TV NEWS: VH1 CLASSIC SUMMER LINEUP

MUSIC LOVERS, & HISTORY LOVERS ALIKE, CHECK OUT THIS POST ABOUT THE SUMMER LINEUP FOR VH1 CLASSICS. THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME GOODIES. ENJOY

VH1 Classic Rocks It Out This Summer

Summer slate of new iconic roc docs, music countdowns and rarely seen concert footage kicks off on June 6 with "Roc Doc: Iron Maiden: Flight 666."

May 27, 2009

NEW YORK, NY—This Summer VH1 Classic is bringing its viewers more of their favorite classic artists with all-new exclusive series and specials. The new slate of programming begins on June 6th with "Roc Doc: Iron Maiden: Flight 666." The network's summer lineup also includes premieres of "Rock Across America," "VH1 Classic's 100 Concerts in 100 Days," "Roc Doc: Lords of the Revolution," "Roc Doc: Woodstock 40 Years Later," "Download Festival," and "Hard Rock Calling Festival."

"Roc Doc: Iron Maiden: Flight 666"

Simulcast on VH1 and VH1 Classic Saturday June 6, at 9PM*

VH1 Classic is celebrating British heavy rock legends Iron Maiden in a big way for the premiere of "Roc Doc: Iron Maiden: Flight 666" on Saturday, June 6 at 9PM*." Iron Maiden: Flight 666" is an inspirational account of the chaotic and often humorous world of a band touring the four corners of the world, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what happens on and off stage. For the first time ever the band gave full access to a film crew to document their journey for their Somewhere Back in Time World Tour and this resulted in the critically acclaimed, full-length documentary film. Delivering some of the most spectacular live footage ever seen of the band, the film takes viewers from Mumbai to Santiago, L.A. to Sydney, Tokyo to Sao Paolo and many major cities between. Through drama, excitement and fan pandemonium, the film is an honest and revealing portrait of one of the world's most successful rock bands.

"Rock Across America"

Kicks off July 4th Weekend on Thursday, July 2 through Monday, July 6

VH1 Classic is celebrating some of America's most influential music icons from each region of the United States over July 4th weekend. Beginning on Thursday, July 2nd through Monday, July 6 the network will "Rock Across America" and dedicate one day to each region of the country including the East, Midwest, South and West. The 4-day marathon, hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine, and Don Jamieson from "That Metal Show" will include some of the greatest concerts known to the rock 'n' roll world and will give an all-access look into the lives of these American music greats that helped shape the classic rock culture. "Rock Across America" caps off with two amazing premieres, "VH1 Storytellers: ZZ Top" on Saturday, July 4th at 9PM* and "VH1 Classic in Concert: Creedence Clearwater Revival Live at Royal Albert Hall" on Sunday, July 5th at 8PM*.

"100 Concerts in 100 Days"

Premieres Monday, July 6

Hold on to your seats as VH1 Classic takes you behind the scenes and gives you VIP access to some of the most legendary, classic concerts with "100 Concerts in 100 Days" kicking off on Monday, July 6th. VH1 is taking you through rock history with "Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same," "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Live in NYC," "Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon," "Iron Maiden: Somewhere Back in Time," and "Live Aid: The Day the Music Changed the World."

"Download Festival"

Friday, July 17 at 8PM*

VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" hosts Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine, and Don Jamieson head to Donnington, England to give you an exclusive behind the scenes of the Download Festival. The two-day festival features some of the hottest metal acts out now including, Faith No More, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, and ZZ Top to name a few. The "Download Festival" will be aired in two parts on Friday, July 17th at 8PM*. The first part will feature a special edition of "That Metal Show" where Jim, Don, and Eddie will deliver exclusive backstage interviews and the second show will feature performances by some of the top headliners of the festival.

