Tuesday May 15, 2012, 12:01 pm Eastern Time

Company Press Release

MBS UNVEILS 2012-13 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

Six New Dramas, Three New Comedies, Two New Reality Shows, And One 100-Part Miniseries

New Dramas: "Always A Bridesmaid", Flu", "Dr. Cindy Barnes, Esq.", "Murder, Moses Lake", "Just Yesterday" and "Severed Fingers"

New Comedies: "Gut", "My Wife Left Me For Bucky Dent", and "Five Kids, Five Dads and One Mom"

New Reality Shows: "Forensics: The New Voices", and "The Soloist: Rite Of Spring"

New 100-Part Miniseries: "Jesus, Mary & Joseph"

Returning Series Include: "Suture Squad", "The Patients Of Job", "Corporate Veal", "The Hold", "Megan Fa Olean", "Baker's Dozen", and "Prodigies"

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North Hollywood, Calif., May 15, 2012/PRNewswire/ -- Jay McBee, President of the Manka Bros. Television Group, unveiled MBS' 2012-13 fall schedule from the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn, Conference Room 4B. While most in the media were expecting the MBS Upfront Presentation to be given from the International Space Station, that venue was scrapped as a cost-cutting maneuver.

Also joining him via Twitter was Rhonda Hamelin - President of the MBS Television Network.

Scheduled to debut this season are--

SIX NEW DRAMAS:

Always A Bridesmaid: Follow the adventures of Sarah as she participates in one friend's wedding after the next, week after hilariously sad week.

Said McBee: "Everybody knows wedding episodes equal big ratings and that includes Manka Bros. Television. Every week it's a wedding!"

Flu: Based on the Manka Bros. motion picture Avian, a group of survivors of the bird flu wander a post-Apocalyptic landscape. Who was responsible for the epidemic? The answer will make you gasp! For air!

Said Hamelin: "Well, we needed some sort of hospital or disease show for our Manka Hospital Monday night. This one will probably be okay."

Dr. Cindy Barnes, Esq.: Cindy Barnes is a famous heart surgeon by day, a top criminal defense attorney at night and renowned painter on the weekend - all while trying to navigate the treacherous waters of single life.

Said Hamelin (via Twitter): "It certainly doesn't hurt to have Joan Van Ark attached."

Murder, Moses Lake: The police force of Moses Lake, Washington discuss their lives, loves and philosophy as they wait for a murder to happen in Moses Lake (or anywhere nearby). Or any other crime.

Said McBee: "There is a lot of room here for character development because, as far as the plot goes, nothing really happens."

Just Yesterday: Innovative and complex series follows the entire lives of a new set of characters each week, using DVR fast forward technology and state-of-the-art prostethics.

Said McBee: "Throughout the season, from birth to death, womb to tomb, you will see the lives of hundreds of different characters flash before your eyes. Leave your TiVO remote on the coffee table, we fast forward the action for you - because that's the way the show is shot... FAST! This is the perfect series for people with short attention spans - and that's pretty much everybody, right?"

Added Hamelin (via Twitter): "It really goes by fast - nearly impossible to follow. We only slow down the action for commercials."

McBee: "This is a great show for advertisers. While the action moves by at lightning speed - characters aging before your eyes as though you're fast forwarding - it completely slows down for the commercials and, further more, we've built in patent-pending MANKIVO™ technology - which essentially disables a viewer's remote control. They're forced to watch the commercials!"

Hamelin (via Twitter): "Unless, of course, the viewer changes the channel, then it works just fine."

Severed Fingers: This exciting forensics drama follows the members of an elite county medical team who just need part of one digit to solve any murder.

Said Hamelin (via Twitter): "Severed Fingers is special. You haven't seen anything like this! I don't know any other net that is doing crime scene investigations week in and week out."

THREE NEW COMEDIES:

Gut: An insurance agent in a crappy San Fernando Valley storefront office has a miserable life and a miserable family. Everybody calls him "Gut" because he's fat. Based on the UK series Dolt.

