"SCANDAL," A NEW DRAMA SERIES FROM THE CREATOR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS OF "GREY'S ANATOMY" AND "PRIVATE PRACTICE," PREMIERES THURSDAY, APRIL 5 AT 10:00 P.M., ET ON ABC

Starring Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope

"Private Practice" Moves to Tuesday Evenings at 10:00 p.m., from April 24 through May 15

The creator and executive producers of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" delve into the behind-the-scenes machinations of a mesmerizing top crisis manager, Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington), in ABC's highly anticipated new drama, "Scandal," premiering THURSDAY, APRIL 5 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Everyone has a secret... and Olivia Pope has dedicated her life to protecting and defending the public images of the nation's elite and keeping those secrets under wraps. Revered and feared at the same time, Olivia, a former communications director to the President of the United States, left the White House to open her own prominent crisis management firm. She is hoping to start a new chapter in her life - both professionally and personally - but she can't seem to completely cut ties with her past. Olivia's former boss, President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn), and his chief of staff, Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry), are never far, and it soon becomes clear that Olivia's clients aren't the only ones with secrets. Olivia's accomplished staff includes Stephen Finch (Henry Ian Cusick), a womanizing lawyer who's trying to settle down; Harrison Wright (Columbus Short), a slick litigator with his fair share of secrets; Huck (Guillermo Diaz), a hacker extraordinaire with a CIA past; and Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield), an investigator who has a love/hate relationship with Stephen. Although Olivia and her team specialize in fixing the lives of other people, they can't quite seem to fix the problems closest at hand - their own.

In the premiere episode, young lawyer Quinn Perkins (Katie Lowes) is offered a job with Olivia Pope and Associates, and she is in awe. Olivia and her team of "gladiators in suits" will do whatever it takes to make their clients' problems go away, and newbie Quinn is initiated into the group with trial by fire on day one -- when a White House intern accuses the President of having an affair. Olivia is the only one the White House trusts to diffuse the problem, but as she gets deeper into the situation, Quinn soon realizes Olivia's clients aren't the only ones with secrets.

"Scandal" stars Kerry Washington ("Ray") as Olivia Pope, Henry Ian Cusick ("Lost") as Stephen Finch, Columbus Short ("Stomp the Yard") as Harrison Wright, Guillermo Diaz ("Half-Baked") as Huck, Darby Stanchfield as Abby Whelan, Katie Lowes as Quinn Perkins, Tony Goldwyn ("Ghost") as President Fitzgerald Grant, and Jeff Perry ("Grey's Anatomy") as Cyrus Beene.

"Scandal" is written by Shonda Rhimes ("Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice"). Rhimes and Betsy Beers ("Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice") are executive producers. Judy Smith is co-executive producer. Paul McGuigan (BBC's "Sherlock") is the director. "Scandal" is produced by ABC Studios.