New Show Reflects Lions Gate's Expansion Into First-Run Syndication
    and Reality Programming

    VANCOUVER, BC, and LOS ANGELES, CA, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ - Lions Gate
Television, a division of Lions Gate Entertainment (TSE and AMEX: LGF), and
Fisher Entertainment will be producing a half-hour dating game show, WHO WANTS
TO DATE A HOOTERS GIRL? it was announced today by Kevin Beggs, Executive Vice
President, Lions Gate Television, Alan Winters, Vice President and General
Manager, Fisher Entertainment and Ira Bernstein, President, Mercury
Entertainment.
    The new show marks Lions Gate's first push into first-run syndication and
the high-growth, high-margin reality programming marketplace. Lions Gate has
recently announced a series of financial and strategic growth initiatives
designed to expand its motion picture and television production and
distribution operations, extend its reach in the global marketplace and
leverage its filmed entertainment content into new markets and media.
    Mercury Entertainment is offering the daily strip to stations for an
August 2001 launch. The series will be produced in partnership with Provident
Entertainment/Hooters Inc. Douglas Schwartz ("Baywatch," "Sheena"), who co-
developed the series, will be executive producer, with Burt Wheeler and Sharon
Sussman ("Singled Out") and Ed Droste of Provident Entertainment/Hooters Inc.
    "This series is a signal that Lions Gate will be moving strongly from our
existing base in cable series and longform programming into developing series
for syndication and network broadcast," said Beggs, Executive Vice President,
Lions Gate Television.
    "We are offering stations the only branded dating show available for
first-run syndication," said Ira Bernstein. "Through our association with the
Hooters restaurant chain, and the extraordinary promotional platform which it
affords us, we look forward to great success," says Alan Winters.
    In the show, contestants will compete for the opportunity to date a
Hooters girl chosen from one of the chain's almost 300 restaurants in 44
states and 9 countries. Comedian George Gray ("Name That Video" VH-1) will
host. Three Hooters girls will be chosen as permanent co-hosts. The game is
played for laughs. Each contest will feature six male contestants and one
Hooters girl chosen from the chain's many employees. The six contestants will
have to try to guess how the Hooters girl answers a series of questions to
advance to the final round when the Hooters girl will decide who wins, based
on the contestants answers to personal questions.
    The series will be a Lions Gate Television Production in association with
Fisher Entertainment, produced in partnership with Provident
Entertainment/Hooters Inc. Mercury Entertainment is the distributor.
    The two-year old Lions Gate Television produces the series "Mysterious
Ways," which ran this summer on NBC and currently runs on PAX TV, and produced
"Higher Ground" for Fox Family Channel. Lions Gate Television Pictures has
produced a number of television movies and mini-series including TBS's highest
rated MOW, "First Daughter," and it's sequel "First Target," "Final Run" for
CBS, "Shutterspeed" for TNT, Dean Koontz's "Sole Survivor" for FOX, "King of
the World", the Muhammad Ali story and "The Linda McCartney Story" for CBS.
Lions Gate's Termite Art Productions produces "Ripley's Believe It or Not, in
association with Columbia Tri-Star Television for TBS and is a leading
supplier of reality television to broadcast and cable networks.

    Lions Gate Entertainment (TSE and AMEX: LGF creates, produces and
distributes a broad range of motion picture, television and other filmed
entertainment content through its four operating divisions - Motion Pictures,
Television, Animation and Studio Facilities. The distinctive Lions Gate brand
is recognized as a symbol of quality entertainment throughout North American
and around the world.

    Fisher Entertainment is the development, production, and program sales
division of Fisher Broadcasting Inc., the Seattle-based media & communications
company whose resources include 12 television stations, 28 radio stations and
a satellite communications company.

    Mercury Entertainment established in October 1999 by Ira Bernstein,
formerly President of Domestic Television Distribution for Rysher
Entertainment, develops and distributes programming to both broadcast and
cable outlets.

    Hooters, Inc. opened the first restaurant in 1983 and has remained one of
the nations fastest growing chains nearly every year since. The restaurant
chain combines food, 50's and 60's music, a warm atmosphere and, the most
important element, the beautiful and vivacious Hooters Girls.

                            http://www.lionsgate-ent.com

Link to this page: