SERIES PREMIERE

THINGS IN THE O'NEALS HOUSEHOLD TAKE AN UNEXPECTED TURN WHEN KENNY COMES OUT TO HIS FAMILY, AND EVERYONE STOPS PRETENDING TO BE PERFECT AND STARTS BEING REAL, ON THE NEW ABC COMEDY SERIES "THE REAL O'NEALS"

"Pilot" - Based in Chicago, the O'Neals appear to be a seemingly picture perfect family, but their lives soon take an unexpected turn when surprising truths are revealed. Eileen is a mom who usually has a fine grasp on all matters under her roof, and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Pat is a good-natured father and the emotional center of the family. Their normal routine at home suddenly gets turned upside down when Eileen and Pat announce their divorce, and their sixteen-year-old-son Kenny reveals to his family that he is gay. Kenny never would have imagined his admission would also result in outing his entire family's secrets, including revelations from his older brother, Jimmy, and little sister, Shannon. Jimmy unapologetically wears his heart on his sleeve and genuinely tries to figure out what's best in any situation, while Shannon is the youngest but carries herself more mature than her age. Life in the O'Neals household wouldn't be complete without Aunt Jodi, Pat's ex-sister-in-law and Eileen's best friend, who is quite the frequent visitor and is also willing to admit things are far from perfect in her own life. What seems like a sudden upheaval that could mark the end of the O'Neals idyllic lives turns out to be the beginning of a bright new chapter when everyone stops pretending to be perfect and actually starts being real on "The Real O'Neals," airing in a special preview on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 (8:30-9:00 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network.

Editors Note: "The Real O'Neals" regular time period premiere will air Tuesday, March 8 (8:30-9:00 p.m. EST)

Guest starring Brian Huskey as Father Phil and Jeremy Lawson as Jesus.

"The Real O'Neals" stars Martha Plimpton as Eileen, Jay R. Ferguson as Pat, Noah Galvin as Kenny, Matt Shively as Jimmy, Bebe Wood as Shannon and Mary Hollis Inboden as Jodi.

"Pilot" - The teleplay was written by Casey Johnson & David Windsor and Josh Sternin & Jennifer Ventimilia, based on a story by Josh Sternin & Jennifer Ventimilia. Executive Producers of the series are Casey Johnson, David Windsor, Stacy Traub, Dan Savage, Brian Pines, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Dan McDermott and Todd Holland. The pilot was directed by Todd Holland. The series is produced by ABC Studios.