Posted: Wed., Feb. 25, 2009, 12:47pm PT

TV One in tune with 'Unsung'

Orders eight episodes from A. Smith & Co.

By Daniel Frankel

A. Smith & Co. has received an order from TV One to produce eight new episodes of the biography series “Unsung.”

The one-hour nonfiction skein encapsulates the lives and careers of successful artists who have been deemed underappreciated for one reason or another. A. Smith has already produced four episodes of “Unsung” featuring DeBarge, Donny Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman and the Clark Sisters that ran on TV One last fall.

The episode featuring Hyman was the highest rated original program of 2008 for the African-American-targeted channel, which is in 47 million households.

“Unsung” is exec produced by A. Smith’s Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Frank Sinton.