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[12/02/08 - 06:21 AM]
New Adaptation of the Timeless Classic Pinocchio to Make U.S. Debut on Ion Television
The four-hour original production, featuring Bob Hoskins as Geppetto and Robbie Kay as Pinocchio, will air Sunday, December 14.

[via press release from ION Media Networks]

New Adaptation of the Timeless Classic Pinocchio to Make U.S. Debut on ION Television

Original Miniseries from RHI Entertainment, Starring Golden Globe Winner Bob Hoskins, to Air Sunday, December 14th

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- ION Television, the "Positively Entertaining" general entertainment network available to over 94 million homes, and RHI Entertainment, the leader in the production and distribution of groundbreaking movies, miniseries and series for television, today announced the U.S. debut of Pinocchio, a four-hour original production making its television premiere on ION Television on Sunday, December 14 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The miniseries will be broadcast in its entirety in one evening.

Starring Golden Globe winner Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Hook) as Geppetto and Robbie Kay (My Boy Jack, Hannibal Rising) as Pinocchio, the new film is the definitive adaptation of the beloved masterpiece about a boy who learns how to be a son and a man who learns how to be a father.

Set among the beautiful vistas of 19th Century Tuscany, Pinocchio is the tale of a young boy brought into the world by magic and utterly unprepared for what his new life throws at him. On this voyage of self-discovery, Pinocchio invites danger at every turn, much to the heartbreak of Geppetto, the father who created him from wood. Pinocchio's misadventures find him hunted by villains, whisked away to the temptations of the Land of Toys, transformed into a donkey, placed center stage at a traveling circus and swallowed by a giant shark. Plagued by shame, regret and the ever-present possibility of further corruption, Pinocchio's only chance at redemption and happiness is to find his way back to Geppetto.

"Big stars, high production values and original, event programming are making ION Television synonymous with destination television," said Eleo Hensleigh, Chief Marketing Officer, ION Media Networks. "Pinocchio is another ION major miniseries that will grab and hold audiences."

"Pinocchio is quite simply one of the greatest stories ever told and is emblematic of the kind of programming in which RHI excels," said Robert Halmi Jr., President and CEO of RHI Entertainment. "This beautiful and heart-rending adaptation of this timeless fairy tale will delight and move audiences of all ages. It is truly Pinocchio the way it was meant to be told."

Pinocchio was filmed entirely on location in Rome and Tuscany. The film is directed by Alberto Sironi and is based on the fairy tale classic by Carlo Collodi. RHI�s Robert Halmi Jr. served as an executive producer on the project.

About ION Television

ION Television (www.iontelevision.com) is a general entertainment network which reaches over 94 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. Launched in 2006, ION Television features popular TV series and movies from the award-winning libraries of RHI Entertainment, CBS Television, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Television and Warner Bros. Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc., owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group. Using its digital multicasting capability, ION Media Networks has launched the digital TV brands qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital television spectrum. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com.

About RHI Entertainment

RHI Entertainment (NASDAQ: RHIE) develops, produces and distributes new made-for-television movies, miniseries and other television programming worldwide, and is the leading provider of new long-form television content in the United States. Under the leadership of Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr., RHI has produced and distributed thousands of hours of quality television programming, and RHI�s productions have received more than 100 Emmy Awards. During 2007, RHI developed, produced and distributed 43 new television movies and miniseries to broadcast and cable networks around the world. In addition to the development, production and distribution of new content, RHI owns rights to approximately 1,000 titles, or over 3,500 broadcast hours of long-form television programming, which are licensed to broadcast and cable networks and new media outlets globally. For more consumer information visit www.rhitv.com.





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· PINOCCHIO (ION)





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