TCA Press Tour: ABC's 'Shark Tank Week' to make a September splash

TCA Press Tour: ABC’s ‘Shark Tank Week’ to make a September splash

By Yvonne Villarreal

Aug. 4, 2013 12 AM PT

The sharks have really taken over.

Taking a playful cue from Discovery’s favorite event-viewing “Shark Week,” ABC has announced it has commissioned “Shark Tank Week.”

The network will air a week’s worth of episodes of its hit business-skewed reality series “Shark Tank” in September. The strip of programming will consist of fan-favorite episodes from the past four seasons, not new episodes.

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“We love the idea of ‘Shark Tank week,’” said ABC president Paul Lee during the network’s portion at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills. “We think it’s funny. [The show] has a huge, impassioned audience.”

The pitching and negotiating will begin Sunday, Sept. 8, and conclude on Friday, Sept. 13. (check local listings for times). It will all lead up to the Season 5 premiere of the Emmy-nominated series the following week, on Friday, Sept. 20, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

ABC’s inspired event week will pit it directly against NBC’s big event tryout, “The Million Second Quiz,” a 24/7 reality show that the network hopes will entice a hefty amount of live-viewing.

Lee acknowledged that watching shows in real time is important, but also talked up multiple platforms and non-live viewing.

“Shark Tank” has steadily proved itself to be a solid ratings force, regularly topping Friday nights among adults 18-49 and averaging about 7 million total viewers in Season 4.

Let’s hope this all doesn’t eventually lead to “SharkTanknado” -- the world just isn’t ready.

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