PREMIERING SEPTEMBER 28, 2019
“CBS Dream Team, It’s Epic!” New Half-Hour Series, by Production Partners Litton Entertainment & Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Features Leading Women in STEM Helmed by All-Female Leadership Team
NEW YORK, SEPT. 4, 2019 — CBS announced today that new series Mission Unstoppable is joining the Saturday morning block “The CBS Dream Team, It’s Epic!,” which returns for its seventh season Saturday, Sept. 28th (9:00-12:00 ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Each week, host and Executive Producer Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) and an all-female leadership team showcase women on the cutting edge of science – including zoologists, engineers, astronauts, codebreakers, and oceanographers. Viewers will be inspired by female STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) superstars in leading fields including social media, entertainment, animals, design, and the internet – all categories key to the teen experience.
Geena Davis, Academy-Award winning actor and founder and chair of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media at Mount Saint Mary’s, and Madeline Di Nonno, CEO, serve as co-executive producers of the series, bringing their passion for creating change in the portrayal of strong female characters in entertainment and media that positively influences young viewers.
“Strong female role models are essential to breaking down barriers and educating the next generation of leaders about gender equality,” said Geena Davis, Executive Producer, Mission Unstoppable. “Girls need to see themselves on and off the screen as STEM professionals, and as I always say, ‘If they can see it, they can be it.’” This new series strives to empower young women and showcase the many ways they can impact the world through careers in STEM.”
Serving as Showrunner is Anna Wenger, four-time Emmy-nominated producer for Billy on The Street, Between Two Ferns, and Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles. Wenger’s expertise in narrative television and sketch comedy television series will provide Mission Unstoppable with its core intent to bring fun and science to life for young viewers.
Mission Unstoppable is produced by Litton Entertainment in collaboration with IF/THEN®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, who will also serve as an Executive Producer on the series. Together, the production partners seek to further advance women in STEM by empowering innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers through media and learning experiences. A network of 100+ women STEM professionals from around the country who are serving as IF/THEN® Ambassadors will energize and support the show’s storytelling. A list of the 100+ Ambassadors, some of which will be featured on the series, will be announced shortly.
“IF/THEN® is designed to activate a culture shift among young girls and open their eyes to STEM careers,” said Nicole Small, President of Lyda Hill Philanthropies and co-founder of the IF/THEN® Initiative. “Inspiring girls with authentic role models of women in STEM through media that is fun to watch like Mission Unstoppable is core to our strategy. Ubiquity among these young women as they consume content, on television and digital platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, helps pique their interest in STEM careers.”
ABOUT LITTON ENTERTAINMENT
Litton Entertainment, a division of Hearst Television, is the preeminent independent producer and distributor in the U.S. television industry, creating and distributing quality programming for over 20 years with a specialty in educational and informational (“E/I”) programming. Litton talent and crews can often be found traveling the globe producing Emmy winning, content distributed worldwide. Litton’s Weekend Adventure, produced by Litton Studios, was the first program block of its kind and airs Saturdays on ABC stations nationwide. Litton Entertainment provides CBS Network with six original programs for Saturday mornings called CBS Dream Team: It’s Epic!; The CW Network with One Magnificent Morning, a three-hour destination featuring E/I programming; and NBC stations with six original E/I series under the iconic brand The More You Know. Litton’s syndication and news division distributes a diverse slate of programs including the new E/I block Go Time! and Consumer Reports TV. For more information, visit litton.tv. Litton is majority-owned by Hearst.
ABOUT IF/THEN
IF/THEN®, an extension of Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ commitment to fund game-changing advancements in science and nature, seeks to further advance women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers. Rooted in a firm belief that there is no better time to highlight positive and successful female professional role models, IF/THEN® is designed to activate a culture shift among young girls to open their eyes to STEM careers by: (1) funding and elevating women in STEM as role models, (2) convening cross-sector partners in entertainment, fashion, sports, business and academia to illuminate the importance of STEM everywhere, and (3) inspiring girls with better portrayals of women in STEM through media and learning experiences to pique their interest in STEM careers.
ABOUT LYDA HILL PHILANTHROPIES
Lyda Hill Philanthropies encompasses the charitable giving of founder Lyda Hill and includes her foundation and personal philanthropy. As one of its priorities, Lyda Hill Philanthropies funds transformational advances in science and nature. To learn more, please visit lydahillphilanthropies.org.
ABOUT THE GEENA DAVIS INSTITUTE ON GENDER IN MEDIA
Founded by Academy Award®-winning actor Geena Davis, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media at Mount Saint Mary’s University is the only research-based organization working within the media and entertainment industries to dramatically improve how girls and women are reflected in media targeting children 11 and under.
Contact:
Jodi Davis and Kelly Munzenberger
Goodman Media for Lyda Hill Philanthropies
IfThenpr@goodmanmedia.com
212-576-2700
