'AMERICA'S GOT TALENT,' NBC's #1 SMASH HIT SHOW OF THE SUMMER, CONTINUES SEARCHING FOR THE VARIETY ACT WORTHY OF THE VEGAS CALLBACKS ON TUESDAY, JULY 8

'AMERICA'S GOT TALENT,' NBC's #1 SMASH HIT SHOW OF THE SUMMER, CONTINUES SEARCHING FOR THE VARIETY ACT WORTHY OF THE VEGAS CALLBACKS ON TUESDAY, JULY 8

More Auditions from Atlanta, Dallas and New York feature a Powerful Young Martial Artist, a Promising Country Singer, and an Unbelievable Child Contortionist

BURBANK, Calif. � July 7, 2008 � NBC's "America's Got Talent," the #1 smash hit show of the summer, will air its first hour-long audition episode on Tuesday, July 8 (9-10p.m. ET) with judges Sharon Osbourne, David Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan traveling to Atlanta, Dallas and New York to decide which acts will move on to the coveted Las Vegas Callbacks.

First off in Atlanta, the judges are introduced to a very masculine opera singer with a surprisingly feminine voice. Soon after, they meet an energetic young girl with impressive martial arts abilities. While these acts and others in Atlanta are entertaining, the judges are conflicted, leading to interesting debates over who will move on to Vegas.

Next in Dallas, the judges are blown away by Sarah Lenore with her impressive version of Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats."

Then in New York, the judges discover moving and powerful performances that are more than worthy of the Las Vegas Callbacks: a group of men from Harlem wow the judges with an original song and dance routine; an 11 year-old adopted girl from China contorts herself in unimaginable ways; and a tearful Kyle Rifkin, coming from a rough childhood, belts out an unforgettable rendition of a Temptations song. To these acts, judge Hasselhoff declares, "You are what this show is all about!"

This Tuesday's episode is the first of the hour-long audition episodes that will continue through to August 4 after which the series will take a brief hiatus, due to the Summer Olympics, and return August 26 with performance episodes. The "results shows" will begin airing August 27 (8-9 p.m. ET).

"America's Got Talent," NBC's hit summer series from "American Idol" producers FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell's SYCO Television, has returned for its third season this summer with the hottest performers from across the country. This year, "America's Got Talent" is again one of the summer's #1 shows, and the first two episodes have averaged over 12 million viewers.

With the talent search open to acts of all ages, "America's Got Talent," hosted by Jerry Springer and presided over by celebrity judges David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne, has brought the variety format back to the forefront of American culture by showcasing performers from across the country. Each week, the show features a colorful array of hopeful stars, including singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, jugglers, magicians and ventriloquists, all vying for their chance to strut and perform on stage in the hopes they'll win the viewing audiences' votes.

The third season kicks off with audition episodes shot on-location in theaters across the nation, including a "virtual audition city" on MySpace, as well as a "virtual audition city" on MySpace with the judges selecting the best acts who will advance to the "Vegas Callbacks." The acts that make it through the "Vegas Callbacks" will then move on to the live semi-final performance episodes where the American viewing audience will vote for their favorites each week. The series culminates with a live finale where one act will walk away with a million dollar prize.

Terry Fator, a ventriloquist from Dallas, Texas, had his life changed forever last August when he was crowned the second season champion. Not only did he win the million-dollar grand prize, but his lifelong dream to headline on the Las Vegas strip came true when he signed a contract with The Las Vegas Hilton in a deal worth more than $1.5 million dollars.

"America's Got Talent" is produced by FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell's SYCO Televison. Cowell, Cecile Frot-Coutaz ("American Idol"), Jason Raff, James Sunderland and Georgie Hurford-Jones are executive producers.