Though Lifetime first announced the four-part docuseries, The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, on April 12 — one day after O.J. Simpson died from metastatic prostate cancer at the age of 76 — the project has actually been a decade coming, says one of its executive producers, Melissa Moore.
“It’s 10 years in the making,” Moore tells The Hollywood Reporter in the conversation below. “I connected with Denise Brown first over the topic of domestic violence. I’m a survivor of domestic violence myself, and we connected through going to speaking events and galas, raising money. Over this last decade, a friendship and trust started to be built, so much so that I got introduced to the other Brown sisters, Dominique and Tanya, and then in 2016, they introduced me to the Simpson children, and that trust then continued on with my relationship with Brie and Jesse,” Moore says of her co-executive producers,...
“It’s 10 years in the making,” Moore tells The Hollywood Reporter in the conversation below. “I connected with Denise Brown first over the topic of domestic violence. I’m a survivor of domestic violence myself, and we connected through going to speaking events and galas, raising money. Over this last decade, a friendship and trust started to be built, so much so that I got introduced to the other Brown sisters, Dominique and Tanya, and then in 2016, they introduced me to the Simpson children, and that trust then continued on with my relationship with Brie and Jesse,” Moore says of her co-executive producers,...
- 6/2/2024
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lifetime has set the premiere date and unveiled a trailer for The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, a two night documentary event that sheds new light on her life on the eve of the 30th anniversary of her tragic and untimely death.
The two-part documentary will air June 1 and June 2 at 8 pm on Lifetime.
Nicole Brown Simpson’s murder and O.J. Simpson’s proclaimed innocence have been the subject of scrutiny for years. Now Nicole’s sisters Denise, Dominique, and Tanya – and her closest friends — come forward for the first time to share her truth following one of the most notorious crimes and trials in history.
The documentary features 50 participants, along with unprecedented access to exclusive home videos and interviews.
Related: O.J. Simpson’s Car Chase And Murder Trial: A Timeline In Photos
“What happened to our sister Nicole should never have happened to her or to any other woman,...
The two-part documentary will air June 1 and June 2 at 8 pm on Lifetime.
Nicole Brown Simpson’s murder and O.J. Simpson’s proclaimed innocence have been the subject of scrutiny for years. Now Nicole’s sisters Denise, Dominique, and Tanya – and her closest friends — come forward for the first time to share her truth following one of the most notorious crimes and trials in history.
The documentary features 50 participants, along with unprecedented access to exclusive home videos and interviews.
Related: O.J. Simpson’s Car Chase And Murder Trial: A Timeline In Photos
“What happened to our sister Nicole should never have happened to her or to any other woman,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“It’s been 30 years. Maybe it’s time to rekindle the flame of Nicole.”
Lifetime has officially announced its forthcoming docuseries on Nicole Brown Simpson, timed to the 30-year anniversary of her death. Titled The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and billed as an explosive two-night event, the four-part series will premiere June 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt.
Lifetime has released a trailer for the docuseries (below), which features her three sisters — Denise, Dominique and Tanya Brown — speaking about Nicole, the ex-wife of O.J. Simpson who was found murdered in 1994 outside her Brentwood condominium. Nicole and Simpson were married for seven years and shared two children, Sydney and Justin. Simpson was famously accused and acquitted of her murder, as well as the murder of Ron Goldman. The fallen football star was later found liable for both of their deaths in a 1997 civil lawsuit.
Simpson died April 10 from metastatic prostate cancer.
Lifetime has officially announced its forthcoming docuseries on Nicole Brown Simpson, timed to the 30-year anniversary of her death. Titled The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and billed as an explosive two-night event, the four-part series will premiere June 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt.
Lifetime has released a trailer for the docuseries (below), which features her three sisters — Denise, Dominique and Tanya Brown — speaking about Nicole, the ex-wife of O.J. Simpson who was found murdered in 1994 outside her Brentwood condominium. Nicole and Simpson were married for seven years and shared two children, Sydney and Justin. Simpson was famously accused and acquitted of her murder, as well as the murder of Ron Goldman. The fallen football star was later found liable for both of their deaths in a 1997 civil lawsuit.
