Planet Green Unveils Bold Programming Slate for 2010-11 Upfront Season

On the heels of the successful debut of VERGE -- Planet Green's all-new primetime programming destination for conscious living featuring great, inspiring characters and storytelling -- the network unveiled the 2010-11 upfront slate full of all-new series, specials and returning favorites. Through fresh, irreverent programs, Planet Green will advance the conversation on sustainability with an eye on the future-focusing on the lives and passions of innovators on the verge of changing our world. Planet Green also announced the network's addition to the Nielsen ratings system, beginning in the upcoming broadcast season. This milestone demonstrates the Planet Green's continued household growth and progressive popularity among television viewers.

"With compelling characters and provocative programming, Planet Green is broadening the conversation from eco-lifestyle to conscious-living TV," said Laura Michalchyshyn, president and general manager of Planet Green. "It is not just about being greener-but about being better. Our programming reflects this wider scope with the stories of people whose positive actions and unique approaches to environmentalism and sustainability are changing the very definitions of these words."

Highlights of Planet Green's upfront slate include the following:

ALL-NEW PROGRAMS

TREEHUGGER TV

4 x 30; Premieres Fourth Quarter 2010

Inspired by the online lifestyle brand TreeHugger.com, this all-new series features comedian Faith Salie as she presents a provocative look at pressing topics from around the globe-everything from air quality, to exopolitics, to the unexpected value of time capsules. Through these stories, TREEHUGGER TV will deconstruct and redefine the meaning of the word "treehugger" from the crunchy-granola stereotype to describe an innovative, adventurous change agent working to create a better tomorrow. TreeHugger.com will provide in-depth coverage of each issue discussed in the program through postings, videos and photos. Visitors will also be invited to film their own TREEHUGGER TV segments for online-only presentation.

THE KAMEN CODE

8 x 30; Premieres First Quarter 2011

Dean Kamen created the Segway so that people could travel short distances without using large amounts of fuel, and devised the "Luke Arm" so that people who have lost a hand could grip objects anew. This eight-part series chronicles Kamen-along with his intrepid correspondent Joanne Colan-as they attempt to change the world for the better using the most cutting-edge technology on the planet. Every day, Kamen is working on new ways to save the planet, meeting the world's leading scientists, engineers, doctors and inventors along the way. PlanetGreen.com will feature scientist Q&A and additional details about the inventions featured in the show, as well as exclusive online video of deleted scenes and outtakes.

SHAREEN VINTAGE

8 x 30; Premieres First Quarter 2011

Each 30-minute episode follows the fashion world's best-kept secret-Shareen Mitchell, beloved by fashionistas and recessionistas alike for her unique, affordable approach to vintage clothing. A self-taught designer with retail outlets on both coasts, Mitchell is renowned for her ability to give new life to dowdy old duds by turning them into chic, fashion-forward frocks. To create these one-of-a-kind pieces, Mitchell welcomes her exclusively female clients into her hip boutiques in both downtown Los Angeles and New York's Chelsea district, to hear their stories and make them over in a distinctly SHAREEN VINTAGE style that helps thEm Look and feel their best. Exclusive webisodes will be featured at PlanetGreen.com.

THE JOHN PATRICK SHOW

6 x 30; Premieres First Quarter 2011

Designer John Patrick Fleming is revered in the fashion world for bucking the conventions of high fashion to create truly sustainable style delivered as haute couture with his line, John Patrick Organic. This six-part series follows months in the intense and wildly creative world of John Patrick and his team, as they strive to ensure that the "Organic" label stays true to John Patrick's vision of sustainable design while he builds a line for the launch during Fall Fashion Week. Each week, John Patrick will blog at PlanetGreen.com, sharing his insights on sustainable design.

URBAN IMPACT (wt)

1 x 60; Premieres Second Quarter 2011

Reverend Yearwood-longtime activist and president of the Hip Hop Caucus-turns his attention to environmental justice in URBAN IMPACT (wt), an hour-long special following the Rev on his quest to bring these issues to urban communities. URBAN IMPACT (wt) takes viewers behind the scenes with the Rev and his diverse team, profiling the struggles and successes of this grassroots campaign. PlanetGreen.com will feature resources and guides to enable audiences to get involved in their own communities.

FAST FORWARD

13 x 1:30; Premieres Second Quarter 2010

Meet 13 unique visionaries in their quest to build a greener and healthier future for our planet-notable names such as Venus Williams, Richard Branson, Tiki Barber and Matthew Modine. Whether it's a community advocate finding ways to make organic foods accessible to everyone, an entrepreneur developing biofuels for air travel or a star athlete determined to green her sport, FAST FORWARD provides an intimate look into the environmental projects of these passionate individuals.

