HBO Canada presents Living in Your Car, one man's karmic fall from the high
life to the highway

    
    -  Created and written by George F. Walker, Dani Romain and Joseph Kay
    -  Directed and executive produced by legendary Canadian comedic talent
       David Steinberg
    -  New Canadian original series from Movie Central and The Movie Network
       premieres Friday, May 7 at 9:30 p.m. ET/MT on HBO Canada
    -  Online audiences get a sneak peek when www.hbocanada.com hosts the
       first episode for two-weeks starting Friday, April 23
    

TORONTO, April 6 /CNW/ - Steve Unger had it all - money, a beautiful wife, a mansion, and a great kid - until greed got in the way. Premiering Friday, May 7 at 9:30 p.m. ET/MT on HBO Canada, a multiplex channel of Corus Entertainment's Movie Central (Western Canada) and Astral Media's The Movie Network (Eastern Canada), Living In Your Car is the offbeat story of one corrupt business mogul's fall from grace and his faltering and often pathetic attempts to regain the life he lost.

"With Living In Your Car's timely and poignant theme, we are thrilled to give our viewers another great Canadian produced series on our HBO Canada service," said Erica Benson, Vice President Programming, Movie Central. "This show has given us another opportunity to work with the powerhouse team of George Walker and Dani Romain, and having the superbly talented David Steinberg on board only adds to the great calibre of Canadian talent working in homegrown pay TV."

"Living in Your Car comes from one of the most insightful, creative teams working anywhere in television, and also has the distinction of being the project that lured the inimitable talents of David Steinberg back to Canada," said Diane Boehme, Director, Canadian Independent Productions, Astral Television Networks. "We're proud to facilitate the love/hate relationship Canadians are sure to develop with Steve Unger."

With the unstable economy as a backdrop, Living In Your Car follows the winding karmic adventures of Steve Unger (John Ralston), a fallen corporate executive whose rule of the financial world comes to an abrupt halt when he is arrested and charged with fraud, obstruction and racketeering. After cutting a deal to get out of prison, Steve quickly realizes his old life no longer exists: his former colleagues shun him, his wife and daughter don't want to live with him, and even his own parents refuse to help him. As he clings desperately to the last vestige of his former self - a luxury sedan - Steve finds himself under court order to teach an ethics class, forbidden from working in any position that involves other people's money, and making a new home for himself in his car.

Along for the tumultuous and often comedic ride are soon-to-be ex-wife Lori (Ingrid Kavelaars), daughter Kate (Mariah Horner), lawyer Neil Stiles (Colin Cunningham), and quirky "neighbour" Carol (Lucia Moniz).

Living In Your Car is a 13-part, half-hour series from The Nightingale Company (The Line, Chicks with Sticks, Lipstick & Dynamite) and Walker/Romain Productions, created by George F. Walker, Dani Romain (This Is Wonderland, The Line) and Joseph Kay, and written by Walker, Romain, Kay and Courtney Jane Walker. The series is directed and executive produced by David Steinberg (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Weeds, Mad About You). The series is developed and produced with the financial participation of The Movie Network, Movie Central, the Canadian Television Fund and Rogers Cable Fund in association with BeActive.

The series will premiere as part of the Friday night comedy line-up on HBO Canada with Less Than Kind at 8:30 p.m., The Ricky Gervais Show at 9 p.m. and followed by Real Time with Bill Maher at 10 p.m. and Funny or Die Presents at midnight.

Living In Your Car will be simulcast on HBO Canada HD, and will be available on demand. The first episode will be available online at www.hbocanada.com for a two-week sneak peek starting Friday, April 23, and also on The Movie Network OnLine with Bell TV following its network premiere.

HBO Canada is a multiplex channel offered by Astral Media's The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) and Corus Entertainment's Movie Central (Western Canada). HBO Canada brings Canadians the current slate of signature dramatic programs for which HBO is known, together with new and never-before-seen programming including comedy series, live specials, sporting events, behind-the-scenes content and titles from HBO's extensive library - all in an uncut and commercial-free environment. HBO Canada is offered in high definition on HBO Canada HD and programming is accessible on demand where available by service provider. For more information, please visit www.hbocanada.com.

Movie Central is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc. (CJR.B/CJR), a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, advertising services, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's animation. Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.

The Movie Network is an Astral Media Television Network. Astral Media is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and interactive media. Astral Media's solid and dynamic presence in the country's major markets rests on its commitment to offer a unique combination of high-quality, targeted media for all its audiences. For more information about Astral Media, please visit www.astralmedia.com.

For access to The Movie Network's media room or Movie Central's press site, please visit http://tv.astral.com or http://mediacentre.corusent.com.

For further information: Media contacts: The Movie Network (Eastern Canada), Nicolle Balen, [phone], [email protected]; Movie Central (Western Canada), Owen McCorquodale, [phone], [email protected]