Simpson died April 10 from metastatic prostate cancer.
- 5/2/2024
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wendy Williams’ legal guardian claimed that the talk show host was unable to consent to her participation in Lifetimes’ Where Is Wendy Williams? documentary that aired last month, according to an unsealed lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone.
Sabrina Morrissey, acting as Williams’ guardian, filed the suit in February just days before the docuseries aired. Morrissey filed the suit, which was sealed until Thursday, in New York seeking to block the project’s release — though it aired as planned on Feb. 24 and 25.
In the complaint, Morrissey claimed that Williams, referred in the suit as W.
Sabrina Morrissey, acting as Williams’ guardian, filed the suit in February just days before the docuseries aired. Morrissey filed the suit, which was sealed until Thursday, in New York seeking to block the project’s release — though it aired as planned on Feb. 24 and 25.
In the complaint, Morrissey claimed that Williams, referred in the suit as W.
- 3/15/2024
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Lifetime’s two-night documentary special Where is Wendy Williams? has set a new ratings record for the network. The documentary averaged 1.2 million total viewers over the two nights in Nielsen Live+3, and 6.2 million total viewers across linear and digital platforms to date.
The network says Where is Wendy Williams? is Lifetime’s best new non-fiction performance in two years since the Janet Jackson documentary, with total viewers, W25-64 and A25-64, beating out January’s The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard which is now ranked No. 2 in L+Sd.
On premiere night on February 24, Where is Wendy Williams? was the No. 1 program across all of TV in total social interactions, according to Lifetime.
The full documentary will repeat starting tonight at 7pm Et/Pt and again on Saturday, March 2 at 1:30pm Et/Pt.
The documentary aired just days after Williams was diagnosed...
The network says Where is Wendy Williams? is Lifetime’s best new non-fiction performance in two years since the Janet Jackson documentary, with total viewers, W25-64 and A25-64, beating out January’s The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard which is now ranked No. 2 in L+Sd.
On premiere night on February 24, Where is Wendy Williams? was the No. 1 program across all of TV in total social interactions, according to Lifetime.
The full documentary will repeat starting tonight at 7pm Et/Pt and again on Saturday, March 2 at 1:30pm Et/Pt.
The documentary aired just days after Williams was diagnosed...
- 3/2/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The producers behind the new Wendy Williams documentary said they wouldn’t have begun filming it if they knew about her mental health diagnosis ahead of time.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Where Is Wendy Williams? producers Mark Ford and Brie Miranda Bryant discussed the news last week that Williams had been diagnosed with new primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
“Of course, if we had known that Wendy had dementia going into it, no one would’ve rolled a camera,” Ford said Monday in the interview,...
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Where Is Wendy Williams? producers Mark Ford and Brie Miranda Bryant discussed the news last week that Williams had been diagnosed with new primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.
“Of course, if we had known that Wendy had dementia going into it, no one would’ve rolled a camera,” Ford said Monday in the interview,...
- 2/27/2024
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
“At a certain point,” says Where Is Wendy Williams? producer Mark Ford, “we were more worried about what would happen if we stopped filming than if we continued.”
So, for the better part of a year, his cameras kept rolling, documenting the increasingly fragile state that the former talk show host had found herself in, as she alternately craved family, her former TV platform and an excessive amount of alcohol, all while struggling to remain coherent. What ultimately came of that footage is a raw, devastating, four-plus hour documentary, which aired on Lifetime over two nights last weekend. Williams, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., and her jeweler-turned-manager, William Selby, are all credited as executive producers.
Nevertheless, the eOne and Creature Films project asks more questions than it answers, including what, exactly, was going on with Williams, and why a court-ordered guardian has largely cut her off from her family. Though...
