Mullen
Music network Fuse is making its first foray into musicvideo-free programming.
Cabler, which long has positioned itself as the anti-MTV, has greenlit 10-episode sketch comedy "The Whitest Kids U Know" and hybrid reality-mockumentary "The P.A.," centered on John Taub, a real-life production assistant at Fuse.
Fuse also has struck a deal with horror brand Fangoria to co-produce the network's first tentpole event, "The Fuse Fangoria Chainsaw Awards." Kudofest will honor the best in horror across film, television and music.
"Whitest Kids," "P.A." and "Chainsaw Awards" will join a second season of breakthrough hit "Pants Off, Dance Off," a dance competition show in which contestants perform striptease backed by their favorite musicvideos. Skein is the first program to graduate to season two under Fuse's new management team, led by exec VP-general manager Catherine Mullen and development VP Alex Campbell.
Since Mullen's arrival six months ago, Rainbow Media-owned Fuse has added 6 million subscribers to its base, bringing its total reach to 38 million households, and expanded its presence in the mobile, on demand and online arenas. Mullen said the rapid growth has created a solid foundation for serial programming.
"Whitest Kids," which comes from the Gotham-based sketch comedy troupe of the same name, will be exec produced by Jim Biederman, who was behind alternative comedies "The Kids in the Hall" and "The Tom Green Show."
"P.A." is a homegrown reality series starring and created by Taub, who began chronicling the chaos of his world for fun.
"Before, all of the programming was studio-based," Mullen said. "These three shows mark a real leap forward in terms of investment and our ability to make unique programming," she added. Net hopes to continue in this direction.
"Whitest Kids" is slated to launch in November, while the six-episode "P.A." will premiere in August. Both shows will also make exclusive content available on FuseMobile, Fuse.tv and Fuse On Demand.
Music will remain at the forefront of all of the cabler's original programming efforts, Mullen insists. "We're not getting away from music. We're getting at it from different angles," said Campbell, who explained that for "Whitest Kids," the selling point was the group's "hilarious" musicvid parodies. "P.A.," meanwhile, will include cameos by artists who frequent Fuse, including the All American Rejects, Yellowcard, Bloodhound Gang and 30 Seconds to Mars.
As for "Pants Off, Dance Off," renewal was a no-brainer. "Of the four shows we launched after I arrived, this is clearly the breakthrough," Mullen said.
Buzzworthy skein has received more attention and press than anything else on Fuse. "It also does just as well on the Web as it does on linear TV. It's created a lot of momentum and given us something to build off of," she added.
New episodes bow in September; "Chainsaw Awards" will air Oct. 22.
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