Hallmark Channel Acquires Classic Hit Series 'The Golden Girls' From Disney-ABC Domestic Television

NEW YORK, March 26 -- Hallmark Channel has acquired the rights to one of the most popular baby boomer series, "The Golden Girls," from Disney-ABC Domestic Television. The deal was announced today by Michelle Vicary, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions and Scheduling.

"The Golden Girls has been on our wish list for a long time, so we're delighted to reach this agreement," said Vicary. "This is the perfect complement to our schedule of family-friendly programming. It will appeal not only to our current viewers, but to fans that will follow the program to Hallmark Channel. It will also appeal to our sponsors and our distribution partners."

"The Golden Girls," starring Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, is centered around a Miami-based quartet of live-in friends, proving that life can begin at 50. It follows the highs and lows, dates and disasters of the oversexed Blanche (McClanahan); the ever so-slightly-dotty Rose (White); the dry, cynical Dorothy (Arthur); and her scheming Sicilian mother Sophia (Getty).

"The Golden Girls" aired for seven seasons from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992 and won several awards, including the Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice. All four stars won at least one Emmy Award throughout the series' entire run. During its original run, "The Golden Girls" garnered 65 Emmy nominations, 11 Emmy awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and countless honors.

"The Golden Girls" was produced by ABC Studios (formerly known as Touchstone Television) and is distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television.

Hallmark Channel is known for its original movies and events, including the recent highly-rated movie "The Good Witch," starring Catherine Bell, and popular acquisitions including "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Little House on the Prairie," "M*A*S*H" and "Murder, She Wrote."

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming to a national audience of 84 million subscribers. The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,450 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Hallmark Channel consistently ranks among the top 10 ad-supported cable networks in Prime Time and Total Day household ratings and is the nation's leading network in providing quality family programming. Crown Media also operates a second 24-hour linear channel, Hallmark Movie Channel, and will launch Hallmark Movie Channel HD in April of 2008.

Disney-ABC Domestic Television is the domestic distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company, providing motion pictures and television programming to pay television, basic cable, broadcast television, video-on-demand (VOD), pay-per-view (PPV), mobile and broadband. Disney-ABC Domestic Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney Enterprises, Inc.