Showtime® House 2010 Marries High Design With Cutting-Edge Technology

NEW YORK, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third straight year, Showtime Networks is working with some of the world's top designers, who will draw inspiration from the network's series and redesign high-end residential space to create the Showtime House. Located in Midtown Manhattan's Cassa Hotel and Residences, this year's showhome will marry high design with new technologies in the top three penthouses of the 48 story building. The Showtime House will debut September 7 and will be open through the end of October for private events and public tours.

The Showtime House will be transformed by a stellar group of top designers who will create incredible rooms inspired by the Showtime original series Dexter, Nurse Jackie, Weeds, United States of Tara, The Big C, The Borgias and Californication. The showhome at Cassa Hotel and Residences, 70 West 45th Street, will be open to the public on Saturdays from Sept. 11 through Oct. 23. Tickets for admission will sell for $15 each, with all proceeds from the ticket sales benefiting the non-profit Harlem Children's Zone®. For full details on the Showtime House, its designers and sponsors, videos and more, go to www.showtimehouse.com.

"The SHOWTIME HOUSE, like the ones that preceded it, is the personification of the Showtime brand," said Len Fogge, Executive Vice President, Creative, Marketing, Research and Digital Media, Showtime Networks Inc. "Armed this year with an entirely new group of cutting-edge designers and in a contemporary midtown location, we infused the latest in cutting-edge technology into the house to demonstrate how both entertainment and design are evolving into new forms. These added elements of digital interactivity will add a new dimension to the visitors' experience, providing a deeper connection with our Showtime series."

This year's line-up of incredible design talent includes Jeff Andrews of Jeff Andrews-Design, Space 4 Architecture, Robert Bristow and Pilar Proffitt of POESIS, Keith Baltimore of the Baltimore Design Group, Marc Thorpe of Third Eye Studios and David Schwarz of HUSH Studios, John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon of John Loecke, Inc., Gregory Okshteyn of Studios GO, Katie Lydon Interiors,  Brooks Atwood of POD Design + Media with Perlin Studios, Stephen Chung/architect and Matthias Altwicker/AB Architekten, Laura Bohn Design Associates, Eric Chan, Bradley Price and Jeff Miller of ECCO Design, BG Studio International Inc. and Bruce Mau Design. Each designer has been tasked to design a room inspired by one of the Showtime series. Their work will be filmed as part of a special half-hour show produced by and aired on SHOWTIME.

The Showtime House takes an original and unexpected showhome design and adds a new element - each designer has been challenged to showcase how high design and technology can be integrated into everyday spaces:

• John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon are collaborating with HP to create out-of-the-box technology-meets-design bespoke elements including: Weeds-inspired wall designs created with revolutionary HP Wallskins technology, custom lampshades printed with HP Latex Technology, and innovative multimedia installations that employ an HP TouchSmart PC.

• Jeff Andrews (decorator to Dexter executive producer and star Michael C. Hall) integrates state-of-the-art LG Electronics technology into his Dexter "refuge" by using an HD video projector to create an atmospheric experience. The room also features an ultra-slim LED HDTV with wireless Blu-ray Disc playback and LG's innovative, "Art Cool" air conditioner to frame a stylized photo from the Dexter series.

• Using chromo-therapy techniques and interactive motion technology, Stephen Chung and Matthias Altwicker partnered with MIT graduates to reveal an oasis designed to rejuvenate and recharge The Big C's lead character Cathy.

• With Hush Studios, Marc Thorpe creates a conceptual commentary on the original gangsters using light, sound, and high-tech treats for The Borgias media room.

• Eric Chan and the ECCO Design team will use HP technology, including an HP Photosmart e-All-in-One printer and HP Pavilion PCs, to create an immersive photo booth experience that will put visitors in the shoes of their favorite Californication characters.

• Brooks Atwood and Daniel Perlin invite visitors to become 'Tara' by integrating video tracking technology to create a digital mirror wall that allows visitors to merge their identities with one of her alternate personalities from the United States of Tara.

The Showtime House media partners include Wired magazine, CNET, The New Yorker, and Lonny magazine. The partners will extend their support and expertise to the designers by providing print, online, and event exposure. Participating sponsors who are providing product to the showhome include Cassa Hotel and Residences, Brizo, Dyson, HP, IDS Audio/Video Technologies, Johnnie Walker, Karastan, Ketel One, LG, Lutron, Optoma, PANTONE Paints by Fine Paints of Europe, Sonos, Swarovski and Toshiba.

The showhome will also host a number of private events including The New Yorker-hosted 20 Under 40, Cartoons and Cocktails, and Playlist events, and the Hope Lodge charity event among others. For more information on private events, please contact Blaise Preau at [email protected]. Chrysanthemum Partners will produce and manage the showhome this year. Partners Christie Boyle and Samantha Nestor have produced many showhomes across the country as well as the last two Showtime House projects.

About Showtime Networks Inc.:

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME® SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution which recently launched SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

About Cassa Hotel and Residences

Cassa Hotel and Residences makes an identifiable mark in the New York City skyline with its elegant proportions, rising as an obelisk among its traditional neighbors. Envisioned by Solly Assa of Assa Properties, the project was conceived by Enrique Norten of TEN Arquitectos and CetraRuddy. Sited within a prime location of New York's Fifth and Madison Avenues, the 166 rooms and 57 residences are urban sanctuaries, contemporary in design and rich in texture, yet warm and inviting. An exciting addition will be the 1945 Restaurant and Lounge, the next ambition of Jesse Keyes, the brainchild of famed La Esquina, Goldbar, and Hotel Griffou. Cassa Hotel and Residences, 70 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036. Tel: 212-302-8700.  www.cassahotelny.com

About Harlem Children's Zone

Founded in 1970, Harlem Children's Zone® is a renowned, community-based not-for-profit that offers education, social-service and community-building services in Central Harlem. The organization has created a network of programs for children from birth through college, serving over 8,000 at-risk youth within its 97-block zone. HCZ operates two public charter schools, as well as several after-school and pre-school programs.  With documented results, HCZ is serving as a model for tackling poverty nationwide.  www.hcz.org

SOURCE Showtime Networks Inc.