So, for the better part of a year, his cameras kept rolling, documenting the increasingly fragile state that the former talk show host had found herself in, as she alternately craved family, her former TV platform and an excessive amount of alcohol, all while struggling to remain coherent. What ultimately came of that footage is a raw, devastating, four-plus hour documentary, which aired on Lifetime over two nights last weekend. Williams, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., and her jeweler-turned-manager, William Selby, are all credited as executive producers.
Nevertheless, the eOne and Creature Films project asks more questions than it answers, including what, exactly, was going on with Williams, and why a court-ordered guardian has largely cut her off from her family. Though...
- 2/26/2024
- by Lacey Rose
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lifetime will continue chronicling the life of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
On the heels of its January documentary The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the cable network has greenlit a new unscripted show that will chronicle her life following her release from prison. The untitled series comes from Prison Confessions producer Category 6 Media, which is part of A+E Factual Studios.
“Millions have followed Gypsy’s story and are invested in seeing what is in store for her next,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vp and head of programming for A&e, Lifetime and Lmn. “After a lifetime of trauma and serving her time, we are all rooting for Gypsy to embrace all that life has to offer and become the woman she always wanted to be.”
The docuseries will follow Blanchard starting days before her Dec. 28, 2023, release from prison, where she served 8 1/2 years of a 10-year sentence for persuading a boyfriend to kill her mother,...
On the heels of its January documentary The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the cable network has greenlit a new unscripted show that will chronicle her life following her release from prison. The untitled series comes from Prison Confessions producer Category 6 Media, which is part of A+E Factual Studios.
“Millions have followed Gypsy’s story and are invested in seeing what is in store for her next,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vp and head of programming for A&e, Lifetime and Lmn. “After a lifetime of trauma and serving her time, we are all rooting for Gypsy to embrace all that life has to offer and become the woman she always wanted to be.”
The docuseries will follow Blanchard starting days before her Dec. 28, 2023, release from prison, where she served 8 1/2 years of a 10-year sentence for persuading a boyfriend to kill her mother,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For the first time in over a year, we are seeing the return of Wendy Williams in her new Lifetime documentary Where is Wendy Williams?
The documentary, set to premiere on Lifetime over two nights, February 24 and 25, was filmed over the two years following Williams’ exit from The Wendy Williams Show in 2021. It captures Williams’ struggles after she was placed under a financial guardianship and her hit talk show was unexpectedly canceled. Per Lifetime. “Opening the doors to her private life like never before, cameras chronicled her comeback journey to reclaim her life and legacy despite facing health issues and personal turbulence.”
“Since I was six years old, all I wanted was to be famous,” Williams says in a voiceover heard over chants of fans and behind-the-scenes footage of her talk show.
Lifetime was granted unprecedented access by Williams to film her and her family.
“Wendy has been part of...
The documentary, set to premiere on Lifetime over two nights, February 24 and 25, was filmed over the two years following Williams’ exit from The Wendy Williams Show in 2021. It captures Williams’ struggles after she was placed under a financial guardianship and her hit talk show was unexpectedly canceled. Per Lifetime. “Opening the doors to her private life like never before, cameras chronicled her comeback journey to reclaim her life and legacy despite facing health issues and personal turbulence.”
“Since I was six years old, all I wanted was to be famous,” Williams says in a voiceover heard over chants of fans and behind-the-scenes footage of her talk show.
Lifetime was granted unprecedented access by Williams to film her and her family.
“Wendy has been part of...
- 2/2/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Investigation Discovery’s The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and Lifetime’s The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard both opened with stellar ratings, highlighting the continued success of true-crime on television.
In fact, it’s the “Barbenheimer of true-crime,” according to Warner Bros Discovery exec Jason Sarlanis.
Sarlanis, President, TBS, TNT, truTV, ID & Hln for Linear & Streaming at Wbd, said, “What [Lifetime] was able to do with Gypsy Rose and we had with Natalia Grace was like our own little Barbenheimer of true-crime happening. That only really happens if you’re willing to find the good things and find the optimism in every single meeting.”
