J.K. Rowling to Provide Exclusive First Look at ‘The Casual Vacancy’ to ABC News
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J.K. Rowling, one of the world’s most successful authors, embarks on a new adventure in her first novel in seven years. She invites ‘Nightline’ co-anchor Cynthia McFadden to Scotland for a rare interview and exclusive preview of The Casual Vacancy
The interview will air on ‘Good Morning America,’ ‘World News with Diane Sawyer’ and ‘Nightline’ on Wednesday, September 26. More of the interview airs on ‘Good Morning America’ on Thursday, September 27.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, ABC News, Book, Book News, GMA, Good Morning America, Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Nightline, television, The Casual Vacancy
‘Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time with Barbara Walters’ Special to Air September 18
What are the greatest television shows of all time? Who are our favorite TV mom and dad? Who is our favorite television host of all time? It’s America’s turn to decide, as a collaboration between ABC News and PEOPLE Magazine gave TV fans the opportunity to vote online at www.bestintelevision.com for their favorites of all time. With more than one million votes cast, the results will be revealed during an unprecedented two-hour broadcast, a special edition of ’20/20,’ ‘Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time with Barbara Walters,’ airing Tuesday, September 18 from 9 – 11 pm ET on ABC, in conjunction with ABC’s broadcast of the Emmy Awards.
The program will include fresh interviews with stars, directors and producers including Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lucie Arnaz, Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Tina Fey, Mariska Hargitay, Florence Henderson, Christina Hendricks, Ron Howard, Warren Littlefield, Lorne Michaels, Muppets Kermit and Miss Piggy, Phylicia Rashad, Rob Reiner, Ryan Seacrest, Keith Thibodeaux — aka Little Ricky — from “I Love Lucy,” Betty White and Dick Wolf.
The special will also include classic clips from America’s favorite shows, as well as out-takes, screen tests and rare behind-the-scenes footage. In addition, a panel of pop culture and television experts, including several editors and writers from PEOPLE, will weigh in with their thoughts and memories.
Categories:
Best TV Comedy
Best TV Drama
Best Legal or Cop Show
Favorite TV Mom
Favorite TV Dad
Favorite Reality Show
Best Talk Show Host
Best Non-Human Character
Favorite TV Variety Show
Best TV Show of All Time
PEOPLE will announce the winners in the Favorite Reality Show and Most Memorable TV Moments categories in the issue which hits newsstand on September 14. Winners in the Best TV Game Show, Favorite Soap Opera/Daytime Drama, Best Animated Show and Favorite TV Theme Song categories will be revealed online at www.bestintelevision.com in conjunction with the ‘Best in TV’ airdate. While on the ‘Best in TV’ site, television fans also have the opportunity to view clips, slide shows and interviews.
Online Voting: Several dozen Emmy Award winning actors, directors and producers, along with several TV journalists, selected the nominees in each category by choosing their favorites from a list of hundreds of shows old and new. The “all star” panel included luminaries like actors Tim Allen, Valerie Harper and Jimmy Smits, and producers/directors/creators Stephen Bochco, Mark Burnett, Norman Lear, Warren Littlefield, Chuck Lorre and Shonda Rhimes, among many others.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC News, television
ABC News Announces ‘NY Med’ Documentary Series, Premiering July 10
What do grandmothers, addicts and celebrities have in common? All of them seek care at Columbia and Weill Cornell Hospitals, the crown jewels of the prestigious New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. For a full year ABC cameras had unprecedented access to document the mayhem and the miracles that occur daily in these world class facilities. “NY Med” follows the irascible, compassionate and, at times, cocky attending surgeons who try to change the trajectory of lives by relying on sheer medical brilliance and a healthy dose of old fashioned good luck. The eight-part series takes a candid look at how cutting edge medicine often makes the difference, although even the best surgeons can find themselves flirting with disaster. The raucous ER staff trade jibes with strong-willed New Yorkers in moments that can be poignantly heartbreaking or off-the-hook hilarious. These doctors spend far more time with each other than with their families, developing complicated and intertwined personal relationships. “NY Med” premieres Tuesday, July 10 at 10:00 pm ET/OTon the ABC Television Network.
“Medicine is a universal subject. At some point in our lives we or those we love will become patients for one reason or another,” said executive producer Terry Wrong. “This series takes you behind the curtain to learn about those we depend on to fix us, and how sometimes they just can’t.”
