Seth Meyers, Bill Hader & Simon Rich Create and Star in THE LINE on Crackle.Com

* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:00am EDT

Broadway Video's New Seven-Episode Series Integrates Upcoming Columbia
Pictures Releases

CULVER CITY, Calif., July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- "Saturday Night Live's" (SNL)
Seth Meyers, Bill Hader and Simon Rich have created and will star in THE LINE,
an original new comedy web series making its debut on Crackle.com.  Produced
by Broadway Video, the series was directed by Meyers, who has been a regular
on SNL for eight years.
    The seven-episode series features two friends, Josh (Hader) and Duffy
(Joe Lo Truglio - Superbad), as they score the coveted first spot in line
outside of a movie theater, 11 days prior to the world premiere of one of the
summer's most highly anticipated films, Future Space.
    The comedy webisodes are sponsored by Sony Pictures, which owns
Crackle.com. Since THE LINE takes place outside a movie theater, the studio
has taken advantage of the environment and integrated three real-life Columbia
Pictures releases, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, and The House Bunny, into
the webisodes.
    The three films are incorporated into the series through organic character
integrations and film poster and T-shirt placements.  Hader and Lo Truglio
both also co-star in the upcoming comedy, Pineapple Express.
    "This integrated marketing opportunity with THE LINE feels like the most
organic user experience that I've seen in a very long time," said Dwight
Caines, executive vice president of worldwide digital marketing strategy for
Columbia TriStar Marketing Group.  "It's always exciting to see a completely
unique approach to sponsorship and for me, it was an easy decision to get
involved with these incredibly funny and talented guys.  The project is so
clever and will certainly resonate with our target audiences."
    "Bill Hader, Simon Rich and Seth Meyers have created a hysterical new
series that taps into the unique comedic sensibility they showcase
week-to-week on SNL," said Sean Carey, senior executive vice president, Sony
Pictures Television.  "THE LINE is content that we're thrilled to debut on
Crackle."
    THE LINE includes guest appearances by Jason Sudeikis ("SNL"), Paul Scheer
("30 Rock"), and Liz Cackowski (Forgetting Sarah Marshall).  The original web
series was produced by Broadway Video, in association with NBC Universal, and
was written by Hader and Rich.
    Creative Artists Agency orchestrated the deal on behalf of Broadway Video.
    About Broadway Video
    Broadway Video Entertainment is a major independent producer of television
and film entertainment. Founded in 1979 by Lorne Michaels, Emmy Award-winning
creator and executive producer of the landmark television comedy "Saturday
Night Live," its Broadway Video Enterprises division manages the company's
extensive library of original and acquired entertainment content, distributing
it to television and home video markets worldwide. Broadway Video
Entertainment also develops and produces popular feature film and television
entertainment through its motion picture division, Broadway Video Film
Production, and its television production arm, Broadway Video Television.  In
addition, Broadway Video provides award-winning video and audio production
services, as well as duplication, encoding and DVD authoring services for
leading entertainment and corporate clients. For information:
http://www.broadwayvideo.com.
    About Crackle
    Crackle, Inc., a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, is a multi-platform
video entertainment network and studio that distributes work from the hottest
established and emerging talent on the web and beyond. Crackle's addictive
channels and shows reach a global audience across the Internet, in the living
room, and on devices including a broad range of Sony electronics. Crackle, in
on-going collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment and other leading
partners, discovers and promotes the stars of tomorrow.  Visit Crackle's site
at http://www.crackle.com.
SOURCE  Crackle, Inc.

Margaret Bensfield, +1-212-751-3476, mbensfield@groupsjr.com, of Group SJR for
Crackle; Steve Elzer, Senior Vice President, Media Relations of Columbia
TriStar Motion Picture Group, +1-310-244-7142, steve_elzer@spe.sony.com
Comments (0)
This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication.