Hosted by Award-Winning Journalist Willow Bay, Lifetime Presents Original Special 'Spotlight 25,'

Hosted by Award-Winning Journalist Willow Bay, Lifetime Presents Original Special 'Spotlight 25,'

The Culmination of Network's Year-Long Survey of How Gen Y Women Are Poised to Change the World ... on Their own Terms

- 'Dreamgirl' Jennifer Hudson Among Diverse Group of Young Women Sharing Their Perspectives on Career and Family, Life and Love -

- Special Premieres in March as Part of Commemoration of National Women's History Month -

PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifetime Television presents an Original Special, "Spotlight 25," a revealing and in-depth look at the 25-year-old woman today as she throws away old roadmaps and redefines her personal and professional expectations and goals, it was announced today by Susanne Daniels, President, Entertainment, Lifetime Entertainment Services. Candid commentary from an engaging group of young women, including "Dreamgirl" Jennifer Hudson, hits on many of the hot topics for this generation including career and family, "quarter-life crisis," computer dating, financial debt, keeping up with the latest must-have trends, and social consciousness. The hour-long special is hosted and executive produced by Willow Bay ("CNN," "MSNBC News," "Good Morning America Sunday").

The on-air special was informed by a year of qualitative and quantitative research into the unique opportunities and challenges Generation Y women face. "Spotlight 25" premieres on Monday, March 26, at 8:00 PM (ET/PT), as part of the Network's commemoration of National Women's History Month.

"I'm thrilled to present this very timely special. These diverse young women are articulate, compelling and insightful in assessing where they stand in our society now," Daniels said, adding, "They're grappling with a radically different world from that of their parents, and at the same time are trying to solve familiar dilemmas, like achieving the balance between job and family and self. Willow creates a dynamic, fast-moving dialogue, and it's fascinating to hear what they have to tell us."

"This generation is better educated than ever before. When defining their futures, they have an unprecedented amount of choice. They truly have the potential to shake up the workforce and the world," Bay said. "We wanted to hear what they thought about everything, from love and sex to 'having it all.' We also went across the country to see how some were leading their lives. What we saw and heard was unexpected, exciting and thought-provoking, not just for this generation, but for parents, employers, marketers, political leaders, and yes, men!"

"Spotlight 25" is the culmination of a year of extensive research. The project stemmed from a series of recent, controversial headlines that painted a picture of women in their 20's, but which was based largely on anecdotal evidence. In an effort to truly understand young women's perspectives and outlooks, the Network conducted a series of nationally representative Lifetime Women's Pulse Polls, which surveyed women 18-29 and also compared them to Generation X and Baby Boomers. The findings shatter prevailing myths about the life goals of Gen Y women and show a highly ambitious generation poised to create changes in both the workplace and the home.

Lifetime and Willow Bay also set out on a nationwide tour to hear directly from young women in their 20's. A series of conversations were held in diverse settings, including Edwards Air Force Base, Columbia University's School of Business, with employees at Yahoo! and on Capitol Hill. In addition, the Network and Bay consulted with several experts, ranging from national women's community leaders, top women's magazine editors and career consultants.

In the special, Bay and the young women from multi-cultural backgrounds are gathered in Los Angeles. In enthusiastic, sometimes tearful and sometimes hilarious exchanges, they discuss statistics on 25-year-olds and compare them with their real-life experiences. For many, life at 25 is nothing like they thought it would be. Some of the women featured include:

-- Stephanie, a young single woman living in Los Angeles, searches
cyberspace for Mr. Right while discovering the pitfalls of the dating
process.

-- Joanne, a married working mother in San Diego, is dedicated to the
hands-on raising of her three young children, and her ambitious climb
up the corporate ladder. Her grueling schedule underscores the
emotional juggling act every woman who wants a family must face.

-- Louise, a New York City attorney, confronts the risks of leaving a
high-paying job at a law firm to fulfill her goal of launching her own
practice.

-- Abby, a single grad student in Kansas, finds out that her expectations
of having a fashionable lifestyle come at the cost of mounting debt.

-- Aynsley, an idealist in Georgia, who is determined to make a
difference. She learns she may lose the job she loves if she decides to
pursue her commitment to social service by volunteering in Africa.

Also featured is singer/actress and Golden Globe(R) nominee Jennifer Hudson, who rose to prominence in "American Idol" and stars in the hit feature film "Dreamgirls." Hudson, in an intimate interview, talks about the consequences of success at 25. As each woman's story demonstrates, there is no singular definition of a 25-year-old woman, but common threads emerge of a generation aiming high to reach profound levels of success, change and happiness.

Willow Bay is an award-winning journalist and author. She is currently a freelance anchor and reporter for NBC News and MSNBC. Her extensive background includes anchor of CNN's "Moneyline," co-anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America Sunday," a correspondent for ABC News, and the co-host of "NBA Inside Stuff." In 2003, Bay published "Talking to Kids in Tough Times" to help parents answer their children's tough questions in a post 9-11 world.

"Spotlight 25" is produced by Intuitive Entertainment in association with Lifetime Television. Willow Bay, Mechelle Collins and Kevin Dill are the executive producers.

Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, LMN, Lifetime Real Women, Lifetime Home Entertainment and Lifetime Online (www.lifetimetv.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

* Photography available at www.lifetimepress.com

Source: Lifetime Television

CONTACT: Neil Schubert, +1-310-556-7535, schubert@lifetimetv.com, or
Megan Tantillo, +1-310-556-7542, tantillo@lifetimetv.com, both of Lifetime
Television

Web site: http://www.lifetimetv.com/
http://www.lifetimepress.com/

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