Introducing Summer and Fall Programming For Facebook Watch Originals

Facebook has always been a place to connect with friends and family, and more and more, a destination to find communities that share your interests. It's been particularly gratifying to see this play out so well in Facebook Watch - a platform that is quickly becoming a place where content and conversation organically come together.

We've seen grief communities console each other in the Sorry For Your Loss Group; nonprofits crush their goals after being profiled on Returning The Favor; and of course, we saw Jordyn Woods lay it all on the table on Red Table Talk, making pop culture history that broke Watch viewership records.

We will continue to deliver immersive and social experiences through Watch Originals and are excited to announce the roster of shows debuting this summer and fall. We will start tomorrow, June 13 with the premiere of the iconic series MTV's The Real World, with localized versions in the United States, Thailand and Mexico, and continue on with 8 additional shows.

This includes the work of incredibly talented folks like Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick through the animated show Human Discoveries, Jessica Biel and Stanley Tucci with mystery podcast-turned-series Limetown, and much, much more. Below is a full rundown of our series coming in the next few months:

JULY

Human Discoveries (Premiere) - July 16

AUGUST

Five Points (Season 2) - August 5

Curse of Akakor (Premiere) - August 11

Ball In The Family (Season 5) - August 18

Huda Boss (Season 2) - August 20

OCTOBER

Sorry For Your Loss (Season 2) - October 1

The Birch (Premiere) - October 11

Limetown (Premiere) - October 16

And we've got a lot more in store. In addition to our Original series, we're fostering collaboration between some of today's most popular and prolific digital publishers and creators through a program we launched in March that's bringing unique original video to Facebook Watch. From BuzzFeed to Tastemade, The Players' Tribune to Studio71, we're forging and funding relationships between publishers and creators, to create content that drives meaningful conversation. Here what's on the horizon:

JUNE

The Players' Tribune's Generations featuring Megan Rapinoe and Lindsey Horan- June 11

Whistle Sports' Globetrotter Gauntlet with the Harlem Globetrotters - June 24

Tastemade's Sundays at Nonna's featuring Ian Hecox - June 30

JULY

Studio71's Fetch Me A Date with Jonathan Bennett and Dorothy Wang - July 29

OCTOBER

BuzzFeed's Mi Quinceañera Come True featuring Pero Like - October 5

As Facebook Watch wraps up its second year, it's thrilling to see our Originals generate so much enthusiasm. From Will Smith checking items off of his Bucket List, to Tom vs Time winning a Sports Emmy, we're pleased to be offering content that brings people closer together. If you'd like to learn more about Watch's growth, read our Newsroom post, which shares some context about how our platform is performing.

Synopsis and Credits

The Players' Tribune's Generations featuring Megan Rapinoe and Lindsey Horan - June 11

The United States Women's National Team enters this summer's World Cup as reigning global champions. One of its stars, Megan Rapinoe, assumes the role of decorated veteran and co-captain, playing in her third Cup. Lindsey Horan joins the USWNT - a team built on legacy, tradition and winning - as a rookie in the global tournament.

Generations documents their journey - from dreaming and inspired young girls to teammates on one of the most storied teams in sports history - as they rise to soccer's biggest stage.

Whistle Sports' Globetrotter Gauntlet with the Harlem Globetrotters - June 24

To make the Harlem Globetrotters, you can't just be your average ball player. You have to be a performer, an athlete, and an artist all in one. Which is why anything is possible in Globetrotter Gauntlet - the only show where members of the Harlem Globetrotters challenge one another in the ultimate game of one-upsmanship. Did Cheese just land a basketball trick shot from across an entire court and challenge TNT to beat it? How can TNT top that?

Each episode will feature a Globetrotter, a crazy location, a larger-than-life stunt, and of course, a friendly call-out for the next Globetrotter challenging a teammate to top their stunt. Eight insane episodes later, an ultimate Globetrotter Gauntlet winner will be crowned! It's epic stunts, challenges, plenty of laughs, and the Harlem Globetrotters themselves. What's not to love?

