BUICK PARTNERS WITH USA NETWORK TO INTEGRATE THE LUCERNE INTO THE EMMY-WINNING HIT SERIES "MONK"
NEW YORK -- July 26, 2006 -- USA Network announced today a sponsorship agreement with Buick to receive enhancing integration of their all-new 2006 Lucerne sedan in select episodes of the critically acclaimed original series MONK, starring Emmy�, Golden Globe� and SAG award winner Tony Shalhoub. The announcement was made by Chris McCumber, USA's senior vice president, marketing & brand strategy.
"We're thrilled to be partnering with a world-class brand like Buick," said McCumber "Buick's innovative campaign of 'Beyond Precision' and the attention to detail in the all-new Lucerne, perfectly aligns with the discerning and precise skills of Adrian Monk."
MONK premiered season five with all-new episodes on USA Network on Friday, July 7 in its NEW timeslot at 9:00 PM ET/PT. MONK remains one of the highest-rated original scripted series in basic cable history.
The first of the episodes in which the Buick Lucerne (which will air Friday, August 4) will be integrated involves a plotline where a real estate agent played by the Emmy-nominated Sharon Lawrence ("Desperate Housewives," "NYPD Blue"), who is fanatical about her car, hiring Adrian Monk (Shalhoub) to investigate a slight scratch on her beloved Buick. A subsequent episode featuring the Lucerne will debut mid-season in January 2007 when Natalie (Traylor Howard) starts driving a Buick Lucerne.
On the digital front, Buick will be the exclusive sponsor of the official MONK site at MONK.USANETWORK.COM. The Buick Lucerne will be fully integrated into one level of the popular "Monk's Mind Game," which challenges fans to re-evaluate the depths of their Monkish disposition. The sponsorship also highlights the on-air integration of the Lucerne through customized content and video.
MONK also stars Traylor Howard ("Two Guys and a Girl," "Me, Myself and Irene"), Ted Levine ("Heat," "Moby Dick") and Jason Gray-Stanford ("Taken," "A Beautiful Mind"). MONK is executive produced by David Hoberman, Andy Breckman, Tony Shalhoub and Randy Zisk. MONK is from NBC Universal Television Studio in association with Mandeville Films and Touchstone Television.
For photos of the season four of MONK, as well as all USA Network projects, please log on to the NBC Universal Media Village at http://www.nbcumv.com/.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM operates one of the world's leading finance companies, GMAC Financial Services, which offers automotive, residential and commercial financing and insurance. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
Seen in 90 million homes, USA Network is cable television's leading network of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, network shows and blockbuster theatrical films. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable 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.
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