Superstar Jude Harrison Goes Platinum!

Superstar Jude Harrison Goes Platinum!

The N Commences Production on Season Three of the Hit Teen Series Instant Star in Toronto

13 New Episodes Slated to Premiere on The N in February 2007

NEW YORK, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Move over Kelly Clarkson, Jude Harrison is ready to go platinum! The N's hit teen drama Instant Star is underway on its third season of production, it was announced today by Sarah Tomassi Lindman, Vice President Production and Programming, The N. The N, the nighttime network for teens, has greenlit 13 new half-hour episodes of the original series which are currently being shot on location in Toronto, Canada through September '06. The third season of Instant Star premieres on The N in February 2007.

This teen rockstar has proven that she's far from being a 'one hit wonder' as the third season of Instant Star commences production. Jude Harrison's (Alexz Johnson) career is back on top with her new single climbing the pop charts as her third album inches closer to platinum success. She has managed to out-sing and out-shine Instant Star's phenom, Mason Fox, and she has compromised and sacrificed all she can to remain number one. But even the biggest popstar in North America can't prepare herself for what's to come next. Jude will face an uncompromising situation when her illicit night life behavior from season two's cliffhanger catches up to her. For the first time in her career, Jude could possibly become front page fodder if she can't pay the right price. Professionally, she will once again contend with yet another new addition to the Instant Star family-and this winner may not be as cordial as Mason.

"Instant Star has everything you want in a teen drama: surprising stories, juicy romance, original music and fierce competition," said Lindman. "No one knows the teen genre better than Linda Schuyler. As creator and Executive Producer of two of The N's biggest hits - Degrassi: The Next Generation and Instant Star - she delivers quality shows that our teen audience craves."

Instant Star depicts the life of 17-year-old Jude Harrison, a singer/songwriter who is propelled to superstardom after she wins a national American Idol-style talent competition. Jude is played by real life singer/songwriter/actress Alexz Johnson, who has written and recorded several of the original songs featured in the series. Each episode of Instant Star features a new song performed by Johnson. The Instant Star soundtrack, which features all the hit songs from season one, is now available nationwide.

Those helping Jude along the way on her rock n' roll journey include: her hot young producer and former boy-band heartthrob Tom Quincy, aka Lil' Tommy Q (Tim Rozon), boy-next-door best friend Jamie Andrews (Kristopher Turner), punk rocker friend (and Jamie's girlfriend) Patsy Sewer (Zoie Palmore), Jude's older jealous sister Sadie (Laura Vandervoort), her father Stuart (Simon Reynolds), as well as the head of G Major, media-mogul Darius Mills (Wes Williams).

Alexz Johnson hails from Vancouver and has a four-octave range and eight years of operatic training. The sixth of 10 children, Alexz began performing when she was just six-years-old and went on to appear at Vancouver's New Year's Eve festivities at Planet Hollywood at the age of 12. Her acting credits have since included the lead in Disney's So Weird and a principal role on the hit series The Chris Isaak Show. Named an "It Girl" in 2005 by alloy.com, Alexz has made a name for herself in the United States by playing Jude Harrison on Instant Star, which Entertainment Weekly selected as one of the hottest shows of Summer 2005. She has written and recorded several of the original songs featured in the series' soundtrack. She was recently seen in New Line Cinema's hit feature thriller Final Destination 3.

Instant Star is produced in association with CTV by Toronto-based Epitome Pictures, producers of Degrassi: The Next Generation. The series was created by Linda Schuyler, co-creator of the original Degrassi series. Schuyler and Stephen Stohn serve as Executive Producers of Instant Star.

Epitome Pictures and its affiliate companies have been producing quality Canadian programming since 1976, including the multi-award winning, internationally recognized Degrassi franchise, The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, which still air throughout the world. Epitome Pictures has also produced the series Liberty Street and Riverdale, as well as Instant Star and several MOWs. For more information, please visit www.epitomepictures.com.

The N, the nighttime network for teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 49 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.

Source: The N

CONTACT: Mirian Arias, +1-212-846-7653, Mirian.Arias@noggin.com, or Maria
Poulos, +1-212-846-6283, Maria.Poulos@mtvnmix.com, both for The N

Web site: http://www.nick.com/
http://www.epitomepictures.com/
http://www.the-n.com/

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