ABC FAMILY ANNOUNCES 2007 SUMMER AND FALL SCHEDULE
New Series Include "Greek" and "Slacker Cats"
Returning Series Include "Kyle XY," "Lincoln Heights" and "Wildfire"
"Fallen" Returns as a Special Event with Four All New Hours
ABC Family acquires "That 70's Show" and the Tom Bergeron hosted episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos"
10th Annual "25 Days of Christmas" Event Includes Two Original Movies and the Basic Cable Premiere of "The Incredibles"
Paul Lee, president, ABC Family, today outlined ABC Family's plans for summer and fall of 2007 as well as exciting new online initiatives. Scheduled to debut this summer is the second season of ABC Family's highest rated original series "Kyle XY," the angel mythology continues when "Fallen" returns with four new hours, and new series "Greek" and "Slacker Cats" join the lineup. In addition to the summer series, ABC Family has ordered a fourth season of "Wildfire" and a second season of "Lincoln Heights." The 10th annual "25 Days of Christmas" event will feature two original movies as well as the basic cable premiere of "The Incredibles."
"We're excited to launch the summer with the return of the highly anticipated "Kyle XY" and our new series "Greek" which speaks to our core millennial audience," said Mr. Lee. "We finished 1Q as the network's most watched ever and look forward to continuing our ratings rise this summer with a fantastic slate of programming."
Powered by December 2006's record-setting deliveries, which benefited from all-time best returns for the net's 9th annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming event, along with original series "Kyle XY's" break-out first season, 2006 finished as ABC Family's most-watched year in its history in Primetime in Total Viewers (1.1 million). The momentum has carried over to 2007, as 1Q07 now stands as the Network's most-watched 1Q of all time in Total Viewers (1.1 million-tied 1Q05 and 1Q02), Adults 18-34 (247,000), Adults 18-49 (477,000) and Viewers 12-34 (417,000).
"Kyle XY" premieres Monday, June 11 (8:00 � 9:00 PM ET/PT). More questions arise and the risk of danger escalates in the second season of the hit ABC Family original series "Kyle XY," which returns with 13 new episodes. Kyle begins to learn the truth about his past, learn the full scope of his abilities and the unknown dangers that lurk outside the family's walls. The peril only increases when the girl in the pod is set free and is on the hunt for Kyle. Can Kyle keep the threats away or will they come straight through the Trager's front door? Cast includes breakout star Matt Dallas, Marguerite MacIntyre, Bruce Thomas, April Matson, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Chris Olivero, Kristen Prout and newcomer Jaimie Alexander. ABCFamily.com will roll out a three part online initiative to promote the season two premiere. All three new areas will contain different interactive features that will enhance viewers' "Kyle XY" experience.
"Greek" premieres July (exact date TBD) with ten episodes. Each fall, college campuses are flooded with new students, all looking to experience higher education in their own way... "Greek" focuses on collegiate life and the social minefield that is the Greek system. Viewers will see this unique cast of characters navigate their way through this treacherous terrain as they try to find their place at Cyprus-Rhodes University. The ensemble cast includes Jacob Zachar, Spencer Grammer, Scott Michael Foster, Jake McDorman, Clark Duke, Dilshad Vadsaria, Paul James and Amber Stevens. ABCFamily.com will be hosting a "Virtual Rush" website that invites viewers to "rush" fictional "houses" by uploading photos, videos and creating their own online profiles.
"Fallen" returns as a special event premiering with four new hours on August 3, 4 and 5th. The journey continues with "Fallen," based on the series of hit books by Tom Sniegoski, which chronicles the phenomenal journey of an 18-year-old Nephilim, who struggles to come to terms with his newly discovered identity as he is drawn into a world where angels -- good and evil -- walk among us. This story delves into the mythology of the fallen angels and their offspring, who are looking for the chosen one to come redeem them and allow them back into Heaven. Paul Wesley, Rick Worthy and Fernanda Andrade will all return to their roles from the original two-hour movie that premiered on July 23, 2006. The cast also includes Bryan Cranston, Ivana Milicevic, Hal Ozsan, Will Yun Lee and Rade Sherbedgia.
"Slacker Cats" will premiere this August as ABC Family's first animated series. "Slacker Cats" follows two buddy cats, Buckley and Eddie, who slack their way through various unimpressive adventures. The half-hour primetime animated comedy series, features the voices of Harland Williams, Sinbad, Kiersten Warren, Nicole Sullivan, Niecy Nash, Alex Borstein and legendary cult stand-up Emo Philips. BAFTA winners, Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley ("Hyperdrive") bring their first American television series to ABC Family later this year.
"Lincoln Heights" will return for its second season this September with ten new episodes. "Lincoln Heights" follows the lives of the Sutton family. Eddie is an ambitious police officer, who moved his wife and three kids to the inner-city neighborhood where he was raised, with hopes of cleaning it up and making a difference. But when the neighborhood proves to be uninviting and dangerous, Eddie finds himself wanting to move his family to the safety they once knew. At the end of season one, we see that the move to Lincoln Heights is bittersweet for the Suttons and that the community has truly embraced their new neighbors. Together the Suttons will rebuild and begin to find their place in season two of "Lincoln Heights." The cast includes Russell Hornsby, Nicki Micheaux, Erica Hubbard, Mishon Ratliff, Rhyon Brown, Robert Adamson and Michael Reilly Burke.
"Wildfire" is currently in production on its fourth season and will return this January with 13 new episodes full of romance, rivalries and racing. When the series began, Kris was given a second chance at life when the Ritters took her in and made her a part of Raintree Farms and tapped into her hidden talent as a jockey. When Kris makes a decision that puts Raintree in jeopardy, her world comes crumbling down around her. Now, she is back on her own. What is next for Kris? The ensemble cast includes Genevieve Cortese, Ryan Sypek, Micah Alberti, Nicole Tubiola, Nana Visitor, Greg Serano, and James Read.
ABC Family has acquired the Tom Bergeron hosted episodes of an American television institution, "America's Funniest Home Videos" which premieres this October and has also acquired "That 70's Show" premiering in 2008. Another keystone event for the network is "13 Nights of Halloween" which includes a new original movie, "Nature of the Beast," a classic story of boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy turns into werewolf, starring Eric Mabius and Eddie Kaye Thomas.
ABC Family's 10th annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming event, will feature over two hundred hours of holiday-themed entertainment for the whole family from December 1- 25. In addition to classic holiday favorites like "Rudolph's Shiny New Year," "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" and "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town," this year's holiday event will also feature two original movie premieres, "Snow Globe" (working title) and "Holiday in Handcuffs" starring Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez, as well as the basic cable premiere of "The Incredibles." "25 Days of Christmas" will launch with the first ever "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas" which adds eleven additional days of holiday programming and a third original holiday movie.
Part of the Disney-ABC-TV Group, ABC Family, distributed in over 91 million homes, features original movies, series and specials reflecting today's families and entertaining and connecting with adults through relevant stories about today's relationships, all told with diversity, dysfunction, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a mix of quality acquired series and theatricals as well as original movies and scripted dramas. ABC Family is also the destination for Holiday events with "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas" branded programming events. ABC Family. A New Kind of Family. Art available at www.abcfamilynet.com
|