Get Laughs or Die Trying: White Boyz In The Hood

Get Laughs or Die Trying: White Boyz In The Hood

White Comics 'Stand Up' to Urban Audiences in New Comedy Series Premiering on SHOWTIME October 5 at 11 p.m.

NEW YORK, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Madman Entertainment, Lionsgate and Showtime Networks Inc., have teamed up to present an edgy and ground-breaking 10-episode stand-up comedy series -- White Boyz In The Hood -- premiering on SHOWTIME Thursday, October 5, at 11 p.m. ET/PT, it was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment for Showtime. A new 30-minute episode will air on SHOWTIME every Thursday night at 11 ET/PT until the December 7 finale.

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From Richard Pryor to Chris Rock, many black comics have developed brilliant material from the dynamic relationship between the black and white cultures in America. White Boyz In The Hood turns that concept on its head in a classic fish-out-of-water premise: white comedians playing to an urban audience.

Created by Madman Entertainment's Founder and President Anthony Maddox, his partner Peter Griffith, and Lionsgate Vice President Malik Ducard, White Boyz In The Hood will feature 30 comedians, most of whom have honed their craft at urban clubs across the country.

Maddox, the co-creator, is no stranger to delivering comedic talent to the mainstream -- both white and black alike. His resume includes the hit series Bad Boys of Comedy, Diddy Runs The City and the Vibe Awards. When not producing television, Maddox works as a creative consultant to Vibe Media Group, which will act as a marketing partner for the White Boyz project.

"White Boyz In The Hood, as socially provocative as the title may seem, is a glimpse into a world of comedy void of barriers and xenophobia," said Maddox. "These performers are the Larry Birds of comedy in that they can go into any space, any room, and perform on a high level. They can transcend race and culture and that's what we'll see in this series. Funny is funny; doesn't matter where you live."

Griffith added: "Showtime and Lionsgate represent two of the most forward- thinking brands in entertainment as evidenced by the success of their most recent collaboration on the original series 'Weeds'. We felt they were a great fit for this project and we are thrilled to be working with two top-flight creative organizations. I want to thank Malik Ducard of Lionsgate, Ken Hershman of Showtime and Kenard Gibbs of Vibe."

"Lionsgate has never wavered in its commitment to provide quality, diverse programming -- especially comedy -- targeted toward the urban marketplace," says Ducard. "We have assembled an outstanding lineup of comedians whose 'in your face' humor will resonate with audiences of all races."

The executive producers of White Boyz In The Hood are Maddox, Griffith, Ducard and Hershman, senior vice president and general manager of sports & event programming for Showtime. The series is produced and directed by Richie Namm, a 25-year veteran of television and film. Among Namm's extensive credits are "Election Night TV Gala with Bob Hope," and "The D.L. Hughley Show," as well as the musical concert "Jay-Z In Concert" for Showtime.

Performances were taped in front of a live audience on August 2 and 3 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theatre in New York City. Each 30-minute episode, in addition to showcasing the on-stage performances of three to four new comedians, will include a variety of documentary-style vignettes.

Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF), the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, an industry leader and trend setter in the creation and distribution of quality urban programming, is partnering with Vibe Media Group, a leading music/lifestyle media company that publishes Vibe magazine, the preeminent brand in urban and music culture, to release the DVD of White Boyz In The Hood in early 2007.

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.

Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, winning this year's Best Picture Academy Award(R) for Crash, generating two consecutive years of $300 million-plus domestic theatrical box office, operating a $500 million-plus home entertainment business and producing a broad slate of prime time television series for fiscal 2007. It is a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of more than 5,500 titles is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand name is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

FAST FACTS

TITLE: White Boyz In The Hood

PRESENTED BY: Showtime Networks Inc., Lionsgate, Madman Entertainment

HOME VIDEO: Lionsgate Entertainment

THEATRE: Filmed live at the Gerald W. Lynch Theatre (John Jay
College) on Wednesday, Aug. 2 & Thursday, Aug. 3

CONTENT: Each 30-minute episode, in addition to showcasing the on-
stage performances of three to four comics includes a
variety of documentary-style vignettes. The 10th and final
episode features brief clips from many of the stand-out
performances, as well as out-takes, behind-the-scenes and
in-the-hood (on the street) interviews.

SHO AIR: 10 thirty minute (:30) episodes premiering on SHOWTIME on
October 5, 2006 with new episodes airing every Thursday
until the December 7 finale.

COMEDIAN BIOGRAPHIES

In Alphabetical Order

Jason Andors

After winning "The Funniest College Student Contest" Jason has been performing comedy at over 2000 venues throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He recently appeared on P Diddy's Bad Boys Of Comedy and Showtime at the Apollo. He has also appeared on Premium Blend, Comic View, Raymann is Laat, Latino Laugh Festival and Que Loco. Also for Comedy Central, Jason wrote, produced and did voices for an animated pilot entitled Urbania.

