REAL-LIFE ROBINSON CRUSOE TO LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY TREE HOUSE DURING THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 13-17 TO PROMOTE NBC'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED TWO-HOUR PREMIERE OF ACTION-ADVENTURE SERIES 'CRUSOE'

New NBC 'Crusoe' to Premiere on Friday, October 17 (8-10 p.m. ET)

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - October 13, 2008 - NBC announced today it will erect a tree house in New York City at the corner of Broadway and 51st Street to promote the new action-adventure series "Crusoe," which premieres on Friday, October 17 (8-10 p.m. ET).

The tree house -- which will house a real-life "Robinson Crusoe" on October 13-17 -- will be visible 24 hours a day live in New York and on a custom site located at www.savecrusoe.com. Additionally, series stars Philip Winchester ("Flyboys," "Thunderbirds") who plays Crusoe and Tongayi Chirisa ("Skin") who plays Friday will make a guest appearance at the tree house on Thursday, October 16 (10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET).

"'Crusoe explores an extraordinary fantasy landscape of a deserted island. This tree house is our effort to bring a piece of the remote outdoors adventure to the U.S.," said Adam Stotsky, President, NBC Entertainment Marketing. "We couldn't think of a better place to draw attention to the Crusoe story then smack in the middle of New York City, and the online elements will allow us to share the experience with users nationwide."

Beginning October 11, pre-promotion material will be available at www.twitter.com and Facebook.com. The online promotion will include daily diary entries documenting Crusoe's arrival to the island and a reveal of his New York location on Monday, October 13.

Throughout the week, viewers will have the opportunity to log on to www.savecrusoe.com to participate in up to 7 online polls each day for a chance to win prizes. The polls will determine the course of Crusoe's experience and help him to survive in the tree house until he is saved and returns to his family. The polls will also allow participants to choose what Crusoe should eat, what activities he should participate in and join in on viral promotional activities. The online landscape will also provide users the opportunity to send a personal message to Crusoe. A few lucky users will have their messages spelled out with rocks or etched onto the tree house walls by Crusoe. The final poll will be a call to action to watch the premiere of "Crusoe" on NBC and return to the site to answer questions from the show for a chance to win the grand prize.

Each day of the live event one Microsoft Zune will be given away and on the final day, one lucky viewer will win a grand prize of a Sharp Aquos LCD flat screen television, a year's supply of Orville Redenbacher's� Gourmet� Popping Corn, 120GB Microsoft Zune and a Microsoft XBOX 360 Elite.

From Power, Muse and Moonlighting Films comes an ambitious adaptation of Daniel Defoe's masterpiece as "Crusoe" is a new primetime series for a 21st-century audience. Following the novel and its treasured tale of adventure, the high-action, fast-paced, 13-part series will combine for the first time the pace and energy of network television while remaining faithful to the author's original classic story.

The drama explores the perils and challenges facing the world's most famous castaway as Crusoe (Philip Winchester, "Flyboys," "Thunderbirds") and his native friend Friday (Tongayi Chirisa, "Skin") struggle to survive on a desert island with little more than their wits. Overcoming marauding militias, hungry cannibals, wild cats, starvation and apocalyptic lightning storms, Crusoe dreams of the day he will be reunited with his beloved wife (Anna Walton) and family.

"Crusoe" is being executive produced by Justin Bodle for Power, Jeff Hayes for Bluewater Productions, Michael Prupas for Muse, Genevieve Hofmeyr and Phillip Key for Moonlighting and Stephen Greenberg and Jean Bureau for Incendo Productions.