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iVILLAGE AND USA NETWORK LAUNCH ONLINE INITIATIVE FOR UPCOMING TV SERIES "THE STARTER WIFE"
iVILLAGE AND USA NETWORK LAUNCH ONLINE INITIATIVE FOR UPCOMING TV SERIES "THE STARTER WIFE"
NICOLE KIDMAN AND KEITH URBAN TOP THE LIST IN POLL ASKING WOMEN WHO THEY WOULD EMULATE IF THEY HAD TO START OVER
Co-Branded Microsite Will Feature Pledge Contributions To The Charity Dress For Success From Real-Life Starter Wives
New York, NY, May 2, 2007 � iVillage, a division of NBC Universal, announced today that it has teamed up with sister company USA Network to promote the network's upcoming original series, THE STARTER WIFE. A co-branded microsite on iVillage.com will engage iVillage's 16 million members with exclusive videos, star Q&As, THE STARTER WIFE social networking groups for real-life women starting over and more.
Premiering Thursday, May 31 at 9/8c, THE STARTER WIFE stars Emmy�-Award winner Debra Messing, best known for her role as Grace Adler on "Will & Grace" and on the big screen opposite Dermot Mulroney in "The Wedding Date." Messing joins cast members Academy Award� nominee Judy Davis, Emmy and Tony� winner Joe Mantegna, Miranda Otto and Tony winner Anika Noni Rose with executive producer Gigi Levangie Grazer in this wickedly funny comedy based on Grazer's New York Times best-selling novel about one woman's journey to redefine herself after ending her marriage with a Hollywood studio head.
iVillage, the largest community of women online, features compelling content, message boards, interactive features, tools and blogs for women to connect on everything from beauty and style to entertainment, pregnancy and parenting.
"Every woman has had to start over at some point in her life, whether it was following a divorce, starting a new career or moving to a new city," said Deborah Fine, President of iVillage. "THE STARTER WIFE message is one that resonates with our community of women at every stage of their lives, and we are excited to be working with USA Network to promote this highly anticipated series."
"We're thrilled that iVillage is offering a catalog of rich interactive tools for the upcoming network event of THE STARTER WIFE," said Chris McCumber, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy for USA Network. "Through this partnership, we are able to tap into their vibrant community of women, a core audience that we aim to capture with the series."
A co-branded poll on iVillage.com paved the way recently, with a record number of women responding to the question: "If you could start over, which couple would you emulate?"
� Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban? 46% would stick together through thick and thin like this Hollywood-Nashville super couple.
� Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt? 30% said they would be globally aware and put their kids first ala Brangelina.
� Jessica Simpson and John Mayer? 24 % responded that they would have fun with no strings like these young lovers.
The microsite on iVillage.com kicked off on May 1 at www.ivillage.com/starterwife, featuring:
� An online pledge board, where iVillage users pledge to "start over" in some area of their life, such as "I will start eating healthy today" or "starting today, I will donate one hour per week to a local shelter." For every pledge, USA Network donates a dollar (up to $10,000) to Dress for Success, a not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
� A Starter Wife group on iVillage Connect, its social networking platform, where real-life Starter Wives can swap stories, share inspirations and advice.
� Exclusive video preview of THE STARTER WIFE'S pilot episode.
� Video Q&A with Debra Messing, star of THE STARTER WIFE.
� Starting on May 31st, iVillage's popular "TV Cocktail" blog will offer the scoop following each weekly episode.
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About THE STARTER WIFE
THE STARTER WIFE stars Emmy� winner and Academy Award nominee Judy Davis ("Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadow"), Emmy winner and Tony winner Joe Mantegna ("Joan of Arcadia"), Tony winner Anika Noni Rose ("Dreamgirls"), Miranda Otto ("Lord of the Rings") Peter Jacobson ("As Good As It Gets"), Stephen Moyer ("Quills"), Aden Young ("The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course") and Chris Diamantopoulos ("Boston Legal").
THE STARTER WIFE is executive produced by Grazer and penned by the writing team of Sara Parriott & Josann McGibbon ("Runaway Bride"), who also serve as executive producers along with Stephanie Davis ("The Caveman's Valentine") and Howard Klein ("The Office," "Carnivale") from 3 Arts Entertainment. THE STARTER WIFE is produced by Hay Pop Pty Limited in association with McGibbon/Parriott Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment, for NBC Universal Television Studio.
About iVillage Inc.
iVillage Inc., a division of NBC Universal, is the first and largest media company dedicated exclusively to connecting women at every stage of their lives. Ranked the #1 online destination for women with 16 million unique visitors (comScore MediaMetrix), iVillage.com offers an authentic community infused with compelling content from experts on health, parenting, pregnancy, beauty, style, fitness, relationships, food and entertainment. The site's interactive features include thousands of message boards and a wide variety of social networking tools, allowing women around the world to connect, share ideas, and seek advice and support about everything from fertility to fashion.
Established in 1995, iVillage's brand extensions include iVillage UK, iVillage Total Health and owned sites Astrology.com, GardenWeb and gURL.com, in addition to the Newborn Channel. The company, acquired by NBC Universal in May 2006, is based in New York.
About USA Network
USA Network (http://www.usanetwork.com/) is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. Seen in over 90 million U.S. homes, USA finished #1 among all basic cable networks in total viewers in the first quarter of 2006. Home to critically acclaimed and award-winning programming including The Dead Zone, Nashville Star, and the Emmy-winning series Monk and the Emmy-nominated series The 4400. USA Network is the exclusive broadcaster of WWE Monday Night Raw, which is consistently one of the highest rated programs on basic cable. Upcoming programming includes, Psych, AFI tribute to Sean Connery, and the US Open Tennis Championship.
About Dress for Success
Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 80 cities in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the UK. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 350,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.
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