Tastemade's Sundays at Nonna's featuring Ian Hecox - June 30

Everyone knows there's nothing in the world like Grandma's cooking, but every Nonna offers something special. Ian Hecox, a multi-talented comedian, writer and actor, will join your grandma in her kitchen, learning to make classic dishes from the master herself, meanwhile hearing one-of-a-kind stories from someone who came of age in a very different time and world. From authentic homemade pasta and meatballs, traditional pork tamales, and perfectly seasoned chicken biryani, Ian will learn how to make the classics you grew up eating and loving. Through the course of the episode, we'll find that endearing, sassy, outspoken Grandma, or in some cases Grandpa, has a lot more to teach than just recipes.

Human Discoveries - July 16

Human Discoveries is an animated series featuring a group of friends living at the dawn of human civilization. Of course, they're the first to discover necessities like fire and the wheel. But, much more importantly, we'll watch as they stumble onto humanity's best, and worst, innovations. Art. Alcohol. Fashion. Racism. Small talk. And, much to their confusion, monogamy.

The series stars Zac Efron (The Greatest Showman, Baywatch), Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air) Lamorne Morris (New Girl, Valley of the Boom), Jillian Bell (Rough Night, 22 Jump Street), and Paul Scheer (The League, Fresh Off the Boat).

Producers are ShadowMachine and Ninja's Runnin' Wild. Executive Producers on the series are Kirk J. Rudell, Chris Bruno, David Howard Lee, Anna Kendrick, Zac Efron, Corey Campodonico, Alex Bulkley, Jason Barrett and Mike Simkin.

Studio71's Fetch Me A Date with Jonathan Bennett and Dorothy Wang - July 29

Known for their infectious personalities and insatiable love of love, Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls, Cake Wars) and Dorothy Wang (Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, Famously Single) are on a mission to help singles find love. In each episode of Fetch Me A Date, Jonathan and Dorothy meet a single who submitted a plea for help in the dating department. From a recent high school grad who's been rejected so many times he's afraid to date, to a thirty-something divorcee who's ready to return to the dating scene but has no idea where to start, Jonathan and Dorothy know what to do, and are on a mission to find the perfect match for them!

Fetch Me A Date is executive produced by Andy Strausser at Studio71, a Red Arrow Studios Company.

Five Points - August 5

Five Points explores authentic teen stories through the eyes of five diverse kids in a Southside Chicago high school. Each episode is seen through a revolving perspective, taking audiences on a surprising and unexpected journey where the characters ultimately are anything but what they originally seemed. In S1, the series bravely took on difficult topics and gave voice and support to those suffering with similar issues within the Facebook community. During its ten episode run, Five Points examined bullying, depression, sexuality and suicide in a way that showed how misguided decisions can lead to life altering outcomes. The show's talent was deeply involved in the conversations on the show's Facebook page which resulted in great community engagement.

Cast members Hayley Kiyoko, Madison Pettis, Ray Cham Jr., Nathaniel Potvin, Trey Curtis, and Daniela Nieves are all returning.

Five Points is executive produced by Jon Avnet (Black Swan, Fried Green Tomatoes, Risky Business, Sneaky Pete), Rodrigo Garcia (In Treatment, Albert Nobbs, Mother & Child), Jake Avnet (60 Second Docs, Sickhouse), Kerry Washington (Confirmation), and Katie Mota (East Los High). Pilar Savone, Sage Scroope and Mercedes Bryce Morgan are producers.

Curse of Akakor - August 11

A ground-breaking documentary series, Curse of Akakor follows six investigators deep into the Amazon jungle on the search for a lost city and the answer to a chilling question: why does almost everyone who chases the Akakor legend go missing? Three explorers on three different expeditions disappeared in the 1980s while seeking a lost city of gold called Akakor and its sister city, Akahim. A fourth explorer was murdered in mysterious circumstances just before embarking on his expedition. For almost 40 years, the disappearances and murder have remained unexplained. To finally uncover the truth, investigative journalist Paul Connolly; former FBI agent Bobby Chacon; tech expert Brennon Edwards; survival expert Megan Hine; wilderness doctor Dr. Karina Oliani and geologist/explorer Dr. Martin Pepper are following in the footsteps of those ill-fated expeditions. Armed with the latest technology and guided by ancient clues, they have a dual mission: to search for evidence of the lost cities; and to discover what happened to the explorers who never came back.

Produced by Beyond Productions, Curse of Akakor is executive produced by John Luscombe and Nick Long.

