COURT TV EXPANDS FOCUS ON FORENSIC SCIENCE
THROUGH ACQUISITION OF SUSPENSE DRAMA "PROFILER" AND PREMIERE OF NEW SERIES "FORENSIC FILES"
Special Week-Long Presentation of Forensic Science Daytime and Prime
Time
Programming Debuts Week Of September 18
New York, NY - July 13, 2000 - Court TV will expand its ongoing look at
the
art of forensic science, a key component of criminal investigations,
with
the unveiling of two prime time series Profiler and Forensic Files.
Given
advances in modern technology and science, forensics, which deals with
the
application of medical knowledge to law, is on the cutting edge of law
enforcement as well as an important tool in the search for justice.
As part of the network's continuing commitment to broaden the appeal of
its
prime time schedule with intelligent and compelling dramas, Court TV
Executive Vice President, Programming and Marketing, Art Bell,
announced
today the acquisition of the exclusive cable rights to the hit series
Profiler. The popular hour-long suspense drama with its devoted cult
following has just concluded its four season run on NBC. The series
will
premiere on Court TV Monday, September 18, at 8 p.m.
Profiler premiered September 21, 1996 and became a fixture on NBC's
Saturday
night line-up, and built a strong appeal among upscale adults. It
followed
the exploits of Dr. Sam Waters, a brilliant female forensic
psychologist
with an unusual special skill that enables her to "think" in pictures
and
visualize a crime through the eyes of both the victim and the killer.
Starring Ally Walker ("While You Were Sleeping"), Robert Davi ("Die
Hard"),
and Jamie Luner ("Melrose Place") in the fourth season, Profiler, which
has
been described by a leading television critic as a 'brooding, moody
crime
drama which creates palpable tension," is a production of Three-Putt
Productions in association with NBC Studios. Court TV Vice President,
Programming, Mary Silverman negotiated the deals for both Profiler and
Forensic Files.
Forensic Files is a high-tech, fact-based, half-hour series delving
into the
world of forensic science, profiling intriguing crimes, accidents and
outbreaks of disease from around the world. True crime buffs will be
engrossed with the blend of absorbing detail, mystery and medical
investigation. With true-to-life reenactments and profiles of the
people
who survived the events, Forensic Files puts a new spin on the
"whodunit"
genre.
With growing acceptance of DNA evidence and other medical data to
obtain or
reverse convictions in the nation's courtrooms, Court TV will premiere
its
new series during the week of September 18.
"Profiler is a provocative and compelling series that will not only
complement our original programming, but will help to introduce a new
audience to the network's wide range of prime time programming,"
remarked
Bell. "Not since Silence of the Lambs, has such a strong female
protagonist
been portrayed in the world of criminal justice.
"Additionally, Forensic Files is our new half-hour documentary series
that
will afford viewers a more in-depth look at the role modern science and
investigation increasingly play in the world of crime and justice."
The relationship between forensics and the legal system has a long and
detailed history. Over time, the applications of the science have
progressed from fingerprinting and DNA to use in civil cases such as
forgeries, fraud or negligence. Modern forensic science's broader
applications will be explored during Court TV's daytime programming
schedule
when real-life profiler and author Jeanne Boylan appears on Crier
Today,
Monday, September 18. Crier Today, hosted by former judge and Emmy
Award-winning commentator Catherine Crier, and Pros & Cons, with Nancy
Grace, former Special Prosecutor for Atlanta's Fulton County District
Attorney's office, will examine the past, present and future status of
forensics through appearances by experts, prosecutors and defense
attorneys.
Court TV, a basic cable network, provides a
window on the American system of justice through distinctive
programming,
which both informs and entertains. As the first and only cable network
dedicated to crime and justice, Court TV broadcasts live trials by day
and
crime stories in the evening. A service of Time Warner Entertainment
and
Liberty Media Corp., Court TV has commitments to reach 45 million subs
by
3rd quarter and is expected to grow by year-end to 50 million.
