Spike Press » 1000 Ways to Die

SPIKE TV ORDERS SEASON FOUR OF “1000 WAYS TO DIE”

leungm — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:04:04 +0000

SPIKE TV ORDERS SEASON FOUR OF “1000 WAYS TO DIE”

New York, NY, October 18, 2011 – Spike TV has ordered a fourth season of its hit original series, “1000 Ways to Die” from Original Productions, it was announced today by Sharon Levy, executive vice president, original series. The highly-rated original series, “1000 Ways to Die,” showcases some of the most outrageously true stories about those who succumbed to the grim reaper in the most unorthodox of ways. The new season, consisting of 13 episodes, will premiere in March, 2012.

Currently in the middle of its third season, “1000 Ways To Die” has averaged a robust 1.6 million viewers. Premiering this summer, the new episodes for Season 3 have improved its 10pm Monday timeslot by 25% with total viewers, 23% with Men 25-49 and a whopping 108% with Men 18-24.

“1000 Ways to Die” is truly a multi-platform hit for Spike. The show continues to be one of the most watched original programs on Spike.com as show-related videos garnered 2.4 million total video streams in Season 3. “1000 Ways to Die is also amongst the top Spike TV originals that generate the most social media buzz and is especially popular on twitter this season. The series is also among the most-watched shows on Spike TV’s Video-on-Demand.

Each episode takes viewers through a fast-paced full reenactment, interlaced with dramatic witness testimonials, fun historical tidbits, scientific expert explanations and vibrant CGI effects reminiscent of classic comic books. Playing off the commonly misconceived notion, “that could never happen to me,” “1000 Ways to Die” works to dispel that myth in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, highlighting the comedic irony in all the crazy ways people can get themselves killed.

Original Productions’ Emmy® Award winning Thom Beers, Philip Segal and Tom McMahon are executive producers for “1000 Ways to Die,” with Jeff Conroy serving as co-executive producer. Levy is Spike TV’s executive vice president of original series and animation and Tim Duffy is senior vice president of original programming for Spike TV.

Spike TV is available in 99.8 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company

Founded by Thom Beers, Original Productions produces authentic non-fiction programming featuring everyday heroes in extraordinary situations including the Emmy® Award Winning Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, IRT: Deadliest Roads, Ax Men, Wild Justice, Storage Wars and Black Gold. Beers’ steadfast focus on top-notch storytelling with engaging personalities in high risk circumstances has produced more than 1,200 hours of original programming. In February 2009, a majority stake in the 12 year-old-company was purchased by FremantleMedia, one of the leading creators and producers of world-wide entertainment brands. www.originalproductions.com/ www.fremantlemedia.com

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Press Contacts:

David Schwarz Spike TV 212-767-8639

Maggie Nye/Elizabeth Vendely Original Productions 818-783-3707

SPIKE TV, THOM BEERS’ ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS AND ZENESCOPE

leungm — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:01:03 +0000

SPIKE TV, THOM BEERS’ ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS AND ZENESCOPE

PARTNER TO CREATE GRAPHIC NOVEL FOR “1000 WAYS TO DIE”

New York, NY, June 13, 2011 – Spike TV’s hit original series, “1000 Ways To Die,” will now be showcased in a graphic novel, it was announced today by Sharon Levy, executive vice president, original series, Spike TV, Thom Beers, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer of Original Productions and Ralph Tedesco, Editor-In-Chief, Zenescope Entertainment.

The first ever graphic novel adaptation of a Spike TV show will be produced by Tedesco and Zenescope Entertainment, one of the most recognized independent comic book and graphic novel publishers in the world behind such titles as “Grimm Fairy Tales,” “SE7EN,” and “Return To Wonderland.” Currently in its third season, “1000 Ways To Die,” created by Thom Beers, is one of the highest-rated original series on Spike TV and most-viewed series on Spike.com.

The 200-page “1000 Ways To Die” graphic novel will be available in comic stores throughout the U.S. this fall to coincide with new original episodes.

“We’re definitely very excited to be working with the crew over at Spike. Our brands fit extremely well together and “1000 Ways To Die” is a phenomenal property to bring into the world of graphic novels,” said Tedesco.

“We’re thrilled to add another platform to one of the network’s most successful franchises, which is already a hit on television and online,” said Levy.

