PREMIERE DATE ANNOUNCED FOR NEW JOHN STAMOS COMEDY ON ABC, "JAKE IN PROGRESS"

Series to Get Special Preview Sunday, March 13 Before Settling in on Thursday Night

"Jake in Progress," a new comedy series starring John Stamos as a smooth-as-silk celebrity publicist, will get a special preview with two back-to-back episodes airing SUNDAY, MARCH 13 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET). The series will premiere in its regular time slot THURSDAY, MARCH 17 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), where it is slated to air two episodes back-to-back for six weeks.

In its Sunday preview, "Jake in Progress" will follow "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which has been a consistent performer Sunday at 8:00 p.m. for ABC this season. "Home Edition" is drawing an average audience of 15.7 million viewers and a 6.5 rating, 16 share among Adults 18-49, ranking as the second-highest-rated TV program on Sunday night, behind only ABC's "Desperate Housewives."

Jake Phillips tries to spin his professional and personal life in the best possible light, but doesn't quite always succeed. Life moves at a non-stop pace for Jake, a New York-based publicist-to-the-stars who's the key player at Magnum PR Agency. His overbearing boss, Naomi (Wendie Malick), is a woman whose disposition isn't improved by the fact that she's a soon-to-be single mom in the final weeks of pregnancy. Handsome and incredibly well-dressed, Jake is on call 24/7 to meet the needs of his A-list clientele: Whether it's a macho action star caught in an embarrassing clinch, an older actress trying to dump her much-younger (and even more famous) boyfriend, or two warring teen divas, he's there to spin the facts and control his client's image, a task that often leads him into unexpectedly funny situations.

But the drama in Jake's professional life has nothing on his personal life. Left a little vulnerable when his fiancie dumped him flat, Jake strives to find the perfect girl to commit to, once and for all.

"Jake in Progress" stars John Stamos as Jake, Ian Gomez as Adrian, Rick Hoffman as Patrick and Wendie Malick as Naomi.

The series is executive-produced by Brad Grey ("The Sopranos," "The Larry Sanders Show"), Peter Traugott, and Jeffrey Richman ("Frasier"). Tim Doyle ("Roseanne," "Andy Richter Controls the Universe") served as executive producer on the pilot. Austin Winsberg ("Still Standing") is creator and executive producer. The series is from Brad Grey Television Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television.