Aaron Sorkin Headlines An Impressive List Of Entertainment Elite Who Sit Down With Dan Rather For AXS TV's "THE BIG INTERVIEW"

Roger Daltrey, Merle Haggard, Daryl Hannah and Others Will Appear On the Limited Series, Kicking Off On Monday, September 16

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12, 2013 -- Controversial Emmy and Oscar winning writer Aaron Sorkin will be the first guest on AXS TV's THE BIG INTERVIEW, hosted by Dan Rather. The limited series, which premieres on Monday, September 16, 8-9 p.m. ET | 5-6 p.m. PT, will be chock full of well-known talent from different corners of the entertainment industry throughout its run. Other guests include Roger Daltrey, the front man of The Who, along with Australian teen heartthrob Cody Simpson, country music legend Merle Haggard and actress Daryl Hannah, among others. Each interview was filmed in different, and fitting locations and will explore the lives, careers and outside interests of these entertainment luminaries.

"We are always looking for ways for our audience to interact with stars on a personal and intimate level," said Mark Cuban, founding partner, AXS TV. "THE BIG INTERVIEW will offer insight into their lives beyond just being a celebrity. Dan is perfect for this show in that he gets to the heart and soul of his subjects and has a natural curiosity. He loves to learn about people's passions and what they are all about."

The schedule of episodes follows (all shows air 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET | 5-6 p.m. PT):

Monday, September 16 - AARON SORKIN: THE BIG INTERVIEW - Aaron Sorkin talks with the venerable journalist about the fictional news channel he created for his latest show THE NEWSROOM and his successful, and controversial, career as a screenwriter, for both memorable television series and movies. The two tackle criticisms about several of Sorkin's projects - from accusations of left wing propaganda to sexism. And Sorkin opens up about his inspirations and his writing process. He even reveals his first choice to play the President on THE WEST WING. Video clips representing this episode can be viewed at http://bit.ly/16n7Ibb and http://bit.ly/17Z11La .

Monday, September 23 - ROGER DALTREY AND CODY SIMPSON: THE BIG INTERVIEW - Shot in the Gibson Guitar Center in New York, Daltrey talks about his work with teens who have cancer. His organization has created youth oriented centers here and in the U.K. for young people receiving cancer treatment. Pop singer Cody Simpson joins Daltrey during the interview to talk about his role in Teen Cancer America. Daltrey offers insight into the rocky roads of rock 'n roll, speaking intimately about his sometimes tumultuous relationship with legendary The Who guitarist, Pete Townshend.

Monday, September 30 - MERLE HAGGARD: THE BIG INTERVIEW - There are few music artists who are genuinely considered legends. With 40 No.1 hits, Merle Haggard is certainly one of them. For more than 50 years Haggard has been singing a style of country western music that he helped pioneer. Haggard rarely grants interviews but before a performance at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in North Carolina, Haggard sat down for an extended conversation with Dan Rather, speaking candidly about everything form his time in prison to his politics, touring with Bob Dylan, and his biggest fear in life.

Monday, October 7 - DARYL HANNAH: THE BIG INTERVIEW -Produced in Santa Monica, Hannah talks about her relationships (she dated both JFK Jr. and RFK Jr.) and what it was like being around the Kennedys. Hannah offers insight into the challenges faced by older women in Hollywood, and tells us why she's an environmental activist who has been arrested several times for protesting projects like the Keystone Pipeline. She also takes Dan Rather for a spin in her car that runs on bio-diesel.

ABOUT AXS TV

Bringing music back to television, AXS TV, launched in July of 2012 by visionary entrepreneur Mark Cuban, has created a one-of-a-kind, live television environment for entertainment and other cutting-edge trends. AXS TV delivers relevant, unpredictable and irreverent programming offering an unparalleled experience to a nationwide audience by presenting unfiltered, uncensored and uncut access to entertainers and their performances. "AXS TV Concerts," indicative of the network's dedication to music programming, crosses genres and international waters to deliver everything from stadium tours to club acts to some of the most anticipated festivals on the calendar, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Stagecoach Festival in California and the British Summer Time at Hyde Park Festival. A roster of diverse and unique talent is also a hallmark of the network with shows hosted by Dan Rather, performances by artists such as Carrie Underwood, Maroon 5 and Billy Joel as well as the top comics working the circuit on the signature "Gotham Comedy Live." Sports programming is led by "AXS TV Fights" which produces over 40 live mixed martial arts broadcasts a year in addition to the longest running weekly MMA news show on television, "Inside MMA." The network is available in the United States via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other TV providers. It is also distributed in Canada and the Caribbean. The network is spearheaded by a partnership including Mark Cuban, AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and CBS. For more information, visit the website, www.axs.tv; go to the Facebook page here and follow the company on Twitter, @axstv; on Instagram; Tumblr and YouTube.