Sarlanis was speaking Monday at Realscreen in New Orleans on a panel alongside Lifetime’s SVP Original Programming Brie Miranda Bryant; Scout Production co-founder David Collins; WME partner and agent Ryan McNeily; and Susie Jones, head of factual at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
ID launched...
In fact, it’s the “Barbenheimer of true-crime,” according to Warner Bros Discovery exec Jason Sarlanis.
Sarlanis, President, TBS, TNT, truTV, ID & Hln for Linear & Streaming at Wbd, said, “What [Lifetime] was able to do with Gypsy Rose and we had with Natalia Grace was like our own little Barbenheimer of true-crime happening. That only really happens if you’re willing to find the good things and find the optimism in every single meeting.”
Sarlanis was speaking Monday at Realscreen in New Orleans on a panel alongside Lifetime’s SVP Original Programming Brie Miranda Bryant; Scout Production co-founder David Collins; WME partner and agent Ryan McNeily; and Susie Jones, head of factual at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
ID launched...
- 1/29/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Lifetime is approaching its 40th anniversary and it’s launching a number of unscripted series to celebrate.
The A+E Networks-owned cabler has ordered Prison Brides and I Wasn’t Expecting a Baby! as part of its new non-scripted slate.
The series, which will launch in the first quarter of 2024, join long running series such as Married at First Sight as well as previously announced shows such as The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Casey Anthony’s Parents: The Lie Detector Test and Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits.
Prison Brides follows women who find love in locked up places and I Wasn’t Expecting a Baby! recounts the stories of women who only discovered they were pregnant as they are about to give birth.
Prison Brides follows seven women from around the world who believe they have found their soulmates in the most unexpected of places, American prisons. While...
The A+E Networks-owned cabler has ordered Prison Brides and I Wasn’t Expecting a Baby! as part of its new non-scripted slate.
The series, which will launch in the first quarter of 2024, join long running series such as Married at First Sight as well as previously announced shows such as The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, Casey Anthony’s Parents: The Lie Detector Test and Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits.
Prison Brides follows women who find love in locked up places and I Wasn’t Expecting a Baby! recounts the stories of women who only discovered they were pregnant as they are about to give birth.
Prison Brides follows seven women from around the world who believe they have found their soulmates in the most unexpected of places, American prisons. While...
- 12/12/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Lifetime is bringing the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard to the screen. The network has announced a three-night documentary event, The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard for premiere in early 2024.
The six-hour special, debuting as two-hour episodes on January 5, 6 and 7 at 8pm Et/Pt, features unprecedented access to Blanchard, a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy who suffered horrific abuse and made national headlines for her role in her mother’s violent murder. The docu special provides Blanchard “the platform to share her story, her way,” says Lifetime. You can watch the trailer below.
Currently still incarcerated, Blanchard is set for release in December and “is finally ready to tell her truth before she becomes a free woman for the first time in her life,” according to the release.
“As Lifetime approaches its 40th anniversary next year, we are excited that Gypsy, like many other women before her, has...
The six-hour special, debuting as two-hour episodes on January 5, 6 and 7 at 8pm Et/Pt, features unprecedented access to Blanchard, a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy who suffered horrific abuse and made national headlines for her role in her mother’s violent murder. The docu special provides Blanchard “the platform to share her story, her way,” says Lifetime. You can watch the trailer below.
Currently still incarcerated, Blanchard is set for release in December and “is finally ready to tell her truth before she becomes a free woman for the first time in her life,” according to the release.
“As Lifetime approaches its 40th anniversary next year, we are excited that Gypsy, like many other women before her, has...
- 10/13/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Lifetime has renewed true-crime series #TextMeWhenYouGetHome for a second season with Ashley Judd joining as narrator. Additionally, Meet Marry Murder will be returning with seven new episodes to wrap up Season 1, with Oscar winner Helen Hunt as narrator.
