Business Wire: Best Selling Author Ben Mezrich Hosts High Stakes with Ben Mezrich Exploring the Secr

LOS ANGELES -- Court TV has tapped #1 best-selling author Ben Mezrich to star in a documentary series, High Stakes with Ben Mezrich(TM). In addition, he will serve as an on-going special correspondent for the network through appearances on Hollywood Heat(TM), Catherine Crier Live(TM) and The Smoking Gun(TM) specials. The new series, premiering in October, explores the culture of young, highly educated, millionaires and reveals the excesses, the beauty and the danger of life in a fast-track world. Mezrich will take viewers into "after hours" clubs in Bangkok, gambling casinos in Manhattan, high-stakes wagering in Monaco and other "underground" activities, uncovering a secret world in which everything is available and anything can happen.

Ben Mezrich is the author of eight books, including Bringing Down the House, which has been on the NY Times Best-Seller List for the past 48 weeks. It is the true story of M.I.T. students who developed a winning blackjack strategy that earned them millions and thrust them into the seedy underworld of corporate gaming, private investigators and violence. Trigger Street is executive producing High Stakes with Ben Mezrich(TM) and MGM has purchased the motion picture rights to Bringing Down the House.

"Ben and his unique point of view enhance Court TV's position as the authority on investigative programming," says Art Bell, President and Chief Operating Officer of Court TV. "High Stakes with Ben Mezrich(TM) broadens the scope of our line-up and is part of our on-going commitment to appeal to younger viewers."

Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Ben Mezrich graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1991. He was accepted to law school but opted instead to become a professional writer. His current book, Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Market for Millions is the true story of John Malcolm, a hungry young Princeton graduate working in Asia who pulled off a trade that could be described as the biggest deal in the history of the financial markets. The book is set against the backdrop of corporate Japan's wild partying and illicit nightlife.

High Stakes with Ben Mezrich(TM) is executive produced by Trigger Street productions in association with Great Projects film. Mark Fichandler is the VP of Documentary Development for Court TV, and Anthony Horn will serve as Executive Producer.

Court TV - The Investigation Channel(TM), is the leader in the investigation genre, providing a window on the American system of justice through distinctive programming that both informs and entertains. Court TV telecasts trials by day and high-profile original programs like Forensic Files(R) and popular off-network series like NYPD Blue(R) in the evening. Court TV is 50% owned by Time Warner, and 50% owned by Liberty Media Corp. The network is seen in over 81 million homes. (www.courttv.com or AOL Keyword: Court TV)