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TYRESE GIBSON AND REV RUN SET TO BRING MAN SCHOOL TO TELEVISION IN A NEW PRIMETIME SERIES FOR OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK

Series From CBS Television Distribution Shares Everything Viewers Need to Know About Men and Love

June 11, 2015

Contact - Wendy Luckenbill
SVP, Communications
323.602.5566

Los Angeles - OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today a new primetime show from international movie star and platinum recording artist Tyrese Gibson and hip-hop icon, celebrated author and reality star Rev Run.  After their successful collaboration on the New York Times bestselling Simon & Schuster book "Man-ology," the longtime friends are bringing "man school" to television sharing everything viewers need to know about men and love.  The show is developed and produced by CBS Television Distribution.  The eight episode weekly series will debut in early 2016.
 
Often at odds with each other, ordained minister Rev Run (aka Joseph Ward Simmons) is 50, married and a father of six and grandfather of one, while Tyrese is a 36-year-old single father and one of People Magazine's sexiest men alive.  These two unorthodox "love and relationship experts" will be joined by a primetime studio audience plus celebrity guests in a no-holds-barred relationship throw down.  Social media platforms will take center stage galvanizing America to ask Tyrese and Rev Run their most intimate questions about men, relationships, marriage and sex.
 
"When Rev Run, Tyrese and CBS came to us with the idea of a primetime series we were energized by the chance to bring OWN viewers something fresh and entertainingly real in the 'love space,'" said Sheri Salata, president, OWN.  "We can't wait to turn them loose - enlightening us all about what makes men tick."
 
"We are thrilled to be in business with OWN on our first original production for the network," said Scott Koondel, executive vice president and chief licensing officer for CBS Corp.  "Combining the enormous popularity of Tyrese and Rev Run with engaging topics like love and relationships will make a very entertaining hour for viewers."
 
Millions of fans throughout the world know Tyrese Gibson for his starring roles in two of the biggest movie franchises as Roman Pearce in Universal's juggernaut "Fast and Furious" movie and the Paramount Pictures franchise "Transformers."  He is also a four-time Grammy-nominated platinum recording artist. Gibson's upcoming album, BLACK ROSE - which marks his last solo album - will be released July 10, 2015 through his own label, Voltron Recordz. His new single from the album, "Shame," was the #1 Most Added song to radio in the country and is currently  #4 on Billboard. Gibson is also the author of the New York Times Bestseller How To Get Out Of Your Own Way. 
 
Rev Run (aka Joseph Ward Simmons) is a founding member of RUN DMC, the international platinum recording artists who have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Rev Run currently tours with RUN DMC and also enjoys a solo career as a DJ with residencies worldwide. He then starred in "Run's House," the reality series that ran for six seasons on MTV and spawned the spinoff "Daddy's Girls."  He currently stars in "Rev Run's Renovation" on HGTV and DIY Network; "Rev Run's Sunday Suppers" on The Cooking Channel; and "Rev Run Around the World Adventures," set to debut later this year on The Travel Channel.  He is the author of several books including Take Back Your Family: How to Raise Respectful and Loving Kids in a Dysfunctional World, and Words of Wisdom: Daily Affirmations of Faith.
 
The yet-to-be-titled series is produced for OWN by CBS Television Distribution in association with Voltron Pictures and Simmons/Lehman Productions. Eric Pankowski created the show in collaboration with Tyrese and Rev Run. Pankowski is the showrunner/executive producer. Joining him as executive producers are Tyrese Gibson, Joseph Simmons, Jerome Martin, Isabella Castro and Michael Lehman.
 
ABOUT OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK:
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand - and the magnetism of the channel.  Winfrey provides leadership in programming and attracts superstar talent to join her in primetime, building a global community of like-minded viewers and leading that community to connect on social media and beyond. OWN is a singular destination on cable.  Depth with edge.  Heart. Star power. Connection.  And endless possibilities.  OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications.  The network debuted on January 1, 2011 and is available in 85 million homes.  The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com.
 
For more information, please visit: http://www.oprah.com/own and press.discovery.com/us/own.
 
About CBS Television Distribution:
CBS Television Distribution is the preeminent company in television syndication. CTD produces or distributes 10 first-run series and holds the largest distributed television library at 70,000 hours strong. Among CTD's critically-acclaimed programs are the #1 syndicated series Judge Judy; talk leader Dr. Phil; the #1 and #2 rated game shows  Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!; the Emmy Award-winning talk shows Rachael Ray and The Doctors; the #1 and #2 newsmagazines Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition, along with The Insider; freshman court show Hot Bench; and popular off-network product, including the CSI and Star Trek franchises, Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, NCIS, Criminal Minds, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-0, Hot in Cleveland and Undercover Boss. In addition, CTD handles the domestic television distribution of CBS News, CBS Films and Showtime. CTD is a unit of CBS Corp.
                                                                      
 
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