SHOWTIME(R) OFFERS THE SERIES PREMIERE OF "KIDDING" FOR EARLY SAMPLING

New Comedy Stars Golden Globe(R) Winner Jim Carrey And Premieres Sunday, September 9 At 10 PM ET/PT

LOS ANGELES - August 31, 2018 - SHOWTIME has released the series premiere of its new comedy KIDDING early across multiple platforms. The series stars Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey in his first series regular role in more than two decades. KIDDING reunites Carrey with Oscar(R) winner Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and is created by Dave Holstein (WEEDS, Raising Hope). The premiere episode is available for free now on YouTube, Facebook and SHO.com. The 10-episode season of KIDDING will premiere on Sunday, September 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT after SHAMELESS. Early sampling for KIDDING is part of the SHOWTIME Free Preview Weekend available now to over 71 million households through Monday, September 3. Viewers nationwide are able sample the network's award-winning programming on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R), SHOWTIME ANYTIME(R) and select distributors' TV Everywhere portals.

The season premiere of KIDDING is also available across multiple television and streaming providers' devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels. In addition, the episode is available for free on the SHOWTIME stand-alone service showtime.com. SHOWTIME will also screen KIDDING through the Oculus Venues platform, offering an immersive event in VR where viewers can join thousands of others to share the experience or watch in solo mode from a box seat. The Oculus Venues screenings will be tonight at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

KIDDING centers on Jeff, aka Mr. Pickles (Carrey), an icon of children's television and a beacon of kindness and wisdom to America's impressionable young minds and the parents who grew up with him. But when this beloved personality's family begins to implode, Jeff finds no fairytale, fable or puppet will guide him through this crisis, which advances faster than his means to cope. The result: A kind man in a cruel world faces a slow leak of sanity as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. The series also stars Oscar, Emmy(R) and Golden Globe nominee Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Judy Greer (Married), Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Catherine Keener (Get Out), Cole Allen and Juliet Morris. Throughout the season, Jeff begins to push back against the limits of the well-oiled machine that is "Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time," and of his executive producer, Seb (Langella). Seb fears Jeff's mental state could ruin the branding empire they've built, and thus begins preparing the show for a life after Jeff, while Deirdre (Keener), the head puppet maker, grapples with her own professional and personal issues, including with her daughter, played by Morris. Greer stars as Jeff's estranged wife, and their son is played by Allen. Guest stars include Justin Kirk (WEEDS), Ginger Gonzaga (I'M DYING UP HERE) and Tara Lipinski.

KIDDING is executive produced by Holstein, who wrote multiple episodes and serves as showrunner. The series is also executive produced by Gondry, who directed several episodes. In addition, KIDDING is executive produced by Carrey, Michael Aguilar (I'M DYING UP HERE), Roberto Benabib (WEEDS), Raffi Adlan (The Green Hornet), Emmy nominee Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) and Jim Garavente (Bad Words). To learn more about KIDDING, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and join the conversation using #Kidding.

SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple(R), Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku(R), Samsung and Xbox One. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon's Prime Video Channels, DirecTV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation(TM) Vue, and YouTube TV. The network's authentication service, SHOWTIME ANYTIME, is available at no additional cost to SHOWTIME customers who subscribe to the network through participating providers. Subscribers can also watch on their computers at www.showtime.com and www.showtimeanytime.com.