TLC Heats Up Summer Schedule With New Premieres

Returning favorites and new series make for a perfect 'staycation'

LOS ANGELES, April 27 -- TLC kicks off its all-new summer schedule starting Memorial Day with a week of new series launches and the return of two fan-favorites, it was announced today by the network's President & GM Eileen O'Neill. From hit series JON & KATE PLUS 8 and WHAT NOT TO WEAR - featuring its first celebrity makeover - to brand-new series CAKE BOSS and THE LITTLE COUPLE, TLC gives viewers the hottest destination for any staycation.

"TLC's new summer schedule is filled with relatable people in remarkable situations, sharing a window into other lives for viewers to escape and enjoy," explains O'Neill. "It's a great time of the year to bring back two of our biggest series, and use that attention to launch new shows that we think will also become fan-favorites."

On Monday, May 25 at 9 PM ET/PT, JON & KATE PLUS 8 will premiere its fifth season. Viewers will continue to follow the Gosselin family, comprised of parents Jon & Kate, plus eight-year-old twins and a set of sextuplets, as the family celebrates the sextuplets' fifth birthday, tackle training the new puppies, and much more. The pop culture phenomenon's season four finale was the most watched yet with more than 4.6 million viewers, and this season the show will debut its 100th episode.

Immediately following at 10 PM ET/PT will be the series premiere of CAKE BOSS, focusing on master baker Buddy Valastro as he struggles to make his bakery in Hoboken, NJ a household name. Can his big Italian family help the celebrated cake-maker turn his father's dream into a reality?

THE LITTLE COUPLE, following newlyweds Bill Klein and Jen Arnold, premieres on Tuesday, May 26 at 10 PM ET/PT. Picking up where the successful special LITTLE PEOPLE JUST MARRIED left off, Bill, a successful businessman, and Jen, a pediatrician, who are both under four feet tall, will share their unique perspectives on life, love, and marriage.

The week wraps up in style when iconic series WHAT NOT TO WEAR unveils all-new episodes starting Friday, May 29 at 9 PM ET/PT, returning with more makeovers that transform the fashion-challenged from the inside and out. Hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly are back and the seventh season is bigger than ever, starting with the premiere featuring 90's celebrity Mayim Bialik (Blossom).

Next, TLC will air a brand-new special that takes viewers inside the world of high-end weddings as thrown by New York City's premiere event planning company Fete. In WEDDED TO PERFECTION, owners Jung Lee and Josh Brooks - a husband and wife team - pull the strings as couples plan to tie the knot, resulting in an unforgettable wedding event.

In addition to these programs, TLC will fill out its summer schedule with even more series and specials that will heat up the screen and melt hearts. Visit tlc.com for hot fan sites, exclusive videos, and up-to-date lifestyle news in the Slice of Life blog.

JON & KATE PLUS 8 is produced for TLC by Figure 8 Films. CAKE BOSS is produced for TLC by High Noon Entertainment. THE LITTLE COUPLE is produced for TLC by LMNO Productions. WHAT NOT TO WEAR is produced for TLC by BBC Worldwide Productions. WEDDED TO PERFECTION is produced for TLC by Peacock Productions.

About TLC

TLC's innovative docu-series and reality-based programming include favorites Jon & Kate Plus 8, Little People, Big World, What Not to Wear, 18 Kids and Counting, and LA Ink. TLC defined home design with Trading Spaces and continues to renovate the genre. TLC's daytime lineup includes the Emmy Award-winning A Baby Story. The channel is available in more than 97 million homes in the US, nearly 8 million homes in Canada and through the website at www.tlc.com. TLC is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries.