Media Alert - The Movie Network and Movie Central offer free online sampling
of Showtime's Dexter and Californication

    
    - New season premiere episodes will be available online the day after
    their network debut on www.themovienetwork.ca and www.moviecentral.ca
    

TORONTO , Sept. 25 /CNW/ - Astral Media's The Movie Network (Eastern Canada ) and Corus Entertainment's Movie Central (Western Canada ) are giving Canadians an exclusive sampling of Showtime's Dexter and Californication with a free online offering of the season premiere episodes of both series a day following their network debut.

Episode one of Dexter (Season 4) will be available online beginning Monday, September 28 at http://www.themovienetwork.ca/dexter/ and www.moviecentral.ca/video/default.aspx, while the first episode of Californication (Season 3) will be available beginning Tuesday, September 29 at http://www.themovienetwork.ca/californication/ and www.moviecentral.ca/video/default.aspx.

About Dexter (Season 4)

Network Premiere: Sunday, September 27 at 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. P.T.

The new season of Dexter picks up with title character Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) continuing to live a double life as a blood splatter expert by day and serial killer by night. After disposing of his former friend turned nemesis Miguel Prado , escaping from The Skinner, and finally marrying his long-time girlfriend in season 3, this 12-episode season opens with Dexter as a husband and new father. But with a sparkling suburban life with wife Rita ( Julie Benz ) and three kids, Dexter is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain his freedom and privacy and must find creative ways to deal with his need to kill. Joining the cast is Academy Award(R)-nominated and Emmy(R), Tony(R) and Golden Globe(R) award-winner John Lithgow as Walter Simmons , an unassuming, mild-mannered suburbanite who also happens to be the most wanted serial killer in the U.S.

About Californication (Season 3)

Network Premiere: Monday, September 28 at 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. P.T.

Golden Globe(R)-winner David Duchovny is back as self-destructive, brutally honest and deeply flawed novelist Hank Moody in Showtime's half-hour comedy series Californication. In the 12-episode new season, Hank takes on a new job as a professor at a major California university. While attempting to shape the minds of the next generation of scribes, he finds himself entangled in high-school like drama after striking up a relationship with a sexy teacher's assistant ( Diane Farr ), and butting heads with the dean of students ( Peter Gallagher ). Additional guest stars for season 3 include Kathleen Turner , Ed Westwick, Rick Springfield , Embeth Davidtz and Eva Amurri. Californication also stars Natasha McElhone, Madeline Zima and Pamela Adlon.

The Movie Network is a pay television service available in eastern Canada . With premiere access to Hollywood hit movies, new and exclusive HBO content, critically-acclaimed Showtime series and first-rate Canadian programming, this pay-television service presents Canadians with some of the best television entertainment available. The Movie Network service includes five 24-hour multiplex channels - M, HBO Canada , MExcess, MFun! and MFest - which deliver diverse and entertaining programs in an uncut and commercial-free television environment. The Movie Network also offers The Movie Network HD and HBO Canada HD, two dedicated high-definition channels providing hundreds of titles in HD; and The Movie Network OnDemand, a Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service, available in select areas across eastern Canada . For more information, please visit www.themovienetwork.ca.

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 iMedia. 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.

Movie Central is a 24-hour-a-day, commercial-free premium pay-TV service available to Western Canadians. Exclusive multi-year output agreements with major Hollywood studios ensure that Movie Central is the preferred destination for box office titles. In addition to being the first window, Canadian home to HBO content and Showtime, through its investments, pre-buys and licence fees for Canadian feature films and original series, Movie Central is recognized as a major force in the Canadian independent film and television production industry. The launch of Movie Central On Demand and Movie Central High Definition demonstrates that Movie Central remains committed to being first with innovations that enhance the viewing experience. Visit the Movie Central website at www.moviecentral.ca.

Movie Central is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc, 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. The company's multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, W Network, CosmoTV, VIVA, Movie Central, HBO Canada , Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW, CKOI and Q107. Corus creates engaging branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto (CJR.B) and New York (CJR) exchanges. Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.

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