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TNT’s entertaining caper show comes back for its winter run, but without Gina Bellman, who’s on maternity leave. While you’re waiting for her return, enjoy her temporary replacement, Jeri Ryan. Popularity: 1% [?] |
USA Today – 1/5/10 January’s Favorites and New Faces – Leverage (TNT, 10 ET/PT)
TV GUIDE – 1/4/10 JERI DUTY
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Leverage MID-SEASON PREMIERE Wednesday (1/13), 10/9c, TNT JERI DUTY The con is back on as Nate (Timothy Hutton) and his crew of do-gooding thieves return for six more episodes, with a new twist: Jeri Ryan’s scammer Tara is filling in for Gina Bellma’s Sophie, who’s on sabbatical. (In real life, Bellman is on maternity leave.) “It’s a perfect job as an actor,” says Ryan. “You get to play so many different people.” In tonight’s episode, she’ll pose as an Italian fashion designer—and on the February 3 show, she’ll channel her inner Miss Cleo, pretending to be a psychic to bring down a swindler (Luke Perry!). But playing Tara herself may be the most fun for the ex-Shark star. “I’ve been a lot of ball-buster lawyers and suit-wearing women—Tara’s a ball-buster in a very different way,” says Ryan. “She’s smart, tough and has that sarcastic sense of humor—you don’t get to see that side of me very much.” And how about her romantic side—will we see that come out, perhaps with Nate? “I don’t want to give anything away,” she says “But there are things there to make people wonder.” Sounds like a long grift.—Megan Walsh-Boyle Popularity: 1% [?] |
Leverage Soundtrack is Here!
Leverage Soundtrack now AvailablePresenting the original music score to the hit TNT television series Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton. Emmy winning composer Joseph LoDuca (Legend Of The Seeker, The Librarian, Xena, Evil Dead Trilogy) creates a wonderful listening experience with a jazz and pop-tinged music score that captures all the mystery, action and flat-out fun of this popular TV series. Currently airing on TNT in its second season, the first season of Leverage is available on DVD in stores everywhere. Second season hits DVD in 2010. Click here to order!Popularity: 1% [?] |
CON-CON IS COMING TO PORTLAND MARCH 19-21, 2010
THE CON-CON IS COMING TO PORTLAND MARCH 19-21, 2010PRINCIPAL CAST OF TNT’S ‘LEVERAGE’ WILL BE ON HAND FORTHREE DAY CON-VENTION
“LEVERAGE” Returns to TNT in January 2010
LOS ANGELES (November 10, 2009) – On March 19-21, 2010 in Portland, OR, “Leverage” fans from around the world will have an opportunity to meet the team behind TNT’s hit series at CON-Con: An Official Leverage Event. The 3 day con-vention will feature appearances by the principal cast including Oscar winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People, The Good Shepherd), Beth Riesgraf, Aldis Hodge (Supernatural), Christian Kane (Angel, Friday Night Lights) and Gina Bellman (Coupling, Jekyll). Additionally the creative minds behind the series including Executive Producer Dean Devlin (producer of Independence Day, The Patriot, The Librarian trilogy) and Creators/Executive Producers John Rogers (Transformers) and Chris Downey (The King of Queens) will be on hand to take part in panel discussions and Q&As with the fans. The CON-con will be held in the gorgeous Governor Hotel, which was used for two of “Leverage’s” episodes. Events throughout the weekend will include Q&As with the cast, autograph and meet and greet sessions, a cocktail party and an official banquet, to name a few. The CON-con: An Official Leverage Event is brought to you by Dean Devlin and Electric Entertainment, in cooperation with MBL Entertainment, LLC. and FED CON GmbH.
For more details and to purchase tickets please visit www.conthecon.com. . About Electric Entertainment Electric Entertainment is a full service film, television, and new media production company headed by veteran producer Dean Devlin along with partners Kearie Peak, Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan. Over the last fifteen years, Devlin has co-written and produced some of the most successful feature films of all time. He co-wrote and produced Stargate and Independence Day, which has grossed over $800 million worldwide. He co-wrote and produced Godzilla, and produced The Patriot starring Mel Gibson, which was nominated for three Academy Awards. Electric is currently in pre-production on the third season of “Leverage,” the 1-hour drama series airing on TNT, and is in pre-production on the science-fiction thriller feature Ghosting, which Devlin will direct.
