CMT’s HIT SERIES “THE SINGING BEE” FINISHES FIRST SEASON WITH BACK-TO-BACK NEW EPISODES

Karaoke-style Singing Competition Finale Airs Saturday, August 15

NASHVILLE, Tennessee August 10, 2009 CMT’s highest-rated series debut, THE SINGING BEE, will conclude its first season with two back-to-back all-new one-hour episodes Saturday, August 15 beginning at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT.

Starring comedic actress Melissa Peterman as host, the series premiered to a .75 rating among P18-49 and ratings remained consistently high throughout the season. Blending a mix of 60 percent country music with 40 percent popular favorites from other genres, the series tests contestants’ knowledge of lyrics to well-known songs and those who fail to accurately sing the correct lyrics are eliminated from the competition.

Peterman, who starred in the hit comedy, “Reba”, is from Minneapolis, Minn. She has appeared on television in many shows including, “Surviving Surburbia,” “Rita Rocks,” “Just Shoot Me,” the ABC pilot “Cedric,” and the Fox pilot “Living with Abandon.” Peterman has done voiceovers for “The Pitts” and “American Dad.” She recently starred in the independent comedy feature, “Dirty Politics.” Additionally, she opened for Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson on their “2 Worlds, 2 Voices” Tour. A familiar face on CMT, Peterman hosted the series CMT COMEDY STAGE and the special REDNECK DREAMS for the network. She is committed to many charities including Muhammad Ali’s “Celebrity Fight Night,” Habitat for Humanity, The Red Cross, and the non-profit Buzzworks Theatre Company. She is represented by APA and manager Darris Hatch.

THE SINGING BEE is produced by The Gurin Company and JUMA Entertainment. Executive Producers are Bob Horowitz and Phil Gurin. Co-Executive Producers are Lewis Fenton and Brennan Huntington. Claire McCabe along with Bob Kusbit and John Hamlin serve as executive producers for CMT.