PREMIERE

DR. BILL HOFFMAN ASSIGNS HIS GROUP TO MAKE HUMAN CONNECTIONS, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT HIS OWN PERSONAL CONNECTIONS NEED WORK, ON THE PREMIERE OF �HELP ME HELP YOU,� TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 ON ABC

Jane Kaczmarek (�Malcolm in the Middle�) Guest Stars as Bill�s Wife, Anne

Ted Danson (�Cheers,� �Becker�) stars in this comedy series about a collection of eccentric individuals in group therapy with a respected therapist -- who may quite possibly have more problems than his patients -- on the premiere of �Help Me Help You,� TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 (9:30-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Dr. Bill Hoffman (Danson) is a brilliant therapist with a lucrative practice and the author of several definitive psychotherapy texts. He is an icon among his fellow therapists. But his over-inflated ego is dealt a blow when he is forced to come to grips with the end of his 25-year marriage to wife Anne (guest star Jane Kaczmarek, �Malcolm in the Middle�). Things are changing too fast, and Bill is struggling to keep up.

When it comes to the group patients, Bill also has his work cut out for him: The newest group member, Dave (Charlie Finn, the film �The Dukes of Hazzard�), recently attempted suicide by jumping out of his office window -- and landing on his boss; Jonathan (Jim Rash, �Sky High�) is a self-avowed metro-sexual who is in serious denial that he might possibly be gay; Inger (Suzy Nakamura, �Dodgeball�) is a 25-year-old, self-made millionaire who totally lacks social skills and hasn�t had a real date in over six years; Darlene (Darlene Hunt, �I Heart Huckabees�) has too many psychological issues to count, including her obsession with Dr. Hoffman; and Michael (Jere Burns, �Good Morning Miami,� �Dear John�) has anger issues at work, which is what led him into mandatory group therapy.

The group will try to apply Bill�s advice to their lives out in the world, while Bill tries to figure out his own life problems.

On the premiere episode, �Pilot,� Bill assigns the group to go out and make connections with other people. Dave tries to make a connection with a woman in his office that he has a crush on, Jonathan tries to make friends with a local coffee house barista, Inger tries her hand at internet dating, and Darlene spends time with a new man she just met� who just happens to be fellow group member Michael. Meanwhile Bill discovers that Anne is in a relationship with the guy who sold him his car and that his daughter is dating her psychology professor � a man old enough to be her father.

�Help Me Help You� stars Ted Danson as Dr. Bill Hoffman, Charlie Finn as Dave, Jim Rash as Jonathan, Suzy Nakamura as Inger, Darlene Hunt as Darlene and Jere Burns as Michael.

Guest starring are Jane Kaczmarek as Anne, Lindsay Sloane as Sasha, Steve Bannos as Dave�s boss, Kathleen Rose Perkins as Jonathan�s wife, Bruce Altman as Professor Ira Morton, Michael Cotter as j-date, Lou George as therapist, Parvesh Cheena as Parvesh, Meredith Roberts as Francesca, Artemis Pebdani as office worker no. 1, Sharon Brathwaite as office worker no. 2, Thomas F. Wilson as Kenny, Mykel Shannon Jenkins as Shannon (coffee guy), Blaine Vedros as waiter, Majandra Delfino as Lucy and Sunil Malhotra as tow truck guy.

�Pilot� was written by Jennifer Konner & Alexandra Rushfield and directed by Brian Dannelly.

�Help Me Help You� was created by Jennifer Konner & Alexandra Rushfield (�Undeclared�), who also serve as executive producers, along with Alex Reid (�Malcolm in the Middle�). The show is from Regency Television.

�Help Me Help You� is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC�s selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound and Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning.

A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.