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[04/20/11 - 12:18 PM]
Starz - Kelsey Grammer's "Boss" - Announces Casting and Start of Production Today
The eight-episode series is set to premiere exclusively on the pay channel in October.

[via press release from Starz]

KELSEY GRAMMER'S THE "BOSS" IN NEW DRAMA FROM STARZ AND LIONSGATE

Casting Complete on Series Set in Chicago Mayor's Office, Beginning Production April 27 for Fall 2011 Debut on Starz

Program Marks Filmmaker Gus Van Sant's TV Directing Debut

Beverly Hills, Calif. - April 20, 2011 - Production begins April 27 in Chicago on "Boss," an original dramatic series from STARZ and Lionsgate Television, starring TV icon Kelsey Grammer and with its first episode directed by acclaimed filmmaker Gus Van Sant in his TV helming debut. Over its eight-episode season, the show centers on the Machiavellian machinations of a fictional Chicago mayor with a dark secret and is set to premiere exclusively on STARZ in October 2011.

Joining Grammer, who will be making his first dramatic TV series debut as Chicago Mayor Tom Kane, in the main cast on "Boss" are Connie Nielsen (Gladiator, The Devil's Advocate) as his wife Meredith, a formidable Chicago power in her own right; Jeff Hephner ("The O.C.," "Hellcats," "Easy Money") as ambitious young politician Alex Zajac; Hannah Ware (Cop Out) as the Kanes' estranged daughter Emma; and Kathleen Robertson ("Girls Club," "Beverly Hills, 90210," Hollywoodland) as Mayor Kane's supremely organized aide Kitty O'Neil.

"Boss" was created by Farhad Safinia (Apocalypto), who is also an executive producer on the series, along with Grammer, Van Sant, Brian Sher, Stella Stolper, Richard Levine and Lyn Greene. Lionsgate Television is producing "Boss" in association with Grammer's Gramnet Productions and Sher and Stolper's Category 5 Entertainment.

"What drew us to 'Boss' is its almost classical dramatic story, full of complex, complicated characters and a story that will be fun to follow," Starz Media Managing Director Carmi Zlotnik said. "Kelsey Grammer as Kane is the perfect match of actor and role, and having a great storyteller like Gus Van Sant at the helm means this series will be unique as well as entertaining."

"We are thrilled to partner with Starz and to collaborate with incredible talents like Kelsey Grammer, Gus Van Sant, Farhad Safinia and the gifted producers that surround them: Brian Sher, Stella Stolper, Richard Levine and Lyn Greene," said Kevin Beggs, president of Lionsgate Television Group, Grammer, who earned a Tony Awards nomination in 2010 for his starring role in the Broadway production of "La Cage Aux Folles," is a multiple Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) Awards winner for his portrayal of Frasier Crane in the long-running TV series "Cheers" and "Frasier." His dramatic feature film credits include X-Men: The Last Stand and 15 Minutes. Grammer's production company, Grammnet Productions, will be the studio on "Boss," in association with Lionsgate Television.

Van Sant's credits include Milk, Good Will Hunting (both of which earned him Oscar(R) nominations for Best Director), Finding Forrester and To Die For. He also played himself in an episode of the television series "Entourage." He is currently slated to direct the first episode of "Boss," and possibly others during the first season as well.

About Starz Entertainment

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 16 premium channels including the flagship STARZ(R) and ENCORE(R) brands with approximately 18.2 million and 32.8 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels. Starz Entertainment is recognized as a pay TV leader in providing HD, On Demand, HD On Demand and online advanced services for its STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX brands. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation and is attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group (NASDAQ: LSTZA).

About Lionsgate

Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as "Mad Men," "Weeds," and "Nurse Jackie" along with recent series such as "Blue Mountain State" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne," its spinoff "Meet The Browns," "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Are We There Yet?." Its feature film business has generated more than half a billion dollars at the North American box office in the past year, fueled by such hits as The Expendables, which was No. 1 at the North American box office for two weeks, The Last Exorcism, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?, Kick Ass and the critically-acclaimed Precious, which won two Academy Awards(R). The Company's home entertainment business has grown to more than 7% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.





