Nick Carter maintains his innocence following the release of Investigation Discovery’s Fallen Idols: Aaron and Nick Carter, which aired Monday and Tuesday night.
The four-part docuseries featured interviews with former Dream pop group member Melissa Schuman, Shannon “Shay” Ruth and Ashley Repp, three women who have come forward and accused the Backstreet Boys frontman of sexual assault.
“These are exactly the same outrageous claims that led us to sue this gang of conspirators,” Carter’s attorney, Dale Hayes, Jr., said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Those cases are working their way through the legal system now, and, based on both the initial court rulings and the overwhelming evidence, we have every belief that we will prevail and hold them accountable for spreading these falsehoods.”
Over the years, Carter has maintained that the women featured in the docuseries conspired to extort, harass and defame him with their allegedly false claims,...
The four-part docuseries featured interviews with former Dream pop group member Melissa Schuman, Shannon “Shay” Ruth and Ashley Repp, three women who have come forward and accused the Backstreet Boys frontman of sexual assault.
“These are exactly the same outrageous claims that led us to sue this gang of conspirators,” Carter’s attorney, Dale Hayes, Jr., said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Those cases are working their way through the legal system now, and, based on both the initial court rulings and the overwhelming evidence, we have every belief that we will prevail and hold them accountable for spreading these falsehoods.”
Over the years, Carter has maintained that the women featured in the docuseries conspired to extort, harass and defame him with their allegedly false claims,...
- 5/29/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The second night of Investigation Discovery’s Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter docuseries wasted no time before diving into Aaron Carter’s mental health struggles and deeper into the allegations of sexual assault against Backstreet Boys frontman Nick Carter.
The final two episodes of the four-part docuseries featured interviews with Aaron Carter’s ex-girlfriend, Lina Valentina, and his ex-fiancée, Melanie Martin, whom he had a child with before he died in November 2022. Nick Carter’s ex-girlfriend, Kaya Jones, was also interviewed about her public support for Melissa Schuman, a former member of the pop girl group Dream, who was the first person to accuse Nick Carter of sexual assault publicly.
The third episode opened with a recording of a phone conversation between Aaron Carter and Schuman. In it, the “I Want Candy” singer tells Schuman he had been seeing everything that had been happening to her since she came forward,...
The final two episodes of the four-part docuseries featured interviews with Aaron Carter’s ex-girlfriend, Lina Valentina, and his ex-fiancée, Melanie Martin, whom he had a child with before he died in November 2022. Nick Carter’s ex-girlfriend, Kaya Jones, was also interviewed about her public support for Melissa Schuman, a former member of the pop girl group Dream, who was the first person to accuse Nick Carter of sexual assault publicly.
The third episode opened with a recording of a phone conversation between Aaron Carter and Schuman. In it, the “I Want Candy” singer tells Schuman he had been seeing everything that had been happening to her since she came forward,...
- 5/29/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Investigation Discovery’s newest docuseries Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter dives into the allegations of sexual assault against Backstreet Boys frontman Nick Carter and brother Aaron Carter’s struggles with mental health and substance abuse.
The four-part series, which airs Monday and Tuesday, spends its first two episodes introducing Melissa Schuman, a former member of pop girl band Dream, who was the first woman to publicly come forward, in 2017, to allege that Nick Carter sexually assaulted her.
Schuman spoke out when the #MeToo movement was rocking the entertainment world. Two other accusers — Ashley Rapp and Shay Ruth — subsequently revealed their own accusations of assault. Over the course of four episodes, Schuman, Rapp and Ruth open up about their stories and the backlash they’ve received since coming forward to accuse someone as beloved by the band’s superfans as Nick Carter.
The second half of the docuseries explores Aaron Carter’s struggles,...
The four-part series, which airs Monday and Tuesday, spends its first two episodes introducing Melissa Schuman, a former member of pop girl band Dream, who was the first woman to publicly come forward, in 2017, to allege that Nick Carter sexually assaulted her.
Schuman spoke out when the #MeToo movement was rocking the entertainment world. Two other accusers — Ashley Rapp and Shay Ruth — subsequently revealed their own accusations of assault. Over the course of four episodes, Schuman, Rapp and Ruth open up about their stories and the backlash they’ve received since coming forward to accuse someone as beloved by the band’s superfans as Nick Carter.
The second half of the docuseries explores Aaron Carter’s struggles,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Investigation Discovery is continuing to dive into early 2000s scandals following controversial docuseries “Quiet on Set.”
ID announced the four-part docuseries “Fallen Idols” about brothers Nick and Aaron Carter, focusing on the sexual assault allegations against Nick. Per the official synopsis, the docuseries will chart the Carters’ fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s to their headline-making struggles in recent years, including Aaron’s death in 2022.
In 2017, Nick was accused of sexual assault by singer and actress Melissa Schuman, former member of popular girl group Dream while Nick and Backstreet Boys were at the height of their fame. In the years following Schuman’s decision to come forward, additional accusers, Ashley Repp and Shay Ruth, spoke out with similar accusations.
Schuman accused Nick of assault in a 2017 blog post, claiming he raped her in 2003. Ruth filed a sexual battery lawsuit against Nick in 2022 alleging that he raped her in...
ID announced the four-part docuseries “Fallen Idols” about brothers Nick and Aaron Carter, focusing on the sexual assault allegations against Nick. Per the official synopsis, the docuseries will chart the Carters’ fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s to their headline-making struggles in recent years, including Aaron’s death in 2022.
In 2017, Nick was accused of sexual assault by singer and actress Melissa Schuman, former member of popular girl group Dream while Nick and Backstreet Boys were at the height of their fame. In the years following Schuman’s decision to come forward, additional accusers, Ashley Repp and Shay Ruth, spoke out with similar accusations.
Schuman accused Nick of assault in a 2017 blog post, claiming he raped her in 2003. Ruth filed a sexual battery lawsuit against Nick in 2022 alleging that he raped her in...
- 4/24/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter and his late brother Aaron Carter — and the controversies and accusations swirling around both of them — will be the subject of the latest high-profile documentary series on Investigation Discovery. Coming off the tremendous success of the recent “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” ID and its sister streamer Max will jointly run the four-part docuseries “Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter” over two nights, on Monday, May 27, and Tuesday, May 28, at 9 p.m. Et.
