The Movie Network Encore Presents New Starz Series SWEETBITTER and VIDA

“The SWEETBITTER trailer will make you want to drink a ton of wine and make out in the street” – Cosmopolitan “[VIDA]…tells American story from ‘Latinx, queer’ perspective” – USA Today TORONTO (March 20, 2018) – Following Bell Media’s recent announcement that it has joined forces with Lionsgate to bring premium entertainment television brand Starz to Canada, The Movie Network Encore (TMN Encore), the future home of Starz in Canada, presents the premiere of SWEETBITTER and VIDA, two new half-hour dramas slated to debut on Sunday, May 6. Starz programming airs during the newly launched “Starz on Encore” block on Sunday nights. From Brad Pitt’s Plan B Productions, SWEETBITTER, premiering at 10 p.m. ET, is a half-hour drama set in the chaotic and adrenalized world of the restaurant industry in New York City. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by series creator Stephanie Danler, SWEETBITTER tells the story of 22-year-old Tess (Ella Purnell, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) who finds a job at one of the best restaurants in the city, and is quickly intoxicated by the behind-the-scenes world of the restaurant industry, tasting expensive wines, exploring dive bars, and learning who she can trust. Danler serves as executive producer along with Stu Zicherman (THE AFFAIR) who also serves as showrunner. The new half-hour drama VIDA, which recently had its World Premiere at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, follows at 10:30 p.m. ET and focuses on two Mexican-American sisters, Emma (Mishel Prada, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD: PASSAGE) and Lyn (Melissa Barrera, PERSEGUIDOS), from the East Side of Los Angeles. Circumstances force them to return to their old neighbourhood, where they are confronted by the past and surprising truth about their mother’s identity. Tanya Saracho (LOOKING, GIRLS) serves as showrunner and executive producer. SWEETBITTER and VIDA join TMN Encore’s current slate of Starz programming which includes COUNTERPART, the captivating spy thriller starring J.K. Simmons (Sundays at 8 p.m. ET) and Season 1 of Michael Bay’s adventure drama BLACK SAILS (Sundays at 9 p.m. ET). In addition, TMN Encore subscribers can find even more Starz programming in a newly launched Starz Collection, now available On Demand and on TMN GO. The collection features a robust lineup of hit library titles such as past seasons of PARTY DOWN, POWER, THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE, SURVIVOR’S REMORSE, DAVINCI’S DEMONS, THE WHITE QUEEN, and more. Starz content can also be found on CraveTV^™ as part of The Starz Sampler collection.