BBC's ''Fawlty Towers'' Now Available on Akimbo Internet VOD Service; Akimbo Delivers Classic British Comedy Series Over the Internet to Any TV.

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- Akimbo(TM) today announced that "Fawlty Towers," the vintage BBC comedy series whose irreverent appeal remains undiminished to audiences worldwide, will be added to the Akimbo Service through a deal brokered by Beth Clearfield, vice president of programming at BBC Worldwide Americas. "Fawlty Towers" joins other popular BBC comedies available on Akimbo such as "2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps" and "Porridge."

Subscribers of Akimbo's Internet-to-TV video-on-demand service have at their fingertips a vast collection of more than 8,000 titles -- including full-length movies, TV shows, foreign language content, children's videos, travelogues, how-to programs, experimental and short films, video blogs and more. Now loyal fans of the award-winning "Fawlty Towers" will be able to watch their favorite episodes on-demand, at the click of a button, via Akimbo.

When Basil and Sybil Fawlty first opened the doors of their hotel in 1975, "Fawlty Towers" attracted a cult following that has since grown beyond the borders of Great Britain to span 61 countries. The success of "Fawlty Towers" proves that enthusiasm for British humor -- with its dry wit, outrageous situations and endless self-parodies -- knows no bounds.

"Like many of the beloved TV series featured on Akimbo, 'Fawlty Towers' has a large fan base that crosses all TV markets and demographics," said Josh Goldman, chief executive officer of Akimbo. "We added 'Fawlty Towers' to the Akimbo Service because even though it is more than 30 years old, the antics of John Cleese and the rest of the cast are easily as fresh and funny as anything now on primetime TV."

"BBC Worldwide continues to look for new ways to reach audiences and extend the lifespan of our content," said Candace Carlisle, senior vice president, BBC Worldwide Americas. "Akimbo lets us bring the best in British comedy to whole new audiences, ensuring that 'Fawlty Towers' will endure as a cult smash for many years to come."

Akimbo's award-winning service bridges the gap between broadcast and broadband, complementing existing broadcast, cable and satellite systems. The Akimbo collection features on-demand video and movies from over 185 providers. Programs include well-known film and television fare as well as hard-to-find specialty video in areas like extreme sports, education, music, healthy sustainable living, independent films and foreign languages.

Consumers can sign up for Akimbo through the Online Spotlight area of Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005 PCs or order an Akimbo Player at www.akimbo.com.

About "Fawlty Towers"

Everyone loves "Fawlty Towers" -- except the poor, abused guests. Since that memorable evening in the mid-1970s when the hotel opened its doors to the public, it has become cult viewing in 61 countries worldwide. And despite being screened again and again the programmes haven't lost their appeal -- Basil and Sybil's insults to each other, Manuel's plaintive "Que?", and "Don't mention the war" from "The Germans" have been absorbed into everyday speech. The series won three BAFTAs and, perhaps uniquely in the history of television, has never received a bad press review. When the DVD was released in 2001, over 30 years since the first transmission, it sold a staggering 37,000 copies in its first month and scooped Best Comedy on DVD at the Quality Street Awards. Sales of the videos and books have also been remarkable.

About BBC Worldwide Americas:

BBC Worldwide Americas (BBCWA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of BBC Worldwide, the commercial consumer arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC's assets and invest in public service programming in return for rights. In 2004/05 BBC Worldwide returned GBP 145 million to the BBC from its six business operations: TV Channels, TV Sales, BBC Magazines, Home Entertainment, Children's and New Media.

About Akimbo

With the Akimbo Service, your wish is on demand(TM). Akimbo was named "Best of What's New" by Popular Science and accepted 2005 Digital World Innovations and CES Best of Innovations 2005 awards. With 12 patent applications featuring more than 150 patent claims, Akimbo is the first company to deliver digital-quality video-on-demand to any television via a broadband-Internet connection. Akimbo has offices in San Mateo, Calif. and is a privately held company funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Sprout Group and Zone Ventures. For more information, visit www.akimbo.com

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