SOAPNET SURPASSES 75 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS AND PICKS UP CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SCRIPTED DRAMA "BEING ERICA" FOR THIRD SEASON

Brian Frons, president, Daytime, Disney/ABC Television Group, announced today that SOAPnet has surpassed the 75 million household subscriber milestone, and has also picked up a third season of the critically acclaimed original scripted drama, "Being Erica," from BBC Worldwide, Americas.

"'Being Erica' is a series that won the hearts of our audience and also brought new viewers to SOAPnet," said Frons. "As the network continues to grow, we look forward to following Erica on her endearing journey of self discovery."

According to the latest figures from Nielsen Media Research, the network is in 75,255,000 homes as of May 2010, representing a distribution gain of 4 million homes over May 2009. Now in its tenth year, SOAPnet has ranked No. 1 in viewer loyalty for the past 15 consecutive months among Women 18-49.

"Being Erica," which brought over half a million new viewers to the network in its first season and reached 3 million viewers in Season Two, has been picked up for 13 additional episodes. The series follows the life of single, funny, charming, candid and sexy 33-year-old Erica Strange. With the help of mysterious therapist Dr. Tom, Erica follows a time-travel therapy where she is able to relive a past regret each week in order to come back and make a positive change in her present. At the end of Season Two, Erica is stripped of everything -- her job, her boyfriend and her life are left in shambles. However, unlike the Erica we first met back in Season One, this Erica is able to deal with these setbacks and turn them into positives. When Erica ends up standing in a strange hallway surrounded by different doors, she tells Dr. Tom that she's ready to face whatever awaits her on the other side. When she picks a door, what will she find behind it?

Transformation is the big theme for Season Three, and we will see Erica emerge as a more confident woman who is on the path to forging a new identity. The third season stars Erin Karpluk (Erica Strange) and Michael Riley (Dr. Tom). The one-hour series, created by Emmy Award-winning writer Jana Sinyor, is executive-produced by Sinyor, Aaron Martin, Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier, and is produced by Temple Street Productions in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and BBC Worldwide. Production begins in Toronto on May 17, and Season Three will premiere on SOAPnet in early 2011.

Content to support all of SOAPnet's programming will be available on soapnet.com, including everything from select video extras, games and blogs to community forums, photos and downloadables (www.soapnet.com).

SOAPnet owns the world of character-driven soapy drama, from daytime and primetime dramas to reality shows and movies. The network features same-day episodes of popular daytime dramas including "All My Children," "Days of our Lives," "One Life to Live," "General Hospital" and "The Young and the Restless"; favorite primetime series "Gilmore Girls," "The O.C.," "One Tree Hill" and "Beverly Hills 90210"; and original programs including "Being Erica." Wrapped in a 24-hour environment, SOAPnet is the one destination for stories focused on real emotions and revealing truths about intriguing yet flawed characters.

About Temple Street Productions

Temple Street Productions is an award-winning independent production and distribution company based in Toronto, Canada. A selection of Temple Street's past and present projects include "Being Erica" (CBC, SOAPnet), "Wingin' It" (Family Channel), "Billable Hours" (Global, Showcase), "Canada's Next Top Model" (CTV), "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" (CBC), "Queer as Folk" (Showtime, Showcase) and "Darcy's Wild Life" (NBC, Discovery Kids, Family Channel).

About BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution

BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution is one of seven core businesses under BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK public service broadcaster, BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). BBC Worldwide exists to maximize the value of the BBC's assets for the benefit of the BBC, and invests in programming in return for rights. The Sales & Distribution business negotiates, sells and distributes television programs to networks and secures co-production partners, in the Americas region.

Source: The Nielsen Company

May 2010 Nielsen Universe Estimates: 75 million homes

NPower, Live +Same Day based on monthly data (Feb. '09 thru Apr. '10). Based on Average Minutes Viewed among women 18-49, (M-Sun, 8-11pm).

NPower, based on 6 min. qualifier. New Viewers=Had not watched SOAPnet during Prior 4 Weeks before start of season one.

NPower, based on 6 min. qualifier for Persons 2+, Live +Same Day Reach 000s. All runs of Being Erica 2 (1/20/10-4/7/10).