New Season Of The Contender Debuts Tonight On Versus
The new season of "The Contender" will debut tonight on Versus following WEC 37 and will feature 16 crusierweights from around the world looking to become this year's "contender" during the 12 episode season.
Tony Danza will be the host of the show while Tommy Brooks and John Bray will be serving as the coaches and trainers.
The following is the official press release:
New York, N.Y. (September 30, 2008) - VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition, today announced a deal to bring the fourth season of THE CONTENDER to the network and that they have signed television icon Tony Danza to host. THE CONTENDER, which includes 11 one-hour episodes and a two-hour season finale, will debut on VERSUS December 3 at 10 p.m. ET. THE CONTENDER is produced by Mark Burnett Productions and DreamWorks Television and the series will be produced in Singapore in cooperation with Mark Burnett Productions Asia who is providing production and logistical support.
“We are thrilled to announce our alliance with Mark Burnett, DreamWorks Television and THE CONTENDER brand. As VERSUS continues to build upon its ratings momentum, The Contender is a perfect complement to our ever-growing portfolio of programming in the genre such as WEC, TapouT and Fight Night,” said Marc Fein, Executive Vice President of Programming, Production and Business Operations for VERSUS. “When you have the opportunity to bring a top brand with an established following to the network, and the ability to work with someone with a proven track record such as Mark Burnett and DreamWorks, you jump at it.”
The fourth season of THE CONTENDER features 16 Cruiserweights from around the world who will face each other in a 12-episode competition. With former boxer and television star Tony Danza serving as host and mentor and veteran Tommy Brooks & John Bray serving as trainers, these fighters will go through the most intense training of their lives and battle in the most challenging fights of their careers. In the end, the two left standing will get into the ring to fight for the coveted title of Contender Champion. The 16 fighter’s biographies and two trainers biographies are attached with this release.
“The gang at DreamWorks and I are really excited to be partnering with VERSUS on the fourth season of THE CONTENDER,” said Mark Burnett. “If the work they've done with the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and Tour de France is any indication, we are confident that THE CONTENDER will be a successful franchise for the channel."
The series is executive produced by Mark Burnett and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Jeff Wald, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Eric Van Wagenen and Page Feldman are co-executive producers.
"VERSUS has shown that they intend to be a factor in the boxing business and we are looking forward to a long and successful relationship,” said Jeff Wald. “Overall this is the best group of fighters we have had."
Tony Danza was discovered at a boxing gym in his native New York and was cast in the critically acclaimed “Taxi” which earned him a place in television history. He then went on to star in the long-running popular television series “Who’s The Boss?” cementing his status as a television icon. In addition, Tony hosted his own daytime series “The Tony Danza Show” as well as numerous other television series and specials.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be hosting THE CONTENDER this season,” said Tony Danza. “Not only is it one of the best shows on television but one of the wildest shows ever dreamed up. I feel right back at home in this great boxing environment and I am looking forward to seeing this great group of fighters contend for the title.”
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THE CONTENDER fighters, represented by Tournament of Contenders, have gone on to fight Joe Calzaghe, Arturo Gatti, Miguel Cotto, and Oscar de La Hoya. In June 2008 Sergio Mora, THE CONTENDER season 1 champion went on to become the first Contender World Champion by winning the WBC title.
Mark Burnett Productions (MBP) is a leading production company for primetime television, cable and the internet, and has produced 1,100 hours of television programming which regularly air in over 70 countries around the world. MBP revolutionized television with hits such as Survivor (CBS), The Apprentice (NBC), The Contender (Versus), Rock Star: INXS (CBS), the Steven Spielberg co-production On The Lot (FOX), the smash hit Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (FOX), which is currently being produced in 51 countries and Martha (about to begin its 4th season) which Mark Burnett serves as executive producer. In the summer of 2007and 2008, MBP entered the world of Award Shows, when Mark Burnett served as executive producer for the MTV Movie Awards. In October of 2007, MBP opened Mark Burnett Productions Asia; a joint venture with Genting International to both create new content for and adapt established formats in the Asian market.
Since 2001, MBP has garnered a total of 47 Emmy nominations with 5 wins, and has won 4 People’s Choice Awards. Mark Burnett has been named one of the most influential people in the world by TIME magazine and named TV Guide’s most valuable player. He has won both BRANDWEEK’S Marketer of the Year Award and the prestigious ROSE D’OR FRAPA Format Award. In 2007, Mark Burnett was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. In 2008, Mark was honored with the announcement that he is to receive a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. This year will continue with new shows for MBP, including StarMaker (MTV), Jingles (CBS), Wedding Day (TNT), Bully Beatdown (MTV) and Expedition (History Channel), as well as new seasons of old favorites.
DreamWorks Television is a division of DreamWorks SKG which was founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. DreamWorks Television is currently in production on seasons five and six of "Rescue Me" on FX, season four of “The Contender” for Versus, season one of “United States of Tara” for Showtime starring Toni Collette, season one of the ABC comedy "Single with Parents" starring Alyssa Milano, Beau Bridges and Annie Potts, and season one of the reality series "Wedding Day" for TNT. In the longform arena, DreamWorks Television and co-production partner Playtone are in post production on "The Pacific" for HBO. The division previously produced the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated "Into The West" for TNT as well as the Emmy Award winning "Taken" for the SciFi Channel. Other past DreamWorks Television projects include: "Spin City," "Band of Brothers," "Father of the Pride," "Freaks and Geeks," "The Job," "Boomtown," "Undeclared," "On the Lot," "Carpoolers," and "Las Vegas."
VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 73 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, Davis Cup Tennis, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), the Indy Racing League and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
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