Grammy(R) Winner Gretchen Wilson Lends Empowering Voice to Marketing Campaign for Second Season of TNT's Critically Acclaimed Hit Drama SAVING GRACE

Grammy(R) Winner Gretchen Wilson Lends Empowering Voice to Marketing Campaign for Second Season of TNT's Critically Acclaimed Hit Drama SAVING GRACE

Specially Created Music Video of Wilson's "Work Hard, Play Harder" Features Clips from Hit Series Starring Oscar(R) Winner Holly Hunter

TNT's SAVING GRACE Returns for Second Season Monday, July 14, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)

ATLANTA, July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grammy(R)-winning country music recording artist Gretchen Wilson takes center stage in TNT's multi-platform marketing campaign for the second season of the network's provocative drama SAVING GRACE, starring Oscar(R) winner Holly Hunter. The campaign is centered on the concept "Embrace Your Grace," which invites viewers to celebrate who they are -- flaws and all -- and follow their instincts to live life to its fullest, much like Hunter's character in the series.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080701/CLTU080 )

Wilson performs her new song "Work Hard, Play Harder" from her upcoming fall release in a special music video that features clips from SAVING GRACE. The video will be shown a number of times on TNT, including during the network's live coverage July 5 of the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola. The video will also be seen on TNT's sister networks, TBS and truTV. It will also appear in Regal Cinemas nationwide and is currently viewable online at tnt.tv .

SAVING GRACE returns for its second season Monday, July 14, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).

"This campaign is about strong women who follow their instincts, their intuition and their guts. It's about women who never back down," said Tricia Melton, senior vice president of marketing for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movie (TCM). "Gretchen Wilson truly embodies the 'Embrace Your Grace' code, especially with her new song 'Work Hard, Play Harder.' The video showcases her strength, attitude and defiant spirit, all of which match the heart and soul of Holly Hunter's Det. Grace Hanadarko in SAVING GRACE."

Wilson's "Work Hard, Play Harder" music video opens with the singer driving a vintage Corvette convertible with gleaming hubcaps. On the radio, the grainy sound of a female announcer says, "Now folks, it's time to Embrace Your Grace. Time to work hard, then play harder." Wilson sings the song as she drives down a scenic road, long hair flying in the wind.

After arriving at an outdoor party, Wilson sings the rest of the song as scenes from SAVING GRACE are shown along with graphics that deliver some of the "Embrace Your Grace" philosophies: "Live white hot," "Trust your instincts," "Take a stand," "Ask the big questions," "Own who you are," "No apologies" and "Go with your gut."

Gretchen Wilson's meteoric rise, the kind experienced by only a handful of artists, is that rare instance where talent and moment meet to form a cultural tidal wave. Her first single, "Redneck Woman," spent five weeks at #1. Her debut album, Here for the Party, sold more than 5 million copies. She won multiple awards, including a Grammy and ACM, CMA and AMA nods for best female vocalist. She toured to large and raucous crowds around the world. She wrote the autobiography Redneck Woman: Stories from My Life, which landed on the New York Times bestseller list. Her second CD, All Jacked Up, rode enthusiastic reviews to platinum status. She just released her third album, One of the Boys, which solidifies her position as one of contemporary country music's most original and multi-faceted female artists.

In addition to the Wilson music video, TNT's "Embrace Your Grace" campaign for SAVING GRACE will include a special community section of the Saving Grace site, EmbraceYourGrace.com, which will feature blogs from prominent women writers; storefront window displays; "wild" postings of ads in New York and Los Angeles; radio promotions; and street teams handing out "Embrace Your Grace" T-shirts at major events in several key markets.

SAVING GRACE stars Hunter as Grace Hanadarko, an intense Oklahoma City police detective at the top of her field. She is a forceful investigator whose wild personal life translates into a no-holds-barred approach to her detective work. When her life reaches its darkest, Grace begins being visited by an unconventional angel named Earl (Leon Rippy), who is determined to help her come to terms with her past so that she can get her future on track. The show co-stars Kenneth Johnson, Bailey Chase, Laura San Giacomo, Lorraine Toussaint, Gregory Cruz and Dylan Minnette.

Scoring big in its first season, SAVING GRACE was one of ad-supported cable's top new series of 2007, averaging 4.7 million viewers. It comes to TNT from creator Nancy Miller. Hunter, who earned Golden Globe(R) and Screen Actors Guild Award(R) nominations for her work in the series, also serves as producer.

Turner Network Television (TNT), television's destination for drama and one of cable's top-rated networks, offers original series, including the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; and Truth in Advertising, with Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh. TNT is also home to powerful one-hour dramas, such as Bones, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling prime-time specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards(R); and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080701/CLTU080
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Turner Network Television

CONTACT: Michelle Sisco, Atlanta, +1-404-885-4784,
michelle.sisco@turner.com, Eileen Quast, Los Angeles, +1-310-788-6797,
eileen.quast@turner.com, or Susan Ievoli, New York, +1-212-275-8016,
susan.ievoli@turner.com, all of TNT; or Jensen Sussman, Nashville,
+1-615-858-1314, jensen.sussman@sonybmg.com, for Gretchen Wilson

Web site: http://www.tnt.tv/

NOTE TO EDITORS: This information can also be accessed on TBS, Inc.'s press site at http:// www.turnerinfo.com.

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Profile: International Entertainment