She's Arrived! ITV2, Lionsgate and Ish Entertainment Bring You 'PARIS HILTON'S NEW BEST FRIEND'

She's Arrived! ITV2, Lionsgate and Ish Entertainment Bring You 'PARIS HILTON'S NEW BEST FRIEND'

(Working title)

SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 20
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ITV2 and the UK will be playing host to the ultimate all-American It girl, Paris Hilton, in the brand new and exclusive series co-produced by ITV Productions, Lionsgate and Ish Entertainment, Paris Hilton's New Best Friend (w/t).

Paris Hilton is jetting into the UK with one mission ... to find herself a British best friend!

In the deal brokered by Craig Cegielski, Lionsgate's Executive Vice President, Programming and Sales, International Television, Zai Bennett, Controller of ITV2, and Jay Kandola, ITV's Director of Acquisitions, ITV2 will create an original British version of "Paris Hilton's My New BFF," which will air on MTV in the US and which is already creating a huge stir in the American market. ITV2 has also licensed the US version of the series for broadcast in the UK.

Paris is never far from a whole host of people wanting to be her new best friend, as she sashays from a red carpet event, to fashion shows and parties. It can be a lonely life jetting the world in the blinding glare of the media spotlight, and it's difficult to meet new friends.

Paris Hilton's New Best Friend will follow the captivating Miss Hilton as she flies to the UK for an intensive search for a new friend she can depend on. Providing viewers with a candid insight into her manic world, they will also be privy to the true girl behind the media image through unprecedented exclusive access.

"Everyone knows I love LA," says Hilton, "but London, watch out -- I'm coming to town and bringing my fast-paced life with me. I'm in the UK all the time, but of course I can't bring all my friends, so I've decided to look for a new BFF across the pond. I need a best friend who is hot, who can keep up with me, and most of all, who is real and won't be a backstabber. I'm not leaving London until I find that amazing girl or guy who can meet the challenges of being my British bestie!"

From suburbia to remote villages, a group of hopefuls who all think they have what it takes will be chosen to live in and deal with Paris Hilton's world. Paris will be putting the group through their paces to test their ambition and determination to be crowned as her new best friend!

Will the contestants have the energy to keep up with Paris' dizzying schedule? Will they have the looks and style to effortlessly accompany Miss Hilton down the red carpet, or will they be hopelessly out of their depth? And will they really be genuine friends to Paris?

The ambitious wannabes will be sharing a house and will gradually be eliminated by Paris until one of them will be inaugurated as Paris Hilton's New Best Friend.

"Working with ITV2 through the acquisition of the US series and simultaneously working with them on the commission of the UK version has been remarkable," said Lionsgate's Craig Cegielski. "It speaks to the incredible international star power of Paris Hilton that we can engage a broadcaster such as ITV2 in the commission of this format prior to the launch of the original programme."

Zai Bennett of ITV2 commented: "Paris Hilton is a worldwide phenomenon and ITV2 is the perfect channel for her to make her first ever UK show. Prospective new best friends should form an orderly queue..."

Paris Hilton's initial quest for her true BFF began when Ish Entertainment sold "Paris Hilton's My New BFF" to MTV US. For the series, 20 potential best friends moved to Los Angeles to live in a house and compete in tests of loyalty, endurance and girl politics to prove that they have what it takes to be Paris Hilton's new best friend. The 10 episode series is scheduled to air in the US on MTV in Q4, 2008.

Ish Entertainment's Michael Hirschorn and Stella Stolper are Co-Creators and Executive Producers along with Paris Hilton and her manager, Jason Moore. They have partnered with ITV Productions to fulfill the commission from ITV2. Rachel Ashdown is the Executive Producer for ITV Productions and Jake Attwell is the Series Editor for ITV Productions.

"This is an innovative way to take an exciting US format and bring it to world-wide audiences," says Hirschorn. "Paris is an international star, probably the best known personality in the world. For her to do this show in the UK is a huge coup."