Electric’s most recent film projects include MGM’s Flyboys; Sony Pictures Classics’ politically-charged documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?, which was nominated by the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Documentary Feature; New Line’s Fall 2004 release Cellular starring Kim Basinger; and Eight Legged Freaks, released by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow in July 2002. Electric’s television credits include “The Librarian: Quest for the Spear,” starring Noah Wyle which aired on TNT network in December 2004 and was the highest rated movie on cable that year and its sequel, “The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines,” which aired last December on TNT and won an Emmy award for best music composition; and the Sci Fi Channel’s “The Triangle,” which won an Emmy for its Visual Effects, and was the highest-rated miniseries on the cable channel since “Steven Spielberg Presents TAKEN (2002).” The company also produced the third installment of the Librarian franchise, “Curse of the Judas Chalice,” which premiered on TNT in December 2008 along with the first season of “Leverage,” which has been renewed for a third season. Additionally, Electric Entertainment owns and runs iF Magazine (www.ifmagazine.com), an online pop culture entertainment site that features Movie and TV news, reviews and interviews. Popularity: 1% [?] |
LEVERAGE Gets Third Season Renewal
The Con is On as TNT Orders Third Season of Hit Series LEVERAGEPopular Series, Starring Oscar® Winner Timothy Hutton, Averages 4.1 Million Viewers
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Three Emmy Nominations for THE LIBRARIAN: CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE
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THE LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE nabbed three nominations to for the 61st Annual Emmy Awards.
The action-adventure film from Electric Entertainment and TNT stars Noah Wyle as a reluctant action hero who uncovers vampires in the third installment of the popular franchise.
The Emmy Nominees for THE LIBRARIAN include:
–Bob Newhart Best Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series or Movie
–Kim Martinez and Jennifer Kamrath for Best Costumes in A Mini-Series or Movie
–Best Sound Editing For A Mini-Series or Movie or Special
The Emmy’s will be handed out on September 12. Popularity: 1% [?] |
LEVERAGE Premiere 3.9 Million Viewers
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TNT’s Successful Three-Night Strategy of Original Programming Continues With 3.9 Million Viewers Tuning in to the Season Premiere of LEVERAGE And 3.5 Million Viewers for the Series Premiere of DARK BLUE
LEVERAGE Outperforms First Season Average
23.5 Million Viewers Watch TNT’s Monday-Wednesday Originals this Week
Last night, TNT launched its third successful night of original programming as 3.9 million viewers tuned in for the second-season premiere of LEVERAGE, from executive producer Dean Devlin and starring Oscar® winner Timothy Hutton, and 3.5 million viewers watched DARK BLUE, the new series from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer and featuring Golden Globe® winner Dylan McDermott. LEVERAGE also outdelivered its first-season average among viewers and households. .
The success of TNT’s Wednesday night lineup is the latest step in the network’s plan to create three nights of outstanding original programming, which this week was watched by a combined 23.5 million viewers. TNT’s Monday night original series lineup features THE CLOSER and RAISING THE BAR, while Tuesday night pairs HAWTHORNE with SAVING GRACE. .
“Last year, we laid out a strategy to create three nights of high-quality, original programming on TNT,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “The success of LEVERAGE and DARK BLUE proves once again what can happen when you work with the very best talent in the industry.” .
Last night’s second-season premiere of LEVERAGE was watched by 3,890,000 viewers and 2,724,000 households. It also scored a 2.8 coverage household rating/2.4 national household rating. The episode outdelivered its first-season Live + Same Day average, with viewers up 24% and households up 20%. It also elevated TNT’s Wednesday 9-10 p.m. time period over the same night last year, with viewers up 113% and households up 70%. .
DARK BLUE continued the success of its LEVERAGE lead-in by delivering 3,542,000 viewers and 2,717,000 households. It also garnered a 2.8 coverage household rating/2.4 national household rating. When compared to the same night last year, DARK BLUE raised TNT’s Wednesday 10-11 p.m. time period deliveries by 129% among viewers and 104% among households. .
On Mondays, TNT’s THE CLOSER continues to rank as ad-supported cable’s #1 series, averaging 6.5 million viewers and 4.8 million households for its fifth season. The second season of RAISING THE BAR has been the #1 entertainment program in its time slot among viewers (3.3 million, +7% vs. last season) and households (2.6 million, +5% vs. last season). .
TNT’s successful Tuesday night lineup of originals kicks off with HAWTHORNE, which in its first season is averaging 3.3 million viewers and 2.6 million households. HAWTHORNE is followed by SAVING GRACE, which is averaging 3 million viewers and 2.3 million households in its third season. .