In particular, the series will investigate the accusations of sexual assault against Nick Carter by three women, and will also dive into younger brother Aaron Carter’s struggles with mental health and substance abuse, leading to his death in 2022. “Fallen Idols” will additionally look at the relationship between the brothers, which took a turn when Aaron Carter began criticizing Nick Carter for those allegations and supporting his accusers.
In particular, the series will investigate the accusations of sexual assault against Nick Carter by three women, and will also dive into younger brother Aaron Carter’s struggles with mental health and substance abuse, leading to his death in 2022. “Fallen Idols” will additionally look at the relationship between the brothers, which took a turn when Aaron Carter began criticizing Nick Carter for those allegations and supporting his accusers.
- 4/24/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
This review of “Page One” was first published on January 24, 2011 after the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
It’s kind of weird for me to watch “Page One,” a year-long chronicle of my former colleagues on the media desk of The New York Times and their struggle to produce journalism in this most challenging of times.
The film, which starts around the time I started TheWrap in 2009 after having left the paper, is kind of like watching the conversation continue in the room after you’ve walked out.
On the one hand, the film directed by Andrew Rossi does an able job of documenting the critically important role that the Times continues to play in news-gathering and dissemination – and why it can be so damn exciting to be there.
On the other hand, the film gives a rather superficial assessment of what everybody really wants to know: Will the Times make it,...
It’s kind of weird for me to watch “Page One,” a year-long chronicle of my former colleagues on the media desk of The New York Times and their struggle to produce journalism in this most challenging of times.
The film, which starts around the time I started TheWrap in 2009 after having left the paper, is kind of like watching the conversation continue in the room after you’ve walked out.
On the one hand, the film directed by Andrew Rossi does an able job of documenting the critically important role that the Times continues to play in news-gathering and dissemination – and why it can be so damn exciting to be there.
On the other hand, the film gives a rather superficial assessment of what everybody really wants to know: Will the Times make it,...
- 3/1/2022
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on physical production spaces and how the needs of production real estate might be changed forever will be the subject of a panel discussion on Friday hosted by the Agency for the Performing Arts, the Broadcast Management Group and production services company GreenlightGo.
“What Happens Next: The Future of Production Space” will address topics that include the impact of Covid-19 on square-footage needs, ventilation requirements, technical infrastructure and cleaning protocols at physical production facilities; who is responsible for Sfae Way Forward protocols at facilities, production companies and networks; current insights from producers who are back on set and resuming production; how productions have rebounded at scale with regard to space; and how lower budget, independently financed productions function under the new Covid-19 protocols.
You can watch the one-hour panel below, starting at 9:30 a.m. Pt Friday.
“What Happens Next: The Future of Production...
“What Happens Next: The Future of Production Space” will address topics that include the impact of Covid-19 on square-footage needs, ventilation requirements, technical infrastructure and cleaning protocols at physical production facilities; who is responsible for Sfae Way Forward protocols at facilities, production companies and networks; current insights from producers who are back on set and resuming production; how productions have rebounded at scale with regard to space; and how lower budget, independently financed productions function under the new Covid-19 protocols.
You can watch the one-hour panel below, starting at 9:30 a.m. Pt Friday.
“What Happens Next: The Future of Production...
- 2/18/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, Comedy Central has renewed “This Week at the Comedy Cellar” and HBO released the premiere date for Season 18 of “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
Dates
Season 18 of “Real Time with Bill Maher” will premiere Jan. 17, HBO announced. The upcoming season starts off with a bang as it leads with Nancy Pelosi as the first episode’s primary guest, Andrew Yang will appear as the mid-show guest, and Joe Walsh, Kara Swisher and Jon Meacham will speak as Maher’s roundtable guests. Directed by Paul Casey, “Real Time with Bill Maher” is executive produced by Maher, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Billy Martin. Chris Kelly serves as co-executive producer.
Renewals
Comedy Central has renewed “This Week at the Comedy Cellar” for a third season. The six-episode season, which will return Feb. 21, will highlight some of the best stand-up talent from the stage of the...
Dates
Season 18 of “Real Time with Bill Maher” will premiere Jan. 17, HBO announced. The upcoming season starts off with a bang as it leads with Nancy Pelosi as the first episode’s primary guest, Andrew Yang will appear as the mid-show guest, and Joe Walsh, Kara Swisher and Jon Meacham will speak as Maher’s roundtable guests. Directed by Paul Casey, “Real Time with Bill Maher” is executive produced by Maher, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Billy Martin. Chris Kelly serves as co-executive producer.
Renewals
Comedy Central has renewed “This Week at the Comedy Cellar” for a third season. The six-episode season, which will return Feb. 21, will highlight some of the best stand-up talent from the stage of the...
- 1/10/2020
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Comedy Central has ordered a third season of its weekly stand-up series This Week at the Comedy Cellar. The six-episode Season 3 will premiere Friday, February 21 at 11 Pm.
This Week at the Comedy Cellar showcases the best stand-up sets from the stage of New York’s most famous comedy club. The series will hit a variety of topics week to week, providing fans with an intimate view of the performances along with offstage discussions among the comics.
Interspersed among the stand-up sets is a look at the famed Comedy Cellar “comics’ table,” where featured comedians converse and engage in good-natured ribbing. Each episode also features a Comic Spotlight profiling a specific comedian from the series.
“We’re excited for the return of This Week at the Comedy Cellar which has resonated with comics and fans alike since its debut in 2018,” said Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Co-Heads of Original Content for Comedy Central.
This Week at the Comedy Cellar showcases the best stand-up sets from the stage of New York’s most famous comedy club. The series will hit a variety of topics week to week, providing fans with an intimate view of the performances along with offstage discussions among the comics.
Interspersed among the stand-up sets is a look at the famed Comedy Cellar “comics’ table,” where featured comedians converse and engage in good-natured ribbing. Each episode also features a Comic Spotlight profiling a specific comedian from the series.
“We’re excited for the return of This Week at the Comedy Cellar which has resonated with comics and fans alike since its debut in 2018,” said Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Co-Heads of Original Content for Comedy Central.
- 1/10/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Comedy Central is bringing back topical stand-up series This Week at the Comedy Cellar for a second season.
The new batch of episodes premieres Friday, July 19 at 11Pm Et/Pt from the stage of the titular New York’s comedy club. The show aims to showcase material commenting on current events from the week the show airs, as well as exposing a large selection of comedians. The debut season had 85 comics, and the second season will have more than that, the network said.
