Ovation Dives Into Summer With New Original Programming Slate

Ovation Announces Premiere Dates for Original Series Including The Art of:, Music Mavericks, Broadway Bash and Culture Pop

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 11, 2013 -- On the heels of its recent announcement to expand programming with over 200 new original hours, Ovation, America's only arts network, is charging into summer with four new original series: The Art of:, Music Mavericks, Culture Pop and Broadway Bash.

The new slate of programming kicks off with The Art of: Graffiti, on Thursday, July 11 at 8 pm ET. Music Mavericks makes its debut on Thursday, July 18 at 9 pm ET. The recently acquired and critically-acclaimed SMASH premieres on Friday, July 19 at 8 pm ET and 9pm ET, and is followed by an original companion series Broadway Bash, premiering on Friday, July 19 at 10 pm ET. Culture Pop kicks off on Friday, July 26 at 10:30 pm ET.

"All these new series demonstrate that 'Art is Everywhere'. We are incredibly proud of our new shows, and we will continue to build our slate with even more original programming as we continue into the fall," said Robert Weiss, Ovation's Chief Creative Officer. "The Art of:, Music Mavericks, Broadway Bash and Culture Pop collectively showcase Ovation's commitment to delivering compelling art and cultural programming that satisfies a broad range of tastes and program preferences."

The Art of: is a weekly half-hour series that profiles three people whose boundary-pushing crafts are elevated to the level of art. Focusing on the celebrated, as well as the undiscovered, this series explores the creative process behind each featured art form and uncovers how and why these artists do what they do. From tattoo, make-up and graffiti artists to dancers, chefs, painters and mixologists, this series reveals the passion that keeps these artists motivated and inspired. The premiere episode looks at the increasingly competitive and imaginative world of graffiti art. Additional episode topics include:

The Art of: Graffiti - July 11, 8 pm ET

The Art of: Hip Hop - July 18, 8 pm ET

The Art of: Mixology - August 1, 8 pm ET

The Art of: Sushi - August 8, 8 pm ET

The Art of: Sneakers - August 22, 8 pm ET

The Art of: Animation - August 29, 8pm ET

Music Mavericks is Ovation's weekly half-hour series that focuses on the most-influential stars of modern music, featuring behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, performances, and more. First up in the series are legendary artists David Bowie, Elton John, Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Green Day, Neil Diamond, Tom Petty, and The Velvet Underground. The series premieres on Thursday, July 18 at 9pm ET.

The recently acquired SMASH from NBCUniversal Cable & New Media premieres on Friday, July 19 at 8pm ET and 9pm ET with the first two episodes of the first season. In addition to giving viewers renewed access to this fan-favorite, Ovation packs a double punch with an original, companion series, Broadway Bash. Featuring an "after-the-show" format, the series presents a panel of theater veterans, fans, Broadway hopefuls and special guests taking a behind-the-scenes look at each episode, plotline, character, song and performance on that night's episode. Since no discussion about SMASH is complete without an examination of Broadway, past and present, panelists and guests discuss and review the latest productions in NYC and across the country.

Broadway Bash's panel will share stories about experiences they've had as aspiring actors, producers, and writers. Each week, the show will welcome a very special guest involved in the making of SMASH, such as cast regulars, composers of the show's songs, costume designers and producers. Broadway Bash follows SMASH on Fridays at 10 pm ET.

Culture Pop is Ovation's new weekly, half-hour art and culture news show hosted by Adam Havener (Daily 10, Wonderwall). Through interviews, field reports, commentary and user-generated content, each week Culture Pop showcases the newest events and personalities in every creative field. From music and film to reports on emerging artists working in genres as varied as photography, architecture and interior design, this series makes art accessible to everyone. In addition, the series features countdowns and top 10 lists of the week's must-see events and must-know-about artists, providing a cross-cultural primer for a diverse audience with multi-faceted interests and passions. Culture Pop premieres on Friday, July 26 at 10:30pm ET.

For more information on The Art of:, Music Mavericks, SMASH and Broadway Bash, and Culture Pop, please visit www.ovationtv.com.

About Ovation

Ovation is America's only arts network, whose mission is to surface and connect the world to all forms of art and artistic expression. Ovation programming is one-of-a-kind mix of original and selectively curated series, films, documentaries and specials. The network reaches a national audience of nearly 50 million homes and is available on national cable systems, as well as nationally on DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse. Ovation is also available on VOD (in both standard and high definition). Ovation's diversified viewer experiences extend across its linear network, the popular ovationtv.com, and active social presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. See the Ovation Facebook page for the latest information and conversations happening across the Ovation brand and the arts: www.facebook.com/OvationTV.