Some of the doctors of “NY Med” travel difficult and uncertain paths to reach the pinnacle of medical excellence. Dr. Anthony Watkins, an African-American from the deep south, overcame limited means and an absentee father to become one of the most heralded new talents in transplant surgery. He’s acutely aware of his minority status and feels the burden to be a role model for other young African-Americans.
Among the surgeons of “NY Med” is the well-known Dr. Mehmet Oz, who proves that he remains a world-class heart surgeon despite his successful parallel career as a talk show host. He offers his lucky patients a one-stop shop of surgery, lifestyle counseling and compassion.
When patients and doctors come together on “NY Med,” the stakes are frequently life or death. Rita Saverino, a Wall Street banker and mother of two, thought she would die from the grapefruit-size tumor in her stomach, but Dr. Tomoaki Kato, a maverick Japanese surgeon, believes he can help with an innovative operation called “ex vivo.” Even with the best trained surgeons, things go awry: A former Army officer goes into the operating room for a heart transplant, but wakes up to learn that the heart he has been waiting for was irreparably damaged during removal. Both he and his doctors are desperately disappointed, but what he does next will melt viewers’ hearts.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, ABC News, NY Med
ABC 20/20 to Explore ‘Sunset Boulevard: The American Dream Machine’ on April 21
Sunset Boulevard – a curving slice of American romance running from the rough edges of East LA through the music of Hollywood, past the riches of Beverly Hills and ending at the Pacific Ocean. It is a famous stretch of 22 miles that has attracted American dreamers of all walks of life, hoping to make it big. “Sunset Boulevard,” airing as a special edition of “20/20,” reveals some of the riveting stories and pivotal moments in the make-it or break-it world of this American dream machine, including:
- The farm kid turned hot shot gossip columnist partying with the hippest stars, who reveals on camera those with whom he allegedly did drugs
- The starry eyed new band named “Queen Caveat” on the brink of success or burn out
- The young war veteran turned aspiring actor haunted by his past, determined to make this his moment
- The teenagers at Hollywood High – once a school for nurturing Hollywood talent and royalty like Judy Garland, now a last chance for some of LA’s toughest kids
- The Hollywood beauty turned runaway, dying to be loved, her body dumped off Sunset, and, in a gripping police investigation, her killer caught on tape.
Anchored by Jay Schadler, the special includes interviews with Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Mickey Rourke, Alice Cooper and Hugh Hefner, all featured in the recent documentary “Sunset Strip The Movie.” Lou Adler, owner of the famed Roxy nightclub, and his son Nic, who currently runs it, are both interviewed and allowed ABC unprecedented access on and off stage to the Sunset Strip’s most legendary and influential music venue.
Created and written by Jay Schadler and produced by an Emmy Award-winning ABC News team, “Sunset Boulevard” airs on Saturday, April 21 at 9:00 pm ET on the ABC Television Network. The stylish two-hour broadcast also features original music.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, ABC 20/20, ABC News
ABC News and Yahoo! Announce Alliance; Partnership to Produce New Online Programming
Yahoo!, the premier digital media company, and ABC News today announced a strategic alliance that will enhance and transform the delivery of news and information across the digital landscape. This multifaceted relationship blends Yahoo! News’ unmatched audience, as well as its depth and breadth of content, with ABC News’ global newsgathering operation and unrivaled lineup of trusted anchors and reporters. Yahoo! News and ABC News reach a combined audience of more than 100 million people in the U.S. each month on PCs, mobile devices and tablets.
This unmatched alliance creates a powerful news experience that provides people greater access to compelling news and information, including more original news video online than ever before. It launches today with the debut of GoodMorningAmerica.com on Yahoo! and three new, online-first video series with ABC News’ award-winning and trusted anchors and correspondents. “Newsmakers,” an original interview series, kicks off today when “Good Morning America” anchor George Stephanopoulos interviews President Obama live at the White House at 2:35 p.m. ET. The entire interview will stream live on Yahoo.com and ABCNews.com.
“Yahoo! is committed to building the richest set of premium and personalized content experiences for our users. Our deep collaboration with ABC News further strengthens Yahoo! as the No. 1 online news source, greatly enhancing our already robust news content,” said Ross Levinsohn, executive vice president of Americas at Yahoo! “ABC News and Ben Sherwood’s vision is completely symbiotic with ours; together we can create highly engaging experiences for more than 100 million users a month that will set the standard for the industry.”