“This Week at the Comedy Cellar captures the essence of what it’s really like in this iconic comedy club on a night-to-night basis, giving fans of stand-up across the country a window into that experience,” said Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Executive Vice Presidents and Co-Heads of Talent and Development for Comedy Central. “We were thrilled the response we received from stand-up fans and comics alike...
The new batch of episodes premieres Friday, July 19 at 11Pm Et/Pt from the stage of the titular New York’s comedy club. The show aims to showcase material commenting on current events from the week the show airs, as well as exposing a large selection of comedians. The debut season had 85 comics, and the second season will have more than that, the network said.
“This Week at the Comedy Cellar captures the essence of what it’s really like in this iconic comedy club on a night-to-night basis, giving fans of stand-up across the country a window into that experience,” said Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Executive Vice Presidents and Co-Heads of Talent and Development for Comedy Central. “We were thrilled the response we received from stand-up fans and comics alike...
- 6/19/2019
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Comedy Central has unveiled its 2018-2019 development slate which includes series orders for Alternatino With Arturo Castro, a Latino-focused sketch series from the Broad City regular, and This Week at the Comedy Cellar, a stand-up series from the famed New York City venue.
The network also has five new shows in development including the weekly series Verified With David Spade, which Deadline revealed last month, and the already announced animated Mall Town USA executive produced by Broad City‘s Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer.
Broad City, which was just renewed for a fifth and final season, factors heavy in the development slate. Along with alum Castro’s series is the in-the-works Kevin Vs. Josh, created, written by and starring Kevin Barnett and Josh Rabinowitz. Based on their real-life friendship, it is executive produced by Jerrod Carmichael, Ari Katcher, Avi Gilbert, Barnett and Rabinowitz.
Also in development is Awkwafina, a half-hour...
The network also has five new shows in development including the weekly series Verified With David Spade, which Deadline revealed last month, and the already announced animated Mall Town USA executive produced by Broad City‘s Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer.
Broad City, which was just renewed for a fifth and final season, factors heavy in the development slate. Along with alum Castro’s series is the in-the-works Kevin Vs. Josh, created, written by and starring Kevin Barnett and Josh Rabinowitz. Based on their real-life friendship, it is executive produced by Jerrod Carmichael, Ari Katcher, Avi Gilbert, Barnett and Rabinowitz.
Also in development is Awkwafina, a half-hour...
- 4/17/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Comedy Central said it greenlit two new series and ordered five pilots as part of its 2018-2019 development slate, readying a stand-up series centered around New York’s Comedy Cellar and preparing a new showcase for Latino comedian Arturo Castro.
“Alternatino with Arturo Castro” stars Arturo Castro and is directed by Nick Jasenovec. The sketch show is based on Arturo’s experiences as a Latino millennial in the United States. The series is executive produced by Castro, Jasenovec and Sam Saifer for Avalon Television, with Avalon Television producing. Arturo is represented by Wme, Avalon and Melissa fox at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush and Keller. Jose Acevedo and Ari Pearce are the executives in charge of production for Comedy Central.
“This Week at the Comedy Cellar” is a series of 30-minute episodes that showcase “the best topical jokes generated in the Comedy Cellar in the days immediately leading up to premiere.
“Alternatino with Arturo Castro” stars Arturo Castro and is directed by Nick Jasenovec. The sketch show is based on Arturo’s experiences as a Latino millennial in the United States. The series is executive produced by Castro, Jasenovec and Sam Saifer for Avalon Television, with Avalon Television producing. Arturo is represented by Wme, Avalon and Melissa fox at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush and Keller. Jose Acevedo and Ari Pearce are the executives in charge of production for Comedy Central.
“This Week at the Comedy Cellar” is a series of 30-minute episodes that showcase “the best topical jokes generated in the Comedy Cellar in the days immediately leading up to premiere.
- 4/17/2018
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Back in 2000, we self-appointed geniuses at Inside.com built an elaborate statistical tracker for Oscar contenders. We measured factors large and small — hair color, past awards record, relatives in the business, daily publicity breaks, whatever. Then we turned the crank once a day, and assigned a numerical score to the pictures, actors and filmmakers. On the advice of Michael Hirschorn, one of Inside's founders, we ran the point system all the way out to the first…...
- 1/19/2017
- Deadline
With every new issue of New York Magazine, the first thing I do is turn to the back page and read the Approval Matrix to find out what's highbrow, lowbrow, brilliant, and despicable that week. Maybe you do too. And why not? It's a feature that's a decade old and that everyone loves and says nice things about all the time, which normally would be enough for most regular magazine features, but not the Approval Matrix. No, the Approval Matrix wants more — all of a sudden everything is "Do you know how much I'm worth?" and "I think I might move to Los Angeles and maybe work on a treatment." So in order to keep the Approval Matrix close to home, we are letting it do a show, for SundanceTV. The Approval Matrix, produced by Ish Entertainment's Michael Hirschorn and former Daily Show writer and executive producer Rory Albanese,...
- 5/9/2014
- by Gilbert Cruz
- Vulture
Orange Is the New Black star and and outspoken transgender activist Laverne Cox will host a new one-hour documentary special Trans Teen: The Documentary, which will simulcast on MTV and Logo this fall.
Following four trans youths in the U.S. who range from ages 14 to 24, Trans Teen explores the complexities of dealing with family acceptance (or lack thereof), bullying, and intolerance — as the four subjects work to come to terms with their own identities as transgender Americans.
Cox also serves as executive producer alongside Marshall Eisen, Betsy Forhan, Cheryl Horner Sirulnick, Michael Hirschorn, and Eric Miclette.
Following four trans youths in the U.S. who range from ages 14 to 24, Trans Teen explores the complexities of dealing with family acceptance (or lack thereof), bullying, and intolerance — as the four subjects work to come to terms with their own identities as transgender Americans.
Cox also serves as executive producer alongside Marshall Eisen, Betsy Forhan, Cheryl Horner Sirulnick, Michael Hirschorn, and Eric Miclette.
- 4/29/2014
- by Lanford Beard
- EW - Inside TV
I think it’s safe to say that actress and trans advocate Laverne Cox is having a moment. Last year millions of bingewatchers came to know and love Cox through her role as prison hairdresser Sophia Burset on the acclaimed (and addictive) Orange is the New Black, which returns soon with a highly-anticipated second season.
