Crackle Launches New Original Programming

Crackle Launches New Original Programming

Dating Brad Garrett, The Groundlings, Afterworld and The Jace Hall Show Among Eleven Original Series Offered on Mobile

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Crackle.com, the Sony Pictures Entertainment online video network, launches its new fall season September 15th online and on mobile.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080424/LATH509LOGO)

"As pioneers in bringing original, high-quality programming to the marketplace, we're proud to introduce this eclectic slate of series to mobile customers," said Eric Berger, Sony Pictures Television. "From comedic masterminds like Brad Garrett and The Groundlings to video-game junkies like Jace Hall, we're confident that Crackle is offering something for everyone."

Crackle's mobile partners, which include AT&T and Sprint, will launch eleven original series (listed below), including projects from three-time Emmy Award-winning actor Brad Garrett; the infamous Hollywood improv troupe, the Groundlings; up-and-coming comedians Owen Benjamin ("The House Bunny") and Dan Levy; film/TV and videogame producer, Jace Hall; music impresario Vincent Moon, and several others.

Additionally, the series' will premiere on several other Crackle online partners in its distribution network, including YouTube; MySpace; Hulu; AOL Video; Adobe; and direct to Sony BRAVIA TVs via BRAVIA Internet Video Link.

The slate of short-form programming available includes:

-- Dating Brad Garrett is the new, online reality series that follows Garrett on ten blind dates with women looking to make a love connection with the comedian. The lucky ladies were selected by a panel of Garrett "experts," including his ex-wife, mother, exterminator, friend/co-star, and urologist, who reviewed original videos submitted by applicants online.

-- For more than 30 years, the L.A. based Groundlings have been performing their unique brand of comedy on Melrose Avenue. Now the world-renowned improv and sketch troupe brings their signature humor to the web. This collection of short form episodes and comedic sketches showcases the LA-based troupe to a world stage. Provocative music videos, bizarre "educational" shows for children and an inside look at some lonely wire-tappers are just a few examples found in The Groundlings' series of comic vignettes.

-- Michael Stahl-David: Behind the Star -- A Video Biography stars Michael Stahl-David from the 2008 blockbuster film "Cloverfield," who thinks he has it made with a hit movie under his belt. Anticipating a new life of money, cars, women and paparazzi, he hires a documentary crew to create a video diary capturing his rise to "super-stardom", and to set the record straight that he's really just a down-to-earth normal guy. Desperately searching for a project that will cement him on Hollywood's A-List, Michael and his lackluster management team hit a few snags, not least of which is a six-figure lawsuit in this new mockumentary web series about the trials and tribulations of life on the B-list.

-- Gaytown (season 2) - Owen Benjamin is a straight man living in Gaytown, a place where men wear fannypacks and adorn their Yorkies with fancy dog sweaters and women drive trucks and pour concrete. Season 2 picks up immediately after Owen organized a first-ever Straight Pride Parade and was ready to tell Lina he had feelings for her (a big no-no in Gaytown). How did the town react to the rally? Will Lina feel the same way? And is Pierce REALLY over Owen? These answers and more in the exciting second season of Gaytown.

-- My Long Distance Relationship - Sam and Samantha were inseparable until college ripped them from each others' arms. Now millions and billions of miles away from each other, or so it seems, their on-again/off-again long distance relationship may not even last as long as Sam's first time! Communicating only through their dorm room webcams, Sam and Samantha take on the ups and downs of college. The brainchild of Dan Levy, My Long Distance Relationship, takes a humorous yet voyeuristic look at the manic bond between two college freshmen living on opposite ends of the country.

-- Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show (season 2) - One part "Pee Wee's Playhouse" and one part crazy, unpredictable Japanese talk show; Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show is an internet, comedy talk show parody. Fans everywhere are rejoicing for the return of Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show. The acclaimed web series returns for a second season, where Kiko, the show's host, continues to bewilder and abuse her guests with the help of her sidekicks Panda and Unicow (a unicorn cow). In addition to everyone's favorite zany characters, guest stars this season include: J.B. Smoove ("Til Death," "Curb Your Enthusiasm") Wallace Langham ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"), and Alan Tudyk ("3:10 to Yuma"), among others.

-- Take-Away Shows - World-renowned auteur music video director Vincent Moon introduces an intimate look at some of the world's most exciting bands like Bodies of Water, Walkmen, Rosebuds, Rock Plaza Central and more. The series includes more than 40 exclusive videos performed by today's most cutting edge bands. Each video is shot in an unexpected location such as an elevator, rainy city street or inside a New York City cab. Moon has gained fame shooting videos for R.E.M., Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear and Beirut among others.

-- Signature Series follows one man's hilarious and irreverent take on the all-American cross-country road trip. Watch as comedian/artist/prankster Marc Horowitz drives a loopy path created from his signature scrawled on a map of the US. Viewers watch him as he makes 20 hysterical stops along the giant "Marc," from the Pacific to the Atlantic, each time staging a "community building" project in a new town or city. His goal? To improve the lives of the people he encounters -- the more creative and unconventional the means, the better.

-- American Dreamers - Eccentrics, inventors, artists and dreamers -- these are the people who make America interesting. Spirited and fascinating individuals who choose to operate outside of the mainstream, attempting to create their own American dream are profiled in the series. Welcome to American Dreamers, a character driven documentary series dedicated to bringing audiences the best of Americana.

-- The Jace Hall Show is a 13-part short-form lifestyle series created and hosted by film, television and videogame producer Jason "Jace" Hall. The show offers a sneak peek into the ever-melding entertainment and gaming world with a mix of stunts and interviews with film, TV, music and videogame icons, and features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the hottest game developers. Among the segments are a special glimpse at Duke Nukem Forever, a gaming face off with Zachary Levi (NBC's "Chuck"), and an indoor skydiving and shooting challenge with Gears of War creator Cliff "Cliffy B" Bleszinski.

-- In Afterworld, Russell Shoemaker, an advertising executive on a business trip, wakes up in a New York hotel room the morning after a worldwide, catastrophic phenomenon wipes out all signs of life. Or so Russell thinks. After finding fellow survivors, he begins a harrowing 3000 mile journey across the US in hopes of finding his wife and daughter alive. Along the way, Shoemaker meets and comes to the aid of other survivors. In this post-apocalyptic world, Russell Shoemaker becomes a symbol of hope, a modern superhero in search of what matters most, whose arrival is often-times eagerly anticipated by remaining survivors. This is one man's odyssey of self-reliance, innovation and optimism. Part graphic novel, part cinematic narrative, part primetime drama, Afterworld is a fully immersive, scripted thriller engaging audiences worldwide.

About Crackle, Inc.,

Crackle, Inc., a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, is a multi-platform video entertainment network that distributes work from the hottest established and emerging talent on the web and beyond. Crackle's addictive channels and shows reach a global audience across the Internet, in the living room, and on devices including a broad range of Sony electronics. Crackle, in on-going collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment and other leading partners, discovers and promotes the stars of tomorrow. Visit Crackle's site at http://www.crackle.com/

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080424/LATH509LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Crackle.com

CONTACT: Karen Barragan of Sony Pictures Television, +1-310-244-6467,
Karen_Barragan@spe.sony.com, for Crackle.com

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