TNT Renews Record-Breaking Original Series THE CLOSER for Third 15-Episode Season
Kyra Sedgwick Stars in Ultra-Popular, Critically Acclaimed Detective Drama
Series Produced by The Shephard/Robin Company (Nip/Tuck) in Association with Warner Bros. Television to Launch Third Season in Summer 2007, Exclusively on TNT
TNT�s blockbuster original series THE CLOSER - which ranks as ad-supported cable�s top original scripted series of the year and which kicked off its second season with record-breaking numbers - has been renewed for a third 15-episode season, according to an announcement today by Steve Koonin, executive vice president and chief operating officer for TNT and sister network TBS. This gripping drama series stars Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards nominee Kyra Sedgwick (Something To Talk About, TNT�s Door to Door) as an Atlanta detective transferred to Los Angeles to head the Priority Homicide Division. THE CLOSER, currently running Mondays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), comes to TNT from The Shephard/Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television and is executive-produced by Greer Shephard (Nip/Tuck, The D.A.), Michael M. Robin (Nip/Tuck, The D.A., NYPD Blue) and James Duff (The D.A., The Agency), and produced by Andrew J. Sacks (The D.A, Adaptation, Two Soliders). Gil Garcetti, Los Angeles district attorney from 1992 to 2000, is a consulting producer on the series.
�Once again, THE CLOSER has proven to be one of television�s biggest success stories of the summer,� said Koonin. �From its record-breaking second-season premiere to its continued strong performance, THE CLOSER is proving itself to be a sustainable hit with lasting appeal for drama lovers.�
�This show has been everything we hoped for and more,� said Michael Wright, senior vice president of original programming for TNT and TBS. �With Kyra leading the way, a pitch-perfect cast around her and brilliant directors and producers working with fantastic scripts every week, THE CLOSER has proven it is one of the most entertaining shows on television. We are extremely proud to renew it and look forward to another fantastic year working with everyone involved.�
THE CLOSER�s second-season launch on Monday, June 12, scored ad-supported cable�s largest audience delivery ever for an original scripted series telecast, beating its own record set with the premiere episode of season one, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. The series follows the ever-challenging world of Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson (Sedgwick), a transplant from Atlanta who heads up the Priority Homicide Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. Her position on this elite detective squad, which handles high-profile cases of a sensitive nature, is a tenuous balancing act. She faces sometimes-antagonistic roadblocks, even from her own peers, but she and her team forge ahead solving difficult crimes, despite some who are still wary of her unconventional style. Meanwhile, she finds herself trying to keep her head above water in the rushing mayhem of Los Angeles, finding comfort with FBI Agent Fritz Howard (Jon Tenney) or sometimes in a package of snack cakes.
But Brenda�s primary focus is her job. She has an impeccable talent for knowing a person�s secrets and obtaining confessions, with skills that stem from understanding her own quirks, imperfections and neuroses. No matter the personal costs, she does whatever it takes to find out the truth.
THE CLOSER�s Screen Actors Guild Awards-nominated ensemble cast includes Jon Tenney (You Can Count on Me, Get Real) as FBI Agent Fritz Howard, Brenda�s love interest who also sometimes assists her on investigations; J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Law & Order, Oz) as Brenda�s boss, Assistant Police Chief Will Pope, with whom she once had an affair; Corey Reynolds (The Terminal, Tony nominee for Hairspray) as Sgt. David Gabriel, Brenda�s right-hand man; Robert Gossett (Arlington Road, The Net) as Commander Taylor, head of the robbery homicide division and a frequent thorn in Brenda�s side; G.W. Bailey (M*A*S*H, St. Elsewhere, Police Academy) as quick-witted veteran Detective Lt. Provenza; Tony Denison (Melrose Place, The Amy Fisher Story) as slick Detective Andy Flynn; Michael Paul Chan (Robbery Homicide Division, The Insider) as technology-minded Detective Mike Tao; Raymond Cruz (Collateral Damage, Training Day) as Detective Julio Sanchez; and Gina Ravera (The Temptations, Soul Food) as Detective Irene Daniels.
Turner Network Television (TNT), a division of Turner Broadcasting System Inc., is television�s destination for drama and one of cable�s top-rated networks. It offers original movies and series, including the detective drama series The Closer, starring Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards nominee Kyra Sedgwick; Saved, a new character-driven drama starring Tom Everett Scott; and this summer�s eagerly anticipated anthology series Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King. TNT is also home to powerful one-hour dramas, such as Law & Order, Without a Trace, Las Vegas, Cold Case, ER, NYPD Blue, Charmed and Judging Amy; broadcast premiere movies; compelling prime-time specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is also available in high-definition.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming for the television industry.
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