VH1 Greenlights 7 New Series to Launch Third Night of Original Primetime Programming
Aggressive New Programming Initiative Marks Five Years of Consecutive
Quarterly Growth Among VH1's Total Viewers
NEW YORK, June 20 -- As VH1 approaches five years of
consecutive quarterly growth, the music and pop culture network is
announcing plans to launch a third night of original programming fueled by
an aggressive and varied slate of 7 new series.
The upcoming projects run the gamut from improv series and
documentaries to new twists on celebreality featuring female rap pioneers
Salt N Pepa, models competing in another type of contest, pop culture
revolutionaries, aspiring child stars mentored by Danny Bonaduce, ambitious
fashion photographers, and two "golden girls" getting schooled on the
latest in pop culture.
At the end of this month, VH1 will celebrate 20 consecutive quarters of
growth among total viewers, largely on the strength of its original
programming on Sunday and Monday nights. Such hits as "I Love New York" and
"Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School" rank among the top 10 original series
for basic cable for 2007.
Year-to-date, VH1's primetime ratings in the 18-49 demo are up 25%. VH1
also ranks as the #4 basic cable network in the key 18-49 demo on Monday
nights and the #5 basic cable network on Sunday nights among 18-49 viewers.
The network looks to expand its original offerings to an unprecedented
third night beginning later this summer on Thursdays.
VH1 has also seen significant growth across platforms. Year-to-date,
average monthly unique visits to and streams on VSPOT, VH1's broadband
channel have increased 47% and 38%, respectively.
"Over the years, VH1 has been re-imagined for a generation that now
consumes, comments on, reinterprets and reinvents our common music and pop
culture touchstones," said Brian Graden, President, Entertainment, MTV
Networks Music Group and President, Logo. "VH1's latest slate taps into
this collective fascination, allowing the conversation to be extended on
television and beyond."
"VH1's original shows often finished among the top 10 basic cable
telecasts for the day this year. The time is right to build on our momentum
and expand our programming assets in a primetime line-up that featured 90
percent original content this quarter," said Tom Calderone, Executive Vice
President and General Manager, VH1. "This extensive list of new original
projects will also appeal to our viewers on any platform they wish to enjoy
them ... on television, on our broadband channel VSPOT, VH1.com or VH1
Mobile."
The new VH1 series, all slated for Q4 2007 or Q1 2008, include:
THE SALT 'N' PEPA SHOW (10 episodes)
Push It. Let's Talk About Sex. Shoop. Whatta Man. The songs are as
legendary as this rap duo. Twelve million records sold. A first ever Grammy
awarded to a female rap group for Best Rap Performance. Three MTV Video
Music Awards. Then, in 2002, at the height of their success, Salt 'N Pepa
suddenly called it quits. Rumors swirled that Salt had found God and Pepa
wanted to pursue an acting career. Despite the speculation, the girls
remained silent. Until now.
On "The Salt 'N Pepa Show," VH1 will follow the ladies as they attempt
to reunite on and off the stage in this funny, often touching reality
series. They soon discover however, that achieving this is easier said than
done since most of their past issues are still unresolved. Salt is angry
about being unappreciated when they were together and Pepa blames Salt for
breaking up the group. Their lifestyles are also polar opposites: Salt has
indeed found God and is living a quiet life in Long Island with her husband
while Pepa is still the party girl and up for anything. Can they overcome
their differences long enough to heal their friendship and perform again?
"The Salt 'N' Pepa Show" is executive produced by Banks Tarver and Ken
Druckerman for Left/Right Inc. Michael Hirschorn, Shelly Tatro and Danielle
Gelfand for VH1. Kari McFarland is supervising producer for VH1.
AMERICA'S MOST SMARTEST MODEL (10 episodes)
Beauty is a double-edged sword. It seems to be a commonly accepted
notion in today's world that an inverse proportion exists between brains
and beauty -- the prettier someone is, the less intelligent they are
expected to be. And no one has it worse than models. But is this assumption
really true? Do smart models exist, or does a life devoted to getting by on
one's looks make a person stupid? Now, VH1 will attempt to answer this
burning question in "America's Most Smartest Model." Hosted by celebrity
fashion expert Mary Alice Stephenson and Emmy Award winner Ben Stein, this
reality competition series brings together fourteen models, (7 men, 7
women) all of whom think they are the perfect combination of beauty and
brains. In every episode the 'himbos' and 'bimbos' will face challenges
that put both their overall intelligence and beauty to the test. In the
end, only one model will prove that they are more than just another pretty
face and take home a $100,000 prize and the coveted title of "America's
Most Smartest Model."
"America's Most Smartest Model," is executive produced by Cris Abrego
of 51 Pictures and Mark Cronin of Mindless Entertainment. Jeff Olde,
Kristen Kelly, Jill Holmes, Alex Demyanenko, Stella Stolper and Michael
Hirschorn are executive producers for VH1.