"Roc Doc: Lords of the Revolution"

Simulcast on VH1 and VH1 Classic on Monday, August 10th - Friday, August 14 at 8PM*

Beginning on Monday, August 10 - Friday, August 14 at 8PM*, VH1 Classic will air the five-part one-hour series "Lords of the Revolution," a new documentary series from VH1 Rock Docs. The series celebrates the counterculture icons of the '60s and '70s - the legends who defied the social, political and cultural mores of their time. From political heavyweights like the Black Panthers to cutting-edge cultural trendsetters like Andy Warhol. This documentary series profiles the nonconformist heroes - and anti-heroes - of the 60s and 70s, telling the dangerous, subversive stories of a cultural revolution. Edgy, colorful, visually dynamic, the docs will feature new first-hand interviews, plenty of archive photos and footage, an unconventional graphic treatment, and a hip rock soundtrack.

"Roc Doc: Woodstock: 40 Years Later"

Simulcast on VH1 and VH1 Classic on Friday, August 14 at 9PM*

In the summer of 1969, on a farm about 90 miles north of New York City, more than 500,000 people gathered for a three day music festival that in an instant, defined a generation and changed popular culture forever...Woodstock. Now, 40 years after that historic moment, VH1 Rock Docs and History have joined forces for a unique television collaboration: the definitive two-hour documentary, "Roc Doc: Woodstock: 40 Years Later," which will premiere on VH1 Classic on Friday, August 14 at 9PM*. Directed by two-time Academy Award winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple and Executive Produced by Michael Lang, the original festival organizer, the film examines Woodstock from the perspectives of not only the musicians who graced the stage, but the fans who gathered in mass, the concert promoters who risked everything and countless others whose unique experiences help paint a tapestry of Woodstock that hasn't been seen in recent years.

"Hard Rock Calling Festival"

Simulcast on VH1 and VH1 Classic on Friday, August 21 at 9PM*

The hosts of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" are taking you back stage and giving you true VIP treatment to one of the hottest festivals in England during the summer. Join Jim Florentine, Don Jamieson, and Eddie Trunk for an unforgettable behind the scenes look at the "Hard Rock Calling Festival" on Friday, August 21 at 9PM*. The two-day festival which was filmed live on June 12-14th in London's legendary Hyde Park features headliners Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Neil Young, and The Killers along with Dave Matthews Band, The Kooks, and Ben Harper and the ReleNTLESS 7

TV NEWS: TNT'S SUMMER LINEUP

NOT MUCH COMMENTARY NEEDED HERE. CHECK OUT TNT’S SUMMER ROSTER OF SHOWS. I’M SURE YOU’LL ENJOY WHAT THEY HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU. CHEERS.

New seasons of "The Closer", "Raising the Bar," "Saving Grace" and "Leverage" to be joined by three new series: "Dark Blue," "Hawthorne" and "Wedding Day."

TNT is going to be television's hottest destination for outstanding drama this summer. As part of the network's ambitious strategy to expand its production slate, TNT will populates three nights each week with original series.

The groundbreaking schedule will start Monday, June 8, with ad-supported cable's #1 series of all time, "The Closer", starring Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Kyra Sedgwick. It will be followed by the second season of Steven Bochco's legal drama, "Raising the Bar," starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek.

Beginning June 16, "Wedding Day," TNT's first foray into unscripted programming, will kick off a Tuesday night lineup that continues with the character-driven medical drama, "Hawthorne," starring Jada Pinkett Smith. The night wraps up with the third season of the provocative drama "Saving Grace", starring Oscar winner Holly Hunter.

Wednesday nights will take ramp up the action with the thrilling, fast-paced drama, "Leverage," starring Oscar winner Timothy Hutton, followed by executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer's gritty undercover police drama, "Dark Blue," starring Golden Globe winner Dylan McDermott. The Wednesday original programming lineup will begin July 15.

The following is the complete rundown for TNT's summer lineup of original series:

"The Closer"

5th season to launch Monday, June 8, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)

It's going to be a year of change for Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson and her Major Crimes unit as TNT's "The Closer" returns for its fifth season. The record-breaking crime drama, which stars Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick, continues to dominate the industry as ad-supported cable's #1 series of all time. Sedgwick gives an unforgettable performance as Deputy Chief Johnson, a former Atlanta detective brought to Los Angeles to head a special LAPD homicide unit. She is a top-notch investigator with unparalleled interrogation skills and a track record for closing nearly every case with a suspect's confession. On the home front, she's not quite as adept at handling her personal relationships. Instead, work tends to take first priority in her life and even threatened to derail her wedding in the season-four finale.

