AWARD WINNING U.S. PREMIERE COMEDY, THE CATHERINE TATE SHOW, BACK ON BBC AMERICA

-The woman of many faces returns-

Catherine Tate, one of Britain's hottest comedy talents is back with a U.S. premiere season of her award-winning sketch show. Winner of a Banff Rockie award and nominated for an International Emmy�, The Catherine Tate Show has become a huge hit in the UK, with catchphrases, "Am I bovvered?" and "how very dare you", influencing popular culture and every day speech in Britain. The Catherine Tate Show - season three premieres Friday, December 28 at 9:20p.m. ET/PT.

The 'Queen of Catchphrase' morphs through ages, sexes, accents and wigs to introduce a collection of toe-curling new characters in season three.

Parodied to the extreme, the new personalities include Laura Powers � a bungled spy, called in to assist the U.S. Government in a spoof of 24, Ma Willow � the overbearing owner of a rooming house in the '50s who appears in a parody of Life on Mars*, Helen 'I can do that' Marsh � who's eager to please, but hopeless at everything and Kathleen Leary � a chain smoking, hard faced Northern Irish woman who's fiercely proud of her gay son.

They join old favorites Lauren - the "Am I bovvered?" teenage nightmare who would rather be right than happy, Cockney Nan - the opinionated, hard-to-please grandmother who's a mine of misinformation and Derek Faye - who gets furious if anyone suggests he's gay and coined the phrases "Who, dear? Me, dear? Gay, dear? No, dear" and "how very dare you?"

As well as program awards, Catherine Tate has won numerous awards for her own performance including a British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Newcomer and two Royal Television Society awards for Best Network Newcomer and Best Comedy Performance. She is currently filming for series four of Doctor Who in which she appears as the doctor's newest companion, Donna Noble.

BBC AMERICA brings audiences a new generation of award-winning television featuring razor-sharp comedies, provocative dramas, life-changing makeovers and news with a uniquely global perspective. BBC AMERICA pushes the boundaries to deliver high quality, highly addictive and eminently watchable programming to viewers who demand more. BBC AMERICA is distributed by Discovery Networks. It is available on digital cable and satellite TV.

For more information about BBC AMERICA visit www.bbcamerica.com

*Life on Mars season two will premiere on BBC AMERICA on December 11

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Created and written by Catherine Tate
Producer Caroline Wyard
Director Gordon Anderson
Executive Producer Geoffrey Perkinse Catherine
A Tiger Aspect production for BBC

NEW CHARACTERS

GEORDIE* GEORGIE - A psychotic and frequent petitioner who constantly tries to get her co-worker to sponsor her. She also tries to raise money for dwarves and victims of sexual harassment, domestic violence, alcoholism and sex addiction.

*A Geordie refers to someone from Northern England

KATHLEEN LEARY, ULSTER MUM - A chain-smoking, bleach-blonde, hard-faced Northern Irish woman whose overjoyed reaction at her nervous son John's announcement that he is gay is more embarrassing than if she had disowned him.

Catchphrase: "Have you heard about our John? He's a gay man now."

MA WILLOW - The overbearing owner of a '50s rooming house named Ma's. In a parody of Life on Mars, Life at Ma's sees Ma take in time-traveling policeman Sam Speed after he is hit by a car.

HELEN MARSH - Eager to please, Helen's catchphrase is "I can do that", which she says every time one of her friends or colleagues needs someone with specific skills. Needless to say, she is hopeless at everything she attempts.

LAURA POWERS - A bungling British agent who is called in to assist the U.S. Government with a top-secret mission involving terrorists, in a parody of 24. She takes personal control of sending out crucial orders, but unfortunately doesn't know how to type!

SNACK FOOD WOMAN - A woman who, while out and about with different people, frequently excuses herself to go and buy a bag of snacks, only to return and find that some horrible disaster has occurred to them while she was away.

GINGERS FOR JUSTICE � Led by Sandra, 'Gingers for Justice' is a protest group demanding equal rights for people with ginger hair.