Ball In The Family - August 18

From Bunim/Murray Productions, Ball In The Family follows the Ball family's basketball journey, as LaVar, Tina and their three sons Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo rewrite the rules on and off the court. Season five picks up with LaVar working to save the BBB brand, Lonzo preparing for his third professional season, LiAngelo training to join a summer league team, LaMelo exploring his options as he readies for next year's draft and Tina tackling speech therapy. The show has built a thriving community on Facebook. For example, the Big Ballers Official Ball in the Family Facebook Group features positive posts from fans from all over the world that range from commentary about the show, to support for the family, to personal stories where fans have drawn inspiration from the show's storylines and stars.

Executive producers from Bunim/Murray Productions are Gil Goldschein, Julie Pizzi, Farnaz Farjam and Steve Ezell. Lavar Ball and Tina Ball serve as producers.

Huda Boss - August 20

The life of a beauty business mogul isn't all glitz and glamour, and through Huda Boss, Huda and Mona Kattan - the powerhouse sisters behind the cult beauty brand Huda Beauty - showed Facebook audiences exactly what it takes to run a global enterprise. Huda alongside her sisters Mona and Alya, as well as her husband Chris, gave an exclusive look at the professional and personal tradeoffs that come with building their billion dollar cosmetics brand. The Kattans are a great example of how Facebook Watch can bring new audiences to creators while seamlessly merging these two worlds in a way that is unique to the Facebook platform.

Huda Boss is Produced by Shed Media and executive produced by Pam Healey, Lisa Shannon, Leola Westbrook, Esther Frank, Huda Kattan and Mona Kattan.

Sorry For Your Loss - October 1

Exploring the life of a young widow trying to piece her life back together, Sorry For Your Loss has emerged as a critically acclaimed series with a star turn performance by Elizabeth Olsen. It has been named one of the best shows of 2018 by numerous publications including The New York Times, Vulture, The Atlantic and Time, and Elizabeth Olsen recently nabbed a Best Actress nomination by the Critics' Choice Awards for her role as Leigh. Sorry For Your Loss was not only lauded for being an authentic depiction of grief and survival, but it also proved to be an outlet for viewers to share their stories of loss and find comfort within the Facebook community and the official Facebook Group.

Produced by indie powerhouse Big Beach and created/executive produced by award-winning playwright Kit Steinkellner, Sorry For Your Loss is executive produced by Elizabeth Olsen and James Ponsoldt, who also directed the pilot and multiple episodes of the first season. The series is also executive produced by Robin Schwartz, Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf for Big Beach TV, and Cynthia Pett, Brad Petrigala, and Jon Liebman for Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

BuzzFeed's Mi Quinceañera Come True featuring Pero Like - October 5

In this Queer Eye + Extreme Home Makeover + MySuper Sweet 16 mash up, the members of PeroLike help make dreams a reality for a series of lucky 15 year-olds as they plan their dream Quinceañeras.

The Birch - October 11

Crypt TV's The Birch is centered around the dark relationship between a synonymous monster taprotector in the woods and a pure-hearted teenager who summons her in a time of crisis. The 14-episode series is based on the award-winning viral short of the same name, and will be told from multiple character perspectives as their lives are indelibly shaped by The Birch.

Crypt TV will produce with Jack Davis, Kate Krantz and Darrent Brand as Executive Producers. Episodes of the The Birch are written by J. Casey Modderno and Dylan Mulick and David Aslan and directed by John William Ross and Amy Wang. The series stars Xaria Dotson, Dempsey Bryk and Midori Francis.

Limetown - October 16

Based on the hit podcast of the same name produced by Two Up ("36 Questions," "The Wilderness"), Limetown follows Lia Haddock, a journalist for American Public Radio (APR), as she unravels the mystery behind the disappearance of over 300 people at a neuroscience research facility in Tennessee.

Jessica Biel will star and executive produce along with her partner and executive producer, Michelle Purple, for their Iron Ocean Productions banner. They will be joined by Stanley Tucci, Marlee Matlin, Kelly Jenrette, John Beasley and Louis Ferreira. Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie, creators of the "Limetown" podcast are on board as writers and executive producers of the series. Midnight Radio's Josh Appelbaum, Jeff Pinkner, André Nemec and Scott Rosenberg will executive produce and showrun, with Adrienne Erickson producing. The series hails from Endeavor Content.

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