[NEW YORK] October 5, 2011 —Sundance Channel is set to loosen up the buckle on the Bible Belt with the explosive second season premiere of the critically-acclaimed hit series "Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys" on Friday, November 18th at 9 PM et/pt. The groundbreaking unscripted series that celebrates and explores the special relationship between women and their gay best friends moves to Nashville, Tennessee and the all new cast provides more drama and higher stakes than ever before. Each of these dynamic women is eschewing the traditions of their conservative Southern home-town with a rebel yell and a proud partnership with their GBFs. The women stand by their men and share laughter, love and unwavering support while experiencing life's biggest milestones and challenges, even when the drama is overwhelming.
The new season debuts with back to back episodes on Friday, November 18th at 9:00 and 9:30pm. Beginning Friday, November 25th one episode will air every Friday at 9:00 pm followed by the second season of the Sundance Channel original series "All on the Line with Joe Zee" at 9:30pm.
"Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys," which drew critical acclaim and a passionate following, including more than 215,000 Facebook Fans in its first season, returns with four new "couples" from all walks of life: from a #1 hit songwriter trying to reconcile his sexuality with his beliefs as an evangelical Christian and his best friend, an Aussie singer-songwriter and former "Facts of Life" child star, to a gay single dad who recently divorced his wife (from a straight marriage) who moonlights as a stand-up comic, and his best friend, a pregnant school therapist whose husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan. The couples also include a self-proclaimed "country hick" who was raised Mormon and his best friend whom he calls his "ebony queen" and an eccentric, well-connected duo who can't seem to agree on anything except how fabulous the other one is. The cast of "Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys" is as vibrant as they are eclectic and the diversity of characters combats the sentiment that there is one type of gay man—or one type of friendship.
The conservative "red state" setting provides these couples with an interesting new set of challenges including living in a community where many people are still in the closet and lack the support of family members. Drama unfolds right from the beginning with a blow-up fight between best friends Jared and Tenisha, and viewers will quickly see that these are not 'made-for-TV' relationships. Each remarkable relationship unfolds over the course of the season as a real-life tribute to lasting alternative love.
"Last season really resonated with our audiences and we wanted to bring the show back with an even more intriguing cast and setting," said Sarah Barnett, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Sundance Channel. "This new cast of characters lives in the heart of the Bible Belt against a backdrop of country music, the military and religious fervor—and this season will certainly shed some light on very different images of the American LGBT experience than we've seen on TV in the past."
Meet the couples:
Tenisha and Jared
"If Jared weren't gay I'd marry him. In fact, I spend so much time with Jared, that's probably why I don't have a boyfriend!" — Tenisha Jackson
"Tenisha is my ebony queen and I treat her accordingly!" —Jared Allman
Jared Allman was raised Mormon on a 500-acre farm in East Tennessee. Tenisha Jackson grew up in Memphis and now authors a series of books based on the misguided youths she encountered as a child in the city. Despite the stark differences in their upbringing, when Tenisha and Jared met they felt an immediate connection and have been best friends ever since. Tenisha and Jared both agree that among the African-American community, they get more flack for him being white than for his sexuality.
Kristin and Peter
"When my husband is deployed overseas, Peter is my family." —Kristin Sabata
"My kids wish Kristin was their step-mom." —Peter Depp
Kristin Sabata and Peter Depp met on an online dating site before he came out of the closet. They shared one passionless kiss and both knew they were destined to be best friends. Kristin, who is pregnant with her first child, is a school psychologist and her husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan. Peter is a stand-up comic and the father of three children from a prior marriage to a woman. He is not planning on settling down any time soon as he believes now is the time for him to sow his wild oats and figure out what dating men is all about.
Sherrie and Shane
"We are extreme opposites who attract, but as collaborators, that helps to fuel our creative processes." —Sherrie Austin
"I'm a gay man who loves Jesus. I'm definitely a Jesus freak...spirituality has become a massive part of my life recently, I was really hurting and I needed genuine, real love." — Shane Stevens
Australian-born Sherrie is a former actress who appeared on series such as the Facts of Life and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and has more recently enjoyed a successful songwriting career, having penned hits for the likes of Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton and George Strait. Previously she was signed as an artist to Arista Records and she is hoping to stage a solo-career comeback with an album releasing this fall. Over the past few years Shane celebrated his first number one hit as the co-writer of Lady Antebellum's smash-hit "American Honey," and has also had songs recorded by household names such as Kellie Pickler, Jordin Sparks and Sara Evans. Like Sherrie, Shane also has his sights set on launching a solo pop project, with an album releasing on November 11.
Olivia and Brent
"What do I get from Brent that I don't get from my husband? There are no rules, there are no boundaries. I'm allowed to be as crazy as I want to be." —Olivia Sarratt McCarthy
"We're both very well put together, very eccentric, we like to be seen and be noticed. She's got the riches and I've got the connections." —Brent Oscar Young
Olivia Sarratt McCarthy is southern socialite, entrepreneur, and mom. Brent, is one of Nashville's "25 Most Beautiful People," and just launched his own promotions, events and publicity company, often collaborating with Olivia professionally as well as socially. Brent recently left an abusive relationship, and really depended on Olivia for support. He hopes that his story will be a platform to open a dialogue about domestic violence in same-sex relationships. But now that he's single, Brent is playing the field.
The first season of "Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys" was shot in New York City and premiered in December 2010. The Boston Globe's Matt Gilbert wrote, "There's something really likable and engaging about this show…These friendships aren't temporary reality-competition alliances, and they aren't the faux-eternal bonds of reality dating series such as "The Bachelor.'' They are durable connections that have reached across years and passed plenty of tests." For more information on the series as well as clips from last season, check out http://www.sundancechannel.com/girls-who-like-boys-who-like-boys/
"Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys" is produced by World of Wonder. Nicole DeFusco is Executive Producer for Sundance Channel. The Executive Producers for World of Wonder are Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato and Tom Campbell. The Co-Executive Producers are Gail Eisenberg, Jack Lechner and Jeremy Simmons.
About World of Wonder
Innovative production company World of Wonder is behind such entertaining hit series as "Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys" (Sundance Channel), "RuPaul's Drag Race" (Logo), "Million Dollar Listing" (Bravo), "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood" (Oxygen), and "The Fabulous Beekman Boys". World of Wonder has also created award winning films and documentaries such as "Inside Deep Throat", "The Eyes of Tammy Faye", "Party Monster", "Monica in Black and White", and "The Last Beekeeper", which won a 2010 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Nature Programming. They recently premiered their latest documentary "The Strange History of Don't Ask, Don't Tell" for HBO, which chronicles the repeal of the controversial military policy. Most recently, their 2011 Sundance Film Festival hit "Becoming Chaz" and HBO special "Wishful Drinking" both garnered Emmy® nominations.
About Sundance Channel
Sundance Channel (sundancechannel.com ) is the destination for What's Next, Now. Showcasing both today's creative icons and the emerging talent of tomorrow, Sundance Channel tells credible, authentic, and emotionally immersive stories of Invention, Fashion, Film, Travel, Design, and Enterprise. Launched in 1996 and owned and operated by Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC, Sundance Channel provides perspectives dedicated to founder Robert Redford's mission to celebrate creativity.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media owns and operates some of the world's most popular and award-winning entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv, Wedding Central and IFC Entertainment (IFC Center, IFC Films, IFC In Theaters, IFC Midnight and IFC Productions). Additional information about Rainbow Media's multiplatform brands is available at www.rainbow-media.com .
