Ovation Kicks Off Its Original Programming Premiere Night With Holy Flying Circus, Laconia, Cloudstreet and What to do When Someone Dies
Santa Monica, CA -- March 16, 2012 Beginning April 7, Ovation will showcase "The Best You've Never Seen," a new programming night premiering Ovation's original movies, series and mini-series. The network will kick things off with the premiere of Holy Flying Circus, a two-hour movie based on the controversy behind the release of Monty Python's Life of Brian. Also premiering over the next few months is the series Cloudstreet, and the mini-series Laconia and What to do When Someone Dies.
"We're launching 'The Best You've Never Seen' with these remarkable original scripted dramas -- all of which will make people sit up and take notice," said Kris Slava, SVP, Programming, Ovation. "These unique and original themes are either based on modern literature or are steeped in contemporary art and culture. We believe this is the stuff that will make viewers come back again and again. And this is just the beginning. We have many more incredible, artful stories in store for our viewers. It's the start of a new era for Ovation."
"The Best You've Never Seen" premieres include:
· Holy Flying Circus - Premiering Saturday, April 7 at 10 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. PT. Written by Tony Roche (In the Loop, The Thick of It) Holy Flying Circus is a fantastical re-imagining of the controversy surrounding the release of Monty Python's 1979 film Life of Brian. The movie saw nuns with banners picketing cinemas, councils banning the film without even seeing it and religious groups organizing concerted campaigns against the film. It is a bold and entertaining homage to one of the most original comedy teams in British film and television history, and very pertinent as the debate about what is an acceptable subject matter for comedy rages on. Starring Darren Boyd (Four Lions, The Jane Show) and Charles Edwards (Batman Begins, Mansfield Park), with Roy Marsden (Silent Witness, Doctor Who) and Stephen Fry (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Alice in Wonderland, Bones).
· Laconia - Premiering Saturday, April 14 (Part 1) and Saturday, April 21 (Part 2) at 10 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. PT. This mini series by Alan Bleasdale (Boys From The Black Stuff, GBH, Jake's Progress, Oliver Twist) is inspired by the true story of unexpected gallantry in the fog of war. On the 12th September 1942 the Laconia - a cruise ship turned troop ship - was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-156 commanded by Werner Hartenstein. She carried a motley crew of women, children, wounded soldiers and Italian Prisoners of War. Having sunk the ship, Hartenstein should have left them to their uncertain fate, but instead he made the incredible decision to save as many lives as he could. Starring Andrew Buchan (Party Animals), Franka Potente (Bourne Supremacy) and Ken Duken (Inglorious Basterds).
· Cloudstreet - Premiering Saturday, April 28 (Part 1) at 10 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT. Set in and around Perth, Western Australia during the 1940s and 1950s, Cloudstreet tells the story of two rural families who suffer separate catastrophes and flee to the city to pick up the pieces of their lives and start again. Brought together in the same house at No.1 Cloud Street, the Lambs and the Pickles share numerous tragedies and triumphs that draw them closer together, until the roof over their heads becomes a home for their hearts. Cloudstreet is based on the award-winning and best-selling novel by Tim Winton and features an outstanding ensemble cast, including Stephen Curry (The Cup, :30 Seconds), Essie Davis (Burning Man, The Girl With the Pearl Earring), Kerry Fox (Angel At My Table, Bright Star) and Emma Booth (Clubland). The series will air on consecutive Saturday nights through June 2.
· What to do When Someone Dies Premiering Saturday, June 9 (Part 1) at 10 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT. Based on the best-selling novel by Nicci French (the pseudonym for the writing partnership of journalists Nicci Gerrard and Sean French), What To Do When Someone Dies is the story of Ellie Manning and the double life she lead until tragic events reveal who she really is. One woman's death brings her closer than ever before to discovering her own husband's killer. This plot-twisting mini series stars Anna Friel (Limitless, Pushing Daisies) as "Ellie Manning" and is directed by Tim Fywell (Mistresses, Waking the Dead, Inspector Lewis). The series will air on consecutive Saturday nights through June 23.
