Starz Teams Up With NBA All-Star LeBron James, Business Partners Maverick Carter, Paul Wachter And Legendary TV Producer Tom Werner To Develop Half-Hour Scripted Comedy Series, "Survivor's Remorse"

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Sept. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Chief Executive Officer, Chris Albrecht, announced today that Starz will work with LeBron James, Tom Werner, Mike O'Malley, Maverick Carter and Paul Wachter to develop a half-hour scripted comedy series, "Survivor's Remorse," for STARZ.  The series will explore the complexity, comedy and drama of an experience that everyone reads about, but few understand – what truly happens when you make it out.  Through a combination of God-given talent and north Philly grit, Cam Calloway and Reggie Vaughn have achieved fame and fortune that neither could have imagined growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Philadelphia.  But success comes with its own challenges, and the cousins and confidantes wrestle with the rewards of money, stardom, love, and occasionally, the guilt of having "made it."

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"We are incredibly excited at Starz to work with such a deep bench of talented storytellers to develop 'Survivor's Remorse,'" said Albrecht.  "Everyone involved brings something unique to the table – from Tom Werner's legendary television success to LeBron's extraordinary life experiences and point of view.  We hope that 'Survivor's Remorse' will bring the humor, pain and complexity of these characters to life in a way that is honest and compelling for audiences worldwide."

James and Carter have been in business with Werner since 2011, when they partnered with Fenway Sports Group (FSG), one of the largest sports, media and entertainment companies in the world. Werner is Chairman of FSG, which owns soccer's Liverpool Football Club and baseball's Boston Red Sox. Wachter, a prominent Los Angeles-based financial advisor, has been business partners with James and Carter since 2004 and with Werner since he sold the Padres as Werner's investment advisor in 1995.  Mike O'Malley will serve as executive producer and writer (consulting producer and writer on "Shameless," and actor in "Glee," "Justified," "My name is Earl").

"I have a deep passion for the amazing television being created right now," said James. "I love 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Magic City,' 'Scandal' and '24.' When my business partners Tom Werner and Maverick Carter brought up the idea of creating a television series that would capture the story of what happens when you make it out, I jumped at the chance. For Maverick and I even to be where we are right now, given where we came from, is kind of hard to believe. I felt like it was a story that needed to be told, and nobody can craft a story like Tom Werner. He has an incredible vision for television and I'm really excited to partner with him and the rest of our team."

LeBron James will serve as an Executive Producer along with Tom Werner, currently Chairman of the Boston Red Sox. James, a nine-time NBA All-Star and Olympic Gold medalist, recently led the Miami Heat to a second straight NBA Championship win and captured his fourth straight MVP trophy. As founder of The Carsey-Werner Company, Werner produced some of the most important television shows of the past generation, including "The Cosby Show," "Roseanne,"
"3^rd Rock from the Sun," and "That '70s Show." Werner is also co-founder of Good Humor TV and the cable channel Oxygen. Emmy^® nominated actor Mike O'Malley, who served as a consulting producer on "Shameless" and has starred in series including "Glee" and "Justified," will also serve as Executive Producer, along with Maverick Carter, James' longtime friend and manager, and Paul Wachter.

About Starz

Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ^® and ENCORE^® pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies.  As of June 30, 2013, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56.9 million subscribers, including 21.8 million at STARZ, and 35.1 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S.  STARZ^® and ENCORE^®, along with Starz Networks' third network MOVIEPLEX^®, air more than 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television.  Starz Distribution's home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties.  Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.

SOURCE Starz