REELZ Announces New Original Programming For Early 2016

REELZ today announced it's kicking off 2016 with the return of fan favorite original series including new episodes of Gangsters: America's MOST EVIL and Autopsy: The Last Hours of... along with the premiere of documentary special Whitney Houston: Addicted to Love and the series premieres for Deadly Shootouts and COPYCAT Killers.

Starting Tuesday, January 19 Gangsters: America's MOST EVIL returns with new episodes and a new twist on the series with shocking true stories about the sinister stars of the underworld who inspire nightmarish Hollywood crime dramas. Saturday, January 23 marks the premiere of the two-hour special Whitney Houston: Addicted to Love about the superstar with a once-in-a-generation voice who skyrocketed to global stardom but who couldn't shake demons that swirled around her.

Then on Saturday, January 30 it's the return of Autopsy: The Last Hours of...with 10 new episodes examining the final days and events of Phil Hartman, John Belushi, Maurice Gibb, Don Cornelius, Natalie Wood, Christopher Wallace (The Notorious B.I.G.), Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Rodney King and Donda West (mother of rap superstar Kanye West). Also on Saturday, January 30 is the series premiere of Deadly Shootouts separating fact from Hollywood fiction in famous gunfights. Finally, on Saturday, February 27 it's the premiere of new original series COPYCAT Killers which will take viewers beyond the script and explores the true stories behind murder cases copied straight from movies.

Show descriptions and premiere dates are listed below.

Gangsters: America's MOST EVIL - Premieres Tuesday, January 19
When Hollywood wants a jarring story about high-profile criminals, fictional tales are never as juicy as the true stories of the most notorious criminals brought to justice by the U.S. government. Take the example of Demetrius and Terry Flenory who founded the nefarious, multi-million dollar organization Black Mafia Family (BMF) with ties to the entertainment industry via BMF Entertainment which backed rappers including Young Jeezy. More recently, the story of the Black Mafia Family has attracted rapper and actor 50 Cent who is developing a movie based on the shady organization's history. Then there's Cheng Chui Ping (Sister Ping) whose story received big-screen treatment in 2014's Revenge of the Green Dragons which was executive produced by Hollywood heavyweight Martin Scorsese. The movie tells the true story of the Snakeheads, an international human smuggling gang, and features a character based on renowned smuggler Sister Ping.

From thugs to lethal beauties, outlaws to kingpins, each episode profiles these gangsters and reveals their ominous motives and the circumstances that eventually led to their downfall. The premiere episode on Tuesday, January 19 features a storyline that reads like a movie script for a blockbuster crime thriller. James Spencer Springette, known as "Jimmy the Juice", went from selling juice to tourists on THE ISLAND of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands to distributing thousands of kilos of cocaine into the United States. Find out how he found himself on the FBI's top ten list of most wanted fugitives right next to Osama bin Laden. Gangsters: America's MOST EVIL is produced by Asylum Entertainment.

Whitney Houston: Addicted to Love - Premieres Saturday, January 23
Whitney Houston's story of global celebrity had it all-massive success in music, a game-changing role in a blockbuster movie and volatile substance abuse. Intertwined was her mercurial relationship with husband Bobby Brown in addition to the complex dynamics of having close family members running her business affairs. Whitney Houston: Addicted to Love delves into the iconic singer's public and private life through revealing insight from those who surrounded Whitney including her publicist Kenneth Reynolds, bodyguard Alan Jacobs and bandmates Wayne Linsey and Kirk Whalum, Arista Records' Gerry Griffith and friend Jermaine Jackson who share their personal stories and thoughts on Whitney's astonishing story of success and excess. Whitney Houston: Addicted to Love is produced by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

Autopsy: The Last Hours of...- Premieres Saturday, January 30
Autopsy: The Last Hours of... reveals the truth behind the controversial deaths of global icons and people whose untimely deaths were surrounded by SCANDAL and intense media attention. Fact and fiction are forever separated as renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter reconstructs their final hours using crucial medical evidence from the actual autopsies to explain how and why they died while interviews with friends and family shed light on the events that led to death-finally putting an end to the speculation.

