TV Land honors Aaron Spelling

from the futon critic

TV Land Honors the Life of Aaron Spelling With On-Air and Online
Programming Salute

NEW YORK, June 27 -- TV Land will celebrate the life and work of
legendary producer and show creator, Aaron Spelling -- who passed away
on Friday at the age of 83 -- with programming salutes on both TV Land
and the network's website, TVLand.com, it was announced today by Larry
W. Jones, President, TV Land & Nick at Nite. Spelling, who held the
distinction of being the most prolific producer in the history of

Daniel Damouth...

... who never made a single TV series that I could stand. It's like he
had direct insight into my brain, and by reversing my impulses, became
the most successful TV producer in history. But he never credited me.

-Dan Damouth

television, was honored by TV Land when the network presented him with
the Pioneer Award during the 2005 TV Land Awards: A Celebration of
Classic TV.

"Aaron Spelling was an enormous talent whose keen eye, sharp wit and
deep understanding of why people love television made him one of the
greatest sources of beloved TV shows in the history of the medium,"
explains Jones. "Mr. Spelling exuded charm and worked tirelessly to
entertain us all. Many of us at TV Land feel so honored to have known
him and our deepest condolences go out to the Spelling family, friends
and fans as we all mourn the loss of this incredibly gifted man."

On-air, TV Land will re-broadcast two installments of the network's
acclaimed 2004 6-part special TV Land Moguls. This Saturday, from 10
AM - Noon (ET/PT), TV Land's weekend original programming block will
be dedicated to Spelling with the two installments highlighting many
of his achievements. The episodes explore the biggest moguls from the
1970s and spotlight Spelling's rise to prominence in the world of
entertainment. It was during that time in which he created some of the
biggest hits in television including Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat,
Fantasy Island, Starsky & Hutch and several others. TV Land has
already begun airing a memorial spot reminding viewers of his
outstanding contributions.

TV Land's website, TVLand.com, will showcase of variety of Aaron
Spelling-related highlights that online visitors can access beginning
immediately. Among the offerings include:

* A 2005 interview with TVLand.com in which he discusses his life and
career in front of and behind the camera.

* An excerpted scene from his performance, as an actor, in the
memorable I Love Lucy episode entitled "Tennessee Bound," in which he
plays a country bumpkin Lucy and Ricky encounter on a cross-country
trip.

* Clips from his acceptance of the Pioneer Award and tributes from
numerous performers, many of whom gained fame and success under his
leadership, at the 2005 TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV.

* Select moments from TV Land Moguls, in which his rise to the top in
the 1970s is traced.

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International, Inc.

Now seen in over 85 million U.S. homes, TV Land's program mix features
popular dramas, sitcoms, westerns, Retromercials and a TV-referential
interstitial environment, all programmed with a specific audience in
mind -- the first generation of Americans to grow up watching
television and features all-time Classic hits like All in the Family,
I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, and Bonanza.

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at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, MTV
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Networks also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and
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worldwide.

About Viacom

Viacom is a leading global entertainment content company, with
prominent and respected brands in focused demographics. Offering
programming and content for television, motion pictures and digital
platforms, Viacom's world-class brands include MTV Networks (MTV, VH1,
Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music
Television, Spike TV, TV Land, Logo and more than 120 networks around
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SOURCE TV Land
http://www.TVLand.com http://www.nick-at-nite.com