Vh1 Announces New Series "The Agency" to Premiere February 20th  1/11/07

The Not-So-Pretty Side of the Beauty Business; VH1 Reveals The Pressure Behind The Posing At The Wilhelmina Modeling Agency; 'The Agency' Premieres Tuesday, February 20 At 10PM*

PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- While top models are built to be the picture of perfection, the modeling industry is anything but perfect. Now, for the first time, meet the people who brave the world of high-stakes modeling on a quest for pure beauty: the booking agents of the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency. In the words of one Wilhelmina agent: "If people ask me what I do, I give a pretty simple answer: we sell flesh."

Premiering Tuesday, February 20 at 10PM*, "The Agency" infiltrates the modeling industry like no other television series has, with a stark look at the men and women who search for, mold, scold and comfort raw, young hopefuls -- all in an effort to groom the world's most marketable beautiful people.

"The Agency" is not about glamour. It's about the harsh realities of an industry in which millions of dollars are at stake daily and the competition for talent can lead to both euphoric victories and bitter defeats. From eating disorders to poaching by other agencies, "The Agency" casts an unblinking eye on the super-high-stress jobs of the people who are completely hooked on the business of brokering beauty.

The series takes a rare look at client meetings, casting calls and backstage at fashion shows where egos run amok. In addition, "The Agency" explores the relationships between the agents and their talent -- the sometimes naïve, arrogant, insecure, flighty women and men who must be delivered on time and looking fabulous to demanding clients. Viewers will be along for the entire wild ride, from brutal casting calls to desperate scouting missions and emotional crises.

The weekly, half-hour series will also examine the business side of operating one of the world's largest and most successful modeling agencies. Currently, Wilhelmina is at a crossroads as the company looks to expand outside the modeling industry. The debate on this issue rages within the agency. And all the while tension continues to mount as the men's modeling division enjoys huge success and the women's division struggles.

For more information on this show, please log on to http://www.VH1.com. For additional show content log onto VSPOT (http://vspot.vh1.com), VH1's broadband channel.

"The Agency" is produced by Wilhelmina Productions, Left/Right, Inc., GRB and VH1. Sean Patterson and Corey Preston are executive producers for Wilhelmina; Banks Tarver And Ken Druckerman serve as executive producers for Left/Right, Inc. and Gary Benz is executive producer for GRB. Michael Hirschorn, Shelly Tatro, Danielle Gelfand are executive producers for VH1.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in nearly 88 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic and VH1 Soul. Connect with VH1 at www.VH1.com.

VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.

Wilhelmina is one of the largest model agency chains in the world, founded by legendary model, Wilhelmina Cooper in 1967. Today, they lead the industry in diversity and depth, and represent some of the biggest models, and celebrity talent in the world. Sean Patterson is the President of Wilhelmina Models. Dieter Esch is Chairman. They have offices in New York, Los Angeles and Miami as well as licensees across the U.S.

Left/Right is a leading provider of documentary and reality television programming. Our manifesto is to create unscripted television and film projects which illuminate the drama and comedy of real life: we tell stories that are both honest and startling, revealing and entertaining, dramatic and cinematic. Our clients include many of the most popular television networks, such as VH1, Showtime, A&E, Bravo, TV Land, Court TV and many others. Banks Tarver and Ken Druckerman are the co-founders and co-presidents of the company, which is based in New York City.

*All times ET/PT

SOURCE VH1

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