Showtime Pick Up More 'State Of The Union'

Producer Allan McKeown Presents Inc has announced the commission by US network Showtime of further episodes of Tracey Ullman's critically acclaimed comedy sketch show 'State of the Union'.
Portman Film & Television, part of the Digital Rights Group (DRG), will distribute the series, which is written and produced in Los Angeles.
Seven new episodes of 'State of the Union' are now being written for production in September 2008 and delivery at the end of the year. Launched at MIP-TV last month, the series has also received huge interest from international broadcasters, with offers from the UK, Australia, Scandinavia and Israel.
The first fun of 5 x 30' episodes premiered on Showtime in March, garnering fantastic reviews such as "the most perfect possible showcase for Ullman" (Boston Globe), "invariably hilarious" (New York Mag) and "if there's anything Tracey Ullman can't do, we've yet to see her try it" (USA Today).
Allan McKeown, Executive Producer, commented: "We have found the perfect fit for Tracey’s talents with Showtime.
"The series was fantastically promoted in the major US cities which translated into terrific ratings. Portman created a lot of interest in the series at MIP-TV and we look forward to being able to offer our international buyers 12 episodes. My company is only a year old but with a series in the US and one in the UK ('Mumbai Calling') to air later this year on ITV1, filmed entirely on location in Mumbai India, we are back in the TV series business."
Jeremy Fox, Chief Executive Officer of DRG added: "'State of the Union' made a huge impact at MIP-TV and we were delighted that Tracey and Allan could both attend to launch the series, meeting both broadcasters and press. We have had a fantastic reaction from international broadcasters to the first run of episodes, with several deals on the table and expected to be confirmed shortly - these new episodes can only strengthen the appeal of the show."
'State of the Union' takes a satirical look at a day in the life of America – from the country’s celebrity obsessed, 24-hour news culture to impersonations and parodies of original characters who reflect a cross section of society, from an Indian ‘singing’ pharmacist, to a homeless woman without health insurance to a soldier on temporary leave from Iraq.
A collection of irreverent and hilarious skits that range from sardonic parody and social satire to Bollywood musicals, 'State of the Union' is Tracey’s first series since the multi Emmy award-winning series 'Tracey Takes On' which sold successfully around the world and broadcast in the US for seven years.
It is written by Tracey Ullman and Bruce Wagner and executive produced by Allan McKeown.
(KMcA)