“This relationship will give ABC News an unrivaled ability to reach across the Web, combining Yahoo!’s vast distribution and cutting-edge technology with our award-winning journalism. For years, we’ve proudly proclaimed that more Americans get their news from ABC News than any other source,” said Ben Sherwood, president of ABC News. “Going forward, we will greatly expand this leadership by building a connection with a whole new online audience.”
By bringing together two of the world’s leading and most trusted news providers, Yahoo! and ABC News will deliver the latest breaking news, the biggest exclusives, and award-winning investigative journalism from a powerful lineup of journalists – all with the ability to extend across TV and online like never before.
Key elements of the alliance include:
- ABC News will be the premier news provider on Yahoo! News – Greater, even easier access to ABC News material across the Yahoo! News network, the No. 1 online news destination in the U.S. ABC News content will be prominently integrated into Yahoo! News, the Yahoo! front page, and other areas across the Yahoo! network.
- GoodMorningAmerica.com launches today on Yahoo! – A co-branded and highly interactive online destination (GMA.yahoo.com) with robust video and information will let the “Good Morning America” audience continue the conversation online before, during and after the broadcast and deepen viewers’ relationship with the program 24/7.
- New original Web series will debut from ABC News anchors and correspondents – Yahoo! and ABC News are launching an exclusive slate of original online video programming, starting today with “Newsmakers,” “Around the World with Christiane Amanpour” and “This Could Be Big.” Additional programs will debut in the months ahead and throughout 2012 (show descriptions follow below).
- ABC News and Yahoo! News editorial teams will work together to develop premium news content – Editorial teams from both organizations will collaborate on branded content that will appear on both the Yahoo! News and ABC News sites. Teams will co-produce coverage for major news events and will have integrated bureaus in New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Yahoo! editorial staff or content will appear on air.
- Yahoo! and ABC Sales organizations will deliver powerful advertising solutions – The companies will create a suite of premium online video advertising opportunities and a variety of enhanced sponsorships designed to allow advertisers to benefit from the unique strengths of each sales organization. ABC will lead sales during the Upfront selling season and Yahoo! will manage sales throughout the rest of the year.
ABC News will continue to maintain editorial control of their sites, and Yahoo! maintains editorial control of Yahoo! sites. The Yahoo! News network will continue to feature content and perspectives from Yahoo!’s editorial staff and the Yahoo! Contributor Network, as well as content from other industry-leading providers and experts.
ABC News and Yahoo! have created a slate of original video programming with ABC News’ award-winning and trusted anchors and correspondents featured across various Yahoo! and ABC News sites. With 10 of the top 10 original video programs online, Yahoo! knows how to create and distribute engaging and compelling video content. Jointly produced video programs debut this fall and continue to roll out throughout 2012, starting with:
“Newsmakers” – Everyone from politicians to global leaders to celebrities will engage in exclusive, online-first video conversations with Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, George Stephanopoulos, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour, Robin Roberts and others. Consumers will be able to join the discussion and submit questions in a truly innovative, interactive, social platform.
“Around the World with Christiane Amanpour” – The first global program produced entirely online leverages Yahoo!’s enormous reach and Amanpour’s unmatched international relationships. The world’s top international journalist will bring explanations, context and analysis to the biggest international stories of the day.
“This Could Be Big” – The invisible plane, a car that gets 200 mpg, a building that generates its own electricity, an eye implant that allow the blind to see … these are just a few of the glimpses into the future of innovation that “Nightline” anchor Bill Weir will explore each week.
ABC News and United Nations Announce ‘Million Moms Challenge’
Today ABC News and the UN Foundation launch an initiative engaging millions of Americans to support millions of moms across the globe around the critical issues of pregnancy, childbirth and children’s health — moms here helping moms worldwide.
The Million Moms Challenge will be featured on weekly segments on ABC News’ broadcasts including “Good Morning America,” “World News with Diane Sawyer,” “Nightline” and “20/20,” as well as other ABC News platforms, including ABCNews.com and ABC News Radio. ABC News Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser, “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts, “ABC World News” weekend anchor David Muir, “Nightline” anchor Cynthia McFadden, “This Week” anchor Christiane Amanpour and Juju Chang will be among those contributing reports. The initiative will lead up to an hour-long edition of “20/20″ on maternal health anchored by Diane Sawyer on December 16, 2011 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET).
