BBC AMERICA AND CINEFLIX STUDIOS ANNOUNCE PRODUCTION START ON "COPPER," THE CHANNEL'S FIRST ORIGINAL SCRIPTED SERIES

Gripping New Crime Drama, Premiering Summer 2012, Executive Produced By Award-Winning Team: Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson, Glen Salzman, Will Rokos and Christina Wayne

Toronto - February 9, 2012 - BBC AMERICA and Cineflix Studios today announced start of production on COPPER, BBC AMERICA's original crime drama which will air Summer 2012. The (10 x 60) series, created by Tom Fontana and Will Rokos is shooting in studio and on location in Toronto, Ontario through May 2012. Among the executive producers are Fontana, Rokos, Barry Levinson, Cineflix Media Co-CEO Glen Salzman and Cineflix Studios President Christina Wayne.

COPPER, a gripping crime series set in 1860s New York City, centers on Kevin Corcoran, an intense, rugged Irish-American cop working the city's notorious Five Points neighborhood. Corcoran is struggling to maintain his moral compass in a turbulent world, while on an emotional and relentless quest to learn the truth about the disappearance of his wife and the death of his daughter. His friendship with two Civil War compatriots - the wayward son of a wealthy industrialist and an African American physician who secretly assists Corcoran with his work - takes him to the contrasting worlds of elegant Fifth Avenue and an emerging African-American community in rural northern Manhattan. The three men share a secret from their experience on the battlefield that inextricably links their lives forever.

COPPER, BBC AMERICA's first original drama stars Tom Weston-Jones (MI-5, aka Spooks) as Detective Kevin Corcoran; Kyle Schmid (Blood Ties, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) as Robert Morehouse, a handsome bon vivant and part of Manhattan aristocracy; Anastasia Griffith (Royal Pains, Damages)as the sophisticated and spirited Elizabeth Haverford; Franka Potente (The Bourne Supremacy, Run Lola Run) as Eva Heissen, a shrewd businesswoman and the madam of Eva's Paradise; Ato Essandoh (Damages) as Doctor Matthew Freeman, who secretly assists Corcoran with his work; Kevin Ryan (Tripping Tommy) as Detective Francis Maguire, Corcoran's closet friend and partner in the 6th Precinct; Dylan Taylor (Covert Affairs) as Andrew O'Brien, colleague and companion to Corcoran and Maguire; Ron White (The Line) as Captain Ciaran Joseph Sullivan, who is more often concerned about his reputation than seeking justice for victims; Kiara Glasco (Angel Duty) as Annie Reilly, a young runaway forced to grow up too quickly; Tessa Thompson (Heroes)as Sara Freeman, the fearful and anxious wife of Dr. Freeman; and David W. Keeley (Rookie Blue) as Sergeant Padraic Byrnes, a corrupt and contemptuous cop.

COPPER is a Cineflix (Copper) Inc. production in association with BBC AMERICA and Shaw Media. The series is created by Tom Fontana (Oz, Homicide: Life on the Street, St. Elsewhere, Netflix's Borgia) and Will Rokos (Monster's Ball, Southland). Among the co-executive producers on the series are Fontana, Rokos, Barry Levinson (Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man, You Don't Know Jack), Glen Salzman, Co-CEO of Cineflix Media, Sally Catto, Sam Berliner, and Christina Wayne, President of Cineflix Studios (Broken Trail, Executive In Charge-Mad Men). Series producers are Glen Salzman and Brad Van Arragon (Juno, Camelot). Director of photography is Paul Sarossy (Chloe, The Borgias), production designer is John Blackie (Hell on Wheels) and Delphine White (Breakout Kings) is costume designer. Germany's Beta Film has distribution rights for territories including Germany, France, Southern and Eastern Europe and parts of Asia with Cineflix Rights distributing the series in all other territories outside of North America.

Christina Wayne, President, Cineflix Studios, said: "COPPER brings together a team that is truly first class - it is a gripping and fascinating story being told by some of television's most creative voices. We couldn't be more thrilled to have this series be nurtured by the best in the business - from our award-winning show runner and creator Tom Fontana to our extraordinary cast and brilliant crew, this project speaks volumes about our commitment to high-quality, scripted fare."

Perry Simon, General Manager, Channels, BBC Worldwide America: "The COPPER production team has assembled a stellar cast and recreated 1860's New York on a massive soundstage set that can only be described as breathtaking. The artistry of this production together with the brilliant characters and storytelling makes COPPER the ideal show to launch BBC AMERICA into the world of original scripted dramatic series."

Barbara Williams, Senior Vice President, Content, Shaw Media, said: "We are thrilled to be collaborating with Cineflix and BBC AMERICA on their very first original scripted drama series. COPPER will be a perfect complement to our slate of top drama series on Showcase."

COPPER debuts on BBC AMERICA in the summer of 2012 and in Canada on Shaw Media's Showcase in fall 2012.

About BBC AMERICA

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy, five Golden Globes and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 74 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

Cineflix Studios

Cineflix Studios is an independent global producer of high quality scripted originals for cable and broadcast in the US, Canada, and around the world. Led by President Christina Wayne, President of Production Vlad Wolynetz, and Executive Vice Presidents Sally Catto and Miura Kite, the company develops diversified television content and was founded in July 2010. Cineflix Studios is a subsidiary of Cineflix Media with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Toronto.

About Shaw Communications Inc.

Shaw is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Home Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.4 million customers, through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw Media operates one of the largest conventional television networks in Canada, Global Television, and 18 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History Television and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B, NYSE - SJR). For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca.

About Cineflix Media Inc.

Cineflix Media Inc. is a leading international media company that brings together global broadcast and production partners, major talent, and key executives to create top quality original content produced and distributed for television and other platforms. Producing more than 400 hours per year of multi-genre television for international broadcasters, and with a rapidly expanding library of 2500 hours, Cineflix Media is a recognized leader with offices in Montreal, Toronto, London, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Dublin.