OVATION TV PARTNERS WITH THE ACTORS STUDIO FOR NEW EPISODES OF "INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO" TO PREMIERE IN FALL 2019

Ovation to Also Curate Episodes with Footage From The Actors Studio Archives

LOS ANGELES - September 24, 2018 Ovation TV, America's only arts network, has completed an agreement with the Actors Studio to produce and air future episodes of Inside The Actors Studio, the award-winning interview series about the art of acting. As part of the agreement, the network will also curate content from the series' extensive library for additional episodes.

Ovation will premiere the new Inside The Actors Studio in the Fall of 2019. James Lipton, the series' creator, original host and executive producer, will turn the microphone over to a number of rotating guest hosts, who are in consideration now by the network and The Actors Studio.

"It's very gratifying to see the legacy of Inside The Actors Studio being carried forward for a new generation to appreciate and enjoy," said James Lipton. "I made a vow early on that we would not deal in gossip - only in craft, and Ovation, as a network dedicated to the arts, will continue that tradition with the next seasons of the series. I'm excited to see the new hosts engage with the guests and students and continue to entertain viewers in the U.S. and around the world."

"Inside The Actors Studio is a series that fits perfectly with Ovation's mission to provide viewers with diverse arts programming, and we're doing it from the heart of New York City with the support of our partners at AT&T/DIRECTV, Comcast, Charter, Verizon FiOS and independent cable operators across the country," said Charles Segars, CEO, Ovation.

Inside The Actors Studio began and will continue to be a televised craft seminar for the students of The Actors Studio MFA program at Pace University. Paul Newman, a former Actors Studio president, was the show's first televised guest. The series has gone on to host a veritable "Who's Who" of award-winning actors and directors over the past two decades, over 200 in all, including Sally Field, Ellen Burstyn, Alec Baldwin, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Sidney Pollack, Carol Burnett, Jessica Lange, Julia Roberts, Willem Dafoe, Billy Crystal, Shirley MacLaine, Meryl Streep, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Jeremy Irons, Barbra Streisand, Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, and scores of others. The series has received 20 Emmy nominations in the Outstanding Informational Series or Special category. The series received an Emmy in this category in 2013. James Lipton also won the Critics Choice award for Best Host in 2015.

"Ovation is dedicated to supporting The Actors Studio's commitment to providing the best educational resources for its students. In so doing, we will uphold the high standard set by James Lipton for excellence in producing programming that is multicultural, informational, enlightening and entertaining," said Scott Woodward, EVP of Programming and Production, Ovation TV. "We look forward to introducing a whole new generation to the craft of acting through vibrant new hosts and guests that we will begin to announce in the coming months."

"Over the years this series has had a profound impact on the Studio's MFA program at Pace University," said Ellen Burstyn. "I know my co-presidents, Alec Baldwin and Al Pacino, and our Board of Directors, share my enthusiasm that Ovation has come on board to continue this enduring legacy."

The series is filmed at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University's New York City campus. Ovation will continue filming at this venue.

In addition to having exclusive linear and digital rights in the U.S. to new episodes of Inside The Actors Studio, Ovation will also control all international rights to such episodes.

Gray Coleman of Davis Wright Tremaine and Michael Kagan of ICM Partners represented The Actors Studio, and Rob Rader, General Counsel, negotiated on behalf of Ovation.

About OVATION America's Only Arts Network

Art has the power to inspire us, elevate our thinking, and awaken our senses. As an independent television, production and digital media company, OVATION has an unparalleled commitment to the arts, culture and captivating entertainment. Showcasing a lineup of critically-acclaimed premium dramas, arts-related specials and documentaries, and iconic films, OVATION salutes innovative storytelling, lives for the art in entertainment, finds beauty in the everyday, and applauds art in unexpected places. OVATION is available to nearly 50M subscribers via cable, satellite and telco systems including Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV/AT&T U-verse, SPECTRUM, Verizon FiOS, as well as on VOD. Through THE OVATION FOUNDATION, the company is committed to advocating for the arts, nationally and locally, and has provided more than $15M in contributions and in-kind support to arts institutions and arts education. You can follow OVATION on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, OvationTV.com, and through our App, OVATION NOW.

About The Actors Studio

Founded in 1947 by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford and Robert Lewis, The Actors Studio thrives today as a unique theatre workshop where professional actors, playwrights and directors gather together to work on their craft in private. Through moderated sessions, workshops and readings, The Actors Studio offers its members a dynamic, creative atmosphere, as well as a safe haven away from commercial pressures. Based on exercises and techniques developed by Lee Strasberg and others, in 1994, then president Paul Newman led the creation of a separate 3-year MFA Program in which James Lipton was named Dean. Lipton then created the seminar for the MFA students and called it INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO. For more information please go to our website: www.theactorsstudio.org