“There is so much we can do together – so many simple ways for us all to link arms to make sure every mother and child has a chance to lead a healthy life,” said ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer.
Using the latest in social media strategies together with the broadcast and digital news platforms of ABC News, this initiative will build a vibrant community that connects moms everywhere around things all mothers care about: the right nutrition to support their pregnancies, trained midwives to assist in safe deliveries of newborns, and vaccines that allow children to survive to celebrate their first birthdays and beyond.
Through broadcasts focusing on personal stories and innovative solutions from around the world, the Million Moms Challenge will raise awareness about the extraordinary challenges faced by mothers and babies in the developing world:
> Every 90 seconds a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth, yet we have the knowledge to prevent 90% of all maternal deaths.
> More than 50 million women give birth without a skilled birth attendant every year.
> Up to 1.5 million newborns die within the first 24 hours of life, and an additional 1 million babies are stillborn, almost all of whom could be saved with better care at birth. Every 20 seconds, a child dies of a vaccine-preventable disease.
As part of the initiative, a dedicated website (www.millionmomschallenge.com) will provide a live, interactive forum for some of the nation’s top mom bloggers to share their stories and ideas through blogs and video posts in real time with moms and midwives in the developing world. Viewers who want to know more and get involved will find ways large and small to make a meaningful impact through simple, inexpensive interventions that make a real difference for mothers and children around the world.
The Million Moms Challenge is asking a million Americans to join the movement by signing up on the Challenge’s website or on Facebook.
“You don’t have to be a mom to help a mom,” said Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation. “A healthier tomorrow for our world starts with healthy moms and babies today. The Million Moms Challenge gives us the chance to make history by sharing stories, ideas and sparking a global conversation that will help the United Nations build a global partnership for healthy lives,” she added.
The Million Moms Challenge is a joint effort of ABC News and the UN Foundation, in conjunction with corporate partners Johnson & Johnson and Baby Center. BabyCenter is a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies. BabyCenter will encourage its 25 million moms in the United States and overseas to join the Million Moms Challenge. In recognition of the first 100,000 people who sign on to the Million Moms Challenge, Johnson & Johnson will donate $100,000 to several of the biggest NGOs helping moms and babies throughout the world.
The Million Moms Challenge partners include some of the world’s most respected NGOs, including African Medical and Research Foundation, CARE, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, GAVI Alliance, mothers2mothers, ONE, Partners in Health, Riders for Health, Save the Children, UN Foundation’s Shot@LifeTM campaign, US Fund for UNICEF, White Ribbon Alliance, and WorldVision.
The Million Moms Challenge is part of the year-long global health series “Be the Change: Save a Life,” which is sponsored in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
For more information about the Million Moms Challenge visit millionmomschallenge.com. To get involved in the conversation about healthy moms and babies around the world, follow @AMillionMoms on Twitter and use the hash-tag #MillionMoms. You can also like Million Moms on Facebook at facebook.com/millionmomschallenge.
Categories: Internet, Television Tags: ABC, ABC News
ABC News’ ’20/20′ to Air Exclusive Interview with Teen Convicted of Murdering Mother
It was like a modern-day tale of Romeo and Juliet: A 14-year-old girl and 19-year-old boy fell madly in love, despite a parent’s objection. But what happened next – a series of events that resulted in the murder of one of their mothers – was far from the ending of the Shakespeare play. Jim Avila’s report about teenage love and unbridled rage airs on “20/20,” Friday, September 16 at 10:00 pm ET on the ABC Television Network.
In 2009, Tylar Witt was a 14-year-old child of privilege living with her single and successful mom, Joanne Witt, in an affluent Sacramento suburb, when she began an illicit and illegal love affair with 19-year-old Steven Colver. Their relationship turned deadly when Joanne was discovered murdered in her bed as she slept, not long after notifying the police of her daughter’s illegal relationship. Tylar and Steve fled to San Francisco and, after a botched attempt to kill themselves, were caught by police. After nearly two years behind bars, their once unified front crumbled as they started pointing fingers at one another. Who ultimately killed Joanne Witt? Whom will the prosecutor believe? Who will get a plea deal, and what will jurors decide? In an exclusive interview with “20/20,” Tylar, now 16 and motherless, talks for the first time outside of her courtroom testimony.
“20/20″ is anchored by Elizabeth Vargas and Chris Cuomo. David Sloan is executive producer.
