or


[07/30/15 - 01:06 PM]
HBO and Russell Simmons Enter Into Overall Production and Development Deal
Simmons has five active projects with the world's leading premium television service, three of which are being developed through his media company, All Def Digital (ADD).

[via press release from HBO]

HBO AND RUSSELL SIMMONS ENTER INTO OVERALL PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT DEAL

Network Developing Several New Series And Specials With Simmons For Premium Television; Pact Builds Upon Successful Producing Partnership Beginning With Hit Series "Def Comedy Jam" And "Def Poetry Jam"

LOS ANGELES, July 30, 2015 - HBO has made an overall first-look deal for premium television with visionary multi-platform producer Russell Simmons' new media company All Def Digital (ADD). Under the terms of the agreement, the Def Jam Records co-founder and his team will create and develop a wide range of television projects for HBO.

Simmons has five active projects with the world's leading premium television service, three of which are being developed through his media company, All Def Digital (ADD).

HBO and Simmons are collaborating on:

* A new series that curates the best acts from All Def Digital's weekly live comedy night. Every week, ADD produces a live event in Hollywood featuring the best new comedians in the country.

* HBO and ADD are also developing "These Are My Friends," a new comedy series created by independent filmmaker Shaka King that takes an original and authentic look at hip-hop culture. The series follows four real-life rap and hip-hop artists as they struggle to keep their dream alive. Real friends, real rappers, real comedy, real life.

* A comedy series through ADD with the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, which brought audiences cult classics like "Super Troopers" and "Beerfest." "The Broken Lizard Show" will take an innovative and comedic look at race when, hundreds of years in the future, a space ship exploring the galaxy discovers the last white man in the universe.

* Simmons is also executive producing the highly-anticipated HBO limited series "Codes of Conduct," directed and developed by Academy Award(R)-winner Steve McQueen ("12 Years a Slave"). The six-episode limited series is written by McQueen and screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan ("World War Z"), and executive produced by McQueen, Simmons, Iain Canning ("The King's Speech"), Emile Sherman ("The King's Speech") and Alan Poul (HBO's "The Newsroom"). "Codes of Conduct" stars newcomer Devon Terrell as a young man with a mysterious past who enters New York's high society. Paul Dano, Helena Bonham Carter and Rebecca Hall are also featured

* Simmons, alongside Stan Lathan, is producing a Def Comedy Jam 25th Anniversary Special that will feature an all-star lineup of comedians celebrating the longest-running and most influential comedy showcase on cable television.

"We always speak of having distinct voices at HBO, and few in the industry are as unique and intelligent as Russell," says Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming. "He's been a part of our family for a long time, and we are so pleased to be continuing our relationship."

"HBO has been like a home to me for a generation," says Simmons. "I am enormously proud of the broad range of programming they have nurtured. Together, we have discovered new voices and helped launch emerging artists that deserved a mainstream platform. I am even more excited by the next generation of talent and shows that we are developing through All Def Digital TV."

Simmons' relationship with HBO dates back to 1992, when he co-created "Def Comedy Jam," the landmark series that helped make household names of Jamie Foxx, Chris Tucker, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and many others. In 2002 Simmons launched the Peabody Award-winning "Def Poetry Jam." A Broadway version of the series earned Simmons a Tony Award.

As co-founder of Def Jam Recordings with producer Rick Rubin in 1984, Simmons oversaw the signing of seminal hip-hop acts, including Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Jay Z and Kanye West. He also founded the iconic retail brands Phat Farm and Baby Phat and the trailblazing Rushcard debit card business. He has written three New York Times bestselling books on happiness and well-being, including 2014's "Success Through Stillness: Meditation Made Simple."

ABOUT HBO

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and the world's most successful pay TV service, providing the two television services - HBO(R) and Cinemax(R) - to approximately 122 million subscribers worldwide. The services offer the popular subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand(R) and Cinemax On Demand(R), as well as HBO GO(R) and MAX GO(R), HD feeds and multiplex channels. HBO NOWSM, the network's internet only premium streaming service, provides audiences with instant access to HBO's acclaimed programming in the U.S. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO and Cinemax programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

ABOUT ALL DEF DIGITAL

All Def Digital (ADD) is the leading multi-platform media company for millennials focusing on urban youth culture through video programming across comedy, music, lifestyle and topical and timely social commentary. The company nurtures new and established artists and produces and incubates a broad spectrum of original content through an efficient and transformative media model leveraged across social video platforms, traditional and premium television and motion picture development, live events, and its own record label in partnership with Universal Music Group. ADD also includes a highly curated and growing network of talent - from traditional writers and stand up comics to social video stars, from poets to hip hop recording artists. ADD partners with global brands to create immersive and authentic social content experiences with unique talent voices. In its first year of operations, ADD is among the most subscribed-to and watched YouTube channels for urban comedy and music. The company is based in Los Angeles, California, with offices in New York. Its investors include Nu Horizons, Greycroft Partners, e.ventures and Advancit Capital.





