ABC’S DUETS DEBUT TOPS FOX’S DANCE PREMIERE, AND ROOKIE BLUE OPENS WITH ITS TOP TELECAST SINCE AUG

ABC’s Debut of “Duets” Outdraws Fox’s Premiere of “So You Think You Can Dance,” Improving its Time Slot Year to Year by 5% in Viewers and by 55% in Young Adults

ABC’s “Rookie Blue” Opens its 3rd Season with its Top Telecast Since August 2010
Thursday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC finished No. 2 on Thursday evening in Total Viewers (6.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.6/5-tie).

Please Note: On the Thursday leading into the Memorial Holiday weekend, overall TV usage levels declined week to week by –5% among Adults 18-49 (32.1 vs. 33.8).
“Duets” (8:00-10:00 p.m.)
Head to head from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ABC’s series debut of “Duets” outdrew Fox’s season premiere of “So You Think You Can Dance,” leading by 8% in Total Viewers (6.7 vs. 6.2 million). In addition, the new ABC unscripted show was the No. 2 series in the 2-hour time period with young adults (AD18-34/AD18-49), while finishing second among the broadcasters with Teens 12-17. The ABC singing competition surged by 13% among young adults (1.6/6 to 1.8/5) from its first to its second hour.

* “Duets” greatly improved its time period for ABC over the year-ago night in Total Viewers (+52% – 6.7 million vs. 4.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (+55% – 1.7/5 vs. 1.1/4), representing the Net’s biggest audience in the slot on the first post-season Thursday in 4 years and its top young adult number in 3 years – since 2008 and 2009, respectively.

“Rookie Blue” (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
In the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s season premiere of “Rookie Blue” was the No. 2 series in Total Viewers (6.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.4/4), while ranking No. 1 with key Women (W18-49/W25-54).

* Topping its year-ago premiere at the end of June (+3% – 5.8 million on 6/23/11), “Rookie Blue” opened its 3rd season with its most-watched telecast since August 2010 – since 8/19/10. In addition, among Adults 18-49, the show topped last season’s finale by 17% and outdelivered its last 9 telecasts – best since 7/14/11.

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 44% currently, from 41% at the same point in 2011. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next-day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: The Nielsen Company (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 05/17/12.

SCHEDULED GUESTS ON ABC’S “JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE”, MAY 28 – JUNE 1, 2012

“Jimmy Kimmel Live” airs every weeknight (12:00-1:06 a.m., ET) following “Nightline” and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band.

Following are the episodes scheduled to air the week of May 25-June 1 (subject to change):
May 28 (OAD: 5/9/2012)
1. Actor Steve Harvey (“Think Like a Man”) 2. Actor Dev Patel (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”)
3. Musical guest Glenn Frey

May 29 (OAD: 5/7/2012)
1. Actress Kristen Stewart (“Snow White and the Huntsman”) 2. Actress Chloe Grace Moretz (“Dark Shadows”) 3. Musical guest B.O.B.

May 30 (OAD: 5/18/2012)
1. Actress Kristen Bell and Actor Dax Shepard (“Hit & Run”) 2. Actor Jason Mantzoukas (“The Dictator”) 3. Musical guest The Cult

May 31 (OAD: 5/21/2012)
1. TV Star Kathy Griffin (“Kathy”) 2. Bachelorette Emily Maynard (“ABC’s The Bachelorette”) 3. Musical guest Gavin DeGraw

June 1 (OAD: 5/23/2012)
1. Josh Brolin (“Men in Black III”) 2. Author Bethenny Frankel (“Skinnydipping”) 3. Musical guest Kimbra
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format. Jimmy Kimmel and Jill Leiderman serve as executive producers. Jason Schrift, Douglas DeLuca and Erin Irwin serve as co-executive producers. Emmy Award-winning “Jimmy Kimmel Live” is shot live in front of a studio audience and produced by Jackhole Industries in association with ABC Studios. (CLOSED- CAPTIONED)

Enjoy “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on the web at www.abc.com/JimmyKimmeLive and at youtube/JimmyKimmelLive Each episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will be available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online.

