THE WB'S CURE FOR THE SUMMERTIME BLUES: �BLUE COLLAR TV�
Burbank, CA March 29, 2005
HIT SKETCH COMEDY SERIES STARRING JEFF FOXWORTHY, BILL ENGVALL AND LARRY THE CABLE GUY WILL BEGIN ITS SECOND SEASON IN THE SUMMER
The summer just got funnier. The WB Network's hit sketch comedy show BLUE COLLAR TV, starring comedians Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy, will return for a second season with fresh, original episodes this summer, it was announced today by David Janollari, President, Entertainment, The WB.
�BLUE COLLAR TV was able to get off to a great start and build valuable traction with a summer launch last year,� Mr. Janollari said. �We hope to give it the same jump start for its second season so it can continue to build on its loyal fan base.�
BLUE COLLAR TV heated up the summer for The WB last year when its July debut attracted 5.4 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched show in network history in the Thursday 8:00 p.m. ET time period. Its continued success on both Thursday and Friday nights led to its early second-season order.
�I am in the hospital in shock,� joked Jeff Foxworthy. �I have never had a show on the same network two years in a row.�
Inspired by �The Blue Collar Comedy Tour,� one of the most successful comedy tours of all time, BLUE COLLAR TV pokes good-natured fun at all the things middle America holds dear. With subjects ranging from everyday family life to lingerie shopping, each episode skewers modern life through sketches and pop culture parodies with a decidedly blue-collar perspective. The show also features a talented ensemble cast including Brooke Dillman, Ashley Drane, Ayda Field, Heath Hyche, Peter Oldring and Gary Anthony Williams.
BLUE COLLAR TV has aired on both Thursday and Friday evenings. Currently, the series airs on Thursdays with an original episode from 8:00-8:30 p.m. ET and an encore episode from 8:30-9:00 p.m. ET. Since moving to Fridays, the show brought growth to the night, improving the 9:30-10:00 p.m. ET time period by +17% in adults 18-34, +20% in women 18-34, +50% in adults 18-49, +46% in women 18-49 and +50% in men 18-49. The show has also delivered growth in total viewers, building by +44% over last February to 3.8 million. During the recently completed February sweep, BLUE COLLAR TV ranked #3 in its time period in adults 18-34, women 18-34, persons 12-34 and women12-34.
BLUE COLLAR TV is from Bahr/Small Productions and Parallel Entertainment in association with Riverside Productions, Inc., distributed by Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Fax Bahr (�Mad TV,� �In Living Color,� �The Jamie Kennedy Experiment&), Adam Small (�Mad TV,� �In Living Color,� �The Jamie Kennedy Experiment�), Jeff Foxworthy and J.P. Williams.
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