NBCUNIVERSAL KICKS OFF 2011 SEARCH FOR THE NATION’S FUNNIEST COMICS IN CHICAGO WITH ANNUAL “STAND-UP FOR DIVERSITY” TALENT SEARCH

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — April 26, 2011 — NBCUniversal’s (NBCU) Kendra Carter, Director of Talent Diversity Initiatives, announced today that acclaimed actor-comedian Ken Jeong (NBC’s “Community,” “The Hangover”) will return as the spokesperson for the company’s 2011 “Stand-up for Diversity” talent search.

The national search seeks to find the funniest comics of diverse backgrounds and will be holding open calls in five major U.S. markets. The most-promising stand-up comedians will be awarded a talent holding deal with NBCU, along with other opportunities to be announced later this year.

The highly anticipated talent search begins in Chicago on June 13, followed by auditions in Toronto on July 25, Seattle on August 7, Dallas August 21 and New York on September 18. The search will culminate in Los Angeles with a final industry showcase in early December. The promising event will present the entire industry with a first look at the nation’s freshest comedic talent as selected by NBCU.

“NBCU is excited to enter its eighth year of ‘Stand-up for Diversity,’” said Carter. “Through this initiative, comedians have been able to launch new career milestones. Since the inception of the program, many participating comics have gone on to sign with top Hollywood managers, agents, and met with leading casting executives. Top “Stand-up for Diversity” finalists also had the opportunity to perform at the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) and have booked hundreds of college appearances through NBCU’s established partnership with NACA.”

This year’s “Stand-up for Diversity” tour kicks off in Chicago on June 13 with an open call at Zanies Comedy Club — located at 1548 North Wells Street — where auditions will begin promptly at 10 a.m. The first 100 comedians will have the opportunity to perform a one-minute standup set. Based upon performance, a select group of semi-finalists will have a chance to perform live at the NBCU showcase the following evening where industry executives are invited to attend.

The process will repeat itself in each city and the audience response will be a factor in determining which comic (or comics) will be selected for the “Best of Stand-up for Diversity” finale in Los Angeles.

Open calls and showcases will be held at the following locations:

CHICAGO
Zanies Comedy Club
Auditions: Monday, June 13 (10 a.m. – 1p.m.)
Showcase: Tuesday, June 14 (8 p.m.)

TORONTO
Yuk Yuk’s
Auditions: Monday, July 25 (10 a.m.- 1 p.m.)
Showcase: Tuesday, July 26 (8 p.m.)

SEATTLE
Seattle Comedy Underground at Swannies
Auditions: Sunday, August 7 (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
Showcase: Monday, August 8 (8 p.m.)

DALLAS
Improv Comedy Club (Addison Improv)
Auditions: Sunday, August 21 (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
Showcase: Monday, August 22 (8 p.m.)

NEW YORK CITY
Gotham Comedy Club
Auditions: Sunday, September 18 (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
Showcase: Monday, September 19 (8 p.m.)

Prospective participants and audience members can check for details online at www.standupnbc.com or www.diversecitynbc.com.

“AMERICAN DAD” RENEWED FOR SEVENTH TERM

Emmy-nominated Animation Domination staple AMERICAN DAD has been renewed for a seventh season, bringing the series through the 2012-2013 season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

“This is fantastic news,” said Roger the Alien. “But you do realize I’m not real, right?”

AMERICAN DAD follows the lives of ultra-conservative, staunch GOP supporter and CIA agent STAN SMITH (Seth MacFarlane) and his eccentric family that includes FRANCINE (Wendy Schaal), his ditzy-but-lovable wife; HAYLEY (Rachael MacFarlane), his 18-year-old left-wing hippie daughter; STEVE (Scott Grimes), his geeky, 14-year-old son; ROGER (Seth MacFarlane), the selfish and sarcastic cross-dressing space alien; and KLAUS (Dee Bradley Baker), an attention-starved goldfish. The fan-favorite series airs Sundays (7:30-8:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Expect lots of hijinks from the Smiths this spring! Roger attempts to make Steve a “cool kid” by letting him drive other kids around in a tractor, but the plan quickly backfires. Meanwhile, Francine gets a job at Stan’s office, but she cramps his style; and Roger starts dressing like a teenage girl and quickly seduces Steve’s best friend, SNOT (guest voice Curtis Armstrong). Upcoming guest voices for this season include Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Anjelica Huston, Elisabeth Shue, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Burt Reynolds and Grammy Award winner Cee-Lo Green.

