G4 & NBC to Premiere New Season of AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR, 5/20

AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR, the heart-racing and action-packed obstacle course competition series, returns this May to G4 on Sunday, May 20 (9-11 p.m. ET) and to NBC on Monday, May 21 (9-11 p.m. ET). The two networks have teamed up to search across country for the ultimate athlete to be crowned the first, true "American Ninja Warrior." From schoolteachers to firemen to police officers to social workers, this competition gives everyday men and women the chance to transform into fearless acrobatic competitors at the six regional qualifying competitions held throughout the U.S. 100 finalists will have a shot at a $500,000 cash prize and the chance to win the coveted "American Ninja Warrior" title at the national finals in Las Vegas.

Comedian Matt Iseman ("Dumbest Stuff on Wheels," "Clean House") returns with his energetic, charismatic style as host and is joined this season by Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley, whose experience as an extreme sports athlete brings a unique and colorful perspective to the show. Angela Sun ("Yahoo! Sports Minute," NBC's "1st Look") will serve as the sideline reporter giving fans an up-close look at the course and its competitors.

New episodes will air Sundays on G4 (9-11 p.m. ET) and Mondays (9-11 p.m. ET) on NBC (except on July 2) throughout the run of the series. A full broadcast schedule is listed below.

Each qualifying round begins with roughly 125 aspiring ninjas taking a stab at a first-round, preliminary course. As each of the obstacles get tougher, the 30 fastest competitors from the first round will move on to the regional finals. From there, the top 15 will then be deemed worthy enough to head to Las Vegas to take on the infamous final obstacle course, which is modeled after the original "insurmountable" course in Japan. The brand-new final obstacle course structure is located on the Las Vegas strip and presents the same near-impossible challenges as the Japanese original. G4 and NBC collaborated with the original Japanese broadcaster, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS), to bring the course and its diabolical designs to the U.S.

The competition kicks off in Southern California's historic Venice Beach boardwalk, where athletes from the Southwest and Northwest regions test themselves on the arduous course. From there, the action shifts to Dallas as the South-Central and Midwest competitors get their shot at fame and fortune. The nationwide-ninja tour concludes in Miami as the Northeast and Southeast regions get their chance to compete in the grand finale in Las Vegas, as the top 100 ninjas square off against the world's hardest obstacle course.

"American Ninja Warrior" is executive-produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions' founders Arthur Smith and Kent Weed ("Hell's Kitchen," "I Survived a Japanese Game Show," "Pros vs. Joes") along with Lake Paradise Entertainment's Holly Wofford and Viki Cacciatore.

Watch as America's top athletes take on the world's toughest obstacle course beginning Sunday May 20 only on G4.

For additional information on the new "American Ninja Warrior," please visit the http://www.g4tv.com/anw/home/ and the NBC media website at www.nbcumv.com and www.facebook.com/ninjawarrior and follow on Twitter @ninjawarrior.

Complete airdates follow:

Sunday, May 20: 9 p.m.-11pm ET on G4

Monday, May 21: 9 p.m.-11p.m. ET on NBC

Sunday, May 27 9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET on G4

Monday, May 28: 9 p.m.-10 p.m. ET on NBC

Sunday, June 3: 9 p.m.-11p.m. ET on G4

Monday, June 4: 9 p.m.-10 p.m. ET on NBC

Sunday, June 10: 9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET on G4

Monday, June 11: 9 p.m.-10 p.m. ET on NBC

Sunday, June 17: 9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET on G4

Monday, June 18: 9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET on NBC

Sunday, June 24: 9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET on G4

Monday, June 25: 10 p.m. -11p.m. ET on NBC *Please note different airtime for this night only

Sunday, July 8: 9 p.m. -12 a.m. ET on G4

Monday, July 9: 9 p.m.-10 p.m. ET on NBC

Monday, July 16 9 p.m. -10 p.m. ET on NBC

Monday, July 23 9 p.m.-10 p.m. ET on NBC

About G4

G4 offers the last word on gaming, technology, animation, interactivity and "geek culture" for the male 18-34 demo. The network, which is available in 59 million cable and satellite homes nationwide, has given young guys of today's digital generation a television home. G4tv.com is a top web destination for video game news and information. The network's popular original programming includes "Attack of the Show!," "X-Play," "American Ninja Warrior" and "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan." G4 also continues to expand its live event coverage at CES, Comic-Con, E3, Tokyo Game Show and more. G4's digital platforms include G4tv.com, G4 Mobile, G4 Podcasts, G4 on Demand, G4 Video Player, G4 Wii Portal and G4 PS3 Portal. G4 is a network of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

About NBC Entertainment

NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the network's primetime, late-night, and daytime schedules. NBC's quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network critical acclaim, numerous awards, and ratings success. NBC has earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television history. NBC's roster of popular scripted series includes such critically acclaimed comedy Emmy winners as "The Office" and "30 Rock," starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. Veteran, award-winning dramas on NBC include "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Chuck." Unscripted series for NBC include the new vocal competition hit "The Voice" as well as the popular "The Biggest Loser," "The Celebrity Apprentice," and "America's Got Talent." NBC's late-night story is highlighted by "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," "Last Call with Carson Daly" and "Saturday Night Live." NBC Daytime's "Days of our Lives" consistently finishes among daytime's top programs in the valuable women 18-34 category. On Saturday mornings, the network broadcasts Qubo on NBC, a three-hour block that features fun, entertaining, and educational programming for kids, including the award-winning, 3-D animated series Veggie Tales.

About A. Smith

A. Smith & Co. Productions creates some of the most innovative, highly rated and high quality programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. Founded in 2000 by Arthur Smith and Kent Weed, the company has produced more than 2000 hours of award-winning programming. The company's current production slate includes such hits as "Hell's Kitchen," "Kitchen Nightmares," "American Ninja Warrior," "Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura," "Full Throttle Saloon," "Unsung," "UFC Countdown" and many others. A. Smith & Co.'s library of programming includes hit shows like "The Swan," "Skating with Celebrities," "Paradise Hotel," "Trading Spaces," and "Pros vs. Joes." A. Smith & Co. has developed and produced the #1 show in America an astonishing 20 times and a Top 10 show over 75 times. The company has produced programs with budgets totaling approximately a billion dollars, for more than 40 broadcast and cable networks. In 2011, A. Smith & Co. joined forces with Tinopolis Group and in doing so became the leading North American television production entity within the Tinopolis organization with the ability to tap into that company's resources on a worldwide basis.

About Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc.

With over 50 year history of television broadcasting in Japan, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. (TBS) along with 37 TBS Group companies constitutes one of the largest media conglomerates in Japan encompassing a wide range of media and business activities including broadcast (nationwide terrestrial TV/radio networks to digital satellite, mobile, and broadband), content production (TV/radio programs, formats, movies, video/DVDs, internet, computer graphics), domestic/overseas distribution, concerts and other events. With long-running hits like America's Funniest Home Videos and MXC, TBS continues to be a strong provider of content in the global arena distributing programs of all genres to over 150 countries. 

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