SHOWTIME LAUNCHES ITS LARGEST PRIDE CAMPAIGN: QUEER TO STAY





SHOWTIME LAUNCHES ITS LARGEST PRIDE CAMPAIGN: QUEER TO STAY

QTS Small Business Preservation Initiative Expands Grants to $250,000 with The Human Rights Campaign

SHOWTIME® Streams Over 50 Hours of LGBTQ+ Programming For Free

NEW YORK – June 1, 2022 – SHOWTIME today launches its largest Pride campaign ever with QUEER TO STAY, expanding the QTS small business preservation initiative with $250,000 in grants in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, while offering over 50 hours of LGBTQ+ content for free sampling. In celebration of queer artists, SHOWTIME has recruited acclaimed pop singer-songwriter VINCINT for a new single released exclusively for SHOWTIME Pride 2022 and QUEER TO STAY. “Believer (For SHOWTIME Pride)” is available today on all digital streaming platforms HERE.

The QTS small business preservation initiative launched in 2020 to support and preserve 10 LGBTQIA+ businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on LGBTQ+ people of color, women and the transgender community. This year, the initiative expands to support at least 25 businesses, targeting businesses from geographically diverse LGBTQ+ communities For the first time ever, QUEER TO STAY will launch with a grassroots outreach campaign kicking off during Pride Month with presence in over 155 national Pride festival events spanning coast to coast including activations in Mobile, and Nashville, and at iconic festivals including San Francisco’s longest running LGBTQ+ film festival, Frameline. Additionally, an enhanced crowdfunding feature will enable consumers to support the initiative through the end of the year. QUEER TO STAY will accept applications from qualifying businesses at QueertoStay.org from Wednesday, June 1 until Saturday, August 31, 2022.

In honor of Pride Month, SHOWTIME will also release over 50 hours of iconic LGBTQ+ programming for free sampling throughout June. Select episodes from titles including THE L WORD, THE L WORD: GENERATION Q, QUEER AS FOLK, WORK IN PROGRESS, XY CHELSEA and more will be available across multiple SHOWTIME partner platforms. The full list of SHOWTIME content available for free during Pride Month includes:

The L WORD®️ season one
THE L WORD®️: GENERATION Q season one
QUEER AS FOLK season one
WORK IN PROGRESS season one
COUPLES THERAPY season two
XY CHELSEA
YELLOWJACKETS episode 101
DESUS & MERO®️ (selected episodes)
THE END season 1
ZIWE (selected episodes including “Pride!” starting June 5)

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.



SHOWTIME TO DEBUT DARK COMEDY THE END ON SUNDAY, JULY 18





SHOWTIME TO DEBUT DARK COMEDY THE END ON SUNDAY, JULY 18

Showtime Releases Trailer and Key Art for Half-Hour Comedy Series
Premiering at 8 PM ET/PT With Back-to-Back Episodes

Key Art for THE END. Photo credit: Courtesy of SHOWTIME.

LOS ANGELES – May 20, 2021 – SHOWTIME announced today that the new half-hour dark comedy series THE END, starring Emmy® nominee Harriet Walter (Succession, The Crown, Killing Eve) and Frances O’Connor (The Missing, Mansfield Park), will premiere with two episodes airing back-to-back beginning Sunday, July 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Produced by See-Saw Films, the 10-part series is a co-production between Sky UK and Foxtel Australia, and was created and written by Samantha Strauss and directed by Jessica M. Thompson and Jonathan Brough.

To watch and share the trailer, go to: .

In THE END, three generations of a family live with separate but intersecting obsessions – trying to figure out how to die with dignity, live with none and make it all count. The series centers on Dr. Kate Brennan (O’Connor), an Australian-based specialist in palliative care. Euthanasia is a hot-button topic in Kate’s field of work, and she is passionate in her opposition. On the other side of the world, Kate’s mother Edie Henley (Walter) feels just as strongly about her right to die. Kate has little choice but to ship Edie out from England and deposit her in Australia’s Gold Coast in a nearby retirement community – Edie’s worst nightmare. While Kate struggles with her own problems, her children, one of whom is a teenage trans boy, are trying to work out who they are and who they want to be. THE END is a story about family, ethics and emotion, and mostly how it’s never too late to start again. THE END also stars four-time Australian Film Institute award winner Noni Hazlehurst, Roy Billing, Robyn Nevin, Luke Arnold, Morgan Davies, Ingrid Torelli, John Waters, Brendan Cowell, and Alex Dimitriades.

The production company behind the series is Oscar®, BAFTA® and Emmy-winning See-Saw Films (Top Of The Lake, State Of The Union), and it is executive produced by Rachel Gardner, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning alongside Strauss. Endeavor Content handled U.S. and international sales.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.



SHOWTIME TO AIR DARK COMEDY SERIES THE END





SHOWTIME TO AIR DARK COMEDY SERIES THE END FROM THE PRODUCERS OF TOP OF THE LAKE AND STATE OF THE UNION

Starring Emmy® Nominee Dame Harriet Walter and Golden Globe® Nominee Frances O’Connor
Series To Make U.S. Premiere in 2021

LOS ANGELES – September 15, 2020 – SHOWTIME has picked up the 10-episode first season of THE END, a half-hour dark comedy series starring Emmy nominee Harriet Walter (Succession, The Crown, Killing Eve) and Golden Globe nominee Frances O’Connor (The Missing, Mansfield Park). In THE END, three generations of a family live with separate but intersecting obsessions – trying to figure out how to die with dignity, live with none and make it all count. The series is scheduled to premiere on SHOWTIME in 2021. A coproduction between Sky UK and Foxtel Australia, the series was created and written by Samantha Strauss and is directed by Jessica M. Thompson and Jonathan Brough. The announcement was made today by Jana Winograde, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

O’Connor plays Dr. Kate Brennan, an Australian-based specialist in palliative care. Euthanasia is a hot-button topic in Kate’s field of work, and she is passionate in her opposition. On the other side of the world, Kate’s mother Edie Henley (Walter) feels just as strongly about her right to die. Kate has little choice but to ship Edie out from England and deposit her in Australia’s Gold Coast in a nearby retirement community – Edie’s worst nightmare. While Kate struggles with her own problems, her children, one of whom is a teenage trans boy, are trying to work out who they are and who they want to be. THE END is a story about family, ethics and emotion, and mostly how it’s never too late to start again.

“THE END is a funny, messy look at a family across the various stages of life — teenage to middle age to old age — and the unique challenges each stage brings,” said Winograde. “At times whimsical, sad and incredibly life-affirming, the series demonstrates people’s ability to change – and how even those who never believe they can be happy again can find their way back. With such strong writing and acting, we are thrilled to be able to give THE END a beginning with SHOWTIME viewers.”

THE END also stars four-time Australian Film Institute award winner Noni Hazlehurst, Roy Billing, Robyn Nevin, Luke Arnold, Morgan Davies and Ingrid Torelli.

The production company behind the series is Oscar®, BAFTA® and Emmy-winning See-Saw Films (Top Of The Lake, State Of The Union), and it is executive produced by Rachel Gardner, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning alongside Strauss. Endeavor Content handled U.S. and international sales.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs and Xbox One. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.