Sponsors for the premiere of LEVERAGE included Hyundai and Sprint, while premiere sponsors for DARK BLUE included The Weinstein Group, which presented speacial footage from Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming film Inglourious Basterds. .
TNT, one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; Hawthorne, with Jada Pinkett Smith; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition. .
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world. Popularity: 1% [?] |
THE LIBRARIAN 3 WINS SATURN AWARD
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Leonard Nimoy was honored with the lifetime achievement award, THE DARK KNIGHT and BSG among the other winners
LOCATION: Castaways Restaurant in Burbank
THE SKINNY: THE LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE took home the Saturn Award for best presentation on television at the 35th annual Saturn Awards held last night.
THE LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE, produced by Dean Devlin and Electric Entertainment, was directed by Jonathan Frakes and written by Marco Schnabel. The film, the third in THE LIBRARIAN franchise, follows Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) librarian extraordinaire, an expert in linguistics, ancient customs, swordplay and much more, albeit sometimes his social skills are a bit rusty, as he travels to New Orleans to stop a Russian ex-pat from giving his country the power of Vlad Dracul with the legendary Judas Chalice. The film is a frisky, entertaining and humorous action romp dealing with vampires, legend, kidnapping, mythology and much more.
“It’s always such a thrill to get nominated for a Saturn Award,” says Devlin. “It’s one of the greatest events in Hollywood and I look forward to it every year. Winning for LIBRARIAN 3 made it that much more special.”
Meanwhile, THE DARK KNIGHT shined with five awards, while THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON and IRON MAN took three each.
Other television winners included BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and LOST.
Actor Lance Henriksen, DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Leonard Nimoy picked up special awards.
Here is the complete list of the winners of the 35th annual Saturn Awards:
Science Fiction Film: “Iron Man”
Fantasy Film: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Horror Film: “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: “The Dark Knight”
Actor: Robert Downey, Jr. (“Iron Man”)
Actress: Angelina Jolie (“Changeling”)
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (“The Dark Knight”)
Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Performance by a Younger Actor: Jaden Christopher Smith (“The Day the Earth Stood Still”)
Director: Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”)
Writer: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (“The Dark Knight”)
Music: Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard (“The Dark Knight”)
Costume: Mary Zophres (“Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”)
Make-Up: Greg Cannom (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Special Effects: Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin (“The Dark Knight”)
International Film: “Let the Right One In”
Animated Film: “Wall-E”
Television Series: “Lost”
Syndicated/Cable Television Series: “Battlestar Galactica”
Presentation on Television: “The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice”
Actor on Television: Edward James Olmos (“Battlestar Galactica”)
Actress on Television: Mary McDonnell (“Battlestar Galactica”)
Supporting Actor on Television: Adrian Pasdar (“Heroes”)
Supporting Actress on Televison: Jennifer Carpenter (“Dexter”)
Guest Starring Role on Television: Jimmy Smits (“Dexter”)
DVD Release: Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer”
DVD Special Edition Release: Stephen King’s The Mist” – 2 disc Special Edition
DVD Classic Film Release: “Psycho” – Universal Legacy Series
DVD Collection: “The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration”
Series on DVD: “Moonlight”
Retro Series on DVD: “The Invaders”
The Life Career Award: Lance Henriksen
The Lifetime Achievement Award: Leonard Nimoy
The Visionary Award: Jeffrey Katzenberg
Source: Saturn Awards Popularity: 16% [?] |
‘Leverage’ Gets a Lift
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By Gary Strauss, Elysa Gardner and Anthony Breznican, USA TODAY - Television Dean Devlin is best known for producing Independence Day and The Patriot. But he makes his directing debut on the small screen with TNT’s Leverage. The series premieres Dec. 7 (10 ET/PT), then two days later moves to its regular Tuesday slot. “It was so much fun — the frustrations of a creative producer got to explode in the director’s chair,” says Devlin, who also serves as executive producer and a writer on the series. Popularity: 64% [?] |
Leverage Picked Up for 2nd Season
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TNT Renews Popular Drama Series LEVERAGE for Second Season. Acclaimed Series, Starring Oscar® Winner Timothy Hutton, Ranks as Ad-Supported Cable’s #1 Entertainment Program in the Tuesday 10 p.m. (ET/PT) Timeslot. Series Averages 3.2 Million Viewers and Scores Big Growth Through Time-Shifted Viewing.
