WTTW11, Chicago's premier public television station, is pleased to present Mike Leonard's The Ride of Our Lives, a new 12-part series based on Leonard's bestselling memoir by the same name. The series will air on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m., beginning March 27.

This is the true story of an extraordinary journey into a family's past -- and our hearts and minds -- based on a spur-of-the-moment decision by Today Show correspondent Mike Leonard to rent two RVs for a cross-country odyssey with his eccentric parents Jack and Marge, three grown children, and a daughter-in-law. By turns uproariously funny and deeply moving, the month-long journey became a much larger tale of hope, persistence and valuable lessons learned along the way. We travel along as they tour from the desert of the Southwest to the coastline of New England, ultimately racing home to Chicago for the birth of Jack and Marge's first great-grandchild.

Winnetka resident Mike Leonard has captivated millions of television viewers with 27 years of wry and witty feature stories for NBC'sToday. Now he brings that same engaging charm and keen insight to the foibles and passions of his own blessedly unique family. "The Ride of Our Lives is a simple story of a family journey across America and through life. In a sense, it's everybody's story. Perhaps that's why it has resonated more than anything I've done in twenty-seven years of network reporting," said Leonard. "Judging from the flood of emails and letters I've received, our struggles and triumphs, however small, are seen as something worth celebrating," he added.

Episode Descriptions

Episode 1: The journey begins as Mike leaves Winnetka for Phoenix in two rented RVs with two of his sons, a daughter and a daughter-in-law. His goal: to take his parents Marge and Jack on one last cross-country adventure while hoping to make it back in time for the birth of his first grandchild. All seems to be going as planned, until his daughter-in-law Margarita crashes one of the RVs.

Episode 2: The gang waits for the damaged RV to be repaired while staying in a camping store parking lot.

Episode 3: As they head into Texas, Mike and his parents talk about the afterlife. At a campsite, Marge and Jack watch a rock concert DVD, and feathers fly. The family visits the Alamo, where youngest child Brendan bids farewell to his teenage years.

Episode 4: Driving over bridges sends a terrified Marge into hiding in the RVs bathroom. Mike's parents show no interest in scenic wonders, but exalt in the sighting of familiar franchise establishments. The Ride of Our Lives Page 2

Episode 5: The RV bumps along a severely potholed road in Louisiana on their way to the Cajun town of Breaux Bridge, where the Leonards are welcomed as family. A phone call to Mike's daughter Megan reveals that she could give birth at any time.

Episode 6: The Leonards stop in Atlanta, where Marge and Jack are introduced to the world of Hip-Hop lingo.

Episode 7: Marge and Jack have a heated discussion on the pros and cons of "going back in life." In Richmond, Virginia, a go-karting excursion backfires.

Episode 8: Jack returns to his college alma mater, but doesn't get the welcome he expects. Marge suffers the same fate at her alma mater, but couldn't care less.

Episode 9: A drive through their ruined hometown of Paterson, New Jersey disturbs Marge and Jack. In Providence, Rhode Island, Mike rekindles college memories while dealing with troubling news about his daughter Megan's pregnancy.

Episode 10: In New London, Connecticut, Marge and Jack come face to face with the sad reminders of war and the loss of their only daughter. Episode 11: The family returns to Chicago, where the dramatic circumstances of Megan's pregnancy play out. Episode 12: Epilogue. All that has happened since the journey began.