Bravo Partners With AOL to Simulcast Premiere of Situation: Comedy  7/16/05

BRAVO PARTNERS WITH AMERICA ONLINE TO EXCLUSIVELY SIMULCAST THE PREMIERE OF BRAVO'S NEW ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES "SITUATION: COMEDY"

AOL TO STREAM TWO FINAL 15-MINUTE PRESENTATIONS AND WILL SERVE AS EXCLUSIVE DESTINATION WHERE VIEWERS CAN VOTE FOR THEIR FAVORITE "SITUATION: COMEDY" SITCOM TO DETERMINE THE WINNER

LOS ANGELES -- July 15, 2005 -- Bravo and America Online are teaming up to exclusively simulcast the series premiere of the network's new original documentary series "Situation: Comedy" on Tuesday, July 26. "Situation: Comedy" will premiere as a two-hour special from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. ET/PT, featuring two one-hour consecutive episodes at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. AOL? Television will simulcast the West Coast airing of the first episode on the Web at www.aol.com/television. "Situation: Comedy's" regular Tuesday night timeslot is 9 p.m., ET/PT. Additionally, from August 23 through August 31, AOL Television will exclusively stream the two final 15-minute sitcom presentations and give viewers the opportunity to vote for their favorite online, and ultimately determine the winner.

"This is the first time Bravo has given viewers the opportunity to vote for a winner of a competition-based reality series," said Lauren Zalaznick, President, Bravo. "AOL has been the perfect partner on past projects and we're fortunate to team up once again on this 'first ever' for Bravo."

Patricia Karpas, Vice President and General Manager of AOL Television, added, "AOL and Bravo have worked together on numerous occasions to engage online consumers with unique television programming. We are delighted to continue this successful partnership with 'Situation: Comedy' by giving viewers a chance to engage with the show online, and actually play a role in determining the winner of the competition."

"Situation: Comedy," the new eight-episode reality competition series about the making of a sitcom pilot, is the latest project from Emmy Award-winner Sean Hayes (NBC's "Will & Grace") and producing partner Todd Milliner. As part of the series launch, AOL Television will stream exclusive preview clips each week at aol.com/television. From Tuesday, August 23, through Wednesday, August 31, viewers can go to this site to watch the two final 15-minute presentations and vote for their favorite sitcom. In the final episode on Tuesday, September 6 at 9 p.m., Bravo will show the two final 15-minute presentations and will announce the winner.

About the series:

Viewers will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes of national television as neophyte writers earn the opportunity to produce and sell a sitcom - but the eavesdropping audience will give the final thumbs-up by choosing the winning entry when they vote online via AOL.

The producers of "Situation: Comedy" scoured the country looking for the hottest undiscovered writing talent at colleges, in comedy theater groups and even writing classes. Each candidate submitted an original sitcom script. Producers received over 10,000 scripts.

After producers and experienced show-runners Stan Zimmerman ("Gilmore Girls") and Maxine Lapiduss ("Roseanne") narrowed the field to five semi-finalists, the lucky five writers were flown to Los Angeles, where they were thrown into the deep end of the creative pitching pool. They submitted their ideas to NBC network executives who green-lighted two of the scripts to go into production as 15-minute presentations - shot by two very recognizable directors, Fred Savage ("The Wonder Years") and Amanda Bearse ("Married with Children").

The final two "wannabe" writers (or writing teams) were thrust immediately into the high-energy, high-stress world of television production. Viewers will be with them as they meet their staffs and find that they have to share many of their key staffers. Audiences will watch the entire process through casting, set design, rewrites, rehearsals, taping and post-production. In the end, they will see each completed presentation and can vote online for the sitcom they believe should get a shot for broadcast on television. The winner will receive a cash prize of $25,000 and exclusive representation for one year with a major Hollywood talent agency to further help launch a successful writing career in film or television.

"Situation: Comedy" was developed by Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner. Multiple Emmy-winners Arnold Shapiro and Allison Grodner are executive producers together with Hayes and Milliner. "Situation: Comedy" is a HazyMills production in association with Shapiro/Grodner Productions.

About Bravo:

Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, culture and pop culture with original programming, movies and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 79 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed and award-winning original programming includes "Inside the Actors Studio," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," "Project Greenlight," as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." The network's other hits include "Project Runway," "Blow Out" and "Sports Kids Moms & Dads."

Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been a NBC Cable Network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information visit www.bravotv.com.

About America Online, Inc.:

America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.