GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD WINNER CYBILL SHEPHERD STARS IN "MARTHA� (WORKING TITLE), A NEW TELEVISION MOVIE THAT WILL BEGIN PRODUCTION IN TORONTO FOR BROADCAST ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
MARTHA (working title), a new television movie starring Golden Globe Award-winning actress Cybill Shepherd ("Moonlighting"), will begin production in Toronto for broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The movie chronicles the events that led to the downfall and subsequent reemergence of America�s favorite domestic diva, from the day her company goes public through her release from Alderson Federal Prison.
MARTHA (working title) begins with Stewart (Shepherd) at the pinnacle of her success, celebrating the news that her self-built empire, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, has become a publicly traded company, thus making her a billionaire. Overseeing her magazine, television show and website, Stewart is at the top of her game until she decides to sell her shares of ImClone stock on December 27, 2001, one day before the FDA announced it had rejected an application for the approval of a new cancer drug, which sent the company�s stock prices tumbling. Federal investigators link Stewart to ImClone CEO Sam Waksal, who is under investigation for insider trading, through her stockbroker, Peter Baconovic. Suddenly, one of the most successful women in the country is suspected of conspiracy, securities fraud and obstruction of justice.
Stewart is ultimately indicted, leading her to stand trial alongside Baconovic. Found guilty of all charges, she is sentenced to five months at Alderson Federal Prison, nicknamed �Camp Cupcake� by the nation�s media, followed by five months of house arrest. Determined to clear her good name, Stewart pursues her appeal, but asks to begin her prison sentence early in an effort to put the nightmare behind her. She begins serving her prison term on October 8, 2004.
Prison proves to be a life-altering experience for Stewart, who regularly posts messages on her personal website describing her day-to-day activities, as well as urging the government to consider national prison reforms. When the embattled domestic diva is finally released from prison to begin the house arrest portion of her sentence on March 4, 2005, the nation embraces a new Martha � thinner, more circumspect, ready to put the past behind her and start a fresh chapter in her intriguing, remarkable life.
MARTHA is being produced by Paramount Pictures Television. Tom Patricia (�Homeless to Harvard,� �Dawn Anna�) is the executive producer, with Frank Siracusa (�Platinum�) producing. Eric Bross (�Traffic�) is directing the film from a script by Charles Bohl (�Swimfan�).
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