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SPEED(TM) STAYS AGGRESSIVE; SUMMER PLANS INCLUDE COHEN'S GYMKHANA, CAROLLA PROJECT
WHIPPED, FROM THE PRODCUERS
OF THE HIT SHOW WIPEOUT, AIMS FOR PRIME SPOT
ADAPTATION OF POPULAR VIDEO GAME GRAN TURISMO 5
IN DEVELOPMENT WITH SONY & NISSAN
Fresh off a jam-packed February launch of popular new enthusiast originals -- including Car Warriors and American Trucker, SPEED keeps the pedal to the metal with a full tank of programs in development for summer premieres.
"When we made the commitment to a major update of the SPEED prime time lineup, we enlisted some very successful partners in the production community," said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. "The early results have been encouraging and we will continue to push forward with a fresh assortment of summer titles."
From the producers of the popular slapstick network competition show, Wipeout, SPEED has received a demo entitled Whipped.
The 60-minute game show allows contestants to show off their driving skills on extreme obstacle courses behind the wheel of their own car. Winners receive the ultimate customization package for their ride.
With the working title, Ultimate Gymkhana, an automotive spectacle being shepherded by The Fast & the Furious director Rob Cohen and produced by WATV Productions, completed a pilot shoot last week at the working California Steel Industries plant in Fontana, Calif., the site of movie shoots including Cohen's The Running Man, as well as Terminator 2 and Mission: Impossible 3.
"Most automotive sports are confined to either straight lines or banked ovals," said Cohen, whose credits also include xXx and The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. "In the new world of �action motor sports,' super-fast cars are let loose on the world landscape � with gymkhana, the cars actually perform at the level of figure skating or gymnastics. They dance, they spin, they jump and they perform with precision and a sense of fun. This is intrinsically theatrical, filmic and fresh."
Each 60-minute episode, hosted by Stacy Keibler and Andrew Comrie-Picard, features two top drivers from the worlds of drifting and/or rally competing in their own purpose-built cars on sinuous gymkhana courses staged in feature film-quality locations.
Funnyman Adam Carolla has begun taping segments with fellow panelists Dan Neil, John Salley and Matt Farrah for The Car Show, a studio-based program where everything in the automotive world is fair game.
SPEED also has commissioned a full pilot for the title Come Drive With Me, from the producers of the popular international program, Come Dine with Me.
Each self-contained, 30-minute episode of Come Drive with Me brings together four testosterone-fueled men and women who are totally obsessed with their cars. These four motorheads pack themselves into each other's cars and take them for a spin on the streets.
After each test drive, they will rate each other's cars on the following criteria: the interior, the exterior, driving performance, and of course, any extras under the hood. Because of their sheer pride in their own car, not to mention their competitive nature, we're sure to hear tons of smack-talking from our four contestants -- both to the camera and to each other's faces.
The network has requested a pilot for a program entitled Stump the Junkies and SPEED also is teaming with Sony and Nissan on a reality series based on the red-hot video game, Gran Turismo 5.
New episodes of the current SPEED series The 10 (Season 2) and Pass Time (Season 8) also will premiere this summer.
For a look at the current selection of new titles airing on SPEED, please visit the following program pages:
Ticket to Ride with Dan Neil (Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET)
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/ticket-to-ride/
The 10 (Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET)
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/the-10
Car Warriors (Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET)
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/car-warriors/
Car Science (Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET)
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/car-science/
Speedmakers (Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET)
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/speedmakers/
American Trucker (Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET)
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/american-trucker/
About SPEED(TM)
SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation's first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in more than 82 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority.
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