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TV Land Celebrates The Life And Work Of Entertainment Icon

NEW YORK, July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TV Land will honor the life and work of beloved actor Andy Griffith, who passed away today at the age of 86, with blocks of programming highlighting his most treasured work, "." On Wednesday, July 4th from 8am-1pm ET/PT and Saturday and Sunday, July 7th and 8th from 11am to 8pm ET/PT, TV Land will air some of the most memorable episodes in marathons of "The Andy Griffith Show." The TV Land Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/tvland) will also pay tribute to Andy, celebrating some of his best TV moments.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Andy Griffith," said Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. "His contributions to the entertainment industry and his role as Sheriff Andy Taylor will live forever in the minds and hearts of generations of television viewers past, present and yet to come. The entire TV Land staff will miss him and our thoughts go out to his family."

"The Andy Griffith Show" has long been a part of TV Land's history and has been in the network's line-up for over a decade. In 2003, the network erected a statue in Raleigh, , depicting the famous opening sequence featuring Andy Griffith and a young in their roles of Sheriff Andy and walking hand-in-hand. Then in 2004, the network unveiled a replica of the bronze statue in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Andy Griffith's birthplace and the town after which was modeled. Also in 2004, the cast was honored with the Legend Award at the 2nd Annual "TV Land Awards." Additionally, the network has produced two retrospective specials on the series, "TV Land's Top 10: The Andy Griffith Show" and "Inside TV Land: The Andy Griffith Show."

Andy Griffith, born in 1926 in North Carolina, has been a part of the American TV landscape for nearly 60 years, first appearing on popular programs such as "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Show" in the early . In 1960, CBS premiered the series that bore his name, "The Andy Griffith Show." For eight years, he starred as Andy Taylor, the kind-hearted Sheriff of Mayberry, alongside then-child actor Ron Howard ("") as his son Opie and hilarious , ("Three's Company"), as Deputy . Andy also went on to star in the hit series "" for nine seasons.

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About TV Land

TV Land is the programming destination featuring the best in entertainment on all platforms for consumers in their 40s and 50s. Consisting of original programming, classic and contemporary television series acquisitions, hit movies and a full-service Web site, TV Land is now seen in over 98 million U.S. homes.

About Viacom

Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) is home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms in more than 160 countries and territories. With approximately 170 media networks reaching more than 600 million global subscribers, Viacom's leading brands include MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, Spike TV and Tr3s. , America's oldest film studio and creator of many of the most beloved motion pictures, continues today as a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. Viacom operates a large portfolio of branded digital media experiences, including many of the world's most popular properties for entertainment, community and casual online gaming.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.

SOURCE TV Land

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