ABC’s The Next Best Thing To Begin Production

BURBANK, February 16: On March 5, ABC begins production on a
new hour-long weekly alternative series, The Next Big Thing: Who Is The
Greatest Celebrity Impersonator?, with
auditions kicking off in Los Angeles.

The Next Big Thing,
which was previously called The Imposter, is scheduled to air this summer on ABC. Auditions will be held in four
cities—Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York and Orlando. Contestants
advancing from the regional auditions will move on to the semifinals, where ten
will emerge to compete for The Next Best Thing title, as America votes on who is the best celebrity
impersonator. Michelle Merkin (Food Call, Extreme Dodgeball) will
host the show, and judges will include actress-comedian Lisa Ann Walters, with
two others to be named at a later date.

The series is produced by Peter Engel Productions and New
Wave Entertainment. Peter Engel and Barry Katz, both of NBC’s summer series Last
Coming Standing, will serve as executive
producers, along with Fax Bahr and Adam Small (The Jamie Kennedy
Experience, Mad TV). Engel has produced more than 1,000 episodes of weekly
entertainment, including the teen classic Saved By The Bell.