Television
April 19, 2005
Lost Drive-In Resurrected As Speed Channel Signs 18-Title Deal With Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution
(April 19, 2005 - Burbank, CA) - SPEED Channel VP of Programming Robert Ecker announced today that SPEED Channel will revive its signature movie block, Lost Drive-In, signing an 18-movie deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution.
“The original Lost Drive-In franchise was launched in 1996, so as the 10th anniversary of the network looms it just seemed like the right time to bring it back,” Ecker said. “Having been the original producer on the series, it’s continued to hold special resonance for me, and we’ve never ceased hearing from viewers requesting its return. As such, we are very pleased and excited that our partnership with Warner Bros. is bringing some of the best and most beloved automotive-themed feature films of the 1960s, 70s and 80s to SPEED Channel viewers, many for the first time.”
Whether it is the 1968 Dodge Charger and 1968 Mustang GT used in the classic Steve McQueen car chases from "Bullitt" or the prototype supercar “Black Moon” used by Tommy Lee Jones in "Black Moon Rising," the cars and motorcycles are integral characters in the movies selected for SPEED Channel’s Lost Drive-In.
“This list of flicks is custom-made for SPEED and we’re sure this special movie block will drive tune-in for the network,” said Eric Frankel, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution.
Projected to debut over the 2005 Thanksgiving weekend, the list of movies from Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution includes:
• "Any Which Way You Can"
• "The Betsy"
• "Black Moon Rising"
• "Bullitt"
• "City Heat"
• "Corvette Summer"
• "Freebie and the Bean"
• "Freejack"
• "The Getaway"
• "The Great Race"
• "The Gumball Rally"
• "The Last Run"
• "A Man and a Woman"
• "McQ"
• "Pink Cadillac"
• "Stroker Ace"
• "Then Came Bronson"
• "Viva Knievel!" Originally hosted by renowned actor Bruce Dern and launched with the tagline “’B’ Movies that Haunt ‘A’ Actors”, Lost Drive-In premiered on the network in 1996 and ran for five consecutive seasons. Combining original intermission reels with vintage theatrical trailers and the features themselves, many of the original host wraparound segments were shot on location at working drive-in theatres throughout the greater Los Angeles area -- none of which remain in existence today. Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution (WBDCD) is one of the leading suppliers of programming to the pay television and basic cable marketplaces. WBDCD is responsible for sales, marketing and distribution of already-produced product from the Studio's vast library, including feature films, television series, mini-series, television movies and specials to basic cable and pay television. WBDCD is also a major licensor of feature films to the broadcast networks. SPEED Channel is the nation's first and foremost cable network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED Channel delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 68 million homes in North America, SPEED Channel is among the fastest growing sports cable networks in the country. --www.speedtv.com--# # #
• "The Betsy"
• "Black Moon Rising"
• "Bullitt"
• "City Heat"
• "Corvette Summer"
• "Freebie and the Bean"
• "Freejack"
• "The Getaway"
• "The Great Race"
• "The Gumball Rally"
• "The Last Run"
• "A Man and a Woman"
• "McQ"
• "Pink Cadillac"
• "Stroker Ace"
• "Then Came Bronson"
• "Viva Knievel!" Originally hosted by renowned actor Bruce Dern and launched with the tagline “’B’ Movies that Haunt ‘A’ Actors”, Lost Drive-In premiered on the network in 1996 and ran for five consecutive seasons. Combining original intermission reels with vintage theatrical trailers and the features themselves, many of the original host wraparound segments were shot on location at working drive-in theatres throughout the greater Los Angeles area -- none of which remain in existence today. Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution (WBDCD) is one of the leading suppliers of programming to the pay television and basic cable marketplaces. WBDCD is responsible for sales, marketing and distribution of already-produced product from the Studio's vast library, including feature films, television series, mini-series, television movies and specials to basic cable and pay television. WBDCD is also a major licensor of feature films to the broadcast networks. SPEED Channel is the nation's first and foremost cable network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED Channel delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 68 million homes in North America, SPEED Channel is among the fastest growing sports cable networks in the country. --www.speedtv.com--