NEW YORK, July 27, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ION Television furthers its programming strategy of providing high-quality content with the acquisition of three of television's critically-acclaimed and highly popular series, "Psych" and "Monk" from Universal Cable Productions and "House" from Universal Media Studios, it was announced today by Brandon Burgess, CEO, ION Media Networks, and Frances Manfredi, Executive Vice President and General Sales Manager, NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution.
As part of the content package, ION Television attains the right to air six and future seasons of the detective series "Psych," marking the first time the series has been syndicated on a broadcast network. Meanwhile, the Emmy® Award winning series "Monk" comes toIONwith all eight complete seasons. Additionally, ION obtains rights to the Emmy® Award winning medical drama "House" starting in fall 2012 airing two times per week for one year.
"We're very pleased to be in business with NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution by having award-winning, high-quality series from Universal Media Studios, Universal Cable Productions andUSA, which is one of cable's most successful networks," says Brandon Burgess, CEO, IONMedia Networks. "These series fit particularly nicely with our network's 'Positively Entertaining' positioning based on procedural dramas and movies."
"'Psych,' 'Monk' and 'House' complement ION's high-quality programming lineup and we are very happy to provide ION with content that has a strong fan base," said Bruce Casino, Senior Vice President, Cable and Ancillary Sales, NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution. "We applaud ION Television for recognizing the value in these three award-winning series and we are happy to continue our great relationship with the network," added Frances Manfredi.
"Psych" is a quick-witted series starring James Roday as young police consultant Shawn Spencer who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute that Santa Barbara PD detectives think he is psychic. The series also stars Dulé Hill as Shawn's best friend and reluctant partner Burton "Gus" Guster, as well as Corbin Bernsen as Shawn's captious father, Henry.
One of the most successful series ever on cable, "Monk," features Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, a once rising star with the San Francisco Police Department, legendary for using unconventional means to solve the department's most baffling cases. But after the tragic (and still unsolved) murder of his wife Trudy, Monk developed an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now consumed by peculiar obsessions and wracked with hundreds of phobias (including but certainly not limited to germs, heights, and even milk), Monk has lost his badge and struggles with even the simplest everyday tasks. Now working as a private consultant, Monk continues to investigate cases in the most unconventional ways.
"House," an innovative take on the medical drama, is a series in which the villain is a medical malady and the hero (Hugh Laurie) is an irreverent, controversial doctor who trusts no one, least of all his patients. House often clashes with his fellow physicians, including his own diagnostic team, because many of his hypotheses about patients' illnesses are based on subtle or controversial insights.
The three hit series join ION Television's primetime schedule of the popular off-net series "Without a Trace," "Criminal Minds," "Ghost Whisperer," along with ION's first original police drama "Flashpoint."
ABOUT ION TELEVISION
ION Television is a leading U.S.general entertainment network, combining high-quality programming and dependable broadcast distribution with an attitude of innovation and growth normally associated with a cable channel. Its "Positively Entertaining" network brand positioning features a formula of proven series, an expansive catalog of blockbuster movies and a commitment to introduce new original programming. Since its recent launch in 2008, ION's reach has grown to 99 million households and has become one of the top-15 TV rated U.S.networks in record time. For more information, visit www.iontelevision.com.
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