But her moving and brave performance on Oitnb (in which Cox’s real-life twin brother plays her in flashbacks) is but one of Cox’s many accomplishments. There was her role in a sweet little romcom called Musical Chairs, where she played a trans woman in a wheelchair who joins a wheelchair ballroom dancing team (check out the clip below for more). She has also become a figurehead in the trans awareness movement, speaking with clarity and passion at countless conferences and events on the topic, and memorably giving Katie Couric some measured guidance on...
But her moving and brave performance on Oitnb (in which Cox’s real-life twin brother plays her in flashbacks) is but one of Cox’s many accomplishments. There was her role in a sweet little romcom called Musical Chairs, where she played a trans woman in a wheelchair who joins a wheelchair ballroom dancing team (check out the clip below for more). She has also become a figurehead in the trans awareness movement, speaking with clarity and passion at countless conferences and events on the topic, and memorably giving Katie Couric some measured guidance on...
- 4/29/2014
- by Brian Juergens
- The Backlot
Justin Timberlake — the former NSYNCer-turned-pop culture Renaissance man — isn’t going away anytime soon.
At least that’s the takeaway from his T Magazine profile by Michael Hirschorn in the New York Times. Tracking his days from a child star and standout boy bander to his current pop/comedy dominance, Hirschorn describes Timberlake thusly: “He is his generation’s dapper master of ceremonies, turning up as a reliable good time on everything from Saturday Night Live, to Jimmy Fallon, to the MTV Video Music Awards and, of course, the Super Bowl.”
In the interview, we see a more ruminative side of the 32-year-old Timberlake,...
At least that’s the takeaway from his T Magazine profile by Michael Hirschorn in the New York Times. Tracking his days from a child star and standout boy bander to his current pop/comedy dominance, Hirschorn describes Timberlake thusly: “He is his generation’s dapper master of ceremonies, turning up as a reliable good time on everything from Saturday Night Live, to Jimmy Fallon, to the MTV Video Music Awards and, of course, the Super Bowl.”
In the interview, we see a more ruminative side of the 32-year-old Timberlake,...
- 9/12/2013
- by Jennifer Arellano
- EW.com - PopWatch
YouTube’s new premium content push featuring the likes of Madonna and Ashton Kutcher spurred speculation that the Google-owned site is issuing a direct challenge to the television industry. That suspicion was given further credence by reports that Google is considering offering paid cable-tv services to consumers. For Michael Hirschorn, chief creative officer of the recently launched IconicTV and one of the nearly 100 content providers participating in the initiative, there's something much bigger taking shape. The programming veteran believes that YouTube's initiative shows that walls between traditional television and digital video are...
- 11/16/2011
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
Oxygen has picked up two new docu-series set in the world of fashion and style: the Eva Marcille Project, which chronicles the daily life of fashion model/actress Eva Marcille (America’s Next Top Model), and La Style, which profiles four young, hip Los Angeles-based celebrity stylists. They join recent greenlights for The Next Big Thing, Brooklyn Crew and Tanisha Gets Married. All five series will air in 2012. Here are more detailed descriptions on the newly picked-up shows: The Eva Marcille Project is a docu-soap about four beautiful and successful best friends who help each other navigate the tumultuous waters of love, celebrity life, and the entertainment industry. At the epicenter of this group of friends is Eva Marcille, fashion model, actor, producer and recent television host of Oxygen’s Hair Battle Spectacular. Her group of best friends includes Denyce Lawton, an actress who starred in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne...
- 10/25/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
VH1 has ordered The June Ambrose Project, a half-hour docu-series that stars celebrity stylist June Ambrose, for an early 2012 launch. On the show, Ambrose and her team of assistants will work on reshaping the looks and brands of up-and-coming and established celebrity clients. Each episode will chronicle an image makeover and overall rebranding. In addition to makeovers, the series will chronicle Ambrose’s family life. The June Ambrose Project is executive produced by Michael Hirschorn, Wendy Roth, Jeff Schmidt and Brandon Wilson for Ish Entertainment.
- 9/19/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Congratulations to our sister site Gossip Cop who, according to Variety, have inked a deal to create a television pilot for their own unique brand of celebrity and entertainment gossip. The show will be co-produced by former VH1 programming chief Michael Hirschorn (and his production company Ish) in conjunction with the Gossip Cop team of Michael Lewittes and Mediaite founder Dan Abrams.
- 4/26/2011
- by Colby Hall
- Mediaite - TV
Filed under: TV Replay
According to one producer, troubled star Charlie Sheen will have a tough time finding work even in reality television. On 'Good Morning America' (weekdays, 7Am Et on ABC), Michael Hirschorn, producer of 'Flavor of Love,' 'Hogan Knows Best' and others, said that Sheen is "too crazy" for reality TV.
While reality television tends to glorify meltdowns and unhinged behavior, Hirschorn said Sheen is too erratic even for that milieu.
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According to one producer, troubled star Charlie Sheen will have a tough time finding work even in reality television. On 'Good Morning America' (weekdays, 7Am Et on ABC), Michael Hirschorn, producer of 'Flavor of Love,' 'Hogan Knows Best' and others, said that Sheen is "too crazy" for reality TV.
While reality television tends to glorify meltdowns and unhinged behavior, Hirschorn said Sheen is too erratic even for that milieu.
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- 3/10/2011
- by Donald Deane
- Aol TV.
Unless you hail from Down Under or you’re really into the microscopic subculture of airline industry humor, chances are that you’ve never heard of Pam Ann, the flight attendant alter ego of Aussie comedienne Caroline Reid. Frankly, we had never heard of her either until just last night, when our old friend Michael Hirschorn tweeted a link to “Terror at 41,000 Feet,” Pam Ann’s latest viral video. He described the piece as “brilliance” and, we must say, we totally concur. If you are a fan of absurdist British comedy, you’ll flip for this mashup of footage from the Airport series of 1970s disaster movies and the bawdy, cocaine-fueled humor of the queen bee of saucy stewardesses, Miss Pam Ann herself (who, it should be noted, is a potent mixture of Strangers With Candy’s Jerri Blank and Ab Fab’s Patsy Stone). Sample line? During a conversation with ex-flame Charlton Heston,...