In 10 new episodes viewers will see the final days and events of Phil Hartman, John Belushi, Maurice Gibb, Don Cornelius, Natalie Wood, Christopher Wallace (The Notorious B.I.G.), Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Rodney King and Donda West (mother of rap superstar Kanye West).

The premiere episode on Saturday, January 30 is a revealing look at the final hours of Donda West, mother and manager to rap star Kanye West. When Kanye asked his mother to manage his skyrocketing career it meant she would move to LA. Soon Donda was at her son's side on red carpets and in television interviews with millions of eyes on her as well. Donda fixated on beautification through plastic surgery and lined up several operations for a single day. What happens next led to shocking headlines about her death just 24 hours after surgery. Autopsy: The Last Hours of... is produced by Potato, part of ITV Studios.

Deadly Shootouts - Premieres Saturday, January 30
Time stands still when bullets fly and answers lie hidden beneath the settling smoke. The greatest gunfights and their notorious characters come to life in Deadly Shootouts. From the wild shootout at the O.K. Corral seen in Tombstone to Bonnie and Clyde's infamous rampage depicted countless times in TV and movies, the series exposes the truth behind the conflicts that have inspired Hollywood. The bloodstained pages of history are written by the hands of those left standing through modern ballistic tests, forensic analysis and stylized recreations of the most famous shootouts of all time. Deadly Shootouts is produced by Warm Springs Productions.

COPYCAT Killers - Premieres Saturday, February 27
This series goes behind the headlines of real-life murder cases which copy memorable slayings seen in Hollywood movies. Each episode features a mystifying murder scene and law enforcement's hunt for the killer. Whether it's two high school students terrorizing and killing a female classmate to copy the horror blockbuster SCREAM or the gruesome acts of pig farmer and serial killer, Robert Pickton, who copied HANNIBAL and fed his victims to his pigs-these horrific scenes actually happened but very few people know the real stories that led to these killings. COPYCAT Killers includes interviews with investigators, family members of victims and forensic experts. The series also features high quality recreations, extensive archive and original documents from police case files. COPYCAT Killers is produced by Story House Productions, Inc.

About REELZCHANNEL-Hollywood Happens Here
REELZ is a leading independent cable and satellite general entertainment network, connecting its viewers across America with the magic, wonder and excitement of Hollywood wherever it happens. The network is home to cutting-edge factual entertainment and reality programs, compelling television events, miniseries, movies and series featuring big stories and big stars. Programming ranges from the critically acclaimed and award-winning The Kennedys to Master P's Family Empire, Autopsy: The Last Hours Of..., Celebrity Legacies, OK! TV, Hollywood Scandals, Murder Made Me Famous, Fame Kills, Behind the Screams, the upcoming miniseries The Kennedys-After Camelot and much more that connects directly to the world of entertainment. REELZ also showcases top movie and entertainment expert Leonard Maltin who provides specific on-air recommendations for movies viewers can watch at home.

REELZ is available in 70 million homes on DIRECTV channel 238, DISH Network channel 299, Verizon FiOS TV channel 233, Time Warner Cable channel 128, AT&T U-verse channels 799/1799HD and cable systems nationwide. Find REELZ in your area by visiting http://www.reelz.com. REELZ is a High-Definition network and if it is not available, or not in HD, on your cable or telco provider, we encourage viewers to call them and ask for it. Owned by Hubbard Media Group, REELZ is headquartered in Albuquerque, NM with national ad sales based in New York City with offices in Boston and Chicago. As one of the last truly independent television networks remaining in today's media landscape REELZ has created the Independence Happens Here website to help keep free thought and innovation alive by highlighting the importance of independent businesses. The website can be found at http://IndependenceHappensHere.com.

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