Season 2 of #TextMeWhenYouGetHome follows the cases of women who have been abducted, harmed or even murdered by someone on what was an otherwise average day in their lives. Back-to-back episodes will kick off beginning August 7 at 8p/7c. It will be followed new episodes of Meet Marry Murder at 10/9c.
TextMeWhenYouGetHome became a viral, worldwide movement following the 2021 death of Sarah Everard in the UK. The hashtag sparked global awareness, anger and a conversation around the vulnerability and lack of safety women feel while in public alone. Told through emotional interviews; accompanied by recreations, actual texts, phone records and other evidence, the episodes unfold as a whodunnit and all suspects are...
Season 2 of #TextMeWhenYouGetHome follows the cases of women who have been abducted, harmed or even murdered by someone on what was an otherwise average day in their lives. Back-to-back episodes will kick off beginning August 7 at 8p/7c. It will be followed new episodes of Meet Marry Murder at 10/9c.
TextMeWhenYouGetHome became a viral, worldwide movement following the 2021 death of Sarah Everard in the UK. The hashtag sparked global awareness, anger and a conversation around the vulnerability and lack of safety women feel while in public alone. Told through emotional interviews; accompanied by recreations, actual texts, phone records and other evidence, the episodes unfold as a whodunnit and all suspects are...
- 7/11/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
On the heels of her successful self-titled limited docuseries, Lifetime and A+E Networks has greenlit “Janet Jackson: Family First.”
Serving as a continuation of the story told with Janet’s 2022 documentary, the series will follow the singer, songwriter, producer, and actor, as she embarks on her 2023 “Together Again” tour, as well as her collaboration with brother Randy Jackson to reunite the family band after 40 years since their last performance. The series is currently filming.
Executive producer Janet Jackson said, “I was touched by the love and support from the wonderful fans who enjoyed the documentary last year. I am excited to continue to share my story, and welcome fans into my life and the ‘Together Again’ tour. Thank you for your never-ending support, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.”
“In this next chapter in the documentary, Janet and I are thrilled to welcome viewers on the road with...
Serving as a continuation of the story told with Janet’s 2022 documentary, the series will follow the singer, songwriter, producer, and actor, as she embarks on her 2023 “Together Again” tour, as well as her collaboration with brother Randy Jackson to reunite the family band after 40 years since their last performance. The series is currently filming.
Executive producer Janet Jackson said, “I was touched by the love and support from the wonderful fans who enjoyed the documentary last year. I am excited to continue to share my story, and welcome fans into my life and the ‘Together Again’ tour. Thank you for your never-ending support, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.”
“In this next chapter in the documentary, Janet and I are thrilled to welcome viewers on the road with...
- 3/8/2023
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Updated: Lifetime announced several projects during A+E Networks’ 2023-24 upfront presentation Wednesday, including a follow-up docu to Janet Jackson, its two-part documentary that scored record ratings for the network, as well as TLC Forever, a simulcast with A+E celebrating the story of the iconic top-selling female group. Additionally, the network has greenlighted a Keyshia Cole biopic, starring Cole as herself and is in development on Merry Liddle Christmas Vacation starring Kelly Rowland, in the next installment of the Liddles for It’s a Wonderful Lifetime.
They join previously announced Real Love, an original movie executive produced by Grammy winner Mary J. Blige inspired by her best-selling song.
Janet Jackson: Family First, a follow-up to Janet Jackson, will chronicle the legendary singer, songwriter, producer, author, actor and philanthropist as she embarks on her 2023 “Together Again” tour, and her collaboration with brother Randy Jackson to reunite the family band after 40 years since their last performance.
They join previously announced Real Love, an original movie executive produced by Grammy winner Mary J. Blige inspired by her best-selling song.
Janet Jackson: Family First, a follow-up to Janet Jackson, will chronicle the legendary singer, songwriter, producer, author, actor and philanthropist as she embarks on her 2023 “Together Again” tour, and her collaboration with brother Randy Jackson to reunite the family band after 40 years since their last performance.
