“Bruce Willis is a pimp, dude,” says Kevin Smith, the writer-producer who plays one of the villains in the movie and was such a fan growing up that he had Willis’ pop-blues album, The Return of Bruno, in his car’s cassette player at all times. “Bruce Willis made me start drinking. I’m not a fan of alcohol. But when Bruce Willis sings about golden wine coolers, you have to get your drink on. I showed up at parties with Seagram’s wine coolers, and people would say, ‘What are you, crazy? We have a keg. We have vodka.’ But no. I’m Bruce Willis smooth.”

Twentieth Television Sells Emmy-Winning Series MY NAME IS EARL To TBS

Sitcom to Make Its Cable Syndication Debut in Fall 2009

Twentieth Television has reached a multi-year licensing agreement for MY NAME IS EARL, announced Bob Cook, President and COO of Twentieth Television. Beginning in September 2009, the critically acclaimed sitcom will be presented in syndication on TBS, joining the cable network’s lineup of popular comedies. Also included in the deal are digital rights for broadband streaming and on-demand.

In making the announcement, Cook stated, “�MY NAME IS EARL is a quality program, whose strong comedic writing and performances have earned it a cadre of dedicated viewers and awards. We are thrilled to enter in to this agreement with TBS to bring fans even more chances to watch their favorite ill-fated hero on his quest to amend a lifetime of mistakes.”

Ken Schwab, Senior Vice President of Programming for TBS and sister network TNT, added, “MY NAME IS EARL is a truly unique and very funny comedy that has captured the imagination of both critics and audiences alike. It will make a perfect addition to the TBS line-up, which is the go-to place for the best in television comedy.”

MY NAME IS EARL, returning this fall for its third season on NBC, follows the story of Earl Hickey (Jason Lee, “Almost Famous”), a man who has taken one too many wrong turns on the highway of life. In a twist of fate, Earl wins a small lottery, has an epiphany and sets out to right all the wrongs from his past.

The deal was negotiated by Steve MacDonald, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Basic Cable for Twentieth Television and Jonathan Katz, Senior Vice President of Program Planning and Acquisitions for Turner Entertainment Group, on behalf of Turner Broadcasting.

Joining Earl on his quest to cleanse his karma are his hapless brother Randy (Ethan Suplee, “Cold Mountain”) and the very sexy Catalina (Nadine Velazquez, “The Bold and the Beautiful”). Even Darnell (Eddie Steeples, “Torque”), the owner of the Crab Shack where Earl drinks beer, offers his support. But it’s Earl’s ex-wife Joy (Jaime Pressly, “Not Another Teen Movie”) who won’t help him unless there’s something in it for her.

Created and written by Garcia (”Yes, Dear”), MY NAME IS EARL is executive-produced by Garcia, Buckland (”Medical Investigation,” “Ed”) and Bobby Bowman (”Yes, Dear”). The series is produced by Amigos de Garcia and Twentieth Century Fox Television.

In its first two seasons on the air, MY NAME IS EARL has earned four Emmys�, including an Outstanding Writing award for executive producer Greg Garcia (”Yes, Dear”) and an Outstanding Directing award for executive producer Marc Buckland (”Medical Investigation,” “Ed”); a Directors Guild of America Award for Buckland; a People’s Choice Award; a Television Critics Association Award; and a GLAAD Media Award. In addition, it has received three Golden Globes� nominations and four Screen Actors Guild Awards� nominations.