SHOWTIME ANNOUNCES NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES "TIME OF DEATH"
Six-Part Series from Award-Winning Magical Elves Production Team To Spotlight Remarkable People Facing the End Stage of Life
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 30, 2013) - This fall, SHOWTIME will take an unflinching, in-depth look at some remarkable individuals facing their own imminent mortality in the documentary series TIME OF DEATH, from executive producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of the Magical Elves production team (Top Chef, Fashion Star, The Real L Word(R)). Cameras will follow brave, terminally ill individuals as they live out their final days, supported by family, friends, healthcare teams and hospice workers, who gently help guide the process. TIME OF DEATH is currently in post-production for a fall debut on SHOWTIME.
"This SHOWTIME documentary series is an examination of people in the last days and weeks of their life and how they and their families make the transition from life to death," said David Nevins, President of Entertainment for SHOWTIME Networks Inc. "This is not an easy show, but it is a subject I've always wanted to be able to explore in detail. And I know it will make for a powerful and compelling viewing experience."
"Producing TIME OF DEATH has been one of the most intense and thought- provoking experiences of our careers," said Lipsitz. "Nobody ever talked about death in our halls before - but now there is a much more open dialogue and its healthy and meaningful and we hope we can pass that experience on to the viewer." Cutforth adds, "This is a series about death but it's also about life and living and humor and love. It's a brave series to do and we are thankful SHOWTIME has given us the opportunity to tell these stories."
TIME OF DEATH will weave together these complex, unforgettable stories into an affecting portrait: a single mother of three with Stage IV breast cancer; a grandmother with inoperable pancreatic cancer who is also a psychotherapist who specializes in the field of death and dying; a veteran with a rare cancer facing the end with his parents beside him; and a young woman with Stage IV melanoma, among other profiles. Each unique, emotionally resonant tale will serve as a tangible reminder of the finite nature of time and mortality.
Magical Elves is the production team behind some of the highest-quality reality programming on television. Since the company was founded in 2001, Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz have been nominated for numerous Emmys, culminating in a win in 2010 for Outstanding Reality Competition for Top Chef. In 2008, they received a Peabody Award for Project Runway, the first reality show to be honored by the organization. Project Runway is one of four Magical Elves shows named by Entertainment Weekly in their list of the "20 Best Reality Shows of All Time" along with Top Chef, Bands on the Run and Project Greenlight. February 2011 saw the Magical Elves first major motion picture release, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. The film received critical acclaim and is currently the 3rd-highest grossing documentary of all time. They followed that film up in 2012 with their directorial debut, Katy Perry: Part of Me. Other notable credits include TNT's Cold Justice, NBC's Fashion Star, Last Comic Standing and Treasure Hunters, WeTV's, Braxton Family Values, and Around the World in 80 Plates, Gallery Girls, Work of Art, Top Chef Masters and Top Chef Just Desserts for Bravo. SHOWTIME previously worked with the Magical Elves on the unscripted series, The Real L Word(R) and is re-teaming with them to develop a documentary series exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) life today in Middle America.
###
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2(TM), SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(TM), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R), FLIX ON DEMAND(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) ON DEMAND, and the network's authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME(R). SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks(TM), a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel(TM). All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV(R).
|