News
| Mon Sep 25, 2006 Program Partners to Syndicate Degrassi: The Next Generation | |
| Break-Out Drama Enters Broadcast Strip Syndication Los Angeles, CA - September 25, 2006 - Propelled by its break-out success on The N, the nighttime network for teens owned by MTV Networks, the hit series, Degrassi: The Next Generation is heading to broadcast television. Program Partners announced today that it has acquired the U.S. broadcast syndication rights to the addictive series to run as a strip beginning Fall 2007. Degrassi: The Next Generation will help fill the void created by the declining availability of off-net half-hours. "Degrassi is lightning in a bottle," said Josh Raphaelson of Program Partners. "The N has built a terrific franchise, and we're excited to bring it to syndication." "Degrassi: The Next Generation has an extremely loyal audience, and ratings consistently outperform expectations," said Sarah Tomassi Lindman, Vice President, Production & Programming, The N. "This show works everywhere." Produced by Epitome Pictures in Toronto, the series is based on a 25 year legacy that began with Executive Producer and Co-Creator Linda Schulyer. Degrassi has earned the TCA Critics Award, Teen Choice Award and International Emmys®, while scoring high marks from trade and consumer publications from Time, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly to New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Season six of Degrassi: The Next Generation will premiere on The N on Friday, September 29 at 8:00 p.m. (ET). "We've offered 'first-run programming with a track record' before, but Degrassi's phenomenal success on The N puts it in a class by itself," said Ritch Colbert of Program Partners. Degrassi: The Next Generation, is a fictional, dramatic series that tackles tough issues in a realistic way. Degrassi introduces a new generation of kids going through the trials and tribulations of adolescence in the 21st century at the newly refurbished Degrassi Community School. The series follows Emma (Miriam McDonald), Manny (Cassie Steele), Jimmy (Aubrey Graham), Alex (Deanna Casaluce), Liberty (Sarah Barrable-Tishauer), Spinner (Shane Kippel), Toby (Jake Goldsbie), J.T. (Ryan Cooley), Darcy (Shenae Grimes) and Peter (Jamie Johnston) as they journey through high school, as well as alumni Paige (Lauren Collins), Ellie (Stacey Farber), Marco (Adamo Ruggiero), Craig (Jake Epstein) and Jay (Mike Lobel) as they experience life post Degrassi. Program Partners is marketing Degrassi: The Next Generation as an outgrowth of its worldwide distribution agreement with Thunderbird Films. The N, the nighttime network for teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 50 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television. The N's mission is to be the authentic voice for teens and help them figure out their lives with relevant, topical programming on-air and online at the network's web site www.the-n.com. The N airs everyday from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (ET). The N and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. About Program Partners, Inc. Program Partners, Inc. is an innovative television company that collaborates with networks, sponsors and audiences on original programming. Led by a core group of entertainment executives, including founders Ritch Colbert and Josh Raphaelson, Program Partners provides distinctive programs with high production values, while fostering new creative alliances with advertisers, broadcasters and global co-production entities. For more info about Program Partners, Inc., visit www.programpartners.com. About Thunderbird Films, Inc. Vancouver-based Thunderbird Films, Inc. is recognized around the globe as a producer, distributor and financier of high quality television and films. Thunderbird Films' founding partners - Tim Gamble and Michael Shepard - have been responsible for internationally acclaimed scripted drama and action series, award winning theatrical features and movies-of-the-week produced for and aired on every major U.S. network as well as on major broadcast and cable outlets around the globe. Thunderbird Films' commitment to high production values and its unique focus on global, high-value territories for distribution as well as the economical benefits of its British Columbian location have distinguished the company among its competitors in the world marketplace. For more information on Thunderbird Films, visit www.thunderbirdfilms.net. # # # Media Contact: Melissa Ford/Priority Public Relations (661) 964-0333; melissa@prioritypr.net | |