“A graphic novel is a fantastic vehicle to expand the “1,000 Ways To Die” signature, and a perfect collaboration between Spike TV, Original Productions and Zenescope”, said Beers.“1000 Ways to Die” showcases some of the most outrageous true stories about those who succumbed to the grim reaper in the most unorthodox of styles. Each case takes viewers through a fast-paced full reenactment interlaced with dramatic witness testimonials, fun historical tidbits, scientific expert explanations and vibrant CGI effects reminiscent of classic comic books. Playing off the commonly misconceived notion, “that could never happen to me,” “1000 Ways to Die” works to dispel the myth in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, highlighting the comedic irony in all the crazy ways people can get themselves killed. “1000 Ways to Die” comes from renowned producer Thom Beers’ Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company.

About Spike TV

Spike TV is available in 99.4 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About Original Productions

Founded by Thom Beers, Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company, produces authentic non-fiction programming featuring everyday heroes in extraordinary situations including Emmy® Award winning Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, Ax Men, Black Gold, and Coal. A respected powerhouse in unscripted reality television, Original Productions has produced more than 1,200 hours of original programming with 14 series currently airing on seven US television networks. www.origprod.com, www.fremantlemedia.com.

About Zenescope Entertainment

Zenescope Entertainment was founded by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco in 2005 and has quickly grown into one of the top comic book and graphic novel publishing companies in the world. Zenescope’s Grimm Fairy Tales and subsequent spinoff series such as Escape From Wonderland, Neverland and The Piper, which put a dark twist on classic fables, are some of the best-selling and longest running original independent comic books on shelves today. Zenescope’s licensed titles include the on-going, critically acclaimed Charmed series, based off of the long-running popular television series, as well as Se7en and Final Destination, based off of New Line Cinema’s successful film franchises. You can find Zenescope on the web at www.zenescope.com, www.facebook.com/zenescope and follow them on Twitter @Zenescope .

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Contacts:

Spike TV:

David Schwarz 212-767-8639 david.schwarz@mtvstaff.com

Original Productions

Elizabeth Vendely/Maggie Nye 818-783-3707 elizabeth@vendely.com Maggie@vendely.com

Zenescope Entertainment:

Tara Shakespeare 717-877-0826 tshakespeare@zenescope.com

1000 Ways to Die

SPIKE Press — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:32:28 +0000

SEASON THREE PREMIERE OF “1000 WAYS TO DIE”

SPIKE Press — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

CAN BLOWING A VUVUZELA KILL YOU?
SPIKE TV SHOWS YOU HOW IN THE THIRD SEASON PREMIERE
OF THE MACABRE COMEDIC SERIES
“1000 WAYS TO DIE”

13 All-New Half-Hour Episodes Of The Hit Series From
Thom Beers’ Original Productions Premiere Beginning
Tuesday, September 14 At 10PM

New Season Features Deeper Exploration Into The Science Of Death
And A Reexamination Of Infamous Historical Deaths

New York, NY, August 30, 2010 – A shirtless super-fan paints his body blue and dies from hypothermia before anyone notices, but at least he met his maker while supporting his favorite team! A coke addict sneezes while snorting a line and dies when the metal straw jams into her brain – moral of the story? Just say no to drugs.

Spike TV continues to look at the brightly ironic side of death in an all-new third season of the hit series, “1000 Ways to Die” from renowned producer Thom Beers’ Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company. The new season premieres on Tuesday, September 14 at 10:00pm ET/PT on Spike TV.

The premiere episode of “1000 Ways to Die” features the bizarre incidents:
·    a self-liposuction gone wrong
·    a woman with massive implants gets struck by lightning
·    a man relieves himself in the Amazon when a fish swims up his urethra
·    a nature lover attempts CPR on road kill

Other outrageous deaths to look forward to this season include:
·    death by hairball
·    a compulsive hoarder trapped by his own collection
·    a basketball player left hanging while showing off his slam-dunk skills
·    a Korean foodie whose feast on a live octopus specialty is his last
·    death of the escape mastermind Houdini, who wasn’t able to escape an untimely demise

misconceived notion, “that could never happen to me,” “1000 Ways to Die” works to dispel the myth in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, highlighting the comedic irony in all the crazy ways people can get themselves killed. For the new season, Spike TV will expand its scientific explanations for the subjects’ untimely demise so viewers can avoid such an unfortunate fate and will also take a look back through history to explore the causes behind notorious deaths of well-known figures.

Leading up to the third season premiere and throughout the new season, Spike.com will feature sneak preview clips from “1000 Ways to Die.” Full episodes and clips from the show will be available online after each episode premieres.

