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[via press release]

André “3000” Benjamin Series Class of 3000 Set to Debut in November on Cartoon Network

Acclaimed Musical Artist/Actor Serves as Executive Producer, Music Director and Star; Kids’ Programming Innovator Tom Lynch is Executive Producer

Class of 3000, the highly-anticipated prime time half-hour animated series created and executive produced by André Benjamin (OutKast) and Tom Lynch (Romeo!), will debut in November.  The series focuses on a group of musically-gifted kids and an unlikely visitor named Sunny Bridges who brings sunshine to their lives.

Multi-talented Atlanta native Sunny Bridges was at the peak of his musical career when he walked off the stage at a performance in Tokyo in 2006, leaving his brilliant career of 27 Grammys and a Nobel Prize behind.  He never expected that the fabulous life of fame would become too much to handle.  Having reached international stardom, Sunny heads back to the place that made him who he is today, the prestigious Westley School for the Performing Arts in Atlanta, where he looks for something he lost with no plans of turning back.

The Westley School for the Performing Arts fosters the talents of artistically-gifted kids from all different parts of the city and all walks of life.  The lives of Westley’s musical prodigies – Lil’ D, Eddie, Tamika, Philly Phil, Madison, and twins Kim and Kam – are never the same again when Sunny Bridges, whom the kids know as one of the biggest superstars in the world, returns to the school as their new music teacher.

In addition to his creative responsibilities, including production and writing contributions, voice and music direction, André Benjamin will lend his voice to the lead character, Sunny Bridges.  Also part of the cast of Class of 3000 are veteran voice actors Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants, Camp Lazlo), Crystal Scales (Static Shock, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron), Jennifer Hale (Samurai Jack, The Powerpuff Girls), Janice Kawaye (Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi) and Jeff Glen Bennett (Johnny Bravo, Camp Lazlo).

Each episode will feature a new original song written by André Benjamin.  Every song will also be accompanied by an animated music video, each directed by a different guest art director, including Peter Chung (Aeon Flux), Alan Bodner (Iron Giant, Carrotblanca, The Life & Times of Juniper Lee) and Overton Loyd, known for his work on album covers for the band Parliament

Class of 3000 is produced by Cartoon Network, in conjunction with the Tom Lynch Co. and André Benjamin’s production company, Moxie.  Twelve half-hour episodes and a one-hour premiere are in production at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, Calif.

Benjamin and Lynch are the executive producers of Class of 3000.  The show’s co-executive producer and head writer is Patric M. Verrone, a writer for Futurama, The Critic and Pinky and the Brain and a supervising producer on Futurama.  Joe Horne (The Boondocks, Teamo Supremo, The Oblongs) joined Class of 3000 as supervising producer.

André Benjamin is best known as one half of the Grammy-winning musical group OutKast.  His acting career includes roles in feature films Four Brothers, starring Mark Wahlberg; Be Cool, starring John Travolta; Hollywood Homicide, featuring Harrison Ford and the upcoming Idlewild.  He also lends his voice to Elwyn in the film Charlotte’s Web, which blends live-action and animation and will be released in winter 2006.  His Atlanta-based production company, Moxie, develops original feature films as well as episodic television.

Tom Lynch has been an innovator in the field of kids, tween and teen programming for the past 20 years.  His groundbreaking debut series, KIDS Incorporated, was the first variety show for youngsters, and his series The Secret World of Alex Mack was both the first series created for tweens and the first show to feature a tween girl as its central character.

Since then, Lynch has continued to blaze new trails with such original programs as the Emmy-nominated Scout’s Safari (filmed in South Africa) and Romeo!, starring the real life musician Romeo and his father, music mogul Master P.

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 89 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families.  Overnight from 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (ET, PT) Sunday-Thursday, Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.