'Gumbo,' 'R&B '98' tapped for syndie
|
More Articles:
Most Viewed:
MTV sets 'Avatar' webcast(3342 views)Steven Seagal Lawman(2620 views)Christopher Eccleston plays Lennon(2594 views)PGA announces TV noms(2419 views)McConaughey’s ‘Rooster’ at Fox(2229 views)Paramount lands 'Area 51'(2165 views) |
House of Blues Entertainment and the Larry Thompson Organization are teaming to produce a new weekly music/pop culture hour, "Gumbo TV --- From the House of Blues." A pilot will be shopped to syndicators and cable nets this fall.
In a separate announcement Monday, Warner Bros. said it will expand its quarterly series of syndie R&B specials to a monthly series starting in January. The "R&B '98" hour specs will be co-produced by Black Pearl Entertainment and Warner Bros. Domestic Pay-TV, Cable & Network Features.
For House of Blues founder Isaac Tigrett, "Gumbo TV" represents his "crazy ethnic visions" of contemporary society as one big "cultural gumbo."
The show will have significant online and multimedia components designed by House of Blues New Media. The partners also intend for the TV program to have simultaneous broadcasts on radio and on the Internet.
"We want to have contributing editors from around the world to take advantage of our whole 'Net culture,' " said Tigrett. "It's going to be a combo of art and poetry and music from the House of Blues and other clubs around the world. It's not going to be formatted. We'll have a different host every week."
Added Thompson: " 'Gumbo TV' will be a party. It will speak to the youth of today."
Warner Bros. and Black Pearl are planning more traditional specials showcasing soul, hip-hop and R&B artists. The move to a monthly series was prompted by the ratings success earlier this summer of the second of this year's specials, "R&B '97: Summer Jam," which featured up-and-comer Erykah Badu and En Vogue.
The monthly series hasn't been shopped to stations yet, but the remaining two specials on this year's slate are cleared for broadcast on outlets covering more than 60% of U.S. TV households, including UPN affiliate WWOR New York and indie KCAL Los Angeles. Like the quarterly specials, the monthly series will be offered to stations in exchange for seven minutes (or half of the available spots) of barter advertising time.
