Maria Menounos Signs Multi-Year Deal With Telepictures

(August 4, 2011 – Burbank, CA) – Maria Menounos is signing a multi-year deal with Telepictures to serve as co-host of "Extra," have on air duties at “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers” and develop new projects where she would serve as host and executive producer. Menounos will join the daily syndicated entertainment news program, “Extra,” as co-host along with Mario Lopez who has been with the program since 2007 and helped make the show the second longest running entertainment magazine on television. The 18th season of “Extra” begins on September 12. In addition, Menounos will have on air duties on “Dr. Drew's Lifechangers,” set to debut on The CW on September 19 and hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky. The deal was announced today by Hilary Estey McLoughlin, President, Telepictures and Lisa Gregorisch-Dempsey, Senior Executive Producer of “Extra” and “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers.” “We are thrilled to have Maria in the Telepictures family. She is a great talent with diverse experience and appeal and her versatility will enable her to contribute to our slate in myriad ways,” said Estey McLoughlin. “Maria is the perfect complement to Mario. He’s the ‘it’ guy and she is the modern day ‘that girl.’ They’re both trusted, respected and connected. I can’t think of a better dream team in entertainment news,” said Gregorisch-Dempsey. "I'm so excited to join Mario on ‘Extra’ and be a part of ‘Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers.’ Joining Telepictures is a great next step in my career. I loved working at NBC and thank the network for a great six-year run," adds Menounos. Menounos is a New York Times best selling author and comes to Telepictures from NBC, where she had been since 2005 with an overall deal. Under this deal she served as a special correspondent for “Access Hollywood,” acted as the West Coast Contributor for "Today," corresponded for “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” and worked with "Dateline.” Menounos recently achieved New York Times best selling author status with the release of her first book, "The EveryGirl's Guide to Life," an A-Z guide that teaches women to do everything better, faster, cheaper in order to live a happier, healthier and more successful life. Prior to that in 2002, she was a correspondent for “Entertainment Tonight” and hosted “ET on MTV” and “ET on VH-1,” both of which attained number-one weekend ratings on their respective networks. On the big screen, Maria appeared in “Kickin It Old Skool,” “Tropic of Thunder” and “Fantastic Four.” Maria also produced the feature comedy, "Serial Buddies," with partner Keven Undergaro under their production shingle Underman/Omegagirl. Billed as “the first serial killer buddy comedy of all time,” the picture is in post production and is narrated by Henry Winkler and other celebrities, including Menounos, Christopher Lloyd, Kathie Lee Gifford and Artie Lange. Her latest endeavor is AfterBuzz TV, currently the largest new media platform on the web and #1 in after-show entertainment. AfterBuzz TV is designated to producing live 'after-show' webcast and podcast content for TV series of all kinds. Fans can go online to listen and/or watch Afterbuzz TV hosts in studio, breaking down episodes of their favorite shows, taking calls from fellow fans and interviewing cast and crew from the series. Menounos is repped by Morris Yorn Law Firm and WME. About Telepictures: For the current 2011–12 season, Telepictures – an industry-leading and Emmy Award–winning producer of syndicated programming (having garnered 67 Emmys in 15 years, including Outstanding Talk Show or Outstanding Talk Show Host for 13 of the last 15 years) – is producing seven first-run strips. Telepictures' series include the ninth season of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”; the fifth season of “TMZ”; the 18th season of the pop culture newsmagazine “Extra”; the 13th season of the hour-long court series “Judge Mathis”; the 28th season of “The People’s Court”; "The People's Court" recently received a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Legal/Courtroom program category. This fall, Telepictures will add two more series to its roster, “Anderson” and “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers.” Anderson Cooper brings his experience as an award-winning journalist and storyteller, passionate voice and personal perspective to “Anderson,” the nationally syndicated daily one-hour daytime talk show premiering September 12, 2011. “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers” is a daily, half-hour, studio-based show hosted by one of America’s foremost experts on addiction, relationships and medicine, Dr. Drew Pinsky, and will air on the CW network from 3-4pm. About “Extra”: “Extra” is helmed by Senior Executive Producer Lisa Gregorisch-Dempsey. The show’s senior production team includes Executive Producers Theresa Coffino and Jeremy Spiegel. “Extra” originates in Glendale, California, and has fully staffed bureaus in New York and Las Vegas. “Extra” reports all of the late breaking entertainment news coast-to-coast by broadcasting from various locations throughout the country including; The Grove and The Americana shopping centers in Los Angeles; Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas; Planet Hollywood, Times Square, Grand Central in New York City, Michigan Avenue in Chicago and Miami’s South Beach, among others. The show offers a half-hour edition every weekday and an original hour-long weekend installment. Seen in more than 95% of the country, “Extra” airs on major market affiliates, including the key NBC Television Owned-and-Operated Stations. “Extra” is produced by Telepictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. About “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers”: “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers” is a daily, half-hour, studio-based daytime TV talk show hosted by board-certified internist and one of America’s foremost experts on relationships, Dr. Drew Pinsky. Premiering September 19th on the CW at 3pm, the innovative show offers tangible tools and takeaway information to help viewers improve every area of their lives. Each episode will include a compelling personal story about someone in conflict, from love and relationships to a wide range of compulsions (shopping, hoarding, substance abuse) to health. Dr. Drew will also call on his rolodex of top-notch experts in a variety of fields who will answer questions from the in-studio audience and home viewers offering instant advice. From dramatic physical transformations to subtle, emotional breakthroughs, “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers” will guide you through every step. Celebrity Lifechangers will also make appearances to give back and pay it forward by sharing personal stories. They will reveal their own challenges that helped shape them or help a special guest achieve their goals. “Lifechangers” started as a segment on the popular, nationally syndicated newsmagazine “Extra.” “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers” is produced in Los Angeles by Telepictures and will air as an hour-long block led by an original episode. The show was created by Lisa Gregorisch-Dempsey, senior executive producer of “Extra,” who serves the same role on “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers,” alongside executive producer Rachel Miskowiec.###