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[09/14/05 - 12:00 AM]
Showtime Lifts the Veil on Its New 'Sleeper Cell' Drama to Hook Audiences Over Two Weeks Beginning December 4
[via press release from Showtime]

SHOWTIME LIFTS THE VEIL ON ITS NEW 'SLEEPER CELL' DRAMA TO HOOK AUDIENCES OVER TWO WEEKS BEGINNING DECEMBER 4

Original Drama Takes Viewers On A Clandestine Journey Into The World Of A Sleeper Terrorist Cell And Follows The Harrowing Challenges Faced By An FBI Agent Determined To Uncover Its Secrets

LOS ANGELES.(September 14, 2005) � SHOWTIME'S suspenseful new drama SLEEPER CELL, delving into terrorism forming at its root levels, is set for a 10-episode run - in a viewer-accessible SHOWTIME ORIGINAL TELEVISION EVENT "multiplay" format - beginning Sunday, December 4, announced Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment, SHOWTIME.

As part of the network's progressive effort to address subscribers' time-shifting viewing habits, SHOWTIME will air the first 8 original episodes of SLEEPER CELL in the 10:00-11:00 PM (ET/PT) Sunday through Wednesday time periods for two weeks beginning December 4.

On each of those Sunday-Wednesday evenings, encore telecasts of the same episodes will repeat in the 11 PM -12 AM time slots for added flexibility. Other encore telecasts of the drama will air in back-to-back two-hour blocks on Thursday and Friday evenings (in the 8 PM -10 PM time slots), capped by four-part "SLEEPER CELL Mini-Marathon" event evenings on Saturday, December 10 and Saturday, December 17.

SLEEPER CELL's climatic 9th and 10th original episodes will air back-to-back as a two-hour grand finale event Sunday, December 18, with the 8 PM - 10 PM first-run airings immediately followed by a two-hour encore telecast that evening.

The strategy behind the two-week, multicast scheduling for SLEEPER CELL is intended to allow viewers greater flexibility and time to savor this topical and suspense-filled drama night after night-allowing them to better absorb its authenticity, intricate storylines and involving character arcs.

"We felt that SLEEPER CELL is a special television event whose themes have never been more relevant than they are today," Greenblatt said. "We knew that once our subscribers started watching this compelling drama they would be hooked and wouldn't want to wait over two months for its powerful conclusion. The condensed scheduling of this incredible story underscores the momentum of the initial storyline yet does not preclude it continuing as a weekly series."

SLEEPER CELL, starring Michael Ealy and Oded Fehr, dramatizes the inner workings of a Los Angeles-based Islamic terrorist cell and an undercover F.B.I. agent who infiltrates it.

Created by Executive Producers Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris, SLEEPER CELL lifts the veil of secrecy to reveal a riveting and authentic look at the war on terrorism. It explores and illuminates the many facets of Islam and the repercussions of its extremism when it clashes with Western society. The series will fold current events and pertinent political developments into its contemporary storylines as it explores the personal and professional side of committed agents combating one of the most concealed dangers in our nation's history.

NOTE: Please refer to the information below for the entire December scheduling rundown of SLEEPER CELL'S premiere and encore telecasts.

SCHEDULED DECEMBER 2005 RUN FOR "SLEEPER CELL" (all times ET/PT)

Sunday, Dec. 4: Premiere Episode # 1 (10 - 11 PM); Encore Telecast (11 PM - 12 AM)

Monday, Dec. 5: Premiere Episode # 2 (10 - 11 PM); Encore (11 PM - 12 AM)

Tuesday, Dec. 6: Premiere Episode # 3 (10 - 11 PM); Encore (11 PM - 12 AM)

Wednesday, Dec. 7: Premiere Episode # 4 (10 - 11 PM); Encore (11 PM - 12 AM)

Thursday, Dec. 8: Encore Telecasts, Episodes # 1 and # 2 (8 - 10 PM)

Friday, Dec. 9: Encore Telecasts, Episodes # 3 and # 4 (8 - 10 PM)

Saturday, Dec. 10: "SLEEPER CELL Marathon," Encore Telecasts, Episodes # 1-to-4 (8 PM - 12 AM)

Sunday, Dec. 11: Premiere Episode # 5 (10 - 11 PM); Encore (11 PM - 12 AM)

Monday, Dec. 12: Premiere Episode # 6 (10 - 11 PM); Encore (11 PM - 12 AM)

Tuesday, Dec. 13: Premiere Episode # 7 (10 - 11 PM); Encore (11 PM - 12 AM)

Wednesday, Dec. 14: Premiere Episode # 8 (10 - 11 PM); Encore (11 PM - 12 AM)

Thursday, Dec. 15: Encore Telecasts, Episodes # 1 and # 2 (8 - 10 PM)

Friday, Dec. 16: Encore Telecasts, Episodes # 3 and # 4 (8 - 10 PM)

Saturday, Dec. 17: "SLEEPER CELL Marathon," Encore Telecasts, Episodes # 5-to-8 (8 PM - 12 AM)

Sunday, Dec. 18: "SLEEPER CELL Grand Finale Two-Hour Event," Premiere Telecasts, Episodes # 9 and # 10 (8 - 10 PM); Encore Telecast (10 PM - 12 AM)





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· SLEEPER CELL (SHOWTIME)




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