ABC 50th Anniversary Airing in May 2003; Happy Days, Ozzie & Harriet, etc

[Pavan]

ABC WILL CELEBRATE ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN A SPECTACULAR,
THREE-HOUR TELECAST FEATURING A STELLAR ARRAY OF STARS
FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT

Hollywood Event Will Bring Alive 50 Years of Television History

The ABC Television Network will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special, three-hour telecast set to air this spring, featuring five decades of television history as seen through the prism of the ABC Television Network. The telecast will include entertaining, dramatic and thrilling moments from all aspects of the past 50 years of ABC television, including news, sports, drama, comedy, music and events.

The event will tape at the Pantages Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday, March 16, and is set to air in May 2003. Award-winning executive producer Don Mischer (Opening Ceremonies of the Salt Lake Olympics and Barbra Streisand’s Millennium Concert) will create and executive produce the special.

When it began broadcasting on February 9, 1953, ABC was the third national television network to hit the airwaves. However it went on to many firsts: ABC was the first network to air a series starring an African-American; the first network to feature a female news anchor; the first network to air a series starring an openly gay lead; the first network to air a police drama in primetime, and many more. The 50th Anniversary special will commemorate the network’s rich history as a forerunner in the evolution of television programming, making bold, innovative decisions and taking risks.

“Television has an extraordinary impact on our lives, and the role of the ABC Television Network in entertaining and informing the American people over the past half-century is an amazing story that we look forward to sharing with our viewers,” said Alex Wallau, president, ABC Television Network.

“ABC’s role in the history of television is very significant - in sports, news and entertainment, ABC led the way and set the bar very high. We hope to give viewers a chance to relive some of the most memorable moments in television, with humor, poignancy and emotion,” said executive producer Don Mischer.

Celebrating entertainment, sports and news, the following is a brief list of the featured programs and highlights that will be a part of the 50th Anniversary Special:

ABC Primetime:
* ABC's landmark series - from "Ozzie & Harriet" to "Happy Days" to "NYPD Blue"
* Miniseries & movies - "Roots," "The Winds of War," "Brian's Song," etc.

ABC Sports:
* Olympics coverage - including stunning events such as Nadia Comaneci’s perfect 10 score
* “ABC’s Wide World of Sports” - “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”
* ABC’s NFL “Monday Night Football”


ABC Daytime:
* Drama series - “General Hospital,” “Dark Shadows,” “One Life to Live,” “Ryan’s Hope,” “All My
Children,” “Port Charles,” etc.

ABC News:
* ABC News’ stellar cast of news anchors and correspondents - John Daly, Howard K. Smith, Harry
Reasoner, Frank Reynolds, Barbara Walters, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Diane Sawyer, etc.

* ABC News’ historic and memorable exclusive interviews with heads of state and superstar
personalities.

[Pavan]

ABC CELEBRATES ITS MOST MEMORABLE TELEVISION MOMENTS IN AN ALL-STAR 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, AIRING MONDAY, MAY 19 ON THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK

Featuring Appearances by John Ritter, John Travolta, Oprah Winfrey, Tim Allen, Muhammad Ali, Damon Wayans and Jennifer Garner, Among Many Others

The ABC Television Network is commemorating its 50 historic years of television in a memorable three-hour special celebration. The event features appearances, clips and interviews with ABC stars past and present – from Primetime to Daytime, Sports to News – representing every genre of ABC’s 50-year history of television programming. “ABC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration” will air MONDAY, MAY 19 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
Dozens of celebrities from ABC’s 50-year history participated in the celebration, including Muhammad Ali, Tim Allen, Jim Belushi, Drew Carey, Richard Chamberlain, Dick Clark, Peter Falk, Farrah Fawcett, Dennis Franz, Jennifer Garner, Florence Henderson, Bonnie Hunt, Jimmy Kimmel, Carl Lewis, George Lopez, Susan Lucci, Joan Lunden, John Madden, Camryn Manheim, Penny Marshall, Al Michaels, Joe Namath, Ryan O’Neal, John Ritter, Roseanne, John Travolta, Barbara Walters, Damon Wayans, Jaleel White, Clarence Williams III, Oprah Winfrey and Henry Winkler, among many, many others.
Highlights of the celebration will include:
· Cast reunions from ABC’s most beloved series, including “Welcome Back Kotter,” “Happy Days,”
“Laverne & Shirley,” “The Love Boat,” “The Mod Squad” and “NYPD Blue,” among others.
· Fifty years of historic news events presented by such ABC news figures as Barbara Walters, Hugh Downs,
Diane Sawyer, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Charles Gibson, Joan Lunden, David Hartman and others.
· Unforgettable moments and tributes from the world of sports, including appearances by legendary sports
figures like heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, football All-Star great Joe Namath, sports
announcers Al Michaels, John Madden and Jim McKay, Olympic gold medalists Carl Lewis and Dorothy
Hamill and many others.
· Oprah Winfrey and Richard Chamberlain present unforgettable scenes from ABC’s most acclaimed
movies and miniseries.
· Clips from ABC’s favorite comedy and drama series past and present.
The special was conceived and is executive-produced by Don Mischer, directed by Glenn Weiss and written by Dave Boone, Brian Brown, Sara Lukinson, Jon Macks, Stephen Pouliot and Jeff Stilson. “ABC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration” is from Don Mischer Productions.
A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.