MUMBAI: Fresh from the success that its mini series Angels in America enjoyed in the US last year HBO has announced that its new mini series Empire Falls will air in the US in May.

Empire Falls is based on Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize-winning best seller and as is generally the case stars a who is who of Hollywood. The cast includes Ed Harris, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Oscar winning veteran Paul Newman, Robin Wright Penn, Aidan Quinn and Joanne Woodward.

The two part miniseries was shot in 2003 in Waterville, Skowhegan and other Maine towns.

At its center is Miles Roby, who runs the Empire Grill, a restaurant that becomes the crossroads for a captivating mix of characters whose lives and pasts are inextricably intertwined. Russo said that he is very pleased with how it came out . "The performances are stunning. It is a beautiful film and central Maine comes off looking really good. I think that the people of Maine will be really pleased with the way their lives and their towns come across."

The show airs on 28 and 29 May.
In the addition HBO On Demand will offer a unique viewing option apart from any of the versions on the traditional linear channels. The eight "chapters" of the miniseries will be available separately. HBO2 will debut Parts 1 and 2 back-to-back on 30 May. Throughout June, both HBO and HBO2 will present the two parts back-to-back as well as on consecutive days.

HBO executive VP programme planning David Baldwin says, "Taken as a whole, this rollout of Empire Falls represents the latest example of how HBO is recreating the way television is made available to its viewers. This plan gives HBO subscribers almost unlimited choice and access to the event, while still allowing for the traditional excitement of a mini-series premiere over the holiday weekend."