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TLC PLANS A WEDDING WITH KELLY RIPA AND MARK CONSUELOS "MASTERS OF RECEPTION" PREMIERES AUGUST 18 AT 10PM
(New York, NY) � On Tuesday, August 18 at 10 PM ET/PT, TLC will premiere
MASTERS OF RECEPTION, a new series produced by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos'
MILOJO Productions in partnership with Original Media. The series takes a behind-thescenes
look at the Frungillo family and their booming New Jersey catering business.
Having served everyone from Frank Sinatra to the Pope, the Frungillos pride themselves
on being the very best at bringing people together and providing every bride and groom
with their ultimate dream wedding.
Robert and Jerry Frungillo started out as young boys working in a small deli business in
Verona, NJ with their parents. They now have one of the most successful multiple-room
wedding facilities in the state - "The Villa at Mountain Lakes" - and run three other
elegant facilities including the renowned castle-like "Skylands Manor" in the New Jersey
Botanical Gardens where brides get their true Cinderella experience as dashing princes
often arrive on white horses to take them to their ball.
Viewers will witness the over-the-top requests and exactly what it takes for this family to
pull them off. From hot air balloons and dogs in the bridal party, to brides arriving in a
Cinderella buggy with trumpets blaring, the Frungillos don't know the meaning of the
word "No" and stop at nothing to ensure that each couple has their perfect day. In
addition, they often put together off-site weddings and handle emergencies including
inclement weather and last minute weddings with ease. Between their four locations,
they can host up to 10 weddings a day, and often have two happening at once.
"The Frungillos have made it their family business to pull off incredible events on a daily
basis," states Nancy Daniels, SVP of Production and Development, TLC. "Our audience
will get a peek behind-the-scenes to see how the magic happens. Kelly and Mark have
brought their creative passion to the project, and we are so pleased to be working with
them."
The Frungillo business is truly a family affair. While Robert's son and daughter wait
tables, their cousins are bartenders and check coats. Linda Pergola - their right hand for
almost 20 years and the "sister" they never had - is often seen racing between locations
while the events are going on. Linda's son Frankie works at the Villa doing sales and
Joe'l Falco, the outspoken young Linda prot�g� is constantly on the go, making sure
everything runs smoothly on the big day. Their cousin Ben Frungillo goes to great
lengths to guarantee that every affair is the best they've ever thrown. And John Williams,
who's been with the family for 20 years and has formed artistry out of his baking, invites
brides and grooms into his kitchen to share in the experience as he creates their ultimate
wedding cake.
"We are so excited to be teaming up with TLC and feel that this show is a natural fit with
their programming," says Ripa and Consuelos. "We are fascinated by how the Frungillos
put these weddings together, and all the while make it seem so effortless. We truly
believe TLC's audience will fall in love with this family. We certainly have."
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 98 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.
About Milojo Productions
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have formed Milojo Productions, a New York-based
production company. Their first effort, the feature documentary "The Streak" for ESPN,
told the compelling story of a Florida high school wrestling team with an extraordinary
34-year winning streak. It premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival and was
nominated for a 2009 Sports Emmy in the category of Outstanding Sports Documentary.
Milojo has a first-look development deal with TLC and Discovery, and has two series,
"Masters of Reception" and "Mom, Inc." (wt), currently in production. They also have a
feature film in the works as well as another documentary slated for 2010.
About Original Media
Founded in 2002 by Charlie Corwin and Clara Markowicz, Original Media is an
independent production company specializing in unique films and series for television.
The company has built a strong reputation for cutting-edge content and quality
production. Its credits range from the Academy Award nominated independent feature
films Half Nelson, The Squid & The Whale and, to the hit unscripted series "LA Ink," "The
Rachel Zoe Project" and Storm Chasers" to the NBC hour-long drama "The
Philanthropist" which debuts this June. The company is a subsidiary of Endemol USA, a
leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted
genres for network and cable television.
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