NEXT WEEK ON THE VIEW (5/28 – 6/1, 2012)

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA LIVE ON “THE VIEW,” TUESDAY MAY 29

Co-Hosts Unveil Their “Favorite Things,” May 28

Guest Co-Host Mario Cantone, June 1

On TUESDAY, MAY 29, First Lady Michelle Obama sits down with “The View” hosts Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd to discuss her new book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, and her message that having access to healthy, affordable food can promote better eating habits.
Mrs. Obama will also discuss the history of the White House garden, some of the recipes in the book, and tips for starting your own garden no matter where you live. The First Lady’s appearance on “The View” is part of the show’s continuing “Red, White & View” campaign highlighting interviews and informational segments that promotes civic responsibility. Mrs. Obama previously appeared on “The View” in April and June, 2011. “Good Morning America” and “The View” are Mrs. Obama’s first TV interviews regarding her new book.

Charlize Theron (“Snow White and the Huntsman”), former professional wrestler Stacy Keibler, WABC-TV meteorologist Bill Evans (author, It’s Raining Fish and Spider), country music superstar Joe Nichols and his wife, Heather, and musical performances from Rebecca Ferguson, Joe Nichols and the Tony® nominated Broadway cast of “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” featuring Matthew Broderick, are featured MAY 28 — JUNE 1 (live weekdays; 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET; broadcast live in stereo; CLOSED-CAPTIONED; TV-14). Mario Cantone is the guest co-host, JUNE 1.

Scheduled guests for the week of MAY 28 — JUNE 1 are as follows (subject to change):

MONDAY, MAY 28 – Whoopi, Joy, Elisabeth and Sherri unveil their favorite things during this one-hour theme show; WABC-TV meteorologist Bill Evans (author, It’s Raining Fish and Spider).

TUESDAY, MAY 29 – First Lady Michelle Obama (author, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America).

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30 – Carmen Wong Ulrich (author, The Real Cost of Living); musical guest Rebecca Ferguson.

THURSDAY, MAY 31 – Matthew Broderick (Broadway’s “Nice Work If You Can Get It”); former professional wrestler Stacy Keibler; Sherri & Elisabeth’s “Reality Show Roundup,” featuring weekly dish on all the outrageous drama and antics of television’s most popular reality shows and stars; musical performance from the Tony®-nominated Broadway cast of “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” featuring Matthew Broderick.

FRIDAY, JUNE 1 – Guest co-host Mario Cantone; Charlize Theron (“Snow White and the Huntsman”); summertime toys; comic Margaret Cho in “Joy’s Comedy Corner”; Joe and Heather Nichols.

About “The View”: “The View,” a live, one-hour daily talk show from ABC, features Daytime Emmy Award-winning hosts Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd. It’s the original forum in which real women discuss everyday issues, share their opinions and engage in colorful conversations. “The View,” broadcast in HDTV and produced in 2-channel stereo sound, is now available to watch online daily at 4:00 p.m., ET/1:00 p.m., PT on ABC.com. “The View” is produced by ABC and Ms. Walters’ Barwall Productions, with Ms. Walters serving as executive producer along with Bill Geddie, who also serves as executive producer for “The Barbara Walters Specials.” “The View” is directed by Mark Gentile. For breaking news and updated videos follow “The View” (@theviewtv) and hosts Barbara Walters (@BarbaraJWalters), Whoopi Goldberg (@WhoopiGoldberg), Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar), Elisabeth Hasselbeck (@ehasselbeck) and Sherri Shepherd (@SherriEShepherd) on Twitter.™

“Red, White & View”: In 2008-09, the five spirited hosts of ABC’s popular talk and entertainment show, “The View,” left an indelible mark on the political landscape. Whether discussing the day’s political headlines, from the war in Iraq to universal healthcare and teen pregnancy, the latest musings from our nation’s capitol or political infidelities, the outspoken hosts can always be relied on for their unique opinions, quick wit and sparking colorful water cooler conversations that can only be seen, live, exclusively on “The View” (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET) on the ABC Television Network. In September 2008, the show launched a successful “Red, White & View” campaign highlighting interviews and informational segments that helped promote civic responsibility during the election season. The “Red, White & View” campaign was another example of how “The View” established itself as an important player in the political process

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA LIVE ON “GOOD MORNING AMERICA” AND “THE VIEW”, TUESDAY, MAY 29 TO DISCUSS

ABC EXCLUSIVE: FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA LIVE ON “GOOD MORNING
AMERICA” AND “THE VIEW,” TUESDAY, MAY 29 TO DISCUSS HER NEW BOOK

On Tuesday, May 29, First Lady Michelle Obama talks to “Good Morning America” and then to “The View” hosts to discuss her new book — American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America — and her message that having access to healthy, affordable food can promote better eating habits. Mrs. Obama will also discuss the history of the White House garden, some of the recipes in the book, and tips for starting your own garden no matter where you live. These are Mrs. Obama’s first TV interviews regarding the new book.

