VH1 to Examine What It's Like to Be Both 'Broke and Famous'

1-Hour Special Will Be Co-Produced by VH1, Flavor Unit, and Emmy-Winning RelativityREAL

"Broke and Famous: Willie Aames" Premieres Thursday, November 5 at 10pm*

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 5 -- VH1 will chronicle the journey of Willie Aames, a once rich and successful celebrity who descended into poverty, as he works to transform and rebuild his life. The 1-hour special presentation "Broke and Famous: Willie Aames" premieres Thursday, November 5 at 10pm.*

As a young star on two of the most popular shows on television, Willie Aames lived the good life, enjoying both wealth and fame. But he is now faced with the prospect of losing his house, his possessions, and his family, after making a series of bad financial choices and living beyond his means. With no acting roles in sight, Willie is in dire straits with no plan to pull himself out of his situation. Enter Sarano Kelley, a tough, no-nonsense financial guru and life coach who will be tasked with giving Willie the wake-up call he needs and helping him to reshape his financial future...before it's too late.

"Willie Aames is a well-known figure with a story that's both compelling and, for many Americans, sadly relatable," said Jeff Olde, EVP Original Programming and Production, VH1. "Willie has the additional challenge of being a public figure, but we believe that viewers can connect with his efforts to transform his life."

Willie Aames charmed audiences in the role of Tommy Bradford on the series Eight Is Enough. He followed that role by starring as side-kick Buddy Lembeck opposite Scott Baio on the hit series Charles in Charge. Recently, Aames also appeared on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club 2 and Celebrity Fit Club 6: Boot Camp.

Sarano Kelley is the author of the book, "The Game - Win Your Life in 90 Days." A self-made man, he entered Vassar College at 16 years old and was earning $400K in commission as a stockbroker on Wall Street by the time he was 23. As a motivational speaker and life coach, Sarano has trained more than 250,000 people.

"Broke and Famous: Willie Aames" was co-produced by Tom Forman and Jonathan Karsh for RelativityREAL, Shakim Compere and Queen Latifah for Flavor Unit, and Jim Ackerman, Christian McLaughlin, and Jeff Olde for VH1.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 95 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

* All times ET/PT