Love Knows No Borders: 'COWBOY DEL AMOR' Comes Riding Into Town, April 5th at 8:30 P.M. on SHOWTIME

Love Knows No Borders: 'COWBOY DEL AMOR' Comes Riding Into Town, April 5th at 8:30 P.M. on SHOWTIME

In an Era of Internet & Speed Dating, Self-Professed 'Cowboy Cupid' Matches Gringos & Senoritas the Old Fashioned Way

LOS ANGELES, March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Ivan Thompson, a.k.a. "Cowboy Cupid," comes riding onto small screens Wednesday, April 5 at 8:30 p.m. PT/ET with the SHOWTIME premiere of COWBOY DEL AMOR, a documentary chronicling the exploits of the 60-year-old cowboy-turned-matchmaker who introduces American men to Mexican women for love and, ultimately, marriage.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060131/SHOWTIMELOGO )

The documentary won the 2005 South by Southwest Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for Best Documentary, and was a Writers Guild nominee for Documentary Screenplay. COWBOY DEL AMOR was directed and produced by award- winning filmmaker Michele Ohayon, whose previous documentaries include the Oscar(R)-nominated COLORS STRAIGHT UP about an inner-city acting program, and the Jodie Foster-narrated IT WAS A WONDERFUL LIFE, exploring the plight of financially destitute upper middle-class women.

While Internet daters have immediate access to perfect matches, Thompson fosters his unions the old fashioned way -- through want ads and via phone. In fact, it's the only way to meet these rural brides-to-be, few of whom have Internet access (or speak English). For a $3,000 fee, Thompson and his prospective suitors travel by bus to small Mexican towns to meet pre- determined ladies based upon the gentleman's specifications.

Thompson happened upon his profession after his 17-year marriage to an American woman ended. On the advice of a Mexican hand on his ranch in New Mexico, he took out an ad in a Mexican paper and got responses from dozens of eligible women -- a business was born.

For Thompson, trading herds for women was not a challenge: "It's amazing how close the woman business and the horse business [are]. Confirmation and temperament are important to both. I have to be enthused about them and believe in them [both]."

In fact, Thompson secured his own Mexican bride after a 17-year marriage to an American woman, only to divorce (and later re-marry) when she asked to learn English and, in his estimation, became "Americanized." Mirroring the wifely requirements of his suitors, Thompson grapples with his love for his ex-wife and step-children, and his absolute need for a subservient spouse.

While his chosen profession is highly controversial to some, Thompson prides himself on caring for the couples and a crop of his satisfied customers. On his critics, he says: "Christ received criticism about his business. If you get up in the morning to do anything, you are gonna get criticism. I love all of [the hate mail] and I answer every one personally."

COWBOY DEL AMOR is co-produced by director Michele Ohayon, Theo Van de Sande and Jim Ziegler. Representing SHOWTIME in the negotiations was Vice President Program Acquisitions, Larry Greenberg.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME(R) TOO(TM), SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE(R) and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD(TM), SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(TM) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND(TM). SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME(R) PPV. Additionally, the advertiser- supported television network SHOWTIME is available in Turkey through a joint venture with UK-based Zone Vision.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060131/SHOWTIMELOGO
Source: Showtime Networks Inc.

CONTACT: Morgan Fouch of Showtime Networks, +1-310-234-5219,
morgan.fouch@showtime.net

Web site: http://www.sho.com/

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