- 2/4/2011
- by Mark Graham
- BestWeekEver
Times are tough for newspapers, as we all know, with declining advertising revenue and attention-hungry blogs all eating away at the profits and prestige that print media enjoyed for decades. Even The New York Times, one of America's oldest and still among our most trusted newspapers, couldn't escape the death knell; in early 2009 Michael Hirschorn wrote an article for The Atlantic that speculated that even the Times could go out of business, as early as that May, and that it could change the media landscape forever. That article pricked the ears of Andrew Rossi, a documentary filmmaker who, like many Americans, had grown up respecting the Times and had a hard time imagining its absence. Inspired specifically by Times media reporter David Carr, Rossi decided to spend a year inside the Times newsroom, focusing on the reporters at the media desk and following their big stories, from that summer's withdrawal...
- 2/2/2011
- cinemablend.com
Singer Aubrey O'Day is returning to reality TV, landing her own show on Oxygen.
The former lead vocalist of all-girl band Danity Kane was discovered in 2004 as part of MTV's series "Making the Band." Producer and judge Sean Combs famously fired O'Day during an episode of the show two years ago.
Now, Oxygen's "The Aubrey O'Day Project" will chronicle her attempt to make a comeback in the music industry while working with a demanding team of industry professionals.
"Young women have watched the ups and downs of Aubrey through the years, and they continue to cheer her on," said Amy Introcaso-Davis, senior vp original programming and development at Oxygen. "We're excited to deliver her story as she battles the issues that resonate with our audience, from self-doubt and body image to an intense desire for success and redemption."
Since leaving Danity Kane, O'Day has appeared in musicals on Broadway and in Las Vegas.
The former lead vocalist of all-girl band Danity Kane was discovered in 2004 as part of MTV's series "Making the Band." Producer and judge Sean Combs famously fired O'Day during an episode of the show two years ago.
Now, Oxygen's "The Aubrey O'Day Project" will chronicle her attempt to make a comeback in the music industry while working with a demanding team of industry professionals.
"Young women have watched the ups and downs of Aubrey through the years, and they continue to cheer her on," said Amy Introcaso-Davis, senior vp original programming and development at Oxygen. "We're excited to deliver her story as she battles the issues that resonate with our audience, from self-doubt and body image to an intense desire for success and redemption."
Since leaving Danity Kane, O'Day has appeared in musicals on Broadway and in Las Vegas.
- 7/19/2010
- by By James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Filed under: TV News Daily
Wondering where the latest pop-culture blips rate on a scale of "Highbrow Despicable" to "Lowbrow Brilliant?" Well, wonder no more -- New York magazine's back-page feature, 'The Approval Matrix,' is becoming a TV series.
The New York Post reports that Michael Hirschorn, a former executive editor at New York magazine and now a TV producer, sold the show to Bravo last week. The series, also to be called 'Approval Matrix,' will feature four "rotating pop culture pundits" debating the week's "buzzworthy news items."
Continue reading New York Magazine's 'Approval Matrix' Comes to Bravo
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Wondering where the latest pop-culture blips rate on a scale of "Highbrow Despicable" to "Lowbrow Brilliant?" Well, wonder no more -- New York magazine's back-page feature, 'The Approval Matrix,' is becoming a TV series.
The New York Post reports that Michael Hirschorn, a former executive editor at New York magazine and now a TV producer, sold the show to Bravo last week. The series, also to be called 'Approval Matrix,' will feature four "rotating pop culture pundits" debating the week's "buzzworthy news items."
Continue reading New York Magazine's 'Approval Matrix' Comes to Bravo
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- 4/21/2010
- by Sharon Knolle
- Inside TV
Comedy Central is teaming with comedian Patrice Oneal for a pilot presentation and stand-up special.
The semi-scripted comedy/reality presentation, titled "Patrice Oneal's Guide to White People," will star Oneal as a professor of whiteness teaching a Whitey 101 class at an adult school that is designed for foreigners as well as Americans who want to learn "what white people are about and how to get along with them," Oneal said.
He said he got the initial idea after interjecting into a conversation between two white guys about guitar riffs. The men were stunned when Oneal's commented about how great he thought the riff in Eagles' "Hotel California" is.
"I thought it would be a great idea if we just did the show from that angle: I'm a guy who tries to learn about white folks," he said. To do that, in the reality portion of the show, Oneal will...
The semi-scripted comedy/reality presentation, titled "Patrice Oneal's Guide to White People," will star Oneal as a professor of whiteness teaching a Whitey 101 class at an adult school that is designed for foreigners as well as Americans who want to learn "what white people are about and how to get along with them," Oneal said.
He said he got the initial idea after interjecting into a conversation between two white guys about guitar riffs. The men were stunned when Oneal's commented about how great he thought the riff in Eagles' "Hotel California" is.
"I thought it would be a great idea if we just did the show from that angle: I'm a guy who tries to learn about white folks," he said. To do that, in the reality portion of the show, Oneal will...
- 3/24/2010
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Josef Adalian
Reveille ("The Biggest Loser") is getting into business with Stella Stolper, the former VH1 Celebreality executive who recently split with Ish Entertainment partner Michael Hirschorn.
The reality factory and Stolper are launching Wikked Entertainment, a talent-driven production company to be run by Stolper. Reveille will supply financial, production and distribution support for the unit. Naomi Bulochnikov of Ish will head development for Wikked.
TheWrap last month broke the news that Hirschorn and Stolper had parted ways due to creative differences, and that Hirschor...
Reveille ("The Biggest Loser") is getting into business with Stella Stolper, the former VH1 Celebreality executive who recently split with Ish Entertainment partner Michael Hirschorn.
The reality factory and Stolper are launching Wikked Entertainment, a talent-driven production company to be run by Stolper. Reveille will supply financial, production and distribution support for the unit. Naomi Bulochnikov of Ish will head development for Wikked.
TheWrap last month broke the news that Hirschorn and Stolper had parted ways due to creative differences, and that Hirschor...
- 10/28/2009
- by Adalian
- The Wrap
That clock around Flavor Flav's neck says it's time to return to reality TV.
The original basic-cable ladies man is teaming with producer Eric Ortner to shop a new series to networks in which he returns to high school to receive his diploma.
Flav (or as he was known in school, William Drayton) says he dropped out in the 10th grade.
"I just want to show the world it's never too late to get your diploma, and show kids they should stay in school and not wait until you're old to get it," Flav said. "Everybody sees me as this big love mogul. Now I got a baby girl, I've been there and done that and now it's time for the next episode."
Flav starred in VH1's "The Surreal Life," "Strange Love" and in three seasons on the popular dating show "Flavor of Love" that set ratings records for the network.