Paula Bel

Paula Bel has made numerous television appearances including The Tonight Show, Full Frontal Comedy, VIBE, The View, Comic View and Friday Night Videos. She has also been in films such as The Breaks, Welcome to Hollywood and Life With Dave. Her appearance at the Apsen Comedy Festival in Colorado led to a development deal with Warner Brothers Network and Paula has also appeared in the Comedy Factory and the Kilkenny Comedy Festivals.

DC Benny

DC Benny began his career working at Harlem's Uptown Comedy club. Since then his comedy performances have been featured on Showtime at the Apollo, The Chris Rock Show, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and Breuer Unleashed. Most recently, he was featured in a Comedy Central half-hour comedy special and was a finalist in NBC's Last Comic Standing.

Jay Black

Jay Black started life as a high school teacher, but Jay always wanted to try standup, and it wasn't long before he took the same high-energy act he used in the classroom into the nightclubs. Jay has performed in several notable clubs and opened for the likes of Bob Nelson and Victoria Jackson. For the last year, Jay has been writing for The Richie Byrne Show, a comedy revue and Jay was recently signed by Rusty Bear Entertainment to write and produce a screenplay.

Buddy Bolton

Buddy Bolton was the creative director at WNEW, 102.7 FM and the lead writer for "Hot Funnies," a national comedy radio service. He recently created a new show for A& E that is currently in production called Bounced! and also just got his pilot My Adventures with Cloe, picked up by Teletoon. He has recently performed on the Conan O'Brien Show and in major motion pictures including Deeds, Master of Disguise, Bad Boys and Manna From Heaven.

Redbone

Redbone has appeared on television in P Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy and Comic View. He has also performed at various comedy clubs including Improv Comedy Club, Laugh Factory, Comedy Store, and Celebrity Theater. In addition, he was a guest comedian on the USO/MWR Comedy Tour. He has also appeared in various films including Devils Rejects and Cracker Jacked as well as a video for Lil John "Get Low" Rimix.

Dustin Chafin

Dustin Chafin regularly performs at premiere venues such as Caroline's on Broadway, Comic Strip Live, and The NY Improv. He has been featured in the New York Underground Comedy Festival and is also the creator of laughdance, a comedy and film festival. He has been a staff writer for the Sci-Fi channel, and contributing writer for The Chris Rock Show, Dennis Miller, Chappelle Show and Blue Collar T.V.

Mark DeMayo

Mark DeMayo recently performed at the Laffapalooza Comedy Festival. He was also featured on 98.7 KISS FM's "It's Just Comedy" competition, and has just performed for the new DVD series "Comedy Jump Off".

Mike DeStefano

Mikee D is one of the most unique and powerful voices in stand up comedy today. He speaks his truth in a way that is sometimes disturbing but always refreshing. His style is fearless as he probes into the heart of issues that most people would rather ignore. He has a way of taking pain and tragedy and spinning them into hilarious laughter. So if you're up for deep belly laughs then Mikee D is your man.

Rich Francese

Rich Francese has appeared at the Gotham Comedy Club, Caroline's, Stand Up NY, and The Comic Strip. He has performed on television on shows such as The 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour, Evening at the Improv, Caroline's Comedy Hour, Two Drink Minimum, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Rich has worked as a staff writer for Vibe TV and writes Weekend Update for Saturday Night Live. Rich is a regular sketch player on Late Night and has performed sketches on the Chris Rock Show, Colin Quinn Show, and Tough Crowd. Rich was recently honored when he was chosen to perform at the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival and was chosen to be a subject in the soon to be released book, The Best Comedy Routines, Period.

Joey Gay

"Comedy comes naturally to me," says stand-up comedian and actor Joey Gay, who mines his laughs from his infamous surname, his colorful childhood in Brooklyn and his place in the family as the younger brother of five sisters, which gave him a unique perspective on the differences between men and women. He's a regular at New York comedy hotspots like Caroline's on Broadway, Comedy Village, Laugh Factory and Catch a Rising Star. In addition to performing at top clubs across the country, he has also appeared at casinos such as the Borgata and Resorts in Atlantic City and Foxwoods in Connecticut. As an actor, he has appeared on NBC's "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Deadline." Gay is working on a documentary about New York City's historic comedy clubs. The documentary features interviews with some of the biggest names in comedy, including Woody Allen, Brett Butler and Richard Lewis.

