FRIENDSHIPS, FAMILIES AND FAITH WILL BE TESTED ON TLC'S TWO-HOUR SPECIAL, "BIBLE BOWL"

Thousands of Teams Compete in America's Toughest Bible Competition on Monday, December 28th at 8/7c

(New York, NY) - Hopes are high, but the stakes are even higher as teams of children gather in Cincinnati to compete in America's toughest Bible competition. TLC's BIBLE BOWL, premiering Monday, December 28th at 8/7c, follows seven extraordinary teams whose families have sacrificed everything for the chance to compete for millions of dollars in scholarships and the pride of their coaches and family members. In a race of fingers first to the buzzer, it's a battle of determination, memorization and patience. Meet this year's biblical enthusiasts:

The Whitesides : This three sister team spends most of the year on the road competing, which they fund by knitting scarves, purses, and potholders that they sell at farmers markets. Last year they came in second place in the National Championship and have been hard at work studying verses to win this year's prize.

The Johnsons: As last year's Bible Bowl champs, Noah and Grace Johnson feel the pressure to win this year's competition. Their mother, Glenda, is a Quizmaster at Bible Bowl and has high expectations of her children.

Hannah Hardman/Trey Mills: Hannah is part of one of the top-ranked teams but has never won the championship. Her mother is a former National Champion, and she wants to maintain her family legacy. Trey was failing school last year, but since he joined Bible Bowl he's been getting straight A's. He spends every minute of his free time studying for this year's competition. They're coached by Gary Bordelon, the most successful coach in Bible Bowl history.

Reagan Haise: He's a child genius who has memorized all 1,100 verses for this year's competition. Every day he quotes the verses to his mom, taking up one and a half hours of their time. He's new to Bible Bowl so he doesn't' have many friends, but he hopes to make more as he progresses through the tournaments.

Ishaan Singh: Ishaan has speech impairments as a result of a premature birth. For the first four years of his life he did not speak at all. Now, at 12-years-old, Bible Bowl has been instrumental to his improvement. Last year, his team won fourth in the nation. He may be the underdog, but he's focused on coming out on top!

Emily Gass: She's been competing in Bible Bowl since she was small child, and her dad says she was born to play. Her parents met at the competition, and her sister married someone from Bible Bowl as well. She is tipped to be a front runner at this year's tournament.

The Wells Family: They're a loud, lively and unique family of 11. Five of the kids play in Bible Bowl and have been involved in the program for seven years.

BIBLE BOWL is produced by Znak & Jones for TLC.

About TLC

Offering remarkably relatable real-life stories without judgment, TLC shares everyday heart, humor, hope, and human connection with programming genres that include fascinating families, heartwarming transformations, and life's milestone moments. In 2015, TLC was a top 10 cable network with women and over the past year had 25 series averaging 1 million P2+ viewers or more.

TLC is a global brand available in more than 95 million homes in the US and 303 million households in 190 markets internationally. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites and exclusive original video content. Fans can also interact with TLC through social media on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and @TLC on Twitter as well as On Demand services, YouTube and mobile platforms. TLC is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 pay-TV programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.