URBAN INSIGHT

4 x 1:30; Premieres Second Quarter 2011

URBAN INSIGHT is a series of vignettes following TreeHugger.com founder Graham Hill as he explores the visionary ideas making New York City a better place to be. On a quest to share green solutions found in NYC that can be easily replicated in communities elsewhere, Graham brings viewers along as he plants crops on a 1,000-square-foot rooftop farm, flips eggs on the griddle of a sustainable bodega and braves hives of honeybees tended by the urban beekeeper known simply as "Bee Man."

RETURNING SERIES

CONVICTION KITCHEN SEASON 2

Premieres Fourth Quarter 2010

What do you get when you take one world-renowned chef, throw in 24 ex-cons with no culinary experience and give them just three weeks to open a high-end restaurant from scratch? CONVICTION KITCHEN follows Marc Thuet, executive chef, and his wife and business partner Biana Zorich as they put their reputations on the line with a high-stakes challenge that will push them-and their culinary prot?g?s-to the limit. The training is ruthless, the hours are long, but the reward for this motley crew of outcasts will be the second chance of a lifetime.

OPERATION WILD SEASON 2

Returns First Quarter 2011

Florida is home to one of the country's last great natural reserves for wildlife and national parks: the Florida Everglades. OPERATION WILD follows the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FFWC) team as they attempt to track down poachers, organize dangerous animal relocation and provide security for wildlife found within their borders. The FFWC has one directive: to protect this national treasure for generations to come.

THE FABULOUS BEEKMAN BOYS SEASON 2

Returns Second Quarter 2011

Take one former Martha Stewart vice president and a drag queen turned ad exec who is also a New York Times best-selling author, mix with an estate and farm in upstate New York, a few quirky neighbors and goats, pigs and a llama to boot. THE FABULOUS BEEKMAN BOYS is an audacious peek into the world of Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, a fish-out-of-water couple who are reviving a farm in upstate New York in order to create a new organic lifestyle brand, "Beekman 1802."

Production Credits:

TREEHUGGER TV is produced for Planet Green by Free Range Media LLC. For Planet Green, Lynn Sadofsky and Jeff Hasler are executive producers, and for Free Range Media LLC, David Metzler and Jo Honig are executive producers.

THE KAMEN CODE is produced for Planet Green by @radical.media. For Planet Green, Rachel Smith and Jeff Hasler are executive producers. For @radical.media, Jon Kamen, Robert Friedman, Justin Wilkes and Sidney Beaumont are executive producers and David Snyder is director/supervising producer.

SHAREEN VINTAGE is produced for Planet Green by World of Wonder Productions. For Planet Green, Rachel Smith and Jeff Hasler are executive producers. Executive producers for World of Wonder are Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato and Tom Campbell.

FAST FORWARD is produced for Planet Green by Kontentreal. For Planet Green, Leigh Ashurst is executive producer. For Kontentreal, Karena Albers and Tad Fettig are executive producers and Alice Bertoni is series producer.

URBAN INSIGHT is produced for Planet Green by Big City Pictures. For Planet Green, Katie Morton and Leigh Ashurst are executive producers. For Big City Pictures, George Spyros is executive producer.

URBAN IMPACT is produced for Planet Green by Waddell Media. For Planet Green, Leigh Ashurst, Rachel Smith and Jeff Hasler are executive producers. For Waddell Media, Jon-Barrie Waddell is executive producer and Shola Lynch is producer/director.

THE JOHN PATRICK SHOW is produced for Planet Green by Honest Engine Productions. For Planet Green, Rachel Smith and Jeff Hasler are executive producers. For Honest Engine Productions, Nick McKinney, Michaline Babich and Meghan O'Hara are executive producers and Andrew Siegel is executive in charge of production.

CONVICTION KITCHEN is produced for Planet Green by Cineflix. For Planet Green, Jeff Hasler is executive producer. For Cineflix, Simon Lloyd and Nick Cory-Wright are executive producers.

OPERATION WILD is produced for Planet Green by Boutique TV. For Planet Green, Rachel Smith and Jeff Hasler are executive producers. For Boutique TV, Leslie Greif, Adam Reed and Adam Freeman are executive producers and Kevin Leadingham is co-executive producer.

THE FABULOUS BEEKMAN BOYS is produced for Planet Green by World of Wonder Productions. For Planet Green, Jeff Hasler and Lynn Sadofsky are executive producers, and for World of Wonder, Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey and Tom Campbell are executive producers. Angela Berg is supervising producer.

About Planet Green

Planet Green is the multiplatform media destination for people looking for something new. Launched on June 4, 2008, Planet Green is following the evolving conversation about sustainability and is the entertainment brand that champions the visionaries who move our world forward in small and large ways. Planet Green and its two robust Web sites, planetgreen.com and TreeHugger.com, offer unique, insightful and inspiring content related to how we can evolve to live a better, brighter future. Planet Green's original programming, digital tools and content will entertain, educate and activate.

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