This acclaimed series also features a stellar ensemble cast that has garnered three Screen Actors Guild Award ensemble nominations. Playing Brenda's highly capable squad are Corey Reynolds ("The Terminal"), G.W. Bailey ("M*A*S*H"), Tony Denison ("Melrose Place"), Raymond Cruz ("Collateral Damage"), Michael Paul Chan ("Arrested Development") and Phillip P. Keene ("The D.A."). The series also stars Jon Tenney ("The Division") as Brenda's husband, FBI Agent Fritz Howard; J.K. Simmons ("Juno," "Burn After Reading") as her demanding boss, Will Pope; and Robert Gossett ("Arlington Road") as the head of Robbery-Homicide, Commander Taylor.

Since its premiere in 2005, "The Closer" has earned numerous ad-supported cable viewership records, ranking as the #1 series of all time and scoring the #1 series telecast of all time. Each year, the show's audience grows larger, with its 2008 episodes averaging more than 7.3 million viewers. It is produced by the team behind Nip/Tuck.

"Raising the Bar"

2nd season to launch Monday, June 8, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)

This summer, court will be back in session with the return of this emotionally powerful legal drama from Emmy-winning producer Steven Bochco. The series follows the cases and lives of young lawyers who work on opposite sides the public defender's office and the district attorney's office as well as those who sit in judgment on their cases. Mark-Paul Gosselaar ("NYPD Blue") stars as idealistic defender Jerry Kellerman, while Gloria Reuben ("ER") plays his passionate and protective boss, Rosalind Whitman. And Jane Kaczmarek ("Malcolm in the Middle") plays imperious Judge Trudy Kessler, who has dreams of becoming the next district attorney. Co-starring in the series are Teddy Sears ("Ugly Betty"), Natalia Cigliuti ("All My Children"), Melissa Sagemiller ("Sleeper Cell"), Currie Graham ("Boston Legal"), J. August Richards ("Conviction") and Jonathan Scarfe ("Into the West").

"Raising the Bar" not only looks at courtroom battles but also the relationships among people on different sides, from the public defender trying to deal with her abusive, drug-addicted husband to the African-American assistant district attorney determined not to let himself be viewed as a racial token, from the judge who pushes the legal envelope in order to secure her political future to the legal aide who does everything he can to hide his homosexuality.

When it premiered last September, "Raising the Bar" was watched by 8.6 million viewers, ad-supported cable's largest audience ever for a new series launch.

"Wedding Day"

New series to launch Tuesday, June 16, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)

Every couple dreams of having the perfect wedding. For many, it's the most important and emotional day of their lives. But for some, insurmountable obstacles create barriers to making their dream day a reality. This new TNT series, the network's first-ever unscripted drama, comes from producing giants Mark Burnett Productions and DreamWorks Television. The show gives deserving couples a helping hand to ensure the most important day of their lives is also the most magical. Each week, celebrity event planner and food expert Alan Dunn ("For Better or Worse") and celebrity wedding producer and designer Diann Valentine (author of "Weddings Valentine Style") host as family, friends and community come together to create a dream wedding. Along the way, viewers will learn each couple's compelling story, from their first date to their wedding day.

"Hawthorne"

New series to launch Tuesday, June 16, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)

Jada Pinkett Smith ("The Women," "The Matrix" trilogy) is the latest talented actress to join TNT's line-up of strong, complex female characters, following in the footsteps of Kyra Sedgwick on "The Closer" and Holly Hunter of "Saving Grace." In this character-driven medical drama, Pinkett Smith plays Christina Hawthorne, a compassionate and headstrong Chief Nursing Officer heading up a group of dedicated nurses at Richmond Trinity Hospital who spend long days and nights on the hospital's front lines. Hawthorne is the kind of nurse you want on your side when you or someone you love is in the hospital. She is the kind of nurse who fights for her patients and doesn't let them slip through the cracks. When necessary, she takes on doctors and administrators who are overworked, distracted or just unable to see the human being behind the hospital chart.

