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TVGuide.Com Launches New Weekly Celebrity Blog By The Closer Creator and Executive Producer James Duff

Posted on: Thursday, 8 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

TVGuide.com, the leading online community for entertainment fans, announced today that it has introduced a new weekly blog by James Duff, creator and executive producer of TNT's The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick. Duff's blog provides readers with an intimate and revealing look at all aspects of a show from the unique perspective of its creator. Its launch coincides with the June 12 premiere of The Closer's second season and TV Guide magazine's June 12 cover story (on newsstands June 8) featuring Sedgwick.

Duff is one of several celebrities who have launched blogs on TVGuide.com since the site expanded its community section in April with 60 professional blogs and hundreds of user-generated blogs. Page views in the community section increased by more than 90% between April and May.

Duff's debut post allows readers a front row seat at a producer's first meeting with the woman who would become his leading lady: "Two years ago this coming August, I showed up for a late breakfast at a Hollywood restaurant and met someone who completely changed my life. Such experiences don't come along very often -- transformational first encounters let's call them, or TFEs -- and my memory seldom recollects them in the order of their importance," he writes in the blog.

"Certainly, when Kyra Sedgwick walked through the doors of Campenili that late Sunday morning to share the first of many meals with me, Mike Robin and Greer Shephard (my partners in developing The Closer), we had no idea we were about to share in a TFE of the very highest order. But I do remember that meeting with what, for me, is enormous detail."

Each week, Duff's new posts will pull back the curtain, giving fans an unprecedented behind-the-scenes glimpse at what goes into making the show, the evolution of its storylines and the actors that bring it all to life. TVGuide.com readers will have the opportunity to post and interact with Duff.

"Mr. Duff makes a great contribution to our community by establishing TVGuide.com as an interactive forum where entertainment fans can connect directly with the people behind their favorite shows," says TVGuide.com Editorial Director Daniel Manu. "We're happy to have him on board and look forward to expanding our community with more celebrity blogs."

TVGuide.com also features a weekly blog by Rescue Me's John Scurti, who plays Lt. Kenny "Lou" Shea on the hit FX drama series, now in its third season. Past celebrity blogs include those by Jenna Fischer and B.J. Novak of NBC's The Office.

Duff's blog can be found at the following link: http://blogs.tvguide.com/thecloser

About Gemstar-TV Guide

Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ: GMST) is a leading media, entertainment and technology company that develops, licenses, markets and distributes technologies, products and services targeted at the television guidance and home entertainment needs of consumers worldwide. The Company's businesses include: television media and publishing properties; interactive program guide services and products; and technology and intellectual property licensing. Additional information about the Company can be found at www.gemstartvguide.com.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties related to the transformation of our TV Guide magazine publishing business; timely availability and market acceptance of products and services incorporating the Company's technologies and content; our investment in new and existing businesses, including TV Guide magazine, TV Guide Spot and TV Guide Mobile; the impact of competitive products, services and pricing; ongoing and potential future litigation; and the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the most recent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, each as it may be amended from time to time. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Note to Editors: Gemstar, TV Guide, TV Guide Spot and TV Guide Mobile are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. The names of other companies, products and services used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Source: Business Wire

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