"We're thrilled to be working with Paris again," adds Stolper. "This has been an amazing relationship. I love her energy, her wit, and her drive to be the best in everything she does."

Anyone aged 18-28 who genuinely want to be Paris Hilton's New Best Friend can email paris@itv.com and they will be sent more information and an application form.

Paris Hilton's New Best Friend is an ITV Productions / Lionsgate / Ish Entertainment Production for ITV2. It was commissioned by Commissioning Editor, Entertainment Digital Channels, Claire Zolkwer, and ordered by Controller of ITV2, Zai Bennett.

Paris Hilton's New Best Friend (w/t), ITV2

For further information please contact:

Mark Boustead: ITV2 Publicity Manager / mark.boustead@itv.com / 084488 13019

Kimberly Weiss: Klear PR for Lionsgate / kim@klearpr.com / +1-310-850-1979

Naomi Bulochnikov: Ish Entertainment / naomi@theish.tv / +1-310-433-9960

About ITV PRODUCTIONS

ITV Productions is one of Europe's leading commercial production companies, producing more than 3,000 hours of original programming each year, including some of the most popular shows on UK television, such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale, I'm a Celebrity and Dancing On Ice. ITV also produces programming for other broadcasters, such as The Street for the BBC, Brainiac for Sky and Countdown and Come Dine with Me for Channel 4. Outside the UK, ITV has had considerable success producing international versions of hit formats, including Hell's Kitchen in the US, Dancing On Ice in Australia, and local versions of I'm A Celebrity and Come Dine with Me in Germany.

About LIONSGATE

Lionsgate is the leading next generation filmed entertainment studio with a major presence in the production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, video-on-demand and digitally delivered content. The Company is leveraging its content leadership and marketing expertise through a series of partnerships that include the operation of the highly successful FEARNet branded VOD and Internet horror channel with Sony and Comcast, the recent announcement of the fall 2009 launch of a new premium entertainment channel with partners Viacom, Paramount Pictures and MGM, investment in the leading young men's digital distribution platform Break.com, ownership of the premier independent television syndication company Debmar-Mercury and an alliance with independent filmed entertainment production and distribution company Roadside Attractions. Lionsgate also has forged partnerships with leading content creators, owners and distributors in key territories around the world, including Televisa in the U.S. and Latin America, StudioCanal in the UK, Hoyts and Sony in Australia and Eros International in India.

The Company has generated more than $450 million at the North American theatrical box office in the past year and has released a string of hits including THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS, THE BANK JOB, RAMBO, THE EYE, SAW IV, TYLER PERRY'S WHY DID I GET MARRIED?, GOOD LUCK CHUCK, 3:10 TO YUMA and WAR, most of which have opened at #1 or #2 at the box office. The Company has also forged leadership positions in television and home entertainment with the production of such critically-acclaimed television series as "Weeds" and "Mad Men," the distribution of "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," "Family Feud," "South Park," "Trivial Pursuit" and "The Dead Zone," among others, and approximately 8% market share and the industry's leading box office-to-DVD conversion rate in home entertainment. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 12,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with entrepreneurial innovation and original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe.

About ISH ENTERTAINMENT

Ish Entertainment was launched in January 2008 by Michael Hirschorn and Stella Stolper with a commitment for three television series under a first- look deal with MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo. The first project to come out of that deal is PARIS HILTON'S MY NEW BFF. Ish Entertainment marries formats and talent focusing primarily but not exclusively on non-scripted programming, continuing a strategy that has helped VH1 launch an unprecedented string of hit shows with top talent. Ish Entertainment is based in Los Angeles and New York.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: krobinson@lionsgate.com

Source: Lionsgate

CONTACT: Mark Boustead, Publicity Manager of ITV2, 084488 13019,
mark.boustead@itv.com; or Kimberly Weiss of Klear PR, +1-310-850-1979,
kim@klearpr.com, for Lionsgate; or Naomi Bulochnikov of Ish Entertainment,
+1-310-433-9960, naomi@theish.tv

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

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