CMT PREMIERES ITS FIRST SCRIPTED SERIES "WORKING CLASS" FRIDAY, JANUARY 28 AT 8:00 P.M., ET/PT

Sitcom with Melissa Peterman and Ed Asner Debuts Back-to-Back New Episodes on January 28

PASADENA, CA - January 5, 2011 - CMT's first scripted sitcom, WORKING CLASS, starring TV veteran Melissa Peterman and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actorEd Asner, makes its network debut Friday, January 28 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT, followed by a second, all-new episode at 8:30 p.m., ET/PT.

The new 12 episode, multi-camera series follows Carli Mitchell (Melissa Peterman), a single mom from a rough and tumble background, trying to give her three kids a better life by moving them to an upscale suburb. She quickly finds that making the transition to "the good life" is harder than she thought. She's unwittingly befriended by her cranky neighbor, Hank (Ed Asner), her only "career" prospect is a glorified deli job at the local grocery store, and the man she falls for not only already has a girlfriend - but he's also her boss, Rob (Patrick Fabian). With her ladies-man brother, Nick (Steve Kazee), to help her out (when he's not acting like one of the kids himself), Carli faces the challenges of parenting, dating, and making friends in her new community by doing more with less, staying true to herself and approaching each day with a touch of working class.

The complete cast includes:

* Melissa Peterman- "Carli Mitchell"

* Ed Asner- "Hank Greziak," Carli's neighbor.

* Steve Kazee- "Nick Garrett," Carli's brother.

* Patrick Fabian- "Rob Parker," Carli's boss and love interest.

* LachlanBuchahan- "Scott Mitchell," Carli's eldest son.

* Courtney Merritt- "Pam Mitchell," Carli's daughter.

* Cameron Castaneda - "Will Mitchell," Carli's youngest son.

The show will also feature multiple guest stars throughout the season, including recently-announced Reba, whose on-screen reunion with Melissa Peterman will air in February. Additional guest stars include David Faustino ("Married with Children" and Not Another B Movie); Kathy Kinney ("The Drew Carey Show" and "The Secret Life of the American Teenager"); Martin Mull ("Roseanne" and "'Til Death");John Schneider ("The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Smallville"); Ryan Stiles ("Whose Line Is It Anyway" and "The Drew Carey Show"); and Lesley Ann Warren ("In Plain Sight" and "Desperate Housewives"), as well as CMT's own Evan Farmer from CMT TOP 20 COUNTDOWN.

WORKING CLASS is executive produced by Jill Cargerman ("Spin City," "Las Vegas," "Gary Unmarried") and Bryan Johnson of The Film Syndicate.

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