The original basic-cable ladies man is teaming with producer Eric Ortner to shop a new series to networks in which he returns to high school to receive his diploma.
Flav (or as he was known in school, William Drayton) says he dropped out in the 10th grade.
"I just want to show the world it's never too late to get your diploma, and show kids they should stay in school and not wait until you're old to get it," Flav said. "Everybody sees me as this big love mogul. Now I got a baby girl, I've been there and done that and now it's time for the next episode."
Flav starred in VH1's "The Surreal Life," "Strange Love" and in three seasons on the popular dating show "Flavor of Love" that set ratings records for the network.
- 9/30/2009
- by By James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Josef Adalian
Ish Entertainment's Michael Hirschorn and Stella Stolper are parting ways, roughly 18 months after launching their joint venture.
The reality and scripted TV production company, which has been operating under a joint venture at Lionsgate Television since April 2008, is expected to continue under Hirschorn's direction, according to people familiar with the situation.
Stolper will work independently on her own projects, those same sources said.
It's understood Hirschorn and Stolper split up largely due to creative differences over the direction...
Ish Entertainment's Michael Hirschorn and Stella Stolper are parting ways, roughly 18 months after launching their joint venture.
The reality and scripted TV production company, which has been operating under a joint venture at Lionsgate Television since April 2008, is expected to continue under Hirschorn's direction, according to people familiar with the situation.
Stolper will work independently on her own projects, those same sources said.
It's understood Hirschorn and Stolper split up largely due to creative differences over the direction...
- 9/11/2009
- by Adalian
- The Wrap
New York -- Several top film names are taking a leap into television courtesy of hungry startup Ish Entertainment.
Hot screenwriters Edward Cannistraci and Frederick Seton, the writers behind Fox's Jim Carrey feature "Pierre Pierre," have set up the male-comedy script "Gnarly" at Comedy Central.
Meanwhile, Ed Burns will write, direct and star in "Bayside Boys," a kind of East Coast "Entourage" about a group of twentysomething male friends from the middle-class neighborhood of Bayside, Queens, that's being peddled to top cable nets.
It's part of the ambitious development slate of Ish, the new(ish) production banner founded last year by former VH1 execs Michael Hirschorn and Stella Stolper, who count among their goals taking film and music names and steering them to television.
The former exec vp original programming and senior vp celebrity talent at the MTV sister network have a kind of yin-and-yang dynamic. The New York-based Hirschorn...
Hot screenwriters Edward Cannistraci and Frederick Seton, the writers behind Fox's Jim Carrey feature "Pierre Pierre," have set up the male-comedy script "Gnarly" at Comedy Central.
Meanwhile, Ed Burns will write, direct and star in "Bayside Boys," a kind of East Coast "Entourage" about a group of twentysomething male friends from the middle-class neighborhood of Bayside, Queens, that's being peddled to top cable nets.
It's part of the ambitious development slate of Ish, the new(ish) production banner founded last year by former VH1 execs Michael Hirschorn and Stella Stolper, who count among their goals taking film and music names and steering them to television.
The former exec vp original programming and senior vp celebrity talent at the MTV sister network have a kind of yin-and-yang dynamic. The New York-based Hirschorn...
- 7/30/2009
- by By Steven Zeitchik
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paris Hilton is so over her La friends. So she’s searching for her new Bff halfway across the world in the Middle East. Paris got special permission from Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to round up a group of young women to compete for her friendship. Show creator Michael Hirschorn says of the idea, "I love it for the sheer wildcard aspect of it.” Paris Hilton’s My New Bff-Dubai will follow the same format as it did with the U.S.-based original and the U.K. version, but one major component will...
- 6/3/2009
- Hollyscoop.com
MTV is teaming with DJ Am to launch an intervention-style reality show.
Tentatively titled "Gone Too Far," the series will feature the celebrity DJ, who has had his own battles with drug addiction and last year survived a plane crash.
The show chronicles tough-love interventions for young people whose lives have become unmanageable because of chemical dependence. DJ Am will be present throughout the intervention process, which will be led by an addiction specialist.
Ish Entertainment and Gigantic Prods. will produce the series, which does not have an airdate. Michael Hirschorn, Stella Stolper, Cheryl Sirulnick and Paul Rosenberg are executive producers. Larry Vavra is a co-executive producer.
DJ Am (aka Adam Goldstein) has had a few TV gigs, appearing on MTV's "Punk'd," Fox's "The Simple Life" and HBO's "Entourage."
Last year, DJ Am revealed that he was abused by his father, became addicted to drugs and had attempted suicide. He...
Tentatively titled "Gone Too Far," the series will feature the celebrity DJ, who has had his own battles with drug addiction and last year survived a plane crash.
The show chronicles tough-love interventions for young people whose lives have become unmanageable because of chemical dependence. DJ Am will be present throughout the intervention process, which will be led by an addiction specialist.
Ish Entertainment and Gigantic Prods. will produce the series, which does not have an airdate. Michael Hirschorn, Stella Stolper, Cheryl Sirulnick and Paul Rosenberg are executive producers. Larry Vavra is a co-executive producer.
DJ Am (aka Adam Goldstein) has had a few TV gigs, appearing on MTV's "Punk'd," Fox's "The Simple Life" and HBO's "Entourage."
Last year, DJ Am revealed that he was abused by his father, became addicted to drugs and had attempted suicide. He...
- 4/16/2009
- by By James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a market crash, a magazine is struggling to survive.
It sounds like a contemporary drama but is in fact a period comedy project from writer Andy Bellin in the works at HBO.
Tentatively titled "The Review," the show is set at a New York literary magazine in the immediate aftermath of Black Monday in 1987, just in time to catch the tail end of the decade's "greed is good" excess. It centers on a young guy who leaves banking to work at the magazine right when it existence is threatened by funding cuts.
The project, which former journalist Bellin is exec producing with feature producer Scott Aversano ("Failure to Launch") is loosely based on Bellin's experience as an editor at the Paris Review in the '90s under iconic editor George Plimpton as well as other freelance magazine gigs.
Bellin was on his way to a master's degree in astrophysics...
It sounds like a contemporary drama but is in fact a period comedy project from writer Andy Bellin in the works at HBO.
Tentatively titled "The Review," the show is set at a New York literary magazine in the immediate aftermath of Black Monday in 1987, just in time to catch the tail end of the decade's "greed is good" excess. It centers on a young guy who leaves banking to work at the magazine right when it existence is threatened by funding cuts.
