TV Land Named Broadcast Partner for Prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16 -- TV Land was awarded the exclusive
broadcast rights to the American Film Institute's (AFI) Life Achievement
Award, it was announced today by Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land and Bob
Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. The four-year agreement commences with the 37th
AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film, which will
be presented to Michael Douglas at a gala tribute in Los Angeles on Thursday,
June 11th, 2009. The program will air July 19, 2009 on TV Land PRIME, TV
Land's primetime programming block featuring classic television and film.
"We are honored to be TV Land PRIME's flagship event for a celebration of
classic American films," said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. "With this
agreement, the proud tradition of the AFI Life Achievement Award will carry
into its 40th year on television, and we look forward to partnering with TV
Land PRIME, which shares our mission to honor the art form with the nation and
the world."
"We are thrilled to serve as the new home of the AFI Life Achievement
Award," stated Larry W. Jones, president, TV Land. "It is an honor to be part
of this tribute, and we are excited to bring it to our audience, which has
followed Mr. Douglas's remarkable career with great interest."
About Michael Douglas
Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey to film icon Kirk Douglas and his wife
Diana, Michael Douglas followed in his father's footsteps into the
entertainment business. He first made a name for himself starring in the
popular television series THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO with Karl Malden,
followed by films such as ADAM AT 6 A.M., SUMMERTREE and NAPOLEON AND
SAMANTHA.
However, it was his role as producer in the film ONE FLEW OVER THE
CUCKOO'S NEST that cemented his standing in the film community. The 1975 film
took home the top five Oscars that year -- Best Picture, Best Actor (Jack
Nicholson), Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), Best Director (Milos Forman) and
Best Adapted Screenplay (Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman). It marked the
beginning of a producing career that would prove at times to be as equally
rewarding as his acting career.
Douglas followed this success with starring roles in several films such as
COMA, IT'S MY TURN and THE CHINA SYNDROME, which he also produced. In the
1980s, Douglas's popularity grew. As a producer, he gave director Robert
Zemeckis his first big hit with ROMANCING THE STONE and his starring role in
the film solidified him as a leading man. In 1987, Douglas starred in the
year's two most talked-about movies - Adrien Lyne's FATAL ATTRACTION with
Glenn Close and Anne Archer, and Oliver Stone's WALL STREET with Charlie
Sheen. It was the role as financier Gordon Gekko which garnered him the Best
Actor Academy Award.
The 1990s were just as good to Douglas, starring opposite Sharon Stone in
Paul Verhooven's 1992 hit BASIC INSTINCT the sexually charged thriller that
broke established taboos on the big screen. Other starring roles in the 1990s
included FALLING DOWN, DISCLOSURE and Rob Reiner's THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, in
which he played the president. In 1997, Douglas produced the hugely popular
FACE/OFF, directed by John Woo and starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage.
In 1999, he narrated the Oscar-winning documentary ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER and
starred in WONDER BOYS with Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey,
Jr., and Katie Holmes, directed by Curtis Hanson.
In 2000, Douglas starred in Steven Soderbergh's widely-acclaimed TRAFFIC,
which received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Douglas co-starred with
Albert Brooks in a remake of the 1979 film THE IN-LAWS and in 2006 he starred
in THE SENTINEL and YOU, ME AND DUPREE, followed by the 2007 film KING OF
CALIFORNIA.
Douglas will soon be seen in Peter Hyams's courtroom thriller BEYOND A
REASONABLE DOUBT and Mark Waters' comedy GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST with
Matthew McConaughy and Jennifer Garner.
About the AFI Life Achievement Award
The highest honor for a career in film, the AFI Life Achievement Award was
established by the AFI Board of Trustees on February 26, 1973. It is
presented to a single honoree each year based on the following criteria as
mandated through a resolution passed by the AFI Board of Trustees:
"The recipient should be one whose talent has in a fundamental way
advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars,
critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood
the test of time."
Former recipients include Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Sean Connery, Meryl
Streep, Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and Harrison Ford, dating back to
1973 when John Ford received the first AFI honor.
About the American Film Institute
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and
the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television
and digital media.
AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers at its world-renowned
Conservatory, preserves the legacy of America's film heritage through the AFI
Catalog of Feature Films, and explores new digital technologies at AFI's
Digital Content Lab. For 37 years, the AFI Life Achievement Award has remained
the highest honor for a career in film. AFI's 100 Years ... series has
introduced and reintroduced millions of film lovers to classic American
movies. And as the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the United States, AFI's
festivals include AFI FEST presented by Audi in Los Angeles, the AFI Dallas
International Film Festival Presented by NorthPark, Founding Sponsor Victory
Park, and SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival in Silver
Spring, Maryland, while offering year-round programming at the ArcLight
Theaters and Skirball Center in Los Angeles, and the AFI Silver Theatre and
Cultural Center in the Washington, DC area. Additional information about AFI
is available at AFI.com.
About TV Land PRIME and TV Land
TV Land PRIME is TV Land's prime time programming destination designed for
people in their mid-forties and the exclusive home to the premieres of the
network's original programming, contemporary television series acquisitions
and movies. TV Land PRIME is part of TV Land, a network dedicated to
presenting the best in entertainment on all platforms for consumers in their
40s and 50s. Consisting of original programming, acquired shows, hit movies
and full-service Web site, TV Land is now seen in over 93 million U.S. homes.
For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and
photographs, please visit TV Land's press-only Web site at
www.tvlandpress.com.
About MTV Networks
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's
leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect
diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and
consumer products. The company's portfolio spans more than 150 television
channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1,
CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames,
Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers and Xfire.
SOURCE TV Land
01/16/2009
/CONTACT: John Wildman, American Film Institute
+1-323-856-7896
jwildman@AFI.com; or Rachel
Sandler, +1-212-846-4412
Rachel.sandler@tvland.com, or
Vanessa Reyes-Smith, +1-310-407-4727
Vanessa.reyes@tvland.com, both of TV Land
Web Site: http://www.tvlandpress.com
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