Acclaimed producer Thom Beers (“Deadliest Catch,” “Ice Road Truckers” and “Ax Men”), Philip D. Segal, Nathaniel Grouille and Tom McMahon of Original Productions serve as executive producers for “1000 Ways to Die.” Sharon Levy is Spike TV’s executive vice president of original series and Tim Duffy is vice president of original programming for Spike TV.

About Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company
Founded by Thom Beers, Original Productions (www.originalproductions.com) produces authentic non-fiction programming featuring everyday heroes in extraordinary situations including “Deadliest Catch,” “Ice Road Truckers,” “Ax Men” and “Black Gold.” Beers’ steadfast focus on top-notch storytelling with engaging personalities in high risk circumstances has produced more than 1,200 hours of original programming. In February 2009, a majority stake in the 12 year-old-company was purchased by FremantleMedia (www.fremantlemedia.com), one of the leading creators and producers of world-wide entertainment brands.

About Spike TV
Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at www.spike.com/press.

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Press Contacts:

For Spike TV:
Melissa Leung Sugiura 310-407-4729

For Original Productions:
Elizabeth Vendely and Maggie Nye 818-783-3707

Spike TV Orders Seasons Four and Five of “1000 Ways to Die”

SPIKE Press — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

SPIKE TV ORDERS SEASONS FOUR AND FIVE OF
“1000 WAYS TO DIE”

New York, NY, April 12, 2010 – Spike TV has ordered a fourth and fifth season (a total of 28 episodes) of “1000 Ways to Die” from Original Productions, it was announced today by Sharon Levy, senior vice president, original programming. “1000 Ways to Die,” the highly-rated original series showcases some of the most outrageously true stories about those who succumbed to the grim reaper in the most unorthodox of ways. The third season, consisting of 13 episodes, premieres Tuesday, September 14 at 10:00pm ET/PT.

The most recent season of “1000 Ways To Die” (which aired December-February) averaged a robust 1.7 million viewers with a 1.3 rating in Men 18-24. Also, during the course of its second season, “1000 Ways to Die” was ranked among the top five original shows on Spike.com. The average online weekly audience increased 79% versus the prior season and clips from the show continue to be among the most popular video content on the site. In December, the series was the most-watched show on Spike TV’s Video-on-Demand.

Acclaimed producers Thom Beers and Philip Segal of Original Productions serve as executive producers for “1000 Ways to Die.” Levy is Spike TV’s senior vice president of original series and Tim Duffy is vice president of original programming for Spike TV

Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company
Founded by Thom Beers, Original Productions produces authentic non-fiction programming featuring everyday heroes in extraordinary situations. Beers’ steadfast focus on top-notch storytelling with engaging personalities in high risk circumstances has produced more than 1,000 hours of original programming since the company’s inception. In February 2009, a majority stake in the 12 year-old-company was purchased by FremantleMedia, one of the leading creators and producers of worldwide entertainment brands. www.originalproductions.com/ www.fremantlemedia.com.

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Press Contacts: David Schwarz Spike TV 212-767-8639
Maggie Nye/Elizabeth Vendely for Original Productions 818-783-3707

New One-Hour Block With the Return of “1000 Ways to Die” and “MANswers”

SPIKE Press — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

SPIKE TV SATISFIES THE UNCONVENTIONAL CURIOSITY OF MEN
IN A NEW ONE-HOUR BLOCK WITH THE RETURN OF
“1000 WAYS TO DIE” AND “MANSWERS”

12 Episodes of “1000 Ways To Die” And
10 Episodes Of “MANswers” Premiere Back-To-Back
With A Special Sneak Peek On Saturday, December 5

New York, NY, November 9, 2009 – Can one be cooked to death in a malfunctioning jacuzzi? Can you actually rip out an eye with your bare hands? Spike TV delves into the comical irony, the morbid, the sexy and the outrageous in a new one-hour block of returning, original hit series, “1000 Ways To Die” from renowned producer Thom Beers’ Original Productions, a FremantleMedia company, and “MANswers” from Fujisankei and Super Delicious. The two series will premiere back-to-back with a special sneak peek right at 12:00am midnight on Saturday, December 5 after the live “The Ultimate Fighter 10” finale. The original series block will then move to regularly scheduled time slots on Wednesday, December 9 at 10:00pm ET/PT and 10:30pm ET/PT on Spike TV.

