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Governor Jesse Ventura Working on New Project for truTV to Investigate Conspiracy Theories

Pilot From A. Smith & Co. Productions Begins Shooting Next Month

New York, Sept. 29, 2008

Jesse Ventura, a man who has lived a dangerous life, is about to explore mysteries behind the most compelling modern day conspiracy theories for truTV. Production of a pilot featuring Ventura begins in October. The project comes to truTV from A. Smith & Co. Productions.

Ventura will travel across the country, investigating cases and getting input from believers and skeptics to make a final determination about a theory’s validity.

Ventura embodies truTV’s promise to bring viewers real-life, high-stakes action and fascinating characters. Ventura was a U.S. Navy frogman/SEAL; a famous professional wrestler; mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minn.; and governor of Minnesota. All the while, Ventura maintained his reputation as a rebel and free-thinker.

Ventura is passionate about the world of conspiracy theories and holds non-traditional opinions on many of them. He has no qualms about questioning authority and seeking truth. No matter how dangerous, who is involved or what is uncovered, Ventura will hunt down answers, plunging viewers into a world of secret meetings, midnight surveillance, shifty characters and dark forces.

Ventura stated “I’ve been a mayor; I’ve been a governor. Now, I get to be a detective, and seek the truth.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Jesse Ventura and with our production partners at A. Smith & Co.,” said Marc Juris, executive vice president and general manager at truTV. “Jesse is a savvy, high-energy and highly intellectual person. Above all, he’s someone who is as real as they come.”

“This show will tackle some of the most popular conspiracy theories. Who better than Jesse Ventura to get to the bottom of each and reveal the truth?” said executive producer Arthur Smith of A. Smith & Co. “There is also no better place to exhibit the show than on truTV, which has an audience prepared to join Jesse on each of his investigations.”

The pilot will be executive-produced by Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Frank Sinton of A. Smith & Co. and by Michael Braverman and Barry Bloom of the Braverman/Bloom Co. Ventura will serve as producer. For truTV, Robyn Hutt is the executive in charge of production. David Schiff, A. Smith & Co.’s vice president of production and development, will oversee the project for the company.

Founded by Arthur Smith and Kent Weed in 2000, A. Smith & Co. Productions generates some of the most innovative, highly rated and high-quality unscripted programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. Since its launch, the company has created over 500 hours of programming and developed and produced the number one show in America an astonishing 12 times and a top five show over 50 times. The company’s current production slate includes the Emmy-nominated hit show Hell’s Kitchen, as well as Kitchen Nightmares with Chef Gordon Ramsay, I Survived a Japanese Game Show, Trading Spaces with host Paige Davis, the critically acclaimed documentary series American Gangster and UFC Countdown.

truTV is television’s destination for real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective. Currently seen in 91 million U.S. households and enjoying more than a year of solid and consistent ratings growth, truTV features high-stakes, action-packed originals that give viewers access to places and situations they can’t normally experience. Among truTV’s primetime fan favorites are the original series Smoking Gun Presents; Most Daring; Speeders; Ocean Force; Principal’s Office; Forensic Files; and Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege and Justice. During the daytime, the channel features expert trial coverage under the name IN SESSION.

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.

— Released by truTV