On “Good Morning America,” students from New York City’s Public Schools 102 and 107, who have successfully grown their own container gardens, will show viewers how easy it is to get started.

Mrs. Obama then sits down with “The View” hosts Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd. The First Lady’s appearance on “The View” is part of the show’s continuing “Red, White & View” campaign highlighting interviews and informational segments that promote civic responsibility. Mrs. Obama previously appeared on “The View” in April 2011 and June 2008, when she made her daytime television debut as a special guest co-host.

An exclusive recipe and photos from the book will be available on goodmorningamerica.com on Yahoo! and abcnews.com. Goodmorningamerica.com has expanded its lead, and in April had 17 million more unique users than Today.com.

“Good Morning America” is a two-hour, live program anchored by Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos. Josh Elliott is the news anchor, Lara Spencer is lifestyle anchor and Sam Champion is the weather anchor. Tom Cibrowski is the senior executive producer. The morning news program airs MONDAY-FRIDAY (7:00-9:00 a.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

“The View,” a live, one-hour daily talk show from ABC (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET), features Daytime Emmy Award-winning hosts Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd. It’s the original forum in which real women discuss everyday issues, share their opinions and engage in colorful conversations. “The View,” broadcast in HDTV and produced in 2-channel stereo sound, is now available to watch online daily at 4:00 p.m., ET/1:00 p.m., PT on ABC.com. “The View” is produced by ABC and Ms. Walters’ Barwall Productions, with Ms. Walters serving as executive producer along with Bill Geddie, who also serves as executive producer for “The Barbara Walters Specials.” “The View” is directed by Mark Gentile. For breaking news and updated videos follow “The View” (@theviewtv) and hosts Barbara Walters (@BarbaraJWalters), Whoopi Goldberg (@WhoopiGoldberg), Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar), Elisabeth Hasselbeck (@ehasselbeck) and Sherri Shepherd (@SherriEShepherd) on Twitter.™

“Red, White & View”: In 2008-09, the five spirited hosts of ABC’s popular talk and entertainment show, “The View,” left an indelible mark on the political landscape. Whether discussing the day’s political headlines, from the war in Iraq to universal healthcare and teen pregnancy, the latest musings from our nation’s capitol or political infidelities, the outspoken hosts can always be relied on for their unique opinions, quick wit and sparking colorful water cooler conversations that can only be seen, live, exclusively on “The View” (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET) on the ABC Television Network. In September 2008, the show launched a successful “Red, White & View” campaign highlighting interviews and informational segments that helped promote civic responsibility during the election season. The “Red, White & View” campaign was another example of how “The View” established itself as an important player in the political process

“THE 46th ANNUAL CMA AWARDS” TO BE BROADCAST LIVE NOVEMBER 1 ON THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK

NEXT WEEK ON THE BACHELORETTE (5/28/2012)

AS ONE BACHELOR REACHES NEW HEIGHTS ON A PULSE-POUNDING
ADRENALINE DATE WITH EMILY, SOME OF THE MEN FACE OFF WITH
EMILY’S FRIENDS ABOUT THEIR INTENTIONS AND SHE LEARNS WHO IS
READY TO STEP UP AND BE A FATHER, ON ABC’S “THE BACHELORETTE”

Eight-Time Grammy Award-Winner Dolly Parton, the Queen of Country Herself,
Serenades Emily and One Lucky Man at Dollywood

Country Music Star Luke Bryan Gives a Special Concert to Emily and Another Rose Contender

“Episode 803″ – Chris’ heart is racing – for more than one reason: Not only does he discover that he has this week’s first one-on-one date with Emily, he’s jolted when he learns that he must attempt to scale a building with her if he’s to spend any quality time with the Bachelorette, and when she surprises him with a performance by country star Luke Bryant. Meanwhile 12 men will be grilled by Emily’s friends, who will report back to her about who they think would be a good match for her and a good stepfather for Ricki. Emily surprises Arie with a flight to Dollywood for a special day on which the park is open only to them, and in a total shocker to Emily, her idol, country music legend Dolly Parton, gives the couple a private concert. But it all ends at a dramatic cocktail party when some of the men come clean about whether they’re ready to step up and be a stepfather, which sends shock waves through the group — and Emily decides to do something about it — on “The Bachelorette,” MONDAY, MAY 28 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