Said McBee: "We put a spin on the sitcom formula and paired a fat guy with a fat wife. This ain't The King of Queens!"

Added: Hamelin (via Twitter): "Comedy is the new drama in my mind. We've had some problems with comedies over the past few years. I think it comes down to the fact that most of the writers don't shower and only wear baseball caps when they come into work. I've ordered all comedy writers on the Manka Bros. lot to shower in the morning because I think if you are dirty and sort of slothful you tend to get more cynical and bitter about the world and it doesn't come off as funny but just pathetic."

My Wife Left Me For Bucky Dent: The most anticipated series in the history of the network. Phil, a down on his luck accountant, deals with his ex-wife and her legendary Yankee boyfriend with a little help from the ghost of Thurman Munson.

Said McBee: "We've given this series an unprecedented four year committment. No one else would do that with unproven actors, writers and producers. But this show is worth the risk."

Added Hamelin (via Twitter): "The other networks passed which gave us a real opportunity to grab this one... so we did."

Five Kids, Five Dads and One Mom: Five roommates from college, now in their 30s, move back in with each other with their kids - all fathered with the same woman.

Said Hamelin: "I think this show demostrates a breakdown of America's morals. There is some really sick stuff in this show."

Added McBee (via Twitter): "It's like we're holding up a mirror to other similar shows on other networks without losing any of the gross out stuff."

TWO NEW REALITY SHOWS:

Forensics: The New Voices: Follows the trials and tribulations, the agony and the ecstacy of next class of Beaverton High School speech and debate team members as they compete for the ultimate prize - State Finals.

Said Hamelin (via Twitter): "Building on the wild success of the first Forensics, this is raw human emotion. I don't know why anyone would put themselves through something like this. High school kids are crazy."

Added McBee: "Crazy like a snake."

The Soloist - Rite of Spring: Each Thursday, the weakest link of the Sacramento Philharmonic is voted into "the audience" until only one performer remains. This year's soloist will perform Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring. From violas to contra-bassoons, the stage begins filled but in the end there can only be one "Soloist".

Said Hamelin (via Twitter): "Even if just the Sacramento Philharmonic and their families watch that will be a pretty big audience."

Added McBee: "I didn't get it - but then again, I didn't get M*A*S*H. I thought the Korean war only lastest two years. That stupid show ran for 13 seasons. Go figure."

NEW 100-PART MINISERIES:

Jesus, Mary & Joseph: Manka Bros.' monumental mega-mini-series chronicles every step in Jesus' life (even when he wasn't preaching and just sitting around the house).

Said McBee (via Twitter): "When we made a committment, in conjunction with our Manka Faith division, to make Tuesday nights "Jesus Tuesdays" we weren't f-ing around. This series is a monster - unimaginable in scope - bordering on stupid."

Added: Hamelin: "I think it's great that we don't have to worry about programming Tuesday nights for at least four years. That's a real comfort."

IN SUMMARY:

Jay McBee: We could have done much better at the development stage. I think we have some real winners. Unfortunately, Ms. Hamelin couldn't program Sunday nights the way I had hoped. I mean, we're bringing back Baker's Dozen for Christ's sake. Those kids were cute 12 years ago but now they're all in the 20s and 30s - it just ain't cute no more. But I think we've made some real strides in our reality programming and I think we'll have a couple of break-out comedy hits with Bucky Dent and Gut.

Rhona Hamelin (via Twitter): With all due respect to my boss here, Mr. McBee, Sunday nights is where we make our money. The other nights are where viewers watch other networks. We've all bought second and third houses because of Baker's Dozen and Prodigies... but I digress. The strength of this schedule is the diversity. There is really something for everyone and our slogan is true... "Finally, A Network For A Person Like You." Thank you to the kids of Burbank High School and remember to shoot for the moon for you might just miss and hit a star.

 

CLICK HERE FOR MBS FALL 2012-13 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE