Logo announces programming lineup (13211)

Logo, the new cable television network targeting gay and lesbian viewers, announced Friday the programming plans being readied for its launch February 17, 2005, including details of its first-ever development slate. In conjunction with Viacom and MTV Networks, Logo will feature more than 150 movie and documentary acquisitions and is currently in active development with more than 20 projects, with celebrities such as Cher, Chastity Bono, Alan Cumming, and Margaret Cho starring in shows.

Logo's programming plans include:

* films like The Birdcage; Philadelphia; Gods and Monsters; The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; Kissing Jessica Stein; The Broken Hearts Club; My Own Private Idaho; Go Fish; and Jeffrey,

* made-for-TV movies such as Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story, An Early Frost, and Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story,

* independent films like Edge of Seventeen, Mambo Italiano, and Psycho Beach Party,

* iconic films for gays and lesbians like Moulin Rouge, Thelma & Louise, and Mommie Dearest,

* television premieres of recent gay titles like Latter Days and Testosterone,

* various documentaries,

*a new show called Family Outingstarring Cher and Chastity Bono that tells the coming-out stories of celebrities and newsmakers, and the resulting experiences with family and friends,

* a new show called The Alan Cumming Experience, where Alan Cumming hosts unusual acts like performance artist Jonny McGovern, musical-comedic trio Betty, and stand-up comedian Karen Williams,

* a show starring Margaret Cho, in conjunction with her production company,

* My Fabulous Gay Wedding, hosted by The Kids in the Hall's Scott Thompson, a series that challenges about-to-be-married gay couples to fulfill a long-held wish to have the wedding of their dreams,

* a reality show called Fantastic Voyage, hosted by Kathy Griffin and Andre Kelly, where each episode features a real LGBT story that plays out during the arc of a seven-day gay ocean-liner cruise in the Caribbean,

* Twist, where a group of colorful, opinionated panelists discuss and debate issues--both the serious and the frivolous--with an authentic gay twist all their own,

* the Logo Lens first-person documentary series, produced by MTV News, consisting of both original and acquired films that focus on some of the less visible, less well-known LGBT lives and communities,

* Going for the Gold, produced by MTV News, which follows the lives of athletes training for the 2006 Gay Games, and

* Rodeo Circuit, which focuses on gays and lesbians who are part of the gay rodeo phenomenon.

Logo has also acquired a variety of other programs from Viacom's affiliated networks. The network also plans to partner with The Advocate for a news program and The Out Traveler for a gay travel program. For more information and video clips from some of the upcoming shows, go to www.logo-tv.com.