USA NETWORK AGAIN RECLAIMS SUNDAY NIGHTS THIS SPRING WITH HIT ORIGINAL SERIES LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT AND IN PLAIN SIGHT

Premiering on Sunday, April 19

NEW YORK, NEW YORK February 17, 2009 USA, the #1 network in cable, announced today that it is reclaiming Sunday nights with back-to-back hit original series launching this spring. The eighth season of veteran success LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, with all-new cast member Jeff Goldblum, will premiere at 9/8c and the sophomore season of the newest in USA's roster of bold originals, IN PLAIN SIGHT, will follow at 10/9c beginning Sunday, April 19.

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT welcomes Academy Award and Emmy nominee Jeff Goldblum as he joins the cast that includes Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Julianne Nicholson and Eric Bogosian for season eight. Goldblum will be playing Zach Nichols, a detective who was born and bred on Manhattan's upper west side. The series takes viewers into the minds of its criminals while following the psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve its worst offenses. The squad investigates high-profile homicide cases, often involving some of the cities most high-powered people, including local government officials, the financial sect as well as celebrities. CRIMINAL INTENT differs from other series in the "Law & Order" franchise by focusing on the action and motives of the criminals as opposed to positioning and point of view from police and the prosecution.

Guest stars include Academy Award nominee Lynn Redgrave ("Gods and Monsters"), Eric Balfour ("24"), Shawn Hatosy ("Numb3rs"), Piper Perabo ("Coyote Ugly") and Janel Maloney ("The West Wing").

With a new roster of writers the CRIMINAL INTENT teams now include Walon Green, Ed Zuckerman, Michael S. Chernuchin, Andrew Lipsitz and Timothy J. Lea. The CRIMINAL INTENT writing staff is split between two teams. Green serves as executive producer, showrunner and head writer, with Chernuchin as co-executive producer for D'Onofrio/Erbe episodes. The writing team for the Goldblum/Nicholson episodes includes Zuckerman as executive producer, showrunner and head writer with Lipsitz and Lea as co-executive producers. Zuckerman has been a member of the "Law & Order" family working on the original as co-executive producer. Coles serves as the New York based non-writing executive producer/ director for both teams.

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Cable Productions. Dick Wolf, Peter Jankowski, Walon Green, Ed Zuckerman and John David Coles are executive producers.

Proving again that USA is home to a record-breaking number of consecutive hit originals, IN PLAIN SIGHT was the #1 new original series of 2008 for both P25-54 (2.66 million) and P18-49 (2.28 million). This is the third year in a row USA has had the #1 new series in these key demos (PSYCH in 2006, BURN NOTICE in 2007). IN PLAIN SIGHT helped drive USA to #1, where it has remained for three consecutive years. The show stars Mary McCormack as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal working in the highly specialized branch of the witness protection program (WITSEC), who relocates Federal Witnesses - many of them career criminals and many others, just the innocents who have had the misfortune of witnessing a crime. Either way you look at it, they share a special bond -- someone wants them dead. Mary's job is to see that this doesn't happen, while at the same time managing her own dysfunctional life. IN PLAIN SIGHT also stars Frederick Weller, Lesley Ann Warren, Nichole Hiltz, Paul Ben-Victor, Cristian de la Fuente and Todd Williams. IN PLAIN SIGHT was created and written by David Maples, who serves as executive producer alongside Paul Stupin and comes from Universal Cable Productions.

Holly Maples ("The Office") joins the cast this season in a recurring role as Eleanor, the new administrative assistant, along with Joshua Malina ("The West Wing") as Peter, an alcoholic in recovery whom Brandi meets at an AA meeting and Laura Prepon ("That 70's Show", "October Road") as Lauren, a woman connected to Mary in an unexpected way. Guest-stars for season two include Richard Schiff ("The West Wing"), Cynthia Watros ("Lost"), David Zayas ("Dexter"), David Denman ("The Office"), Will Estes ("American Dreams"), Jeremy Glazer ("Num3ers"), Sarah Drew ("Mad Men"), Clarke Peters ("Life On Mars"), Kevin Rankin ("Friday Night Lights"), Chris Mulkey ("Saving Grace"), Liza Weil ("Gilmore Girls"), Ellen Hollman ("The O.C."), John Bishop ("Grey's Anatomy") and Ali Marsh ("Law & Order") as Shelley, the department psychologist sent to perform Mary's psychological evaluation.

USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in 94 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at 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.