USA Network Honors Classic THE COLOR PURPLE with a Social TV Activation on Zeebox

USA is hosting a special, interactive experience on Zeebox to provide thought-provoking enhanced content during the special airing of The Color Purple, on Saturday, November 17 at 8/7c. During the movie, people on Zeebox can find facts and resources tied to issues addressed in the film such as racism, violence against women and civil rights. For every SHOUT OUT made through Zeebox, USA will make a donation to its Characters Unite nonprofit partners championing civil and human rights.

Fans can download the Zeebox companion TV viewing platform on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android or access it via the web at Zeebox.com.

The airing of The Color Purple is part of a new quarterly film series to build upon the Characters Unite public service campaign to combat hate and discrimination and promote greater tolerance and acceptance.

The special telecast of The Color Purple also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the publication of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning and The New York Times bestselling novel The Color Purple, on which the film is based. A gripping account of courage in the face of oppression, the film tells the story of a poor, uneducated, African-American girl named Celie Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg) living in rural Georgia during the 1930s. As Celie struggles to find her self-worth in a time of segregation and degradation, she encounters injustice at every turn. And yet, it is through these experiences that Celie is able to find her strength, her faith and her community, and is ultimately able to rise above the terrible, abusive circumstances surrounding her. The film adaptation, which was directed by Steven Spielberg and includes an all-star cast featuring Goldberg as well as Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover, received 11 Academy Award nominations.

Characters Unite, USA Network's award-winning public service campaign was created to address the social injustices and cultural divides still prevalent in our society. Inspired by USA Network's iconic "Characters Welcome" brand and with the support of leading national nonprofit organizations, the ongoing campaign is dedicated to combating prejudice, discrimination and intolerance while promoting understanding and acceptance -- on-air, online and in communities around the country.

The #1 network in all of basic cable for six consecutive years and an unprecedented seven straight summers, USA Network is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals, spectacular live television and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.