Original Concept and Script Written by Jonathan Prince, Creator of "The
Cleaner"
New Web Series To Be Produced by CBS Paramount Network Television,
Distributed by CBS Interactive and Promoted on the CBS Television Network
LOS ANGELES and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS Interactive
announced today a partnership with Saturn to launch its new original
scripted Web series "Novel Adventures" from creator Jonathan Prince ("The
Cleaner"), who has a first look deal with CBS Interactive's sister
division, CBS Paramount Network Television. The eight-Webisode series will
premiere on November 3 exclusively on CBS.com, TheInsider.com, and TV.com
and stars Daphne Zuniga ("One Tree Hill"), Paola Turbay ("Cane"), Ashley
Williams ("How I Met Your Mother") and Jolie Jenkins ("Desperate
Housewives").
Each episode will be presented exclusively for a 48-hour window on
CBS.com, TheInsider.com and TV.com and then roll out across the CBS
Audience Network as well as be available on iTunes. Two new Webisodes will
be released per week for the first two weeks, followed by a single new
Webisode a week for the remainder of the series. NOVEL ADVENTURES will be
promoted across CBS Interactive platforms and in prime time on the CBS
Television Network.
Set in various locations throughout Los Angeles and shot in
high-definition, NOVEL ADVENTURES is the story of four women from different
backgrounds and at different stages in their lives who join a Book Club in
hopes of escaping the obstacles presented by everyday life. They come
together through their shared passion for books at a weekly book club, but
quickly realize what they are really looking for is adventure. And so,
inspired by a different book each week, the four embark on a variety of
adventures that help them fulfill their lives while taking them to a new
and exciting place each week.
"This is a new media model that makes creative and financial sense for
Saturn and CBS Interactive -- a high quality, high concept scripted series
that is fully sponsored, widely distributed and backed by the promotional
power of a major media company, including its broadcast network," said
Prince, who was asked by Saturn to create the series and then brought it to
CBS. "We get to tell great stories with an A+ cast and crew, Saturn gets
creative and seamless promotion for its new line of cars, and CBS
Interactive offers its flagship Web sites and Audience Network
high-production-value content."
"We're constantly looking for innovative and creative ways to showcase
our new line-up of Saturn vehicles," said Jill Lajdziak, Saturn's General
Manager. "In this case, we wanted to do something online that could
leverage today's active social networking environment. Most importantly, it
had to be a high quality body of entertainment that our target audience
would enjoy. This property will deliver."
"We're excited about this property because we've created a way to
extend the show's Saturn content in an engaging manner -- amongst a very
targeted audience. And we're ensuring that the interaction with this
audience will not be a passive experience, but an active one. NOVEL
ADVENTURES was born from sharing our needs with Jonathan Prince, who has
proven to find impactful ways integrating brands into entertainment," said
Dino Bernacchi, General Motors' Director of Branded Entertainment.
"Together, we agreed that the media partner who had the vision,
capabilities and creative collaboration to help make this big and
successful was CBS."
"NOVEL ADVENTURES offers the complete package -- network-quality
storytelling from a top producer working within the confines of online,
plus best-of-breed online distribution, and promotion across relevant Web
properties and network television to drive awareness," said Anthony Soohoo,
Senior Vice President and GM of CBS Interactive Entertainment division.
"All while creating an entertainment experience where the audience can more
genuinely connect to the show, it characters and the brands, such as
Saturn, portrayed in the Webisodes."
Following is a list of the eight Webisodes in order of appearance:
-- The Sand and Sea Club: To honor Hemingway's classic tale The Old
Man in the Sea, the girls head out for an afternoon of deep-sea fishing
and end up with a surf lesson from a male model from Malibu.
-- The Fab Four: Sheila Weller's Ladies of the Canyon (Joni Mitchell,
Carly Simon, and Carole King) brings the groupie out in the girls who
are determined to live out the life of rock legends.
-- Spy Girls: The Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum leads the ladies to Spy
School.
-- Whodunnit? We dunnit: The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston is the
backdrop for the girl's chance to find out how to solve mysteries,
CSI-style.
-- If You Can't Take the Heat: This adventure is inspired by writer
Kathleen Flinn's book titled The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You
Cry. Based on her adventures at Le Cordon Bleu, it leaves the girls
starving for an epicurean adventure.
-- The Prince and the Perfect Taco: With mixtures of inspiration from
Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind and Knit Two by Kate Jacobs,
the sequel to her bestselling book, Friday Night Knitting Club, the
girls search for the urban myths of a gypsy taco truck and the perfect
man.
-- Bare Essentials: Betty Friedan's autobiography titled Life So Far
leads the girls to find their own power, ironically, thru pole dancing
classes.
-- But You've Got to Have Friends: The Guernsey Literary & Potato
Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows helps the ladies
cap off their book club with a final look at their past experiences and
opening the door to more adventures in the future.
Cast:
DAPHNE ZUNIGA AS LAURA, a recently divorced mother of a teenage son,
who having found herself in a rut, looks to shake things up with her new
friends.
PAOLA TURBAY AS JOANNA, a single, successful entertainment attorney who
must balance the expectations of her career and her mother who just wants
her to get married.
ASHLEY WILLIAMS as Lizzie, a recently married young woman struggling to
cope with life in a new city, a work-a-holic husband, and too much time on
her hands.
JOLIE JENKINS as Amy, a happily married woman who runs a high-end
bakery, but is still missing something -- a baby -- in her seemingly
perfect life.
In addition to watching the series online, viewers are invited to
participate in the adventures by visiting http://www.cbs.com/noveladventures,
where they will find bonus content as well as blogs and vlogs organized by
character, Webisode and book. A variety of community tools are also
available, including:
-- Commenting, Rating, & Reviews - Fans can post comments and rate each
Webisode, as well as rate and review the books the women read and their
adventures
-- Suggest a Book - Viewers can submit suggestions for books to be covered
in future Webisodes
-- Quizzes - A variety of quizzes are available about the books, activities
and Webisodes
-- Discussion Boards - Forums for discussing the books or authors featured
on the show, including chats with the actual authors
-- Fan Favorites - Viewers can become a fan of a book and/or author, get
reviews, join discussions, and more
About CBS Interactive
CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corporation, is the best online
content network for information and entertainment. Its portfolio of leading
brands, which include CNET, CBS.com, CBSSports.com, GameSpot, TV.com, BNET,
and Last.fm span popular categories like technology, entertainment, sports,
news, and business. With more than 150 million people visiting its
properties each month, CBS Interactive is a top 10 Web property globally.
About Saturn
Saturn, a division of General Motors Corp., markets vehicles in the
U.S. and Canada through a network of about 440 retailer locations, with a
focus on providing innovative products with solid value and excellent
customer service. The brand has one of the freshest lineups in the industry
with five new vehicles: the Sky roadster, the Aura midsize sedan, the Vue
compact crossover, the midsize Outlook crossover and the Astra sport
compact car. For the 2009 model year, Saturn will offer three hybrids: the
Vue Hybrid, Aura Hybrid and the Vue 2 Mode Hybrid.
SOURCE CBS Interactive
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Related links:
http://www.cbs.com/noveladventures
CONTACT:
CBS Interactive, Leslie Van Every,
+1-415-344-2129, leslie.vanevery@cbs.com; or CBS Paramount
Network Television, Jennifer Solari, +1-818-655-7222,
jennifer.solari@cbsparamount.com; or General Motors, Steve
Janisse, +1-313-665-2133, Steve.janisse@gm.com
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