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· BOSS (STARZ)





[03/04/26 - 03:01 PM]
FX's "Disinherited" - New Drama from Emmy Award Winner Peter Gould and T-Street Ordered to Series on FX and Hulu
Victoria Pedretti and Kiera Allen star as a pair of scrappy sisters thrust by an unexpected inheritance into a world of generational wealth and long-buried crimes.

[03/04/26 - 11:31 AM]
"Disney Animation's Songs in Sign Language" to Debut on Disney+ April 27
Directed by veteran Disney animator/director Hyrum Osmond, the featured songs are "The Next Right Thing" (from Frozen 2), "We Don't Talk About Bruno" (from Encanto) and "Beyond" (from Moana 2).

[03/04/26 - 11:03 AM]
Video: HBO Max Releases First Teaser from the DC Studios Series "Lanterns," Starring Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, and Kelly Macdonald
The series is slated to debut later this August on HBO and available to stream on HBO Max.

[03/04/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Untamed" Season 2 Production Kicks Off in Hawaii
The series will film on location on O'ahu and the island of Hawaii.

[03/04/26 - 10:01 AM]
MTV Announces the Final 18 Episodes of "Jersey Shore Family Vacation," One of TV's Most Influential Reality Franchises, Premiering on Thursday, May 7 at 8PM ET/PT
This farewell season marks the culmination of a franchise that entertained millions with major life milestones, laugh-out-loud chaos, and the unfiltered chemistry that defined an era of reality television.

[03/04/26 - 09:45 AM]
Lifetime Raises the Bar by Expanding Into Premium Vertical Storytelling with "Tides of Temptation," A Micro Drama Feature Executive Produced by Taye Diggs
Serving as a digital offshoot of the just announced upcoming original movie "Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You," the project expands the film's universe through a cinematic, mobile-first format designed with feature-level production value.

[03/04/26 - 09:44 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights Three New Original Movies for 2026 Love of a Lifetime Slates Featuring All-Star Casts
Valerie Bertinelli, Henry Czerny, Eric McCormack, Taye Diggs, Heather Hemmens, and Cynthia Bailey are among the featured talent.

[03/04/26 - 09:43 AM]
Lifetime Reteams with Robin Roberts for "Angel in the Rubble" Starring Sherri Shepherd in Remembrance of the 25th Anniversary of 9/11
Slated to premiere in September in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the movie is based on Genelle Guzman-McMillan's memoir "Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11's Last Survivor."

[03/04/26 - 09:42 AM]
Lifetime Expands Roster of Powerhouse Creatives with New Movie Projects Helmed By Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson
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[03/04/26 - 09:41 AM]
A+E Global Media Greenlights Two New Digital-First Series Under the History Brand
"Mistakes That Made America" and "Cracking Up" are both due later this year.

[03/04/26 - 09:40 AM]
The History Channel Marks the 25th Anniversary of September 11 with New Two-Hour Special "102 Minutes Inside the Towers"
The documentary offers a deeply immersive and unique perspective through firsthand accounts from those who were inside the Twin Towers.

[03/04/26 - 09:39 AM]
The History Channel Taps Internationally Acclaimed Action Icon Dolph Lundgren to Executive Produce and Host New Series "History's Greatest Machines with Dolph Lundgren"
Produced by Superluna Studios in association with 3BMG, the eight-episode series takes viewers on a thrilling journey through the gears, guts, and genius behind the machines that reshaped our world.

[03/04/26 - 09:38 AM]
The History Channel Greenlights New Nonfiction Series "Crime and Justice with Tom Selleck" (w.t.)
The 10-episode, one-hour series examines the true stories behind some of the most consequential crimes and investigations in American history.

[03/04/26 - 09:37 AM]
The History Channel Orders "Extraordinary Origins with Ted Danson" (w.t.) A New Series Hosted and Executive Produced by the Multi-Award-Winning Actor
The 10-episode series examines the stories behind some of history's most significant innovations, inventions, and discoveries that helped shape the modern world.

[03/04/26 - 09:36 AM]
The History Channel Greenlights New Nonfiction Series "History's Strange Fortunes with Kevin Bacon" (w.t.)
Stories about money - money made, money lost, and money spent - are woven into the fabric of our nation's history.