Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw Returning as Hosts of TNT�s Annual CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON Concert; Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Ciara Scheduled to Perform
Gala Premieres Exclusively on TNT Wednesday, Dec. 14
Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw will return for a second year as hosts of Turner Network Television�s (TNT) annual presentation of the CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON concert. Popular recording artists Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Ciara will perform. Annually attended by the President and First Lady, Washington�s top politicians and VIPs, CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON celebrates the holiday in musical style while benefiting the National Children�s Medical Center. This year�s concert will be taped at the historical National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., premiering on TNT Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
�CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON is an annual tradition that brings Americans together in a musical celebration of the holidays,� said Steve Koonin, executive vice president and chief operating officer for TNT and TBS. �We are thrilled Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw, who provide hope and healing to so many people, are returning as hosts of this very special event.�
Dr. Phil McGraw has galvanized millions of people to �get real� about their own behavior and to create more positive lives. His nationally syndicated daily one-hour series, Dr. Phil, currently in its fourth season, has been making headlines and breaking records since its September 2002 launch. Having made his television debut as an expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil is known for dealing with real-life issues in his signature �tell-it-like-it-is� style. He is author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers: Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters; Relationship Rescue: A Seven-Step Strategy for Reconnecting with Your Partner; Self Matters: Creating Your Life From the Inside Out; The Ultimate Weight Solution: The Seven Keys to Weight Loss Freedom and Family First: Your Step-by-Step Plan for Creating a Phenomenal Family. His books have been published in 37 languages with more than 22 million copies in print. Along with being one of the world�s most sought after public speakers, Dr. Phil also provides strategic guidance for millions of Americans through his monthly column in O, The Oprah Magazine. In concert with his books, television show and speaking events, Dr. Phil launched the Dr. Phil Foundation in 2003, a non-profit charitable organization that is committed to helping children and families at risk. As a professional psychologist, he has published numerous scholarly articles and has practiced in the many fields of clinical psychology and behavioral medicine. Dr. Phil has a B.S, M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from North Texas State University, with a dual area of emphasis in clinical and behavioral medicine.
Robin McGraw has made �family first� her mission. Married for 29 years to Dr. Phil, whom she fondly refers to as �Phillip,� Robin has made her marriage and raising their two sons, Jay and Jordan, her priority in life. Thanks to her numerous appearances on the Dr. Phil show, viewers worldwide have embraced Robin�s contributions to the show � whether it be discussing her experiences as a mother and wife or dealing with issues that women face in the many phases of their lives. Robin has been one of the most sought-after new authors within the publishing world, and it was recently announced that Nelson Books, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, has signed Robin for her first book, due be released in 2006.
Five years into a career marked by superlatives, Rascal Flatts has become country music�s premiere young headlining band. Hits like �These Days,� �I�m Movin� On,� �I Melt,� �Mayberry,� �Bless The Broken Road� and �Fast Cars and Freedom� have taken them repeatedly to the top of the charts. Their three-album catalog has sold 8 million units, with their most recent effort, Feels Like Today, ranking as the best-selling album of 2005. They have pulled in a host of awards and accolades, and are the reigning 2003 & 2004 CMA and 2005, 2004 & 2003 ACM Vocal Group of the Year, as well as the 2004 CMT and ASCAP Vocal Group of the Year. They have played for the President and First Lady, become national spokesmen for the American Red Cross and hosted a farewell tribute to the legendary group Alabama, to whom they continue to draw comparisons. They�ve also headlined sell-out tours: 2003�s CMT Most Wanted Live Tour; 2004�s I Melt Tour and 2004-05�s Here�s To You Tour, which is breaking venue attendance records across the nation.
2005 American Idol winner Carrie Underwood left her last semester of college to audition for the reality talent show and a little over one year later she will release her debut album Some Hearts on Nov. 15, the same day as the Country Music Association Awards. Her first single, "Jesus, Take The Wheel," charted at No. 39 in its debut week on the Billboard and R&R singles charts and becomes the first time a country newcomer has debuted inside the Top 40 since the start of the BDS era.
Multi-platinum R&B artist Ciara hails from Atlanta, where she has developed her skills among some of the city�s biggest and brightest producers, including Jazze Pha, who executive-produced her debut album and Crunk&B master Lil� Jon, who produced her lead single. Her self-titled LaFace/Zomba Label Group debut album is a dose of real-life issues conveyed through everyday language and extraordinary production and vocal delivery. It includes her three #1 hits: �Goodies,� �1, 2 Step� and �Oh,� as well as her newest single, �And I.�
CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON, a two-time Emmy-winning program for Musical Direction and six-time nominee overall, is executive-produced by 11-time Emmy-winner George Stevens, Jr. and directed and produced by Michael Stevens for The Stevens Company. For TNT, Ricki Rosenfeld and David Bryant serve as executives in charge of production, with Nyree Tripptree as producer, and Mark Shimmel returns for his second year as music talent consultant.
Artists performing in past years have included Vanessa Williams, Ruben Studdard, Kenny Chesney, Joss Stone, Hootie & the Blowfish, Ashanti, Tony Bennett, Reba McEntire, Usher, Marc Anthony, Christina Aguilera, B.B. King, Chris Isaak, 98 Degrees, Kenny Loggins, Alison Krauss, Luther Vandross, Faith Hill, Brooks & Dunn, Gloria Estefan, Brian Setzer, Aaron Neville, Patti LaBelle, Lee Ann Womack, Neil Diamond and Vince Gill.
Turner Network Television (TNT), television�s destination for drama and one of cable�s top-rated networks, offers original movies and series, including Into the West, the epic six-week television event from DreamWorks Television and master storyteller and executive producer Steven Spielberg; the detective drama series The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick, and the action-packed crime series Wanted, with Gary Cole; powerful one-hour dramas, such as Law & Order, Without a Trace, Alias, Las Vegas, Cold Case, ER, NYPD Blue, Charmed and Judging Amy; broadcast premiere movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is also available in high-definition.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming for the television industry.
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