FRANKIE HOWERD IMPRESSIONIST- An actress who, whenever she comes to a critical point in the scene she is in, starts to impersonate the late British comedian Frankie Howerd (best known as one of the stars of the 'Carry On' movies)

EPISODE SYNOPSES

Episode 1
Cockney Nan visits her old friend - Teddy Morris - in hospital, while teenage nightmare Lauren tries to deny that she has a job at a burger bar. Kathleen Leary, the Northern Irish mum, makes her first appearance. She is delighted when her son reveals that he is gay and tries to show him her new skirt. Meanwhile, Geordie Georgie is doing a fun run, dressed as a bottle of Cinzano, for all the little battered husbands. The Aga Saga Woman attends her children's sports day and Helen Marsh, who claims to speak seven languages, tries to translate at an international summit. British women's curling captain Rhona Martin guest stars as herself in a sketch where Helen Marsh claims curling expertise.
Episode 1 premieres 9.20pm ET/PT Friday, December 28

Episode 2
Policeman Sam Speed is hit by a car and wakes up in a terrifying black and white world on 1951, where he is taken in by landlady Ma Willow in a parody of Life on Mars. Meanwhile, Nan has a rat in her house and EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy guest-stars as Kelly, a cheerleader after Lauren's boyfriend, Ryan. UK musical acts The Divine Comedy and Jools Holland appear as guest stars.
Episode 2 premieres 9.20pm ET/PT Friday, January 4

Episode 3
Bernie, the Irish nurse who loves her job but isn't very good at it, is visited by her brothers and sisters from Ireland - Brenda, Bridie, Seamus and Paddy. They are all identical to Bernie and even more over the top, causing havoc at the hospital where she works. Derek Faye meets English actress, Bonnie Langford (who appeared in the original Doctor Who), while Lauren receives a proposal and Nan has a new neighbor upstairs.
Episode 3 premieres 9.20pm ET/PT Friday, January 11

Episode 4
Lauren causes trouble in her science class and the Aga Saga Woman and her children are terrified when a lowly mechanic delivers a courtesy car while their Land Rover is repaired. Elsewhere the protest group, 'Gingers for Justice', takes to the rooftops.
Episode 4 premieres 9.20pm ET/PT Friday, January 18

Episode 5
After a day out in London's West End to see Billy Elliot: The Musical, Nan appears on a day-time television show. The Aga Saga Women is once again terrified when she takes a wrong turn into a rough part of town and the Snack Food Woman makes her first appearance. Geordie Georgie's latest money-raising venture is to drum up support for all the little folk in Northern England who suffer from sex addiction and in school Lauren refuses to speak French for her French oral exam.
Episode 5 premieres 9.20pm ET/PT Friday, January 25

Episode 6
It is teenager Lauren's wedding day, while Derek goes for a massage and is offered more than a back rub. Elsewhere, the ultra-snobby Aga Saga Woman has a disaster with yoghurt, Janice and Ray - who always eat out, but complain about the food - talk about a sandwich with no bread, Nan's sister June comes over from Spain and Geordie Georgie does another fund raiser � this time for dwarves.
Episode 6 premieres 9.20pm ET/PT Friday, February 1

WHAT THE UK PRESS SAID ABOUT SEASON THREE...

"Spectacular stuff from The Catherine Tate Show � her new comedy creations had me crying with laughter. John Leary's mum deserves a spot in the real Tate Gallery because she's such a work of art ... Bovvered? Yes very much." News of the World

"Catherine Tate is an immensely talented and versatile performer ... There is her greatest comic creation - the magnificently misanthropic granny, who is always part of a story rather than a sketch." The Times

"I was doubled up during her (Helen Marsh) address to the French...Toe curling is what Tate does best. You should hear Nan on Siamese twins." The Guardian

"...a whole host of more off-the-wall characters ... and a slew of side-splitting oddballs. Call us one-sided, but our favorite is John Leary's mum." The Sun