Coming Up on VH1 December 17 -December 23 2004

Coming Up on VH1 December 17 -December 23 2004 NEW YORK, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Coming up on VH1 ... AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS ... VH1'S Best Week Ever Takes A Fond Look Back At 2004, The "Best Year Ever" On Friday, December 17 At 11pm* Howard Dean's fateful "aaaaargh!," Britney's weddings and Paul Hamm's Olympic fall. It was a memorable year and VH1 was right there for every "I can't believe I did that" and "I hope no one saw" moment. For the past year, VH1's "Best Week Ever" has captured the ups and downs of pop culture -- delivering "everything you loved, everything you missed, and everything you have to see again," week after week. Premiering Friday, December 17 at 11PM* "Best Week Ever" will take a look back at the year in pop culture in a one-hour special "Best Year Ever." "Best Year Ever" will run through 2004 in a rough chronology of events including the ups and downs of reality TV, the hot undercurrents in the John Kerry / John Edwards relationship, Oprah's car giveaway, the Pistons / Pacers rampage and the battles over obscenity and indecency, from Janet Jackson to Howard Stern to the NFL and "Desperate Housewives." "Best Year Ever" will also include some of the most popular "Best Week Ever" segments including In Case You Missed It: crazy moments in pop culture that you will want to see again, such as Ashlee Simpson lip-synching and Anna Nicole's meltdown and an Upgrade/Downgrade look at celebrity legal troubles (Michael Jackson, Robert Blake, Saddam) Over the past year, many celebrities have stopped by the VH1 studios to share in the pop culture free-for-all series, some of whom will appear in "Best Year Ever" including Topher Grace, the cast of the original season of "The Apprentice," winners and losers from "Survivor" and 'The Amazing Race" and L'il Jon. On Friday, December 17 "Best Year Ever" See description above (Premieres at 11:00 p.m.) http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/best_of_best_week_ever/85049/episode.jhtml * all times ET/PT Contacts: Michelle Clark/VH1 Ariana Urbont/MTVN 212-846-5576 310-752-8079 On Saturday, December 18 "Top 40 of 2004" (Hrs.1&2) It's time again for VH1 to count down the "Top 40 Videos of 2004." This 2- hour special, hosted by Juliette Lewis, brings you the most niftiest videos the year had to offer, the clips that thrilled us, rocked us, and inspired us to pay tribute to them on secret VH1 altars in our attics. Among the artists making this year's countdown are U2, Outkast, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Usher, Alicia Keys and Joss Stone. You'll hear from them, as well as industry insiders, and you'll find out exactly why these 40 videos are the best of '04. (Premieres at 8:00 p.m.) http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/top_40_of_2004/series.jhtml "My Coolest Years: Jocks and Cheerleaders" The only kids who hated sports were the ones with no game. You may have hated the laps, the drills, the early AM practices, and the coach -- but you loved the game. And the fringe benefits (parties, power, and popularity) weren't too shabby either. If those glory days were yours, these are your "coolest years." (Premieres at 10:00 p.m.) http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/my_coolest_years/86250/episode.jhtml On Sunday, December 19 "All Access: Britney's Most Shocking Moments" You can never accuse Britney Spears of being boring. From her outrageous outfits to her endlessly fascinating love life, Brit never lets her fans down. Sure she sings and stuff, but it's the rest of her life that has the whole world watching. And now it's time to take a look at the all little things that make her the most fascinating celebrity alive today. We'll explore her most shocking moments, from her new roles as stepmother and wife to her milkshake run-in with the paparazzi. Find out the real reason why she enters public restrooms barefoot and uncover the truth about her 2004 weddings. This one hour special reveals what happened in those tattoo parlors and why her scandalous t-shirts make her fans love her even more. (Premieres at 10:00 p.m.) Monday, December 20 "Flab to Fab: Madonna" Nobody raises eyebrows and pushes the envelope quite like Madonna. For more than two decades, this one-woman media powerhouse has taken a lead role in defining the landscape of modern music, elevating herself to cultural icon status in the process. Infamous for her ability to set trends with her frequent and radical image transformations, one thing has always remained consistent in her look: her amazingly sculpted physique. Three of Madonna's biggest fans will find out that achieving the diva's physique isn't as easy as she makes it look. (Premieres at 8:00 p.m.) http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/flab_to_fab/87409/episode.jhtml Tuesday, December 21 "25 Most Cheestastic TV Stars" The best TV is kinda cheesy. So what do you call the most loved, most legendary stars who've come to embody this awesomely cheesed out medium? Cheesetastic, of course. VH1 brings you the 25 TV stars who've elevated cheesy TV to an art form. These celebs possess a vital TV skill: the ability to win our hearts and, through some kind of cheesy sorcery we don't fully understand, remain among the most adored, most watched TV personalities year after year. (Premieres at 10:00 p.m.) http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/67957/episode.jhtml Wednesday, December 22 "Movies that Rock Marathon" Watch all your favorite Movies That Rock all day long. (Begins at 12:30 p.m.) Thursday, December 23 "Celebrity Secrets Revealed Marathon" All the hottest stars and all of their deepest secrets revealed all day. (Begins at 12:00 p.m.) ON VH1 CLASSIC: VH1 Classic invited friends such as Amy Grant, Richard Marx, Brian Setzer, The Smithereens, George Thorogood and John Waite to its studio to perform acoustic renditions of their favorite holiday songs. The performances will be presented in the "VH1 Classic Acoustic Holiday Concert." Songs include: * The Brian Setzer Orchestra -- 18-member band performs "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" and "Sleigh Ride" * The Smithereens - "Blue Christmas" * George Thorogood - "Merry Christmas Baby" * John Waite - "All I Want For Christmas" * Amy Grant - "Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away" * Richard Marx - "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" The "VH1 Classic Holiday Acoustic Performances" Show will air Friday, December 24 at 6 PM, 10 PM and 2 AM and Saturday, December 25 at 6 AM, 10 AM, 2 PM, 6 PM and 10 PM. http://www.vh1classic.com/ Source: VH1 CONTACT: Michelle Clark of VH1, +1-212-846-5576; or Ariana Urbont of MTVN, +1-310-752-8079 Web site: http://www.vh1.com/ http://www.vh1classic.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/130123.html ------- Profile: International Entertainment