It’s revealed to Chris that he has to work for his romantic dinner with Emily overlooking the downtown skyline of Charlotte… by joining her in scaling a building! The climb will be filled with a lot of nature’s special effects – thunder and lightning. Will Chris be able to help Emily overcome her fears and lead her to the top? The evening culminates with a special performance by country music star Luke Bryan. But will Emily surprise Chris one more time with a rose?

The next day Emily accompanies 12 bachelors to a local park where they’re introduced to her best friends. The women come prepared to interrogate the bachelors and tell Emily who they think will be best for her and Ricki. After the inquisition, the men’s fathering skills are further tested when Emily reveals a group of rambunctious children streaming into the park who are all ready to play ball, hop on swings and chase the guys around, all under the Bachelorette’s watchful eye. At the after party that night, the competition revs up as the men battle for the rose. Meanwhile, one bachelor breaks down because he misses his son. Will he be able to continue his pursuit of the Bachelorette or will he succumb to his loneliness?

Emily surprises an ecstatic Arie with the last individual date of the week, which begins with a private jet to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where she reveals that they’ll spend the day at Dollywood, one of her favorite places. The couple have the park all to themselves to ride all the rides, play games and have a ball. But even Emily, who went to the park many times growing up, can’t guess what is coming. She gets the surprise of her life when her idol, the legendary Queen of Country Dolly Parton, serenades the two of them. After the special concert, things get steamy as they enjoy a romantic dinner and share one of the most intense first kisses any couple has shared in “Bachelorette” history. Is this the start of something special or is it too good to be true?

The cocktail party provides the backdrop for a bombshell disclosure, as Emily discovers who is ready to be a father and who isn’t. A distraught Bachelorette makes her feelings clearly known. When one of the men tries to comfort her with a kiss, another bachelor is outraged. It’s a rough night, and only 13 men will remain at the end of it to leave Charlotte and move on to the first stop in their world wind tour, Bermuda.

The 16 remaining men are:
Alessandro, 30, a grain merchant from St. Paul, MN
Alejandro, 24, a mushroom farmer from San Francisco, CA
Arie, 30, a race car driver from Scottsdale, AZ
Charlie, 32, a recruiter from Nashville, TN
Chris, 25, a corporate sales director from Chicago, IL
Doug, 33, a charity director/realtor from Seattle, WA
Jef, 27, an entrepreneur from Salt Lake City, UT
John “Wolf,” 30, a data destruction specialist from St. Louis, MO
Kalon, 27, a luxury brand consultant from Houston, TX
Michael, 26, a rehab counselor from Austin, TX
Nate, 26, an accountant from Los Angeles, CA
Ryan, 31, a pro sports trainer from Augusta, GA
Sean, 28, an insurance agent from Dallas, TX
Stevie, 27, a party MC from Monroe Township, NJ
Tony, 31, a lumber trader from Beaverton, OR
Travis, 30, an advertising sales representative from Madison, MS

Hosted by Chris Harrison, “The Bachelorette” is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton are executive producers. “The Bachelorette” is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format, with stereo sound. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.

This episode of “The Bachelorette” will be available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online. For more information on “The Bachelorette” please visit ABC.com.

ABC ANNOUNCES THE EIGHT TALENTED SINGERS WHO WILL PARTNER WITH KELLY CLARKSON, JOHN LEGEND, JENNIFER NETTLES AND ROBIN THICKE ON NEW MUSIC SERIES “DUETS,” PREMIERING THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012

GUEST LINEUP FOR ABC’S “THE VIEW”, MAY 21-25, 2012 ON ABC

THE “SWIMSUIT READY IN 20 DAYS” CHALLENGE CONCLUDES ON “THE REVOLUTION,” MAY 21-25, 2012

“THE CHEW” TRAVELS COAST TO COAST WITH CORRESPONDENTS EVETTE RIOS AND CHEF JASON ROBERTS IN SEARCH OF THE COUNTRY’S TASTIEST REGIONAL FOODS, MAY 21-25, 2012

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