The project, which former journalist Bellin is exec producing with feature producer Scott Aversano ("Failure to Launch") is loosely based on Bellin's experience as an editor at the Paris Review in the '90s under iconic editor George Plimpton as well as other freelance magazine gigs.
Bellin was on his way to a master's degree in astrophysics...
- 11/12/2008
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paris Hilton apparently needs a new best friend.
MTV said Thursday that it has greenlighted a new reality competition series with the working title Paris Hilton's My New BFF following recent speculation that it was eyeing the project. MTV is producing with Ish Entertainment, former VH1 executive vp programming Michael Hirschorn's new banner; it marks the first series to come out of Ish's first-look deal with MTV Networks Music Group.
The 10-episode series finds 20 contestants competing through a series of challenges that test their loyalty, endurance and "girl politics" to see whether they have what it takes to survive in Hollywood. The winner gets what MTV describes as "an all-access pass to the VIP section of the VIP section and life lessons from the master of contemporary Hollywood celebrity."
"Paris is one of the most-searched icons on the Web and has been the focus of everyone's attention from TMZ to Forbes," said Brian Graden, president of entertainment at MTV Networks Music Channels.
MTV said Thursday that it has greenlighted a new reality competition series with the working title Paris Hilton's My New BFF following recent speculation that it was eyeing the project. MTV is producing with Ish Entertainment, former VH1 executive vp programming Michael Hirschorn's new banner; it marks the first series to come out of Ish's first-look deal with MTV Networks Music Group.
The 10-episode series finds 20 contestants competing through a series of challenges that test their loyalty, endurance and "girl politics" to see whether they have what it takes to survive in Hollywood. The winner gets what MTV describes as "an all-access pass to the VIP section of the VIP section and life lessons from the master of contemporary Hollywood celebrity."
"Paris is one of the most-searched icons on the Web and has been the focus of everyone's attention from TMZ to Forbes," said Brian Graden, president of entertainment at MTV Networks Music Channels.
- 3/14/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
VH1 and BET have found a show they want to split in hopes of a hit.
In an unprecedented collaboration between a pair of TV networks, the Viacom-owned duo are jointly developing a scripted-series pilot that, if picked up, would air in the same time slot on both channels throughout its first season. VH1 and BET are evenly dividing production costs.
The cable networks have ordered a one-hour pilot that will count Queen Latifah as one of its executive producers under auspices of her production company, Flavor Unit. Production will begin in March on Wifey, a drama set inside the hip-hop music business.
The first-of-its-kind arrangement reflects a newfound flexibility in the TV industry to bend existing business models, particularly in cable, where the pressure is acute to add viewers without breaking the bank.
With a budget sources peg at less than $2 million per episode, Wifey carries obvious risks, not the least of which is that one network will become a much bigger draw and weaken its partner. But if the series makes it to air and finds an audience on two fronts, it could call into question the conventional wisdom on programming strategy and branding.
"This is absolutely an experiment, a gamble," said Michael Hirschorn, executive vp original programing and production at VH1. "These kind of seemingly counterintuitive leaps are the kind of leaps linear networks need to make these days."
In another unusual twist, the pilot will be directed by the president of entertainment at BET, Reginald Hudlin, who was known primarily as a helmer for both film (House Party) and TV (Everybody Hates Chris) before joining the channel more than two years ago.
"It was a hugely important priority for us because I like scripted shows and there was a huge audience demand for scripted programming on the network," Hudlin said.
The rationale for putting one show on two networks is to maximize its exposure in an increasingly cluttered media landscape while minimizing the financial blow should it fail to catch on.
While the channels would synchronize premiere airdates of Wifey, they still would be free to repeat episodes independent of each other's schedules.
Both channels have dabbled in shared programming ventures with other partners before but never to the point of simultaneous airings. In 2003, BET and Oxygen co-financed production on an animated series, Hey Monie, but its runs were separated by several months. Last year, VH1 and Sundance Channel shared a four-part documentary, The Drug Years, but the latter channel aired the program four days after VH1's premiere.
The BET-VH1 collaboration also marks the first between an MTV Networks asset and BET, which largely has operated as a separate fiefdom despite their common corporate parentage.
In an unprecedented collaboration between a pair of TV networks, the Viacom-owned duo are jointly developing a scripted-series pilot that, if picked up, would air in the same time slot on both channels throughout its first season. VH1 and BET are evenly dividing production costs.
The cable networks have ordered a one-hour pilot that will count Queen Latifah as one of its executive producers under auspices of her production company, Flavor Unit. Production will begin in March on Wifey, a drama set inside the hip-hop music business.
The first-of-its-kind arrangement reflects a newfound flexibility in the TV industry to bend existing business models, particularly in cable, where the pressure is acute to add viewers without breaking the bank.
With a budget sources peg at less than $2 million per episode, Wifey carries obvious risks, not the least of which is that one network will become a much bigger draw and weaken its partner. But if the series makes it to air and finds an audience on two fronts, it could call into question the conventional wisdom on programming strategy and branding.
"This is absolutely an experiment, a gamble," said Michael Hirschorn, executive vp original programing and production at VH1. "These kind of seemingly counterintuitive leaps are the kind of leaps linear networks need to make these days."
In another unusual twist, the pilot will be directed by the president of entertainment at BET, Reginald Hudlin, who was known primarily as a helmer for both film (House Party) and TV (Everybody Hates Chris) before joining the channel more than two years ago.
"It was a hugely important priority for us because I like scripted shows and there was a huge audience demand for scripted programming on the network," Hudlin said.
The rationale for putting one show on two networks is to maximize its exposure in an increasingly cluttered media landscape while minimizing the financial blow should it fail to catch on.
While the channels would synchronize premiere airdates of Wifey, they still would be free to repeat episodes independent of each other's schedules.
Both channels have dabbled in shared programming ventures with other partners before but never to the point of simultaneous airings. In 2003, BET and Oxygen co-financed production on an animated series, Hey Monie, but its runs were separated by several months. Last year, VH1 and Sundance Channel shared a four-part documentary, The Drug Years, but the latter channel aired the program four days after VH1's premiere.
The BET-VH1 collaboration also marks the first between an MTV Networks asset and BET, which largely has operated as a separate fiefdom despite their common corporate parentage.
- 2/14/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
VH1 said Wednesday that Courtney Love and Tommy Chong are among the subjects of five feature-length documentaries set to air as part of its VH1 Rock Docs series.
