"WANDA SYKES PRESENTS HERLARIOUS" ALL-FEMALE COMEDY SPECIALS TO AIR SATURDAY JULY 13 AND 20 ON OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK

The Specials Hosted by Wanda Sykes Feature Celebrity Guest Stars, Popular Female Stand-ups, and Original Comedy Sketches

Los Angeles, CA - This summer will be filled with laughs when OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network premieres two one-hour original comedy specials "Wanda Sykes Presents HERLARIOUS," which will be hosted by Wanda Sykes. The specials will air Saturday, July 13 and Saturday, July 20 from 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Produced by comedian Wanda Sykes and Page Hurwitz (Push It Productions), in conjunction with Harpo Studios, this fresh take on the comedy hour format will be taped in front of a live audience at Harpo Studios in Chicago, where the former home of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will be transformed into a lively comedy venue. The handpicked lineup scheduled to appear are emerging female stand-ups Andi Smith, Gloria Bigelow, Marina Franklin, Tracey Ashley, Carmen Lynch and Dominique Witten. There will be special guest appearances by celebrity headliners, including Kym Whitley from OWN's popular reality series "Raising Whitley." Sykes will also appear with her guests in a series of comedy shorts that will air throughout each hour of non-stop laughs.

Executive Producers of "HERLARIOUS" are Wanda Sykes and Page Hurwitz (Push It Prods) and Jill Barancik (Harpo). Longtime Sykes collaborators Lance Crouther ("Good Hair," "Wanda At Large") and Alyson Fouse ("The Wanda Sykes Show," "Everybody Hates Chris") are writers on the project.

About Wanda Sykes:

Sykes has headlined numerous television projects including her own late night talk show "The Wanda Sykes Show." She was also seen in "Wanda at Large," which she wrote, produced and starred in; the CBS comedy "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and HBO's "Curb your Enthusiasm." She has done three stand up specials; "Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied" for Comedy Central and two HBO specials "Wanda Sykes; Sick and Tired" and "I'ma Be Me," which were both were nominated for a Primetime Emmy(R) Award for "Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special," while "I'ma be Me" was also nominated for "Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special."

She's lent her voice to the animated feature films, "Ice Age: Continental Drift," "Rio" and appeared in "Evan Almighty" and "Monster-In-Law." As a performer and writer on "The Chris Rock Show," she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy(R) Awards and in 1999 won for "Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special." In 2001, she won the American Comedy Award for "Outstanding Female Stand Up Comic" and three more Emmy(R)'s for her work on "Inside the NFL." Her first book "Yeah, I Said It," published by Simon and Schuster, is a hilarious collection of essays touching on life, family and current events.

About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand - and the magnetism of the channel. Winfrey provides leadership in programming and attracts superstar talent to join her in primetime, building a global community of like-minded viewers and leading that community to connect on social media and beyond. OWN is a singular destination on cable. Depth with edge. Heart. Star power. Connection. And endless possibilities. OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications. The network debuted on January 1, 2011 and is available in 85 million homes. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com.

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