SYFY GETS OFF TO STRONG START FOR NEW LINE OF ORIGINAL FANTASY MOVIES AS BEAUTY AND THE BEAST DRAWS NEARLY 1.8 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS

New York, NY -- March 2, 2010 -- Syfy's new line of Saturday Original Movies based on re-imagined classic fairy tales, legends and pop culture characters kicked off with the robust premiere of Beauty and the Beast, which averaged 1.76 million total viewers, along with 836,000 Adults 25-54 and a 1.4 household rating during its debut on Saturday, February 27, at 9PM (ET/PT).

The movie's performance powered Syfy into #3 for Adults 25-54 among all basic cable networks during 8-11PM prime.

Starring Estella Warren (Planet of the Apes), Beauty and the Beast was not the traditional Disney fairy tale. In this gritty celebration of Valentine's Day, a young Beauty (Warren) with a gift for healing helps a deformed Prince (Rhett Gilles, Wraiths of Roanoke) regain his throne and defeat the ruthless nobleman who wants to be king -- and then together they try to destroy a power-hungry witch. Beauty and the Beast was directed by David Lister and written by Gavin Scott.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)