TV Land Honors the Life of Aaron Spelling With On-Air and Online Programming Salute

TV Land Honors the Life of Aaron Spelling With On-Air and Online Programming Salute

NEW YORK, June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- TV Land will celebrate the life and work of legendary producer and show creator, Aaron Spelling -- who passed away on Friday at the age of 83 -- with programming salutes on both TV Land and the network's website, TVLand.com, it was announced today by Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land & Nick at Nite. Spelling, who held the distinction of being the most prolific producer in the history of television, was honored by TV Land when the network presented him with the Pioneer Award during the 2005 TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV.

"Aaron Spelling was an enormous talent whose keen eye, sharp wit and deep understanding of why people love television made him one of the greatest sources of beloved TV shows in the history of the medium," explains Jones. "Mr. Spelling exuded charm and worked tirelessly to entertain us all. Many of us at TV Land feel so honored to have known him and our deepest condolences go out to the Spelling family, friends and fans as we all mourn the loss of this incredibly gifted man."

On-air, TV Land will re-broadcast two installments of the network's acclaimed 2004 6-part special TV Land Moguls. This Saturday, from 10 AM - Noon (ET/PT), TV Land's weekend original programming block will be dedicated to Spelling with the two installments highlighting many of his achievements. The episodes explore the biggest moguls from the 1970s and spotlight Spelling's rise to prominence in the world of entertainment. It was during that time in which he created some of the biggest hits in television including Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Starsky & Hutch and several others. TV Land has already begun airing a memorial spot reminding viewers of his outstanding contributions.

TV Land's website, TVLand.com, will showcase of variety of Aaron Spelling-related highlights that online visitors can access beginning immediately. Among the offerings include:

* A 2005 interview with TVLand.com in which he discusses his life and
career in front of and behind the camera.

* An excerpted scene from his performance, as an actor, in the memorable I
Love Lucy episode entitled "Tennessee Bound," in which he plays a
country bumpkin Lucy and Ricky encounter on a cross-country trip.

* Clips from his acceptance of the Pioneer Award and tributes from
numerous performers, many of whom gained fame and success under his
leadership, at the 2005 TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV.

* Select moments from TV Land Moguls, in which his rise to the top in the
1970s is traced.

TV Land and all related logos and titles are trademarks of Viacom International, Inc.

Now seen in over 85 million U.S. homes, TV Land's program mix features popular dramas, sitcoms, westerns, Retromercials and a TV-referential interstitial environment, all programmed with a specific audience in mind -- the first generation of Americans to grow up watching television and features all-time Classic hits like All in the Family, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, and Bonanza.

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, mtvU, VHI, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, MTV INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 12 digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

About Viacom

Viacom is a leading global entertainment content company, with prominent and respected brands in focused demographics. Offering programming and content for television, motion pictures and digital platforms, Viacom's world-class brands include MTV Networks (MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, Spike TV, TV Land, Logo and more than 120 networks around the world), BET Networks, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home Entertainment, DreamWorks and Famous Music. More information about Viacom and its businesses is available at http://www.viacom.com/.

Source: TV Land

CONTACT: Rachel Sandler, +1-212-846-4412, or Vanessa Reyes, +1-310-752-
8081, both of TV Land & Nick at Nite

Web site: http://www.tvland.com/
http://www.nick-at-nite.com/

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