“1000 Ways to Die” showcases some of the most outrageous true stories about those who succumbed to the grim reaper in the most unorthodox of styles. Each case takes viewers through a fast-paced full reenactment interlaced with dramatic witness testimonials, fun historical tidbits, scientific expert explanations and vibrant CGI effects reminiscent of classic comic books. Playing off the commonly misconceived notion, “that could never happen to me,” “1000 Ways to Die” works to dispel the myth in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, highlighting the comedic irony in all the crazy ways people can get themselves killed.

The second season of “1000 Ways to Die” will feature more of the bizarre ways these unfortunates have met their maker, including suffocating in a Murphy bed, exploding breast implants and choking to death on edible panties.

“MANswers” is trivia for men delivering real answers that guys need to know. In each episode, “MANswers” features re-enactments, expert one-on-ones and man-on-the-street interviews to educate Spike viewers on the taboo topics in terms only guys can relate to. The barrage of guy-oriented trivia is presented in a fast-paced, irreverent manner and is fodder for settling barroom bets and water-cooler arguments.

The third season of “MANswers” will get to the bottom of all the taboo topics men really want to know about, including how to survive an elephant attack, whether drug sniffing dogs can get high and what the record number is for having sex in one day. Each episode will also include viewer-submitted MANswers and updates from previous MANSwers in which new information has been unearthed.

In the build-up to season two of “1000 Ways to Die” and season three of “MANswers,” Spike.com will be pulling the best clips from its extensive archives on a daily basis to prepare visitors for the madness to come. The site will also debut sneak peeks before and during the new season to whet the appetites of fans who have been clamoring for new content since the previous seasons wrapped up. Both series are bona fide digital hits on Spike.com. The series premiere of “1000 Ways to Die” drove traffic up 127% in weekly unique visitors and was the most-watched video content during its premiere month. New episodes of “MANswers” consistently ranked as the most viewed original show on Spike.com, drawing 1.5 million page views.

Acclaimed producer Thom Beers (“Deadliest Catch,” “Ice Road Truckers” and “Ax Men”), Philip D. Segal and Tom McMahon of Original Productions serve as executive producers for “1000 Ways to Die.” “MANswers” is executive produced by Fujisankei Communications International with Michael Schelp and Kunio Kiyohara serving as executive producers, in conjunction with Super Delicious LLC where Adam Cohen, Cara Tapper and Joanna Vernetti are the executive producers, along with Michael J. Miller, executive producer. Sharon Levy is Spike TV’s senior vice president of original series, Tim Duffy is vice president of original programming for Spike TV and Joe Weinstock is director of original series for Spike TV.

Founded by Thom Beers in 1997, Original Productions produces authentic non-fiction programming featuring everyday heroes in extraordinary situations. Beers’ steadfast focus on top-notch storytelling with engaging personalities in high risk circumstances has produced more than 1,000 hours of original programming since the company’s inception. In 2009, a record 101 hours of new shows just for Discovery and History alone are currently in production. In February 2009, a majority stake in the company was purchased by FremantleMedia, one of the leading creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world. FremantleMedia is part of the RTL Group, Europe’s largest television and radio broadcast company, which is in turn 90 percent owned by Bertelsmann AG, one of the world’s major media and entertainment companies.

Spike TV is available in 98 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press

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Press Contacts:

For Spike TV:
Melissa Leung Sugiura 310-407-4729

For Original Productions:
Elizabeth Vendely and Maggie Nye 818-783-3707

Spike TV Orders New Seasons of 1000 Ways To Die & Manswers

SPIKE Press — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

SPIKE TV ORDERS NEW SEASONS OF
“1000 WAYS TO DIE” AND “MANSWERS”

Order Includes Pilot of New Series
“1000 Ways To Lie” From Thom Beers

New York, NY, April 23, 2009 – Spike TV has ordered a new season of 13 episodes of its original hit series, “1000 Ways To Die” from renowned producer Thom Beers’ Original Productions, and a third season of 10 episodes of its late-night series, “MANswers,” it was announced today by Sharon Levy, senior vice president, original programming, Spike TV. The telecast dates for the new seasons will be announced at a later date.

The 13-episode order for “1000 Ways To Die” includes the pilot for “1000 Ways To Lie” that features the most outrageous lies ever told in a fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek manner.

“Our audience has spoken – and they love how Spike delivers funny and irreverent factual entertainment like no one else on television,” said Levy. “We are also excited for a new pilot from the twisted genius mind of Thom Beers.”

