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[via press release]

Life Changing Events Affect The Carlin Family on the Season Finale of The N’s Acclaimed Series, South of Nowhere January 27 (Part I) and February 3 (Part II)

Child Star Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show) Guest Stars as Clay’s Estranged Birth Mother in Season Finale

NEW YORK, Jan. 19 – The Carlin clan will face life-changing decisions on the season one finale of The N’s new critically-acclaimed drama South of Nowhere. The N, the nighttime network for teens, will premiere part one of the much-anticipated finale on Friday, January 27 at 8:30 p.m. (ET) and part two on Friday, February 3 at 8:30 p.m. (ET), which features child star Tempestt Bledsoe (Vanessa Huxtable on The Cosby Show) as Clay’s estranged mother.

In part one of the season finale, “Say it Ain’t So, Spencer,” premiering Friday, January 27, Spencer tests the waters with Aiden again, by going out on a date with him. Meanwhile, Ashley feels like she has lost Spencer and spirals out of control, hooking up with an old girlfriend who is nothing but trouble. Clay hits some obstacles in his search for his birth-mother, and begins to feel like he has no “real” family or connection with his African- American heritage. On the home front, parents Paula and Arthur start couples counseling and try to work out their ever-mounting problems.

In part two of the season finale, “Play Me of Trade Me,” premiering Friday, February 3, Ashley and Spencer are closer than ever. Spencer nursed Ashley through a rough night when Ashley’s reunion with an old girlfriend went sour and Spencer’s date with Aiden turned out differently than she hoped. But when Spencer returns home the next morning after not calling and skipping church, Spencer and Paula get into a huge argument over Ashley. Paula pushes Spencer further away at the most critical of times and Arthur is furious with Paula for doing so. Meanwhile, Glen receives some great news from a college recruiter, followed by an event that could cause his dreams to come to a screeching halt. Clay borrows his friend Sean’s car and heads to Nevada, determined to find his estranged mother (TEMPESTT BLEDSOE) in hopes to find the missing pieces to his past.

Tempestt Bledsoe is best known as Vanessa Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Since her role as the sassy teen, she’s graduated from New York University’s prestigious Stern School of Business and became the host of her own nationally syndicated talk show Tempestt. Some of her most recent television work includes USA’s original movie The Expendables, Strong Medicine, Rock Me Baby, and a recurring role on ABC’s Emmy award winning series The Practice. Tempestt has also written several television and film projects that she is currently preparing to produce.

South of Nowhere is a fictional story about a contemporary American family and their multi-faceted journey of self-discovery. Set in Los Angeles, the series chronicles the five members of the Carlin family as they try to define themselves and make sense of their lives while they undergo a huge transition — moving from a small town in Ohio to the big city of Los Angeles. The Carlins find they are unprepared for the fast-paced, metropolitan environment and the overcrowded, “anything goes” L.A. public school the family’s three teenagers attend. The family is at the heart of the series and while their characters are unique, they reflect many American families today — bound by their evolving identity and their close relationships.

South of Nowhere deals in honest, authentic and compelling ways with issues all families and adolescents confront including: identity, self- discovery, sexual identity, racial identity, family, faith, parental expectations and peer pressure, among others. Parent discussion guides are available for each episode of the series on http://discussions.the-n.com/. The episode-specific guides offer parents tips and questions about the topics raised in South of Nowhere to use as discussion starters with teens.

Tom Lynch, founder and president of The Tom Lynch Company, creates programming that engages kids’ minds, imaginations and energy — and he’s been doing so since his first project, KIDS Incorporated, the original variety show for youngsters. Since then, Lynch has helped revolutionize kids’ programming by consistently breaking new ground, as with his landmark show, The Secret World of Alex Mack, the first series to reach the elusive and sought-after tween market, and the first to feature a strong female role model as its lead character.

Lynch’s roster of hits includes 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd, The Jersey, Caitlin’s Way, Just Deal, Skate, Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension, and Scout’s Safari, which was set and filmed on location in South Africa. Lynch’s hip-hop sitcom Romeo!, starring hip-hop artist Master P and his real- life son, Lil’ Romeo, currently airs on Nickelodeon. Lynch and the company that bears his name continue to create uniquely fresh, innovative shows that resonate with youth audiences around the world by “illuminating the magic of the human experience” — celebrating all the drama, the humor, the kookiness and reality of human beings’ lives.

The N, the nighttime network for teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 45 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television. The N’s mission is to be the authentic voice for teens and help them figure out their lives with relevant, topical programming on-air and online at the network’s web site www.the-n.com. The N airs everyday from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (ET). The N and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.