UP'S HIT ORIGINAL REALITY SERIES "BRINGING UP BATES" RETURNS WITH BIGGER FAMILY, BIGGER FUN AND THE BIG DAY

13 ALL-NEW EPISODES PREMIERE EXCLUSIVELY ON UP ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016 AT 9 P.M. EST

New Season Features Michaella & Brandon's Much Anticipated Wedding and Romantic Honeymoon, Erin and Lawson's Budding Music Careers and More Surprises from the Family with 19 Children

Season Kicks Off with a One-hour UP Special "Best Bates Moments" and "Bringing Up Bates" Marathon on New Year's Eve

ATLANTA - December 16, 2015 - UP's hit original reality series "Bringing Up Bates," returns for an all-new, never a dull moment season with more big family events from America's most loving and charming super-sized family, led by devoted father Gil and his loving wife Kelly Jo. The new season kicks off with the lead up to the big event -- oldest daughter Michaella's wedding. The season promises lots of family antics, funny and sweet moments, more romance and can't-miss surprises. "Bringing Up Bates" returns for its third season with 13 all-new episodes exclusively on UP, starting Thursday, January 7 at 9 p.m. EST. To celebrate the new season UP will debut a one- hour special, "Best Bates Moments," at 8 p.m. followed by a "Bringing Up Bates" marathon from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. on New Year's Eve, Thursday, December 31.

"With 19 kids, three grandchildren, a multitude of incredible personalities and never ending love, there's a lot going on in this fun and loving family," said Amy Winter, general manager and evp, UP. "We have a season full of heartwarming and relatable moments from a household where each and every individual is special and celebrated. 'Bringing Up Bates' offers a unique blend of heart and humor. It's no wonder viewers have fallen in love with the Bates family."

The new season picks up with a bevy of excitement and a bit of a scare as the entire family prepares for Michaella and Brandon's charming rustic wedding in Knoxville, Tennessee. From choosing her dream wedding gown, to getting in shape to look their best on the big day, to attempted pranks and a bachelor outing that goes awry, the family joins together to make the special day eventful and memorable. When the big day finally arrives, viewers will get a front-row seat at the huge but warm wedding with over 800 guests, including some very special friends that share in the beautiful ceremony. With laughter and tears, it's a bittersweet moment for the entire family knowing that they must say goodbye to Michaella as she leaves the family nest and moves to her new home in Chicago.

There's much more in store. With such a big family filled with talented, precocious and uniquely different children and married couples -- all sharing a close, loving bond - there's bound to be more big excitement. Accomplished pianist Erin prepares for a trip to Nashville to promote her music career and country gospel music singer Lawson continues to pursue his dream with a big performance. Eldest son Zach takes the next step in his law enforcement career as he completes a rigorous training program and graduates from the Police Academy. Also, he and his wife Whitney plan for the first birthday of their son Bradley, the Bates' first grandchild. There's also vacation time and the family packs up for a fun-filled, family trip to sunny Florida. As always, there is organized chaos as mother Kelly Jo navigates all of the home schooling and various chores for the family, while dealing with individual opinions and bigger-than-life personalities of the ever-expanding group. Doting father Gil prepares both his heart and his wallet for all of the new challenges and changes.

Descriptions for the first four episodes of the season are as follows:

Thursday, January 7, 2016 Bringing Up Bates #301 "Welcome Back Bates" (1 hour) The past year has been one of enormous change and growth for the Bates. In the Season 3 premiere, the Bates clan rallies together to help Michaella finally find the wedding dress of her dreams. Later, the family braves a stormy outdoor wedding for Kelly Jo's sister, and celebrates Gil's dad, Papa Bill, with an awesome 4th of July birthday party!

Thursday, January 14, 2016 Bringing Up Bates #302 "Sweet Tea & Sit Ups" With Michaella's wedding quickly approaching, Kelly Jo and Gil wager to see who can get in shape to look their best for the big day. While Kelly Jo enlists Tori to motivate her and help with workouts, Gil finds his coach, Lawson, uses a more hands off approach to whip him into shape.

Thursday, January 21, 2016 Bringing Up Bates #303 "15 Kids and an Empty Nest" With the big wedding just days away the family is busier than ever. Erin hosts a laughter filled candle making party for Michaella and her bridesmaids, while Nathan, Lawson, and Trace take Brandon on an outing to the skating rink, but an accident on the ice could put the wedding in jeopardy.

Thursday, January 28, 2016 Bringing Up Bates #304 "A Big Bates Wedding" (1 Hour) The day that Michaella has been waiting for is here! After months of planning it's a bittersweet moment for the Bates family, who realize she'll soon be leaving home. There's a lot to do before 800 guests arrive to celebrate and see Michaella and Brandon say, "I do" and finally share their first kiss. UP presents "Bringing Up Bates," an UP Entertainment production in association with Figure 8 Films. Executive Producers are Bill Hayes, Kirk Streb and Deanie Wilcher. Executive Producer and Director is Matthew Hightower. Senior Production Manager is Kami Winningham. Series Producer is Mary Wilcher. Post Producer is Tori Holder.

Follow our cast at:

· www.UPtv.com

· The Bates family online at TheBatesFamily.com and on Instagram at https://instagram.com/thebatesfam

About UP

UP is television's trusted entertainment brand dedicated to providing viewers with "feel good TV for you and your family." UP uplifts viewers every day with premiere movies, original reality, dramatic and comedy series filled with compelling stories and characters with character. In keeping with its brand promise, UP's pro-social initiative, "Uplift Someone," inspires people to do simple, everyday acts of kindness. UP is widely available on cable systems and satellite providers across the United States. Based in Atlanta, UP is a division of UP Entertainment, LLC and partners with the ASPiRE network on sales, marketing and other operational services. Follow UP on the Web at www.UPtv.com on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/UPtv, Twitter on @UPtv and Instagram at UP_TV.

About Figure 8 Films

For over 20 years, Figure 8 Films has been creating some of the most popular shows on television. From its ground-breaking series "The Operation" and the pop-culture phenomenon of "Jon and Kate Plus 8" to the currently airing "Salvage Dawgs," the goal has remained the same -- telling entertaining true stories about real people. Whether the subject is a documentary or docu-series, our goal is to connect the viewer with our characters in an emotional way, from laughter to tears, and create a relationship that lasts beyond the final frame of the program. With some of the longest-running series currently on television, we're happy to say our approach continues to be a winning formula for success. As the company slogan says: Another Day, Another Adventure!