Adam Hunter

Adam Hunter is one of the hottest up and coming comedians working today. He is full of exciting energy that makes the crowd go wild. He puts his heart and soul into every performance with an act that is brash, edgy, deep, and most importantly... funny. Adam is one of the hardest working comics around, performing every night of the week, usually 2 or 3 shows a night. His act is universal, he can play any venue -- from churches to nightclubs. Night after night, Adam delivers a powerful message that keeps audiences cracking up on the edge of their seats.

Big Jay

From the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, PA, stand-up comedian Jay Oakerson has emerged as one of the most sought after attractions in the industry. Only a seven year veteran, a youngling in the world of stand-up, Jay has already performed at two of the most prestigious festivals in the business: the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, and the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO. Jay has also made numerous television appearances including Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, multiple appearances on B.E.T's Comic View, P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy on HBO, and much more.

Honest John

Beginning his career at an open mic at the Comedy Act Theater, Honest John has gone on to appear on Comic View, Def Jam and Showtime at the Apollo. He has guest starred on The Jamie Foxx Show, Lyricist's Lounge and Showtime in Harlem. Honest John can also be seen films like The Wash, For Da Love of Money, Foolish and other urban comedies.

Aaron Kader

After quickly rising up the ranks in the stand-up circuits he became known as an up and comer. Aaron spent a year in the legendary sketch theatre "The Groundlings" Sunday company, and now performs regularly in Hollywood at his home club, "The Comedy Store." He has been seen on Comedy Central's "Premium Blend", the Television cop drama, "The Shield," and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek magazine, and many other national publications. Most recently Kader filmed a TV pilot for NBC called "Beverly Hills SUV," he was a stand out at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, and received stellar reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year.

Cory Kahaney

Cory Kahaney is now best known for being one of the "final five" on NBC's Last Comic Standing. But she has long had the respect and admiration of her peers. Voted "Best Comedian in New York" by Backstage magazine Cory has appeared on "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn", "Last Call with Carson Daly" and "The View".

Laurie Kilmartin

Laurie Kilmartin began her career in the early nineties, during San Francisco's comedy boom and then headed for New York. In 2002, she became a staff writer for Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. Laurie has also performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Premium Blend, the USO tour, Shorties' Watchin' Shorties, Tough Crowd and The World Stands Up. She has also written for The Late Late Show and Too Late With Adam Carolla.

Jessica Kirson

Jessica's unique style and captivating stage presence captures the attention of audiences and club bookers everywhere she performs. Her wide variety of characters bring a diverse energy to her routine. Once you've seen her talent it's easy to understand why she was selected to perform at the Hamptons, Toyota, Marshall's Women in Comedy, and Las Vegas comedy festivals. She has been featured on Comedy Central's "Premium Blend", and "Fresh Faces", Nickelodeon's "Sixth in the Suburbs", Noggin's "LOL", VH1's "Awesomely Bad Love Songs", Oxygen's premier game show "Can You Tell?", Bravo's "The Great Things About Being", The Women's Television Network's "She's So Funny", NBC's Last Comic Standing Seasons 2 and 3, and NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly"

Jen Kober

Jen Kober has recently relocated to Los Angeles where she has quickly become a nationally recognized headliner - playing colleges, casinos and comedy clubs all over the country and bringing crowds to their feet with her original blend of stand-up, story telling, and improvised rock-n-roll comedy. Kober's powerful performances weave together a southern-style tale of love lost at the buffet, road trip adventures at The Waffle House and midnight mishaps at WalMart.

Joey Kola

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", "The Late Show with David Letterman", "Comedy Central Presents Joey Kola", "Comedy Central's Premium Blend", "The King of Queens" on CBS, and "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" are just a few of the TV appearances Joey has made in his 24 year career as a stand up comedian. Born and raised in NY, Joey has worked at countless comedy clubs, colleges, casinos, cruise ships, and corporate shows. As if that wasn't enough to keep him busy, Joey has also been a warm up comedian from 1996 to the present for such shows as "The Rosie O'Donnell Show", "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", "The Late Show With David Letterman", the live "Survivor" Finale Shows and the live "Apprentice" finale shows. Joey also continues to be active in fundraising for 32 different charities that he is currently involved with.

Ray Lipowski

Ray Lipowski started his comedy career in 2000 and has performed on BET's Comic View, Showtime at the Apollo and P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy. Ray has recently toured in Europe performing for American troops stationed there doing shows in Germany, London, Ireland and Amsterdam.

Kurt Metzger

Besides regularly performing in many an NYC comedy club, his credits include writing for Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central, writing for some VH1 shows no one saw, performing at the 2004 "Just For Laughs" Montreal Comedy Festival, and writing for Cracked Magazine.