LEVERAGE currently airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), with the second season slated to begin later this year. The series is produced by Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment. Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT’s The Librarian movie series), John Rogers (Cosby) and Chris Downey (The King of Queens) serve as executive producers. International rights are being handled by Voltage Pictures and headed up by President Nicolas Chartier.
LEVERAGE ranks as ad-supported cable’s #1 entertainment program in the Tuesday 10 p.m. (ET/PT) timeslot among viewers, households and adults 25-54. The Dec. 7 premiere was watched by 5.6 million viewers and scored TNT’s best original series telecast ever in delivery of adults 18-49 during the regular broadcast season. Through its first nine episodes, LEVERAGE has averaged 3.2 million viewers and 1.4 million adults 18-49 in Live + Same Day viewing. The first six episodes scored strong growth when comparing Live to Live + 7 numbers, with total viewership rising 33% to 4.1 million and adults 18-49 rising 42% to 1.9 million.
“We’re thrilled that audiences and critics have responded so positively to LEVERAGE and made the show a solid hit,” Wright said. “We look forward to another great season of fun and exciting storylines brought to life by the outstanding cast, led by Timothy Hutton, and the incredible production team, headed up by executive producers Dean Devlin and John Rogers.”
LEVERAGE follows a team of thieves, hackers and grifters who seek revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize people. Hutton stars as a former insurance investigator whose son died as a result of corporate greed. He now puts his energy, quick mind and keen intellect toward securing justice for society’s underdogs.
“We had an amazing experience shooting the first season of LEVERAGE with such a talented cast and crew and with the full support of TNT behind us,” Devlin said. “We can’t wait to get to work on season two and take viewers on another adventure with Nate and his team.”
LEVERAGE is part of an ongoing collaboration between TNT and Devlin. Previously, he executive-produced The Librarian action-adventure movies starring Noah Wyle (ER). The third installment in the franchise, The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice, premiered as the lead-in to the first episode of LEVERAGE.
The renewal of LEVERAGE is the latest move by TNT in its aggressive strategy to ramp up original series production. The network recently announced that it is greenlighting two new series: Time Heals, a character-driven medical drama starring Jada Pinkett Smith (The Women, The Matrix Trilogy), and the fast-paced, undercover police drama The Line, starring Golden Globe® winner Dylan McDermott (The Practice, TNT’s The Grid).
TNT’s success with original series includes the critically acclaimed The Closer, ad-supported cable’s #1 series of all time; Saving Grace, which averages more than 5 million viewers; and Raising the Bar, which set a new ad-supported cable viewership record when it premiered on Labor Day 2008. The network’s latest original series, the light-hearted drama Trust Me, starring Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh, premiered Jan. 26, with 3.4 million viewers.
Electric Entertainment is a full-service film, television and new media production company, established in 2001 by veteran writer/producer Dean Devlin (Independence Day, Stargate, The Patriot) and led by Devlin, along with partners Kearie Peak, Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan. Electric is in pre-production on the feature film Ghosting, a supernatural thriller that Devlin will produce and direct. Electric’s previous films include the World War I action/adventure Flyboys; the politically charged documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?; Cellular, starring Kim Basinger, Chris Evans and Jessica Biel; and Eight Legged Freaks, with David Arquette and Scarlett Johansson. The company’s television credits include The Librarian: Quest for the Spear, starring Noah Wyle, which aired on TNT in December 2004 and was the highest-rated movie on cable that year; its sequel, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines; and Sci Fi’s The Triangle, which won a visual effects Emmy and was the highest-rated miniseries on the cable channel since Steven Spielberg Presents Taken. Electric Entertainment recently teamed with TNT for the crime thriller Blank Slate, starring Eric Stoltz, a microseries that debuted in fall 2008 on the network, as well as on www.tnt.tv. Blank Slate will be re-packaged and distributed on mobile devices, home video and broadcast television. Additionally, Electric Entertainment owns and operates the online independent film magazine IF (www.IFmagazine.com), which reports the entertainment industry’s daily news. Founded in March 2005, Voltage Pictures is a sales and financing company. Their latest titles include THE HURT LOCKER, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the new untitled George A. Romero project, SPREAD starring Ashton Kutcher and THE KEEPER starring Steven Seagal.
Turner Network Television (TNT), one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; and Trust Me, with Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
CONTACTS: For Electric Entertainment: Mariah O’Hara 310-248-6177
Michelle Sisco Atlanta 404/885-4784
Heather Sautter Atlanta 404/885-0746 Popularity: 89% [?] |




‘THE LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE’ WINS SATURN AWARD FOR BEST PRESENTATION FOR TV