Airing at 10pm on Sundays, the first full season of “1000 Ways To Die” (Feb 8-April 5) averaged a robust 1.5 million viewers with a 1.1 rating in Men 18-49 and 1.1 in Men 18-34. The season finale drew an impressive 1.8 million viewers, its largest ever audience. The series is also a hit on Spike.com as it was the most-watched video content in February and the show’s premiere drove traffic up 127% in weekly unique visitors.

“1000 Ways to Die” showcases some of the most outrageously true stories about those who succumbed to the grim reaper in the most unorthodox styles. Each case takes you through a fast-paced full reenactment interlaced with dramatic witness testimonials, fun historical tidbits, scientific expert explanations and vibrant CGI effects reminiscent of classic comic books. Playing off the commonly misconceived notion, “that could never happen to me,” “1000 Ways to Die” works to dispel that myth in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, highlighting the comedic irony in all the crazy ways people can get themselves killed.

Season 2 of Spike’s original series, “MANswers,” tallied 925,000 viewers in its Tuesday 11pm timeslot (Sept-Dec 2008). During its run of new episodes, the show was also successful online, as it consistently ranked as the most viewed original show on Spike.com drawing 1.5 million page views.

Acclaimed producer Thom Beers (“Deadliest Catch,” “Ice Road Truckers” and “Ax Men”) and Philip Segal of Original Productions serve as executive producers for “1000 Ways to Die.” “MANswers” is executive produced by Fujisankei Communications International with Akifumi Takuma and Michael Schelp serving as executive producers, in conjunction with Super Delicious LLC with Adam Cohen, Cara Tapper and Joanna Vernetti serving as executive producers, along with Michael J. Miller, executive producer. Levy is Spike TV’s senior vice president of original series and Tim Duffy is vice president of original programming for Spike TV.

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Press Contacts: David Schwarz Spike TV 212-767-8639

Spike TV Picks Up Original Non-Scripted Series “1000 Ways to Die”

SPIKE Press — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

SPIKE TV ANNOUNCES THE PICKUP OF
ORIGINAL, NON-SCRIPTED SERIES “1000 WAYS TO DIE”

Thom Beers’ Original Productions To Produce 10-Episode Series
On The Heels Of Ratings Success Of Two-Part Special

Series Set To Premiere In Fall 2008

Los Angeles, CA, July 31, 2008 – Spike TV has ordered ten 30-minute episodes of “1000 Ways to Die,” the visually shocking series that explores the many different and bizarre ways one can meet their maker. The series is executive produced by Thom Beers, the same creative mind who brought viewers the critically-acclaimed hits “Deadliest Catch,” “Ice Road Truckers” and “Ax Men,” and is scheduled to premiere in Fall 2008.

Originally a two-part special, the May premiere of “1000 Ways to Die” performed well in its timeslot, averaging a robust 0.9 rating in M18-34 and an average audience of 1.0 million viewers. Compared to the ratings in the timeslot the previous year, “1,000 Ways to Die” was up +133% among M18-49 +104% in M18-34.

“We are thrilled to be in the Thom Beers business,” says Sharon Levy, senior vice president, original series at Spike TV. ”We loved the special and Thom’s vision for the series combines all the things our audience wants – outrageousness, water cooler facts and a never-before-seen-on-TV quality.”

“We may not readily admit it, but we all have a strange fascination with death, particularly all the gruesome details of how it occurs,” says Beers. “The bizarre humor in some of these cases is undeniable.”

Some of the more outlandish cases this season include death from eating a jalapeno pepper, a simple scrape-turned-flesh-eating virus and a case of a man trapped in an avalanche with plenty of food and water, only to succumb to methane poisoning from too much of his own gas.

Thom Beers is CEO and executive producer for Original Productions, the television production company responsible for a myriad of hit television series, including “Monster Garage,” “Ax Men,” and the 2008 Primetime Emmy® nominees, “Deadliest Catch” and “Ice Road Truckers,” with a combined total of six nominations. Among them is a nomination for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series for “The Deadliest Catch.” The company has a remarkable cable track record and received special recognition in 2006 and 2007 as one of the most notable production companies in Realscreen magazine’s Global 100.

Thom Beers and Philip Segal will serve as executive producers for “1000 Ways to Die.” Sharon Levy is Spike TV’s senior vice president of original series. Tim Duffy and Wayne Sampson are executives in charge of production for Spike TV.

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com.

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Press Contacts:

For Spike TV:
Melissa Leung 310-407-4729
Shana Tepper 212-767-4725

For Original Productions:
Elizabeth Vendely and Maggie Nye 818-783-3707