Sauce (10th Episode/Highlights)

In only three years on the comedy circuit, Sauce has performed on Bad Boys of Comedy and is a regular cast member on MTV's Boiling Points. Sauce was the co-host of Brainchild's World Tour, his own live, weekly cable access talk show. Sauce has also modeled, written screenplays, and produced several movies on digital video.

Douglas Saulnier

Douglas Saulnier is a popular comic in NYC, appearing frequently in the city's top comedy clubs. Doug has performed in the Toyota/Boston Comedy Festival, hosted many events such as The Guinness Oyster Festival and The Children's Aid Benefit. Doug has also appeared on HOT 98.7 radio. Recently, Doug has opened for Dave Chappelle and is currently on tour with Robert Schimmel.

Eric Schwartz

Eric Schwartz is a weekly feature on Premiere Radio's Nationally Syndicated Comedy Radio strips, and Eric also hosts the syndicated show Animal Atlas. He has also appeared on Live in Hollywood, Comic View, Comedy Spotlight, Loco Comedy Jam and Laugh Riots. He has performed at comedy clubs including The Laugh Factory, The Improv, The Ice House and The Comedy Store. Eric can also be heard on Rhythm Countdown, Good Day L.A. and Rick Dees in the Morning.

Screech (10th Episode/Highlights)

Dustin Diamond is one of the most recognizable faces in show business today. At the age of 8 he was discovered and while in the fifth grade, he auditioned for and was selected out of more than 5000 hopefuls for the role of Samuel "Screech" Powers in the DISNEY/NBC television series Good Morning Miss Bliss. His character was carried over to NBC's Television series Saved By The Bell, which ran for 10 seasons. Dustin has appeared in numerous Television Shows including "The Wonder Years" and has appeared in various music videos including the 98 Degrees video "I Do". Dustin has also appeared in more than 18 feature films, including Made (which earned him a nomination for Best Cameo at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards), Jane White Is Sick and Twisted, and Dickie Roberts.

Rich Vos

Rich Vos is probably best known from NBC's hit reality show Last Comic Standing. He is a regular on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and has appeared in his own Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, as well as The View, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Chappelle's Show, and Def Comedy Jam. He can be seen regularly at Caroline's and The Comedy Cellar as well as other clubs all over New York City.

A.G. White

A.G. began his career in Harlem where he performed at the renowned Uptown Comedy Club. He went on to perform at the prestigious Apollo Theater in Harlem, National Amusements Theaters and at the Tribute to Robin Harris. He has also appeared on Showtime at the Apollo, BET's Comic View and HBO's Snaps.

Nema Williams

Nema has been a headliner on the RJE Comedy Cabaret Tour for the last five years. He has appeared on Comic Groove, Comic Remix, Comic View, and The Best of Comic View. Nema has competed in such events as The Best of the west Def Comedy Jam comedy Competition, The Bay Area Black Comedy Competition and Festival and the Comedy Central Brew Ha Ha.

The Greg Wilson

Greg Wilson got his start as the youngest member of the Ad-Libs Improv Troupe. From there he went on to perform in a self-developed show entitled The Comedy Madhouse. In December of 2003, the show was picked-up by The Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. Greg then launched a new show in New York called THE GREG WILSON'S Stand-Up|SMACKDOWN! Greg has also appeared in famed comedy clubs such as The Laugh Factory, The Village Comedy Club and Stand-Up NY.

Episodic Breakdown
By Comics

EPISODE 1
AJ White
DC Benny
The Greg Wilson

EPISODE 2
Mike DeStefano
Doug Saulnier
Jay Black

EPISODE 3
Joey Gay
Laurie Kilmartin
Honest John

EPISODE 4
Kurt Metzger
Dustin Chafin
Jen Kober
Nema Williams

EPISODE 5
Eric Schwartz
Rich Francese
Redbone

EPISODE 6
Adam Hunter
Jessica Kirson
Jason Andors

EPISODE 7
Buddy Bolton
Mark DeMayo
Rich Vos

EPISODE 8
Big Jay
Paula Bel
Joey Kola

EPISODE 9
Cory Kahaney
Aaron Kader
Ray Lipowski

EPISODE 10
Highlight EPISODE*

*The highlight episode compiles brief clips from many of the stand-out performances, as well as featured out-takes, behind-the-scenes and in-the-hood

(on the street) interviews.

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Source: Showtime Networks

CONTACT: Chris DeBlasio, +1-212-708-1633, Chris.DeBlasio@Showtime.net,
Faye Katz, +1-212-708-1406, Faye.Katz@showtime.net, or Jackie Ioachim,
+1-212- 708-1220, Jackie.Ioachim@Showtime.net, all of Showtime Networks Inc.;
Jodie Magid, Lionsgate, +1-212-386-6885, JMagid@lionsgate.com

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

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