Courtroom drama is no laughing matter...until now! USA Network's new original half hour comedy BENCHED will premiere tonight, October 28th (10:30-11 p.m. ET/PT) immediately following USA's laugh-out-loud reality hit CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST.
"This is a prime slot on our schedule for BENCHED. With
MODERN FAMILY kicking off the night, followed by our laugh-out-loud hit series, CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST, BENCHED will have a powerful comedic launch pad," said Chris McCumber, President of
USA Network. "We are excited to cap off the night with this standout comedy from some of the most talented creatives in the business."
BENCHED, starring Eliza Coupe ("Happy Endings"), is a single-camera comedy about a high-powered corporate lawyer's fall from grace into the rough-and-tumble world of the public defenders.
Tuesday night brings laughter to
USA Network, kicking off with a two hour block of the Emmy Award winning
MODERN FAMILY at 8 p.m. ET/PT, followed by
CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST at 10 p.m. ET/PT and culminating with BENCHED at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.
BENCHED from
ABC Signature Studio, stars Coupe as Nina Whitley, a distinguished corporate lawyer who has given up everything in her climb to the top. However, when she's hit with her ex-fiancé's engagement announcement and learns that she hasn't made partner at her high power firm, Nina snaps -- breaking vases and burning bridges. Now that Nina is shunned from the corporate world, the only place she can get a job is at the Public Defender's office: home to the underfunded, understaffed, overworked, "if you can't afford a lawyer, one will be provided..." lawyers. In addition to her new clients, Nina must learn to connect with her co-workers, including the roguish Phil (Jay Harrington, "Better Off Ted"), the idealistic Carlos (Oscar Nunez, "The Office"), the useless empathetic Cheryl (Maria Bamford, "Adventure Time") and the dedicated intern Micah (Jolene Purdy, "Under the Dome"). If that didn't sound tough enough for Nina, she'll also be going head-to-head with her ex-fiancé, Trent, (Carter MacIntyre, "Drop Dead Diva") the rising star of the District Attorney's office.
Joining the all-star comedic cast are previously announced guest stars Fred Melamed (" A Serious Man"), Molly Shannon ("SNL"), Chris Parnell ("SNL"), Yvette Nicole Brown ("Community"), Jim Rash ("Community"), Nat Faxon ("Married"), Erinn Hayes ("Childrens Hospital") and Mechad Brooks ("Necessary Roughness").
BENCHED is from executive producers and writers Michaela Watkins ("Saturday Night Live," "Trophy Wife") and Damon Jones ("Halfway Home"). John Enbom, co-creator of the critically acclaimed comedy "Party Down," serves as executive producer and showrunner. Mark Gordon ("Grey's Anatomy," "Criminal Minds," "Ray Donovan") and Andrea Shay ("Family Tools") are executive producing for The Mark Gordon Company. BENCHED is from
ABC Signature, a division of
ABC Studios.
About
USA Network:
The #1 network in all of basic cable for an unprecedented eight straight years,
usa network is seen in more than 102 million U.S. homes.
USA offers a powerful stable of dramatic, comedic and unscripted originals. The network also features spectacular live television, a dynamic portfolio of acquired series and the best in blockbuster theatrical films and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling,
USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV.
USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com.
About
ABC Signature Studios:
Established early last year,
ABC Signature is
ABC Studio's new boutique division headed by Tracy Underwood which spearheads development in cable, emerging platforms and off-cycle, lower cost programming for broadcast networks. Signature is currently in production on the drama "Point of Honor" written by Carlton Cuse & Randall Wallace for Amazon Studios.
About The Mark Gordon Company:
The Mark Gordon Company is a film and television production company whose film credits include "Source Code," "The Messenger," "2012," "Saving Private Ryan," "Day After Tomorrow," "The Patriot," "Talk to Me," "The Painted Veil," "The Hoax," "Wonder Boys" and "Speed." Television credits include "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC), "Ray Donovan (Showtime)," "Private Practice" (ABC), "Criminal Minds" (CBS) and "Army Wives" (Lifetime/ABC).
Gordon is a five-time Emmy Award nominee with two wins and has been nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards with two wins. He earned Academy Award and BAFTA nominations and won a Golden Globe for Best Picture as producer of "Saving Private Ryan."
As the President Emeritus and former President of the Producers Guild of America, Gordon spearheaded the establishment of The Producer's Mark. He currently serves on the board of The Archer School for Girls, and his served on the boards of The Virginia Film Festival, Chrysalis, The Motion Picture and Television Fund and The UCLA Lab school. He is the former chairman of Teach for America Los Angeles and the founder of Citizens of the World Charter Schools, which currently serves over 1500 students in 5 schools in Los Angeles and New York. Gordon is a graduate of NYU Film School.
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