THE WEIGHT IS OVER; NBC ANNOUNCES OCTOBER 19 PREMIERE FOR FIRST REALITY SERIES IN WHICH THE BIGGEST WINNER IS 'THE BIGGEST LOSER'; HOSTED BY CAROLINE RHEA

THE WEIGHT IS OVER; NBC ANNOUNCES OCTOBER 19 PREMIERE FOR FIRST REALITY SERIES IN WHICH THE BIGGEST WINNER IS 'THE BIGGEST LOSER'; HOSTED BY CAROLINE RHEA

Top Celebrity Trainers Use Innovative Nutrition and Exercise Plans -- No Snipping, Stapling or Sucking -- In New Weight Loss Competition Show

BURBANK - September 28, 2004 � The biggest thing in reality TV is coming on Tuesday, October 19 (8-9 p.m. ET) when NBC premieres "The Biggest Loser" -- the first reality series in which everybody "loses" -- when overweight participants receive the opportunity to undergo a radical physical makeover without any kind of surgery. Comedian Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina, the Teenage Witch") hosts the new, unscripted and life-altering one-hour reality series (previously announced) in which whomever loses the most...wins!

Losing won't be easy, as the 12 contestants (six male and six female) from across the country will face real-life temptations while being provided with approved weight-loss skills and resources in an effort to help them transform their bodies, health -- and ultimately, their lives.

The twelve contestants will be divided into two teams of six; the Blue team and the Red team; mixed gender and organized to be equal in weight. Each team will then be assigned a trainer to provide their team with individual fitness and nutrition regimens. One trainer has a tough 'boot camp' attitude while the other offers a much calmer approach yet remains strict and focused on results. Viewers will also have the opportunity to study and learn two individual dieting methods these high profile celebrity trainers incorporate into their team's nutrition plan.

Not only do these teams face difficult and demanding daily work-outs, and a weekly competition in the form of a challenge, but the true test of their determination and commitment comes during a weekly weigh-in. Once a week, each team member will be weighed to determine the total pounds lost as a team. The team that loses the least amount of weight is faced with having to eliminate one of their own.

Unique physical challenges, surprising alliances and enticing temptations that sometimes prove too hard to resist make each week's competition and elimination even tougher. In the end, "The Biggest Loser" becomes the biggest winner, walking away with a healthier body � and $250,000.

A stand up comedian, Rhea recently hosted the talk show "The Caroline Rhea Show," but is perhaps best known to viewers for her role as the good witch Hilda on the comedy "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch." Earlier, she also had a starring role on the comedy series "Pride & Joy." Rhea's television movies include "The Santa Claus Brothers," "Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire" and "On the Edge." She also appeared on NBC's summer hit "Last Comic Standing" in 2003.

In addition, Rhea's feature film credits include "Man on the Moon," "The Shot" and the upcoming "Christmas with the Kranks."

The two six-player teams will be overseen by two celebrity fitness trainers: Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. Michaels holds certificates from the leading certification programs in the country: the American Council of Exercise (ACE); and the American Fitness Association of America (AFAA), and has been recognized by The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) for Advanced Exercise Nutrition as well as Supplementation for Training and Performance. Her celebrity clientele includes entertainment mogul David Geffen, Amanda Peet ("Something's Gotta Give"), Vanessa Marcil (NBC's "Vegas"), Amber Tamblyn ("Joan of Arcadia"), Sarah Paulson ("Down with Love") and Jeremy Renner ("S.W.A.T.").

Certified by The American Fitness Trainers of Athletics (AFTA), Aerobic and Fitness Associations (AFAA) and an International Presenter and Representative (IDEA), Bob Harper is a consultant to trainers and teachers alike. He has worked as a personal trainer, fitness instructor and group fitness coordinator for elite gyms around the country, and has traveled around the world to speak about his training technique and style. Harper has trained such celebrities as Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Ellen Degeneres, Melissa Etheridge, Guy Ritchie, Lauren Dern, Selma Blair, Jessica Alba and Dermot Mulroney.

The contestants will be under the supervision of off-camera medical experts, including Dr. Robert Huizenga, a Harvard Medical School graduate, former NFL Raiders advisor and author of "You're OK, It's Just a Bruise," the book on which the feature film "Any Given Sunday" was based. Also monitoring the well-being of the contestants is nutritionist Dr. Dave Heber, Director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles, a Professor of Medicine and Public Health, the founding Chief of the Division of Clinical Nutrition in the Department of Medicine and the Founding Director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA.

"The Biggest Loser" is a production of Reveille, 25/7 Productions, 3 Ball Productions and NBC Universal Television Studio. Ben Silverman (NBC's "The Restaurant," "The Office: An American Workplace"), David Broome ("Jingle Ball Rock"), JD Roth ("NBC's "For Love or Money," "Endurance"), John Foy ("NBC's "For Love or Money," "Endurance") and Todd A. Nelson (NBC's "For Love or Money 3", "Endurance") are the executive producers.