CLICK! (8 episodes)
From the producer of "America's Next Top Model" and "Pussycat Dolls
Presents: The Search for the Next Doll," "Click!" will give 10 amateur
photographers the chance to live out their wildest fantasies in pursuit of
their ultimate dream: to become the next great fashion photographer. Our
cast will live and work together in a downtown L.A. loft while being guided
by world-renowned fashion photographer Russell James. These aspiring
photographers will embark on a series of photo shoots meant to challenge
their creativity and expose their individual weaknesses. For the first time
in their lives, the cast will work with supermodels and high-end
professionals, while traveling to exotic locations -- all to capture that
one perfect shot. Whether it's shooting on the deck of a schooner in the
midst of a storm, or trying to get a supermodel to cuddle up to a Siberian
tiger, our cast will face daunting tasks and obstacles that will test their
talent, desire and drive to be the next great fashion photographer.
"Click!" is executive produced by Ken Mok for 10 X 10 Entertainment.
Jim Ackerman is executive producer for VH1.
DANNY BONADUCE'S CHILD STAR -- tentative title (8 episodes)
In a world gone mad with delusional stage moms and money hungry agents,
only one man knows how to save the endangered species known as the child
star. "Danny Bonaduce's Child Star" (tentative title) challenges Danny
Bonaduce to seek out one great, aspiring, triple threat stage-hungry kid,
identify them as a star, and train their driven stage mom or dad to be a
supportive and fit parent who won't end up driving their kid into rehab.
Over the course of 8 hour-long episodes both kids and parents will
participate in challenges to see if they have what it takes to make it in
Hollywood. The kids will need to have talent and the parents will need to
have the smarts to navigate Hollywood without ruining their child's career.
"Danny Bonaduce's Child Star" is executive produced by Danny and
Gretchen Bonaduce. JD Roth, Todd Nelson, Adam Greener are executive
producers for 3 Ball Productions and Michael Hirschorn, Jeff Olde and
Claire McCabe are executive producers for VH1.
FREE RADIO (8 episodes)
"Free Radio" is a half-hour improvised comedy where the worlds of
celebrity, mediocrity and talk radio collide. It is a comedic, behind-the-
scenes look at a struggling Los Angeles radio station and its dysfunctional
staff, led by Lance, the dimwitted, laughably ignorant, yet inexplicably
popular host of "Moron in the Morning." Celebrity guests from film,
television, music and stage join Lance every week in the booth as they
promote their latest projects while enduring his clueless questions and
oblivious take on the world. Lance is played by improv comedian Lance Krall
("The Joe Schmo Show").
"Free Radio" is executive produced by Lance Krall and Rory Rosegarten.
Jim Ackerman is executive producer for VH1 and Mike Riley, senior producer
for VH1.
LORDS OF THE REVOLUTION (7 episodes)
They questioned authority. They celebrated nonconformity. They dared to
be different. VH1's new documentary series "Lords of the Revolution"
profiles the nonconformist heroes -- and anti-heroes -- of the 60s and 70s,
honoring those icons who challenged social, political and cultural
institutions of the time. Edgy, colorful and visually dynamic, each
hour-long episode will tell the compelling story of a visionary who --
through music, art, social change or politics -- influenced popular culture
in a way that it is still felt today.
"Lords of the Revolution" is executive produced by Michael Hirschorn,
Brad Abramson and Shelly Tatro for VH1. Supervising producers are Stephen
Mintz and Ted Kim for VH1.
OLD SKOOL WITH TERRY AND GITA (5 Episodes)
It's The Golden Girls meets Borat! "Old Skool with Terry and Gita" is a
half-hour weekly series starring Terry Moore and Gita Hall as they explore
the hottest topics in pop culture. Terry Moore, 77, a movie star from the
studio days and ex-wife of billionaire Howard Hughes, and Gita Hall, 72,
one of the world's first supermodels, have an unquenchable thirst for life.
Terry and Gita are on a mission to explore all the weird and wonderful
"subcultures" normally reserved for people far younger than their
demographic proving it's never too late to get "skooled." From hip hop to
the gay community, the two ladies are committed to discovering what's hip
and happening today. Their fish-out-of-water immersion into those worlds is
often revelatory, sometimes shocking and always hilarious.
"Old Skool with Terry and Gita" is executive produced by Jon Murray and
Jeff Jenkins for Bunin/Murray Productions and Grant Cramer for Moore/Cramer
Productions. Michael Hirschorn, Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes and Jenn Levy serve
as executive producers for VH1.
VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter
to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content
and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 90 million households
in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1
Classic, VH1 Soul and VSPOT, VH1's broadband channel. Connect with VH1 at
http://www.VH1.com.
VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom
International Inc. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures,
licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be
seen worldwide.
SOURCE VH1
http://www.vh1.com
|