  [july 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· BROKEN LIZARD SHOW (HBO)
· CODES OF CONDUCT (HBO)
· RUSSELL SIMMONS PRESENTS: DEF COMEDY JAM (HBO)
· RUSSELL SIMMONS PRESENTS: DEF POETRY (HBO)
· THESE ARE MY FRIENDS (HBO)
· UNTITLED ALL DEF DIGITAL PROJECT (HBO)





[09/23/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Gamechangers: Mother/Athlete" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Five trailblazing WNBA players - Sheryl Swoopes, Bria Hartley, Skylar Diggins, Allison Feaster, and Natalie Achonwa - talk about the physical, emotional, and professional challenges of becoming mothers while competing at the highest level of the sport.

[09/23/26 - 07:31 AM]
AMC Global Media's October Highlights Include "Kill Jackie," "Yaga," "V/H/S/Mixtape," "Signora Volpe" and More
Other series premieres include "Archive X: Unexplained Phenomena" and "This is Not a Murder Mystery."

[09/23/26 - 07:26 AM]
OWN Announces October Premiere Dates for Iyanla Vanzant's Two New OWN Spotlight Specials
OWN Spotlight specials feature candid conversations and thought-provoking documentaries hosted by Oprah Winfrey and other creators, shining a light on the issues, stories, and achievements shaping Black communities.

[09/23/26 - 07:01 AM]
Roku Launches New Live Sports Talk Series "Pregame with Matthew Berry"
Produced by Berry's Fantasy Life, "Pregame with Matthew Berry" will stream Monday through Friday from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET on The Roku Channel's Roku Sports Channel.

[09/23/26 - 06:11 AM]
"CNBC Innovation Lab" Premieres on Saturday, September 26 at 4PM ET on CNBC
Hosted by Jon Fortt, CNBC will debut an in-depth, one-hour special, "CNBC Innovation Lab," examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping the labor market and society, particularly for younger workers entering an AI-driven world.

[09/23/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Ray Gunn" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn (Sam Rockwell) is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson).

[09/23/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts Gripping Trailer for Season Two of Dark Comedy "Where's Wanda?"
Season two will make its global debut on Apple TV with one episode on Wednesday, October 21, followed by a new episode weekly through December 9, 2026.

[09/23/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Masterplan" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
Stealing the Mona Lisa, it's a family affair.

[09/23/26 - 12:01 AM]
Netflix Announces Start of Production for "High Tides: The Film"
The film is the sequel to the popular series "High Tides," whose three seasons together spent over 24 weeks in the Dutch Netflix Top 10.

[09/22/26 - 04:15 PM]
Inside the Most Daring Jewel Theft in History, "Heist at the Louvre," New Podcast from "20/20" and the ABC News Podcast Network, Premieres Monday, Sept. 28
The series unpacks how thieves were able to pull off one of the most daring jewel heists in history, with host James Longman following the investigation and its aftermath to try to answer the central question: Where are the crown jewels now?

[09/22/26 - 03:08 PM]
Record-Breaking Week 3: ESPN/ABC Claim Every Saturday Window; "College GameDay" Continues Historic Start to the Season
ESPN networks delivered the top five most-watched games of Week 3 and accounted for two-thirds of all college football viewing.

[09/22/26 - 02:34 PM]
FOX's "America's Game of the Week" Scores Regular Season High 27,212,000 Viewers in Week 2
Said coverage was up +8% vs. last year's full season average of 25,269,000 viewers.

[09/22/26 - 02:17 PM]
Colts-Chiefs Overtime Thriller Is Most Watched Week 2 NBC "Sunday Night Football" Game Since 2015, Averaging 24.3 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock
The audience for Colts-Chiefs peaked at 27.4 million viewers on NBC and Peacock in the second quarter (9:15-9:30 p.m. ET).

[09/22/26 - 12:16 PM]
Netflix's "Crew Girl" Renewed for Season 2
Season 1 of the coming-of-age teen drama series launched on September 10 and debuted in the Netflix English TV Top 10, where it has remained since its release, climbing up to #2 this week.

[09/22/26 - 12:02 PM]
Netflix to Live-Stream STARTO ENTERTAINMENT's New Year's Eve Countdown Concert Worldwide for the First Time
This concert began in 1996 as a charity event supporting recovery efforts following the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and has since become an annual tradition for artists and fans to close out and welcome the new year together.