AMERICAN DAD is a 20^th Century Fox Television production. Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman serve as co-creators and executive producers, while Kenny Schwartz, Rick Wiener and Nahnatchka Khan serve as executive producers. Become a fan of AMERICAN DAD on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americandad and follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/americandadfox.

ABC NEWS’ “GOOD MORNING AMERICA” KICKS OFF ANCHOR CHALLENGE IN NEW SERIES, “GMA TAKES ON”

It’s a battle of wits, aptitude, determination and skill as “Good Morning America” Anchors Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Juju Chang and Sam Champion, and Weekend Anchors Bianna Golodryga, Dan Harris, and Ron Claiborne challenge renowned professionals in their respective fields – from basketball to cake decorating, from drumming to skydiving. No matter how expert, tough or famous their opponents, the “GMA” team will compete head to head with them in a new series, “GMA Takes On,” which began today, Tuesday, February 8 and continues airing throughout the month. Watch what happens all this month… let the games begin!

This week’s reports include:

* Juju Chang and her kids take on The Cake Boss and his kids in the ultimate cake decorating challenge (Tuesday, February
* Bianna Golodryga shows off her skills against basketball hall of famer Hakeem Olajuwon (Wednesday, February 9)
* Sam Champion goes head to head with Kelly Ripa in a fitness challenge of virtual boxing and table tennis (Friday, February 11)

In the coming weeks, Dan Harris faces off against longtime “E Street Band” drummer Max Weinberg in a drumming showdown, Ron Clairborne takes on Team Future, the nation’s youngest skydiving team, and Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos take on top competitors in their fields, all ahead this month.

Watch the promo: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/gma-takes-on-all-challengers-12843180

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

LISTINGS FOR “ACCESS HOLLYWOOD LIVE” ( JAN. 17th – JAN. 21st, 2011)

LISTINGS FOR ‘ACCESS HOLLYWOOD LIVE’

Monday, January 17th guests include Holly Madison, Entertainment Weekly’s Dave Karger

Tuesday, January 18th guests include Jennifer Lopez, Kathie Lee Gifford, Cee-Lo, Niki Taylor and “Pioneers of Television” stars Angie Dickinson, Linda Evans and Stefanie Powers

Wednesday, January 19th guests include Ricki Lake, new trainers from NBC’s ‘The Biggest Loser’

Thursday, January 20th guests include Valerie Bertinelli, Wendy Mallick and Jane Leaves (“Hot In Cleveland”), Johnny Weir and a cooking demo with Debi Mazar

Friday, January 21st guests include Melissa Rivers

These listings are subject to change. For the latest information, please visit www.accesshollywoodlive.com.

About “Access Hollywood Live”:
A new spin-off of the hit entertainment newsmagazine, “Access Hollywood,” “Access Hollywood Live” is a syndicated one-hour daytime entertainment news talk show co-hosted by Billy Bush and Kit Hoover. The daily show, broadcast live in HD, premiered on September 13, 2010 in select markets (syndicated, check local listings).

“Access Hollywood Live” focuses on the latest celebrity dish, pop-culture, opinions, Hollywood happenings and all the day’s big news. It features in-studio celebrity guests, and a cast of regular contributors to keep viewers up-to-date with female-friendly segments on the most current styles, fashion, design trends and more.

“Access Hollywood Live” is distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution. Rob K. Silverstein is the executive producer.

NEXT WEEK ON ABC’S “THE VIEW”

EXCLUSIVE: Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana Talks Exclusively to the Hosts of “The View”
in His First and Only Live Network Television Talk Show Appearance Since
Announcing He Won’t Run for Re-election in 2010, Live, Feb. 22

EXCLUSIVE: Nadya Suleman to Make Her First-Ever Guest Appearance, Live, Feb. 24

“The View” Gets “Snooki”-ed: The Cast of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” to Mix It Up with
“The View” Hosts, Live, Feb. 23, During Their First-Ever Appearance on the Show

“Trying to Have a Baby? A One-Hour Theme Show Featuring Bill & Giuliana Rancic,
Dr. Jamie Grifo, M.D, PhD, and Real-life Stories of Infertile Women & Men, Live, Feb. 25

EXCLUSIVE: Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana will make his first-ever appearance on ABC’s “The View,” live, MONDAY, FEB. 22 (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET), when he’ll talk exclusively to Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd during his first and only live network television talk show appearance since announcing Monday his decision to not run for re-election for a third senate term in 2010.

