OVATION TO AIR U.S. PREMIERE OF "THE RUNAWAY" JUNE 9

Set Your DVRs! June Ovation Premieres Also Include Such Contemporary Classics Lost in Translation, Casanova, Copying Beethoven and more

Santa Monica, CA - May 18, 2012 Ovation, the only network celebrating art, artists and all forms of artistic storytelling, will air the U.S. premiere the six-part mini-series The Runaway, novelist Martina Cole's tale of star-crossed lovers struggling for redemption against a background of crime and corruption. Part one of the mini-series premieres on Saturday, June 9 at 10:00p/EST & 7:00p/PST and runs for each consecutive Saturday night thereafter.

In The Runaway, childhood sweethearts Cathy Connor and Eamonn Docherty, are brought up together in the East End. When Cathy strikes out to protect her mother from a violent attack, she is institutionalized and abused until she runs away. Meanwhile, Eamonn is rising up the ranks of the East End criminal underworld. Over the years their paths continue to cross, but each time fate intervenes. The mini-series stars Joanna Vanderham and Jack O'Connell, with an exceptional performance by Alan Cumming as a drag performer who saves the young Cathy.

Also, set your DVRs to these other Ovation premieres:

THURSDAY NIGHTS:

WAITING FOR GUFFMAN (1996) - Thursday, June 7 at 8:00p/EST & 5:00p/PST- Starring Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Catherine O' Hara and Fred Willard. Writer/Director Christopher Guest's mockumentary on small town life as exposed by a group of aspiring actors. While putting on a musical to celebrate their town's sesquicentennial, the actors are in anticipation of being seen by a big Broadway producer. The script was co-written with Eugene Levy.

LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003) - Thursday, June 14 at 8:00p/EST & 5:00p/PST - Starring Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray. Charlotte is a newlywed tagging along with her photographer husband who is on assignment in Tokyo. There she meets Bob Harris, an American actor whose diminished star has lead him to Japan to do liquor commercials. The two strike up a deep and unexpected bond. Nominated for four Oscars(R) including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Direction, Writer/Director Sofia Coppola won for her Original Screenplay.

CASANOVA (2005) - Thursday, June 28 at 8:00p/EST & 5:00p/PST - Starring Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons and Oliver Platt. Set in Venice Italy of the 1700's, this story of the famous lothario is given visually luscious treatment by Director Lasse Hallstrom. A light comedic romp of mistaken identities and romantic complications.

SUNDAY NIGHTS:

MAN IN THE IRON MASK (1998) - Sunday, June 10 at 8:00pm/EST and 5:00p/PST - Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu and Gabriel Byrne. The movie centers on the aging three Musketeers during the destructive reign of King Louis XIV of France and the King's mysterious twin brother, imprisoned and forced to live behind an iron mask. The three Musketeers run afoul of their old ally D'Artagnan, who is in service of the evil King, in their quest to liberate the imprisoned brother and install him as King.

DON JUAN MARCO (1994) - Sunday, June 17 at 8:00p/EST & 5:00p/PST- Starring Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando and Faye Dunaway. In the final ten days before his retirement, a psychiatrist treats a young man who thinks he is the world's greatest lover, the fabled Don Juan. Through the process of their work together, the passion in the doctor's staid marriage is rekindled. Features the Oscar(R) nominated song, "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?"

COPYING BEETHOVEN (2006) - Sunday, June 24 at 8:00p/EST & 5:00p/PST- Starring Ed Harris and Diane Kruger. It is 1824 in Vienna, and Beethoven struggles with the completion of his 9th Symphony and the fact that he will be unable to successfully conduct its premiere. This account chronicles the last years of Beethoven's life and the fictionalized relationship between Beethoven and composition student, Anna. Directed by Agnieszka Holland.

E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) - Sunday, July 1 at 8:00p/EST & 5:00p/PST - Starring Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote and Dee Wallace. Steven Spielberg's classic family film about a lonely boy and his boundless friendship with a stranded alien trying to return home. Nominated for nine Oscars(R) including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director, it won four.

Other notable Ovation June premieres include:

HAIR (1979) - Tuesday, June 12 at 10:45p/EST & 7:45p/PST - Starring Treat Williams, John Savage and Beverly D'Angelo. Milos Forman directed this film version of the iconic 1960's Broadway musical. Capturing the Age of Aquarius, race relations, and the Vietnam War, the story follows Oklahoman Claude en route to his induction as he encounters and is befriended by a group of New York City hippies.

THE FANTASTICKS (1995) - Wednesday, June 27 at 8:00p/EST & 5:00p/PST - Starring Joel Grey, Barnard Hughes, Jean Louisa Kelly, and Joe McIntyre. Adapted from the famous long-running off-Broadway musical (the originally production ran 42 years making it the world's longest running musical). It is the story of a young man and woman who are brought together, unbeknownst to them, through the machinations of their fathers, a mystical and mysterious carnival and it's ringmaster.

About Ovation

Ovation is the only multi-platform network celebrating art, artists and all forms of artistic story-telling. Its programming tells the stories of artists, their work, and the powerful impact art has on each of us. Ovation programming is a one-of-a-kind mix of original and selectively curated series, films, documentaries and specials. The network reaches a national audience of 51 million homes and is available on cable systems across the country, as well as nationally on DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse. Ovation is also available in HD and VOD (both in standard and high definition). Ovation extends its linear channel experience for viewers online via its popular website, www.ovationtv.com. In addition to offering contests, trivia, facts and supplemental video online, the network has created an award-winning online community (www.ovationtv.com/community) for everyone from passionate artists to the curious. To date, over 190,000 pieces of original art have been uploaded to the site by members.