DEPENDING ON YOUR FAMILY HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT WHEN FAMILY TEAMS TAKE TO THE COURSE, ON ABC'S "WIPEOUT"

"Family Matters" - In this week's episode, "Wipeout" brings family members together as never before on a show to compete as teams on the course. Teams including The Other Blonde Sisters, Country Girls and the Telepathic Twins start off on the Qualifier and are greeted by Aunt Patty Cake -- who is notorious for pinching cheeks and giving big hugs that will surely knock players off their feet. As the contestants dwindle down and some family members are twice removed, players must contend with the Lumberjerks at the Petrified Forest in competing for the $50,000 grand prize, awarded for the best combined time. Hosted by John Anderson (ESPN's "SportsCenter"), John Henson (E! Entertainment's "Talk Soup") and co-hosted by Vanessa Lachey (ABC's "True Beauty"), "Wipeout" airs THURSDAY, AUGUST 23 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.

Each week, 24 energetic new contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes go head to head through four rounds of demanding but hilarious obstacle courses to win the title of "Wipeout Champion" and the $50,000 grand prize. In the end, only one contestant will be victorious, while everyone else will Wipeout!

"Wipeout" executive producers are Matt Kunitz ("101 Ways to Leave a Game Show" "Fear Factor") and Scott Larsen. Shye Sutherland, Kevin Wehrenberg, Trice Barto and J. Rupert Thompson are co-executive producers. The series is produced by Endemol USA. David Goldberg is the chairman of Endemol North America.

About Endemol USA

Endemol USA is a leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted genres for network and cable television. The company produces the break-out hits "Deal or No Deal," "Wipeout," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Big Brother." Endemol USA is a division of the Endemol Group, a prominent international content developer, producer and distributor of television and online programming. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, has subsidiaries and joint ventures in 25 countries, including the major European markets, the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. Endemol is owned by a consortium consisting of Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Mediaset Group and Cyrte Group. For more information, please visit http://www.endemolusa.tv. Endemol is a privately held company.

"Wipeout" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. This program carries a TV-PG,L parental guideline.

For more information on "Wipeout," visit ABC.com