EXCLUSIVE: Nadya Suleman (a.k.a. “Octomom”) is confirmed to make her first-ever guest appearance on the show, live, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET). In an exclusive quote to ABC, Ms. Suleman, who has never visited the Big Apple, said: “I am elated. I am honored. I love ‘The View’ and can’t wait to meet everyone, my heroes. I can’t wait to see New York.” Ms. Suleman, who is a single mother, has been the subject of frequent “Hot Topics” discussions on “The View” since she gained international attention in 2009 for birthing octuplets, the second full set of octuplets to be born in the United States. A media storm erupted and she found herself facing negative backlash from the public, vandalism and even death threats when it was discovered that Ms. Suleman already had six other children, was unemployed and on public assistance. She conceived all her children via in vitro fertilization. The octuplets celebrated their first birthday in January.

The colorful and controversial cast of MTV’s reality show, “Jersey Shore,” make their (much anticipated) first-ever appearance on “The View,” live, TUESDAY, FEB. 23 to promote the same-day release of “Jersey Shore: Season 1″ on DVD. As the popularity of “Jersey Shore” continued to rise, so did the controversy. Whether it’s a debate over stereotyping, scrutiny from local residents or the safety of self-tanning, there is no denying that “Jersey Shore” catapulted eight housemates to instant stardom. Their outlandish behavior has been a frequent “Hot Topics” discussion among “The View” hosts (http://theview.abc.go.com/videos/Jersey_Shore). The seven cast members of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” scheduled to appear are Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola and Paul “DJ Pauly D” Del Vecchio.

“Trying to Have a Baby?” — A one-hour theme show, live, THURSDAY, FEB. 25 features new reality stars Giuliana Rancic (“E! News”) with her husband, former “Apprentice” star Bill Rancic (Style Network’s “Bill & Giuliana”); Dr. Jamie Grifo, M.D., Ph.D, the Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology; Program Director of the NYU Fertility Center and the Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU School of Medicine; real-life stories of infertile women and men.

“The View” 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” is broadcast in HDTV with 5.1-channel surround sound, and is now available to watch online daily at 4:00 p.m., ET/1:00 p.m., PT on the ABC Digital Full Episode Player at ABC.com. “The View” is produced by ABC Daytime 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. Musical performances produced and directed by Mark Gentile.

Scheduled guests for the week of Feb. 22-26 are as follows (subject to change):

MONDAY, FEB. 22 – Day of “Hot Topics”; Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana will make his first and only live network television talk show appearance since announcing his decision to not run for re-election for a third senate term in 2010; “Bank on ‘The View’” welcomes America’s Money Answers Man and personal finance expert Jordan E. Goodman to explain credit card reform.

TUESDAY, FEB. 23 – Ricky Gervais, host of HBO’s “The Ricky Gervais Show”; first-ever appearances from Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Pauly “DJ Pauly D” Del Vecchio, Vinny Guadagnino, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and Sammy “Sweetheart” Giancola (a.k.a. the cast of MTV’s “Jersey Shore”).

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 – Nadya Suleman (a.k.a. “Octomom”) makes her first-ever guest appearance since she gained international attention in 2009 for birthing octuplets; Danielle Steel (author, Big Girl).

THURSDAY, FEB. 25 – “Trying to Have a Baby?” — A one-hour theme show featuring new reality stars Giuliana Rancic (“E! News”) with her husband, former “Apprentice” star Bill Rancic (Style Network’s “Bill & Giuliana”); Dr. Jamie Grifo, M.D., Ph.D, the Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology; Program Director of the NYU Fertility Center and the Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU School of Medicine; real-life stories of infertile women and men.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26 – Regis Philbin (“Live with Regis & Kelly”) and his wife, Joy Philbin, perform a song from their new CD, “Regis & Joy: Just You. Just Me”; the best of the electronics show with “Dr. Gadget”; understanding the F Factor diet, a new diet based on the increased intake of high fiber foods.

For breaking news and updated videos follow “The View” (@theviewtv) and hosts Barbara Walters (@BarbaraJWalters), Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar), Elisabeth Hasselbeck (@ehasselbeck) and Sherri Shepherd (@SherriEShepherd) on Twitter.(tm)