DIRECTV champions quality television programming once again and inks a rare deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to bring three critically acclaimed drama series back to television via DIRECTV’s 101 Network Wednesday lineup. Smith, The Nine and Eyes will return to primetime with never-before-seen episodes, commercial-free and in HD, only on DIRECTV’s 101 Network and DIRECTV on DEMAND.
“Fans were extremely disappointed when Smith, The Nine and Eyes were taken off the air, just as they were becoming involved in these shows,” said Eric Shanks, executive vice president of Entertainment at DIRECTV. “Building on the success of Season 3 of Friday Night Lights and Wonderland, we’re adding three more shows that further build our portfolio of quality television you can’t see anywhere else.”
Beginning Wednesday, April 8 (10 p.m. ET/PT), Smith the action-adventure crime drama starring Emmy winner Ray Liotta, Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen, Golden Globe nominee Simon Baker, Jonny Lee Miller, Amy Smart, Franky G., Chris Bauer and Academy Award nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo will return with seven episodes, including four never-before-seen episodes. The series about a crew of professional criminals who plan and carry out multimillion-dollar robberies, was created by John Wells, the Emmy-winning producer of such hits as ER and The West Wing, as well as the forthcoming Southland, premiering April 9. Wells, Brooke Kennedy, Christopher Chulack and R. Scott Gemmill are executive producers of Smith, from John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
The Nine will premiere on Wednesday, May 27 (10 p.m. ET/PT), a week after the season finale of Smith. The Nine is the compelling drama series that delves into the lives of nine people who forge a common bond when they live through a 52-hour hostage standoff during a bank robbery. The series will return with 13 episodes, including four that were never broadcast. Created by brother and sister Hank Steinberg (Without a Trace) & K.J. Steinberg (Gossip Girl), The Nine stars Lourdes Benedicto, John Billingsley, Jessica Collins, Emmy nominee Tim Daly, Dana Davis, Camille Guaty, Chi McBride, Kim Raver, Scott Wolf and Owain Yeoman. Hank Steinberg and Alex Graves are executive producers of the series, from Sunset Road Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Eyes will join The 101’s Wednesday summer lineup as the lead-in to The Nine, beginning July (9 p.m. ET/PT). The one-hour detective drama stars Tim Daly as Harlan Judd, owner of Judd Risk Management, a 21st century private investigation firm that makes clients’ problems go away quickly and quietly while operating at the absolute fringe of the law. Created and executive produced by John McNamara, the series will return with 12 episodes, including seven that have never been seen before. Eyes also stars Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, A.J. Langer, Laura Leighton, Ugly Betty’s Eric Mabius, Rick Worthy and Natalie Zea. Eyes is from McNamara Paper Products in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Smith and The Nine originally aired in 2006 on CBS and ABC, respectively. Eyes originally aired on ABC in 2005. DIRECTV’s 101 Network is the only place viewers will be able to catch these shows in their entiretycommercial-free and in HD.
