the eyes and ears of the men who live and breathe it. THE FRANCHISE: A SEASON WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS will debut with a special one-hour episode and will continue with seven, half-hour episodes through August 31.

Paul Provenza (director and co-producer of "The Aristocrats") returns as host and executive producer of Season 2 of the critically-acclaimed comedy series THE GREEN ROOM WITH PAUL PROVENZA. This late-night, half-hour series brings even more riotous, behind-the-scenes comedy showcasing some of the world's top comedians cutting loose on topics ranging from show business to politics, drugs, personal angst and disturbing revelations - all uncensored before a studio audience. Panelists include: Ray Romano, Gary Shandling, Judd Apatow, Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin, Tommy Chong, Richard Lewis, Joe Rogan, Lewis Black, among others.