Categories: Television Tags: 20/20, ABC News
ABC News to Air Special ‘Jacqueline Kennedy: In Her Own Words’ September 13
On Tuesday, September 13, viewers for the first time will hear actual interviews that former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy recorded for history in an ABC News special with Diane Sawyer reporting. “Jacqueline Kennedy: In Her Own Words” will air from 9:00-11:00 pm, ET on the ABC Television Network, and will feature Sawyer’s exclusive interview with Caroline Kennedy.
These never-before-heard interviews, which Jacqueline Kennedy recorded soon after her husband’s death, have remained strictly sealed – until now. The more than eight hours of official audio recordings were made with one of America’s most respected historians, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. From that point on, the famously private former First Lady steadfastly refused to publicly discuss her memories of those years. The ABC News special coincides with the September 14th publication of the book, Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy, which contains unedited and complete recordings of the oral history interviews.
The revealing conversations include Jacqueline Kennedy’s impressions of life with her husband, President John F. Kennedy, their life in the White House, and the extraordinary events that shaped the Kennedy Administration and the world — from their early years on the campaign trail to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs and the President’s last days in the White House. The interviews also reflect Mrs. Kennedy’s evolving sense of herself and her role as First Lady, as she talks about her family, world leaders and life in the White House.
Throughout the week, reports will air across all ABC News broadcasts and platforms including “World News with Diane Sawyer,” “Good Morning America,” “Nightline” and “This Week with Christiane Amanpour.” Coverage will also appear on ABC News Radio, ABC News NOW, and NewsOne, the network’s affiliate service. ABCNews.com has launched a special webpage that will highlight the historic events of the Kennedy administration that are discussed by Mrs. Kennedy in the audio tapes.
Eric Avram and David Sloan are the executive producers of “Jacqueline Kennedy: In Her Own Words.”
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, ABC News
ABC News Announces Hurricane Irene Coverage Plans
ABC News is providing viewers with comprehensive coverage of Hurricane Irene as the storm makes its way toward the U.S. mainland – delivering the information people need to prepare appropriately and to make well informed decisions heading into the weekend.
“World News with Diane Sawyer” will lead the storm coverage tonight with updates from the ABC News team in the field up and down the east coast, and the latest on the path of Hurricane Irene from ABC News’ weather editor, Sam Champion. Sawyer will also anchor a special edition of the program on Sunday.
Hurricane Irene battered the Bahamas, and ABC’s Linsey Davis has been covering the storm from Nassau since Wednesday morning for “Good Morning America,” “World News with Diane Sawyer” and “Nightline.”
Throughout the weekend, additional reporting will be provided by ABC’s John Berman from Long Island and correspondent David Kerley from Cape Cod, as forecasts continue to show that Hurricane Irene is headed for some of the east coast’s biggest cities.
ABC News’ weather editor Sam Champion continues to track the storm from the ABC News weather center in New York for all broadcasts and platforms (WATCH Sam’s 3D-View of the Storm’s Path).
Tonight’s “20/20” will lead with the latest report on the impending landfall and the preparations and fears up the east coast. ABC’s Matt Gutman will report from the Outer Banks of North Carolina as people board up their homes and try to beat the hurricane.
Then on tonight’s “Nightline,” the entire program will be dedicated to the hurricane and updated for the west coast version of the show.
On Sunday, George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts will anchor a special edition of “Good Morning America” from Times Square from 7:00-11:00 a.m., ET with the latest developments. “GMA” weekend anchors Dan Harris and Bianna Golodryga also report.
“This Week with Christiane Amanpour” will then bring viewers the latest on the storm and the government’s response from its studio at the Newseum in Washington, DC. ABC’s senior political correspondent Jake Tapper substitute-anchors.
ABC News Radio will provide live updates throughout the weekend with Aaron Katersky reporting from New York City and Steven Portnoy in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. ABC’s Ann Compton reports from Nags Head, North Carolina, Jim Hickey from the Jersey Shore, and Jim Ryan from Long Island.
ABCNews.com will have up to the minute coverage as the storm progresses including the latest dispatches from all over the east coast, livestreaming video from various locations, an updated real-time storm tracker, and everything you need to stay safe, including flood and evacuation zone mapping.
For the latest on ABC News coverage plans throughout the week – follow @ABCNewsPR on Twitter.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, ABC News
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