The network said that each of the documentaries will reveal an "untold story in the history of rock and hip-hop music," combining never-before-seen footage with a "unique and unconventional narrative approach."
"The 'Rock Docs' franchise continues to grow, and as long as there remain stories out there to tell, we will find a way to bring that story to life on-air and into the homes of our viewers," said Michael Hirschorn, executive vp original programming and production at VH1.
The docus are:
* The Return of Courtney Love, an acquisition from the U.K., follows the singer as she works to get her life back on track after drug addiction and rehab and writes and records a new album. It also will feature unseen home movie footage of her late husband, Kurt Cobain.
* A.K.A. Tommy Chong centers on the comedian before and during his incarceration after having been charged with selling bongs over the Internet and later turning his arrest into stand-up material.
The network said that each of the documentaries will reveal an "untold story in the history of rock and hip-hop music," combining never-before-seen footage with a "unique and unconventional narrative approach."
"The 'Rock Docs' franchise continues to grow, and as long as there remain stories out there to tell, we will find a way to bring that story to life on-air and into the homes of our viewers," said Michael Hirschorn, executive vp original programming and production at VH1.
The docus are:
* The Return of Courtney Love, an acquisition from the U.K., follows the singer as she works to get her life back on track after drug addiction and rehab and writes and records a new album. It also will feature unseen home movie footage of her late husband, Kurt Cobain.
* A.K.A. Tommy Chong centers on the comedian before and during his incarceration after having been charged with selling bongs over the Internet and later turning his arrest into stand-up material.
- 11/30/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
VH1 said Wednesday that Courtney Love and Tommy Chong are among the subjects of five feature-length documentaries set to air as part of its VH1 Rock Docs series.
The network said that each of the documentaries will reveal an "untold story in the history of rock and hip-hop music," combining never-before-seen footage with a "unique and unconventional narrative approach."
"The 'Rock Docs' franchise continues to grow, and as long as there remain stories out there to tell, we will find a way to bring that story to life on-air and into the homes of our viewers," said Michael Hirschorn, executive vp original programming and production at VH1.
The docus are:
* The Return of Courtney Love, an acquisition from the U.K., follows the singer as she works to get her life back on track after drug addiction and rehab and writes and records a new album. It also will feature unseen home movie footage of her late husband, Kurt Cobain.
* A.K.A. Tommy Chong centers on the comedian before and during his incarceration after having been charged with selling bongs over the Internet and later turning his arrest into stand-up material.
The network said that each of the documentaries will reveal an "untold story in the history of rock and hip-hop music," combining never-before-seen footage with a "unique and unconventional narrative approach."
"The 'Rock Docs' franchise continues to grow, and as long as there remain stories out there to tell, we will find a way to bring that story to life on-air and into the homes of our viewers," said Michael Hirschorn, executive vp original programming and production at VH1.
The docus are:
* The Return of Courtney Love, an acquisition from the U.K., follows the singer as she works to get her life back on track after drug addiction and rehab and writes and records a new album. It also will feature unseen home movie footage of her late husband, Kurt Cobain.
* A.K.A. Tommy Chong centers on the comedian before and during his incarceration after having been charged with selling bongs over the Internet and later turning his arrest into stand-up material.
- 11/29/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
PASADENA -- Michael Hirschorn has been promoted to executive vp original programming and production at VH1, the network said Wednesday at the Television Critics Assn. winter press tour. Now that VH1 has had a string of solid performers in the "celeb-reality" genre, Hirschorn said the next step is to focus on the launch of the network's first scripted comedy -- the Tori Spelling starrer So Notorious -- as well as ramping up its slate of music-based programming. "VH1 has always been about music, but we've had so much success with 'celeb-reality' at times that the fact we have a music background has been skewed," said Hirschorn, a former music journalist.
- 1/12/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MTV Networks' VH1 is launching the first programming initiative to result from the company's $49 million purchase of online video aggregator iFilm in October. Web Junk 20 is a weekly show based on clips and shorts that will be shown on VH1 and on-demand via VH1's broadband network VSpot. Set to premiere Jan. 13, Web Junk 20 is a countdown of the strange and humorous videos being spread virally around the Internet. Hosted by comedian Patrice O'Neal, the show is executive produced by Rick Hankey, Shelly Tatro and Michael Hirschorn. "The Web clip is the lingua franca of the new age," said Hirschorn, executive vp programming and production at VH1. "We've always been good at pop culture humor, and this combines our sensibility with this wealth of new material. We have a clear mandate to expand from being a pure TV play to a multiplatform play, and this is our first multiplatform offering of the new year."...
- 12/28/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MTV Networks' VH1 is launching the first programming initiative to result from the company's $49 million purchase of online video aggregator iFilm in October. Web Junk 20 is a weekly show based on clips and shorts that will be shown on VH1 and on-demand via VH1's broadband network VSpot. Set to premiere Jan. 13, Web Junk 20 is a countdown of the strange and humorous videos being spread virally around the Internet. Hosted by comedian Patrice O'Neal, the show is executive produced by Rick Hankey, Shelly Tatro and Michael Hirschorn. "The Web clip is the lingua franca of the new age," said Hirschorn, executive vp programming and production at VH1. "We've always been good at pop culture humor, and this combines our sensibility with this wealth of new material. We have a clear mandate to expand from being a pure TV play to a multiplatform play, and this is our first multiplatform offering of the new year."...
- 12/28/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- VH1 has bolstered the top ranks of its programming department by promoting three top executives. Michael Hirschorn was named executive vp production and programming, while Shelly Tatro was upped to senior vp production and programming. Formerly senior vp news and production, Hirschorn has been with VH1 since 2001. Also promoted was Matt Hanna, who moves from assignment editor at VH1 News to director of development.
NEW YORK -- VH1 will unveil a new series in the summer that offers the inside dope on celebrity lifestyles. Six half-hour episodes of The Fabulous Life have been ordered for a late-June/early-July start. Each episode will focus on a celebrity -- Michael Jackson will be one subject -- or a category like hip-hop. Fabulous examines the VIP treatment celebrities get, putting the people who do the pampering on-camera to describe how they live. VH1 tested the concept as a special in January with an episode devoted to Jennifer Lopez. Michael Hirschorn and Matt Hanna will produce the series. The supervising producer is Matt Sharp. VH1 is expected to make further programming announcements today at MTV Networks' upfront presentation.
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