NBC Announces New Series "Quarterlife" to Premiere February 18

NBC Announces New Series "Quarterlife" to Premiere February 18 12/17/07

NBC ANNOUNCES FEBRUARY 18 PREMIERE DATE FOR NEW SERIES 'QUARTERLIFE'

Critically Acclaimed Series About Creative Twentysomethings Comes from Emmy-winning Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick ("My So-Called Life," "Blood Diamond") and Also Will Be Featured on NBC.com

BURBANK, CA - December 17, 2007 - NBC announced that the new, critically acclaimed series "quarterlife" from Emmy Award-winning creator-producers Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick ("thirtysomething," "My So-Called Life," "Blood Diamond") will premiere on February 18 (9-10 p.m. ET) as an hour-long drama series.

NBC's partnership with "quarterlife" will also allow the network to distribute the series on NBC.com.

The announcement was made today by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.

"The first time Ed and Marshall showed me "quarterlife," I knew it was something special and I personally could not stop watching it. It was also a great opportunity to explore a new paradigm," said Silverman.

"Ben Silverman and NBC are innovators who understand and appreciate that "quarterlife" represents an important shift in television programming, as our Internet series is the first to air on a major network," said Herskovitz. "Ben also really gets how special the "quarterlife" story is and believes in our young talent. We're truly thrilled to be part of the NBC family, as they are experts at leveraging their diverse platform to give their shows maximum exposure."

The series, which originally launched on MySpace on November 11 and on quarterlife.com November 12, represents the first time that a network-quality series was produced directly for the Internet. It also marks the first time that an independent project of this kind has been owned and controlled by its creators -- as well as the first occasion that an Internet series has been created alongside a social network, quarterlife.com.

The "quarterlife" series tells the ongoing stories of six creative people in their 20s. As with Herskovitz and Zwick's previous television projects, the team's commitment to realism is at the center of "quarterlife" as is the recognition of universal human themes through the truthful depiction of the way young people speak, work, think, love, argue, and express themselves.

The central character is Dylan (Bitsie Tulloch, "Lost," "Lonelygirl15"), a young woman whose overly truthful video blog -- at quarterlife.com -- spills the closest secrets of her friends, and the show's characters -- filmmakers Danny (David Walton, "Heist") and Jed (Scott Michael Foster, "Greek," "The Horrible Flowers"), actress-bartender Lisa (Maite Schwartz (NBC's "Medium," "Dexter"), geek-extraordinaire Andy (Kevin Christy ("Love Don't Cost a Thing"), and Debra (Michelle Lombardo ("Click," "Entourage"), who is still tied to her parents. Together, they chart the sometimes excruciating, sometimes comic, often emotional experiences that comprise coming of age as a part of the digital generation. Barrett Swatek ("Seventh Heaven," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin") also stars as Brittany.

There are 36 webisodes in the first season of "quarterlife." Two 8-10 minute webisodes air on MySpace each week, on Sundays and Thursdays at 12 AM, which are released on quarterlife.com the following day. Additionally, several online promotional partners also feature webisodes of "quarterlife" which will include NBC.com.

The web segments eventually will be edited together into a several one-hour dramas for broadcast on NBC in February. These full episodes will stream on NBC.com following each airing on NBC.

One of the unique aspects of the series is that the online community at quarterlife.com is invited to participate in the ongoing creation of "quarterlife" by uploading their own videos and blogs and even their own versions of "quarterlife" -- the best of which will be incorporated and credited. Herskovitz and Zwick each earned Emmys as creators, producers, writers and directors of "thirtysomething," which was named Outstanding Drama Series. They later brought "My So-Called Life" -- starring a young Claire Danes -- to television, as well as the dramas "Relativity" and "Once and Again." Earlier, they each also received an Emmy for the television movie "Special Bulletin," which was named Outstanding Drama Special. On the big screen, they collaborated on the hit films "Legends of the Fall," "Traffic," "The Last Samurai" and the recent "Blood Diamond." Zwick won an Oscar as a producer for "Shakespeare in Love" and he also directed the feature "Glory."

The writers will include Herskovitz and Zwick -- who created the series -- as well as actor-writer Devon Gummersall ("Robbing 'Hef") and Lucy Teitler. Herskovitz will direct several of the episodes along with Eric Stoltz (director of "Boston Legal," "NBC's "Law & Order"), John Sacret Young ("China Beach"), and Catherine Jelski, "Watch Over Me"). Josh Gummersall ("Blood Diamond") will produce.

"quarterlife" is produced by quarterlife, inc.