SERIES PREMIERE

SERIES PREMIERE OF MYSTERY TRIVIA GAME SHOW 'THE HUSTLER' AIRS MONDAY, JAN. 4

Emmy(R) Award-Winning Actor, Writer and Comedian Craig Ferguson Hosts

"A Puzzle, Wrapped In An Enigma, Tattooed In Mystery" - Mind-bending and enigmatic game show "The Hustler" with host Craig Ferguson premieres MONDAY, JAN. 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. (TV-PG, L) Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.

Hosted by Emmy (R) Award-winning host, actor, writer and comedian Craig Ferguson ("The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson"), "The Hustler" breaks the game show mold by featuring one player who secretly already knows the answers. Don't be fooled. Just because they have a leg up doesn't mean they'll be taking home the prize.

Each episode of "The Hustler" follows five contestants as they collaborate to answer a series of 10 trivia questions worth $10,000 each, with the goal of building a collective prize pot that increases with each correct answer. The catch? One of the five contestants, the Hustler, already knows the answers because every question is inspired by his/her life and interests but must keep their identity a secret in order to have a shot at winning the grand prize. Throughout each episode, two contestants are anonymously eliminated by the Hustler, leaving three remaining contestants - the Hustler and two others - who must collectively decide who they think the Hustler is. If they are right, they share the prize pot that could be worth over $100,000. If the two contestants are wrong, the Hustler goes home with the full cash reward.

Host Craig Ferguson is joined by the following contestants (and their hometowns):

· Brianna Hershey (North Oaks, Minn.)

· Tena Fulghum, (Grovetown, Ga.)

· Tilden Whitfield (Pensacola, Fla.)

· Tim O'Neil (Astoria, N.Y.)

· Troy Tinker (La Mesa, Calif.)    

"The Hustler," which is produced by All3Media-backed production company Studio Lambert, is an original format created by British TV and radio host Richard Bacon who serves as an executive producer along with Studio Lambert company founder, Stephen Lambert, executive vice president of Studio Lambert USA Jack Burgess, creative director Tim Harcourt and Susan House.