RAND NEW SEASONS OF THE NEWSROOM, HOUSE OF LIES AND SMASH DEBUT THIS SUMMER

As part of the channel’s strategy to bring the most compelling stories exclusively to Sky customers, Sky Atlantic HD today announce plans to premiere the eagerly anticipated second seasons of US shows THE NEWSROOM, HOUSE OF LIES and SMASH this summer. With their debut seasons garnering award wins and nominations for cast and crew at the Golden Globes®, Primetime Emmy® and Grammy Awards, the welcome return of these three shows this summer further demonstrates Sky Atlantic HD’s commitment to bringing world-class entertainment from the finest talent from both on and off screen exclusively to Sky customers. Returning to Sky Atlantic HD this August, the second season of Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin’s THE NEWSROOM will see the News Night team continue on their patriotic and quixotic mission to do the news well in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles as well as their own personal and complex relationships. This season, the News Night staff chase a mysterious tip which leads to a story which ultimately spins out of control. THE NEWSROOM stars Golden Globe® nominee Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy, Emily Mortimer as MacKenzie McHale, John Gallagher, Jr. as Jim Harper, Alison Pill as Margaret Jordan, BAFTA® nominee Dev Patel as Neal Sampa, Olivia Munn as Sloan Sabbith, Thomas Sadoski as Don Keefer and Academy award® nominee and Golden Globe® winner Sam Waterston as Charlie. Jane Fonda will also return in her guest role as CEO Leona Lansing, plus Mamie Gummer (The Big C), Patton Oswalt (Young Adult) and Academy award® winner Marcia Gay Harden (Damages) join this season in new roles. Also returning to work with an altogether very different ethic are the employees of Galweather & Stearn management consultancy in the second season of dark comedy HOUSE OF LIES. Recently renewed for a third season, this dark comedy stars Golden Globe® winner and Oscar®, BAFTA® and Emmy Award® nominee Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan, a highly successful, cut-throat consultant who is willing to use any means (or anyone) necessary to get his way with his clients. Based on the hit tell-all book from best-selling author Martin Kihn (House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time), the series also stars Kristen Bell, Dawn Olivieri, Emmy® award winner Glynn Turman and Donis Leonard Jr. Ahead of the premiere of the sophomore season in August, Sky customers will be able to catch up on the complete first season of HOUSE OF LIES On Demand from Monday 3 June. Fresh from a successful run in Boston, the cast and crew of Bombshell are back in New York and one step closer to achieving their Broadway dream in the second season of musical drama SMASH, which will also debut exclusively to Sky customers on Sky Atlantic HD this July. Developed from an idea of Executive Producer and multiple Emmy® and Oscar® winner Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List, Lincoln), SMASH boasts a stellar cast from stage and screen including Emmy® award winning actress Debra Messing (Will & Grace), Academy Award® winner Anjelica Huston (Prizzi’s Honor), Katharine McPhee (American Idol), Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean), Tony® Award nominee Christian Borle (Legally Blonde: The Musical) and Megan Hilty (Wicked). Guest stars confirmed to appear in the series include Golden Globe® and Grammy Award-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Emmy® Award-winning actor Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) and Golden Globe®, Emmy® and Academy Award®-winning actress and singer Liza Minnelli (Cabaret). Ahead of the premiere of the sophomore season in July, Sky customers will be able to catch up on the complete first season of SMASH On Demand from Monday 3 June. In addition to these three multi-award winning returning series, Sky Atlantic HD will continue to deliver world class entertainment exclusively to Sky customers with the return of the channel’s successful COMEDY MONDAYS strand boasting the second season of the channel’s cult comedy THIS IS JINSY and Armando Iannucci’s Emmy® award-winning HBO satire VEEP, the launch of two hugely anticipated original dramas THE TUNNEL and FLEMING as well as the channel’s landmark documentary feature film strand FOOTPRINT, all scheduled for launch later this year. The second season of THE NEWSROOM will debut exclusively to Sky customers in the UK on Sky Atlantic HD, Sky Atlantic +1 and on the move with Sky Go and Sky Go Extra this August. The second season of HOUSE OF LIES will debut exclusively to Sky customers in the UK on Sky Atlantic HD, Sky Atlantic +1 and on the move with Sky Go and Sky Go Extra this August. Season 1 of HOUSE OF LIES will be available On Demand and via Sky Go from Monday 3 June. The second season of SMASH will debut exclusively to Sky customers in the UK on Sky Atlantic HD, Sky Atlantic +1 and on the move with Sky Go and Sky Go Extra this July. Season 1 of SMASH will be available On Demand and via Sky Go from Monday 3 June.

For further information please contact

Megan MacLeod - Publicist, Sky Movies HD, Sky Atlantic HD

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E: megan.macleod@bskyb.com

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E: claire.wilson@bskyb.com