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USA Network Greenlights New Original Series TO LOVE & DIE Starring Shiri Appleby

Posted on: Monday, 16 July 2007, 12:10 CDT

LOS ANGELES, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- USA Network has given a series pickup to its newest original action comedy, TO LOVE & DIE (working title), starring Shiri Appleby ("Six Degrees,""Roswell"), Frances Fisher ("Titanic,""Laws of Attraction") and Tim Matheson ("The West Wing,""Animal House"). The series also stars Kristin Dattilo ("Courting Alex") and Christine Adams ("Home Again"). Sara Goodman is the creator and executive producer along with Carla Kettner and JoAnn Alfano as executive producers and Andrew Singer as producer. The project is from Lorne Michaels Broadway Video Television in association with Universal Media Studios. The series is slated to launch in 2008 with 12 episodes. The announcement was made by Jeff Wachtel, USA's executive vice president, original programming.

"To Love & Die has a high-concept character with a light tone and a slightly twisted soul at its core, which fits our brand perfectly," said Wachtel.

TO LOVE & DIE centers on Hildy (Appleby), a sassy young woman with intimacy issues who is convinced that her dating problems will be resolved if she can track down the father (Matheson) she never knew. When she finds him and discovers that he's a contract killer, she realizes she has a real knack for her father's line of work. Hildy's intrusive and overbearing mother (Fisher) is a refined, meddlesome woman who is on her seventh husband and who constantly inserts herself into her daughter's messy love life. Hildy often seeks advice from her older sister, Nancy (Dattilo), who, unlike herself, has played it safe in life, opting for a quiet suburban home, two kids and a nice, boring husband. Then there is Eddie (Adams), a key member of Matheson's contracting organization -- a bi-sexual technical genius whose skill in creating advanced weapons and high-tech gadgets often comes in handy when planning and executing her boss's latest hit. Ivan Sergei co-stars in the pilot as Hildy's father's protege, who meets his match when he meets the boss's daughter.

Appleby began her acting career at the young age of four. After appearing in various national commercials she earned her first television job in daytime appearing on "Santa Barbara." Next came roles on "thirtysomething,""Doogie Howser, M.D.,""7th Heaven" and "City Guys" among others. Soon after, Appleby landed the role of Liz Parker on "Roswell" and was most recently seen on the series "Six Degrees." She has also appeared in numerous films including "Swimfan,""The Other Sister" and "What Love Is" and will next be seen in "Charlie Wilson's War," written by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

Fisher began her career in the theater, starring in over 30 theatrical productions including "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." She began her film career with roles in "Tough Guys Don't Dance,""Babyfever,""Patty Hearst" and "Female Perversions." She then added starring roles opposite Clint Eastwood in the Academy Award-winning "Unforgiven" and "True Crime" to her burgeoning resume. The versatile actress is perhaps best known for her memorable performance as Kate Winslet's mother in "Titanic," which garnered her a Screen Actors Guild nomination as part of Best Ensemble Cast, while the film went on to receive 11 Academy Awards. Fisher has had many notable television roles, including "Lucy & Desi: Before The Laughter" and recurring roles on "Becker" and "Titus." More recently, Fisher earned rave reviews in "Laws of Attraction" opposite Julianne Moore and Pierce Brosnan, and a co-starring role in "Mrs. Harris" with Annette Bening and Sir Ben Kingsley. She will next be seen in Universal Pictures' "The Kingdom" opposite Jamie Foxx and directed by Peter Berg.

Matheson began his career by lending his voice to the animated series "Johnny Quest" and "Space Ghost." In his adolescence, Matheson also played the role of Mike Beardsley in the classic movie, "Yours, Mine and Ours," and appeared in "Leave it to Beaver,""My Three Sons" and "Bonanza." A veteran actor/director/producer, Matheson has appeared in over one hundred television and film projects. His most notable roles include Otter in "Animal House" and a recurring guest role as the vice president on "The West Wing," for which he was nominated for two Emmys. Behind the camera, Matheson has directed episodes of "Third Watch,""Ed,""The Twilight Zone,""Cold Case,""Without A Trace,""The West Wing" and "Shark," as well as PSYCH and BURN NOTICE for USA. In 2002 Matheson also appeared in "Van Wilder."

USA NETWORK is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. The #1 network in basic cable, USA Network is seen in nearly 94 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at http://www.usanetwork.com/. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

USA Network

CONTACT: Andrea Epstein, +1-818-777-6679, or andrea.epstein@nbcuni.com,or Kristin Schulman, +1-212-664-4140, or kristin.schulman@nbcuni.com, both forUSA Network

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

Source: PRNewswire

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