Bravo Offers Million Dollar Prize in Seventh Celebrity Poker Showdown  9/22/05

BRAVO UPS THE ANTE WITH ITS FIRST EVER MILLION DOLLAR PRIZE POOL IN THE SEVENTH TOURNAMENT OF BRAVO?S HIT SERIES "CELEBRITY POKER SHOWDOWN"

TABLE FEATURING THE MEN OF "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" KICKS OFF AN ALL-NEW TOURNAMENT PREMIERING ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13 AT 9:00 P.M.

BRAVOTV.COM LAUNCHES FIRST EVER ONLINE POKER GAMES THIS WEEK

NEW YORK - September 21, 2005 - Bravo's hit original series "Celebrity Poker Showdown" will return for an all-new tournament featuring twenty-five stars competing for the series' highest prize pot ever with a total of one million dollars going to charity. On Thursday, October 13 (9:00-11:00 p.m.ET/PT), the seventh tournament of "Celebrity Poker Showdown" will premiere, consisting of six all-new, two-hour episodes hosted by Dave Foley joined by poker expert Phil Gordon, overseeing celebrities such as Carlos Bernard, Joey Fatone, Gina Gershon, James Woods, Kevin Nealon, Kelli Williams, Oksana Baiul and Dean Cain all competing for serious cash.

The premiere episode of tournament seven will take the men of "Desperate Housewives" away from the comforts of Wisteria Lane. Mark Moses (Paul Young), Steven Culp (Rex Van De Kamp), Ricardo Antonio Chavira (Carlos Solis), James Denton (Mike Delfino) and Doug Savant (Tom Scavo) play to win at the high stakes game of Texas Hold 'Em.

On Thursday, September 22, Bravo will launch its first online poker games on www.bravotv.com. The poker games will run on the site 24-hours-a-day and allow visitors to compete for fun in live matches of Texas Hold 'Em at Bravo's virtual table, complete with the look and feel of the hit show "Celebrity Poker Showdown."

Game 1 ? Premiere episode - Thursday, October 13 (9:00-11:00 p.m./ET): Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Steven Culp, James Denton, Mark Moses, Doug Savant

Game 2 - Thursday, October 20: Barry Corbin, Joey Fatone, Gina Gershon, Andy Richter, James Woods

Game 3 - Thursday, October 27: Carlos Bernard, Bill Brochtrup, Dule' Hill, Kathleen Madigan, Kelli Williams

Game 4 - Thursday, November 3: Oksana Baiul, Richard Belzer, Dean Cain, Nicholas Gonzalez, Kevin Nealon

Game 5 - Thursday, November 10: Ian Gomez, Jeremy London, Camryn Manheim, Alison Sweeney, Wendy Pepper

Championship Game - Thursday, November 17

Filmed in front of a live audience in the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, each episode of "Celebrity Poker Showdown" features five celebrities competing against each other for the chance to win thousands to donate to the charity of their choice. Each week, a new group of celebrities meet at the table to go head to head until only one remains. The winner from each week's game will advance to the championship sixth game. Bravo viewers will have the inside track on the hands the different players hold via hidden cameras. They will also be able to hear commentary from the eliminated players, who will watch the remainder of their respective matches from the 'Loser's Lounge,' via closed circuit television.

For the first time, the prize pool has been upped from $250,000 to $1,000,000, making the stakes even higher. For tournament seven, all players are guaranteed at least $5,000 in prize money for their chosen charity. Just for making it to the finals, fifth place will win $25,000, fourth place will win $75,000, third place will win $100,000 and second place will walk away with $200,000 for their charity. The "Celebrity Poker Showdown" champion will walk away with $500,000 going to the charity of their choice.

"Celebrity Poker Showdown" is hosted by comedian/actor Dave Foley joined by expert poker commentator Phil Gordon. Gordon is a world class poker player who has won $1,150,000 in poker tournaments in the last two years including a fourth place finish in the 2001 World Series of Poker, a first place finish in the World Poker Tour: Aruba (professional division) in 2002 and most recently a first place finish at the World Poker Tour: Bay 101 Shooting Stars Tournament.

"Celebrity Poker Showdown" is produced by Picture This Television in association with Bravo. Marcia Mul?, Bryan Scott and Lisa M. Tucker are executive producers along with Andrew Hill Newman and Joshua Malina ("The West Wing"). Cadillac is the official sponsor of "Celebrity Poker Showdown."

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 latest hits include "Project Runway," "Blow Out" and "Showbiz 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.

Source: Bravo Press Release