LIVING Picks Up Celebrity Look-Alike Series

LONDON, January 17: The Virgin Media Television-owned
entertainment channel LIVING has secured a deal with Disney-ABC International
Television for ABC’s The Next Best Thing, to
air on LIVING2 early this year.

The series sees U.S. comedians—Jeffrey Ross (Comedy
Central Roasts, The Aristocrats), Lisa Ann
Walter (The Parent Trap, Shall We Dance?) and Elon Gold (Stacked, Cheaper by the Dozen)—critiquing celebrity look-alikes of
personalities such as Jennifer Aniston, Dolly Parton, Tony Soprano, David
Letterman, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp and Neil Diamond. The judges will
determine who goes on to compete in each round of the competition, while
viewers vote for who will be crowned the winning impersonator and get the grand
prize of $100,000. Michele Merkin (Foody Call, Extreme Dodgeball) serves as host, leading a talent search of
thousands who will be narrowed down to 30 semi-finalists to perform for the
judges and a live studio audience.

LIVING’s head of acquisitions, Amy Barham, said: “LIVING2
continues to establish itself as a destination for the freshest and most
entertaining reality TV from around the world, and we are thrilled to be adding
The Next Best Thing exclusively to our
2008 schedule.”

—By Kristin Brzoznowski