Joining Pinkett Smith in "Hawthorne" is Michael Vartan ("Alias") as Dr. Tom Wakefield, the oncologist who treated Christina's husband and who serves as director of medicine for the hospital. The cast also includes Suleka Mathew ("Men in Trees") as Bobbie Jackson, a fellow nurse and one of Hawthorne's best friends; David Julian Hirsh ("Lovebites") as Ray Stein, a nurse struggling with being accepted in a female-dominated profession; Christina Moore ("90210") as Candy Sullivan, a nurse with a unique sense of duty; and Hannah Hodson (TNT's "The Ron Clark Story") as Camille, Hawthorne's daughter. In addition, special guest star Joanna Cassidy ("Six Feet Under") portrays Amanda, Hawthorne's mother-in-law, who also happens to be a member of the hospital board.

"Saving Grace"

3rd season to launch Tuesday, June 16, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)

Academy Award winner Holly Hunter returns in this bold series as a gutsy Oklahoma City Police detective who holds nothing back, whether on the job or in her personal life. The series follows as she investigates brutal crimes while also trying to balance her relationship with her partner, Ham (Kenneth Johnson, "The Shield"), and figure out cryptic messages from her last-chance angel, Earl (Leon Rippy, "Deadwood"). Hunter's acclaimed, tantalizing performance recently earned her a second consecutive Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. She is joined in the series by an ensemble cast that includes Bailey Chase ("Las Vegas"), Gregory Cruz ("Criminal Minds"), Yaani King ("The Prince & Me") and Dylan Minnette ("Prison Break"), with Lorraine Toussaint ("Any Day Now") and Laura San Giacomo ("Just Shoot Me").

The first season of "Saving Grace" on TNT, ranked as one of ad-supported cable's top new series of 2007, averaging 4.7 million viewers. The show's second season averaged 4 million viewers and ranked as ad-supported cable's #1 entertainment program in its timeslot among adults 25-54, viewers and households. "Saving Grace" was created by Nancy Miller ("Any Day Now").

"Leverage"

2nd season to launch Wednesday, July 15, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)

TNT set Tuesday nights on fire this winter with the first season of this thrilling, fast-paced drama series starring Oscar winner Timothy Hutton ("Ordinary People"). This summer, the gang is back with more elaborate scams designed to exact revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize people. Hutton stars as Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator determined to bring down the kind of corrupt bigwigs whose neglect led to the death of his son. His highly skilled team includes Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman, "Coupling"), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane, TNT's "Into the West"), a retrieval specialist with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge, "Friday Night Lights"), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team connected and informed; and Parker (Beth Riesgraf, "Alvin and the Chipmunks"), a slightly off-center thief adept at repelling off buildings or squeezing into tight places. Together, the team puts their energy, quick minds and keen intellects toward securing justice for society's underdogs.

"Leverage" which is executive-produced by Dean Devlin ("Independence Day," TNT's "The Librarian" movies), scored big in its first season, ranking as ad-supported cable's #1 show in its timeslot with an average of 3.7 million viewers.

"Dark Blue"

New series to launch Wednesday, July 15, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)

This fast-paced, undercover police drama from prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Without a Trace") stars Golden Globe winner Dylan McDermott ("The Practice," TNT's "The Grid"), Logan Marshall-Green ("The O.C."), Omari Hardwick (TNT's "Saved") and Nicki Aycox ("Supernatural"). The series follows the exploits of a crack undercover team of police officers so covert, many of their own colleagues don't even know they are involved. Leading the group is Carter Shaw (McDermott), a deeply wounded character who has lost his wife and much of his former life as he struggles to bring down bad guys through complex undercover assignments. His team includes Ty Curtis (Hardwick), a recently married cop who struggles with personal relationships he has developed while undercover; Dean Bendis (Marshall-Green), a shoot-from-the-hip officer whose activities make fellow team members wonder if he has gone over to the bad side; and Jaimie Allen (Aycox), a green patrol cop brought in because of her excellent skill in lying and a shady past.

SOURCE: POP TOWER