- 3/8/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Lifetime has released the trailer for Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter, a two-night event that will see several survivors detail their experiences during the singer and convicted sex trafficker’s trial earlier this year, and the fear and intimidation they faced around their public testimonies.
Set to debut in two parts starting Jan. 2 followed by a second night Jan. 3, part three of the docuseries will also explore the fallout of the former R&b superstar’s three decades of crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
The three-and-a-half-minute trailer touches on the experiences of the doc’s more than 60 voices and testimonials discussing Kelly’s inner circle and their potential role in covering up his crimes; the deadly threats his various survivors faced while still being abused by the artist and then when trying to come forward; how survivors’ parents...
Lifetime has released the trailer for Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter, a two-night event that will see several survivors detail their experiences during the singer and convicted sex trafficker’s trial earlier this year, and the fear and intimidation they faced around their public testimonies.
Set to debut in two parts starting Jan. 2 followed by a second night Jan. 3, part three of the docuseries will also explore the fallout of the former R&b superstar’s three decades of crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
The three-and-a-half-minute trailer touches on the experiences of the doc’s more than 60 voices and testimonials discussing Kelly’s inner circle and their potential role in covering up his crimes; the deadly threats his various survivors faced while still being abused by the artist and then when trying to come forward; how survivors’ parents...
- 12/14/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, December 14, 2022.
Continuing with Lifetime’s mission to provide a platform for unheard voices, the network announces the conclusion of the documentary series Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter, debuting as a two-night event on January 2nd and 3rd at 9 pm Et/Pt.
The two-night event focuses on the fallout of the former R&b superstar’s crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
The groundbreaking, Peabody award-winning, Emmy-nominated documentary series Surviving R. Kelly concludes with the final installment following the former R&b superstar as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
While millions have read the headlines, the final chapter connects the shocking fine print with unspeakable details never shared with the public, culminating in the verdict heard around the world.
Night one follows Angelo Clary’s recount of Azriel Clary’s journey...
Continuing with Lifetime’s mission to provide a platform for unheard voices, the network announces the conclusion of the documentary series Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter, debuting as a two-night event on January 2nd and 3rd at 9 pm Et/Pt.
The two-night event focuses on the fallout of the former R&b superstar’s crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
The groundbreaking, Peabody award-winning, Emmy-nominated documentary series Surviving R. Kelly concludes with the final installment following the former R&b superstar as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
While millions have read the headlines, the final chapter connects the shocking fine print with unspeakable details never shared with the public, culminating in the verdict heard around the world.
Night one follows Angelo Clary’s recount of Azriel Clary’s journey...
- 12/14/2022
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
The epic conclusion to Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly” docuseries is officially set to premiere in January.
“Surviving R. Kelly Part III: The Final Chapter” will air as a two-night event on Jan. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, focusing on the fallout of the former R&b superstar’s crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials. The series features over 60 voices and testimonials.
“While millions have read the headlines, the final chapter connects the shocking fine print with unspeakable details never shared with the public, culminating in the verdict heard around the world,” the cable channel said in a statement.
Also Read:
R. Kelly Convicted on 6 Child Sex Abuse and Child Pornography Counts in Chicago
The first night will follow the court testimonial of Azriel Clary’s journey as its revealed she was instructed to lie in the infamous R. Kelly interview with Gayle King. Clary shares...
“Surviving R. Kelly Part III: The Final Chapter” will air as a two-night event on Jan. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, focusing on the fallout of the former R&b superstar’s crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials. The series features over 60 voices and testimonials.
“While millions have read the headlines, the final chapter connects the shocking fine print with unspeakable details never shared with the public, culminating in the verdict heard around the world,” the cable channel said in a statement.
Also Read:
R. Kelly Convicted on 6 Child Sex Abuse and Child Pornography Counts in Chicago
The first night will follow the court testimonial of Azriel Clary’s journey as its revealed she was instructed to lie in the infamous R. Kelly interview with Gayle King. Clary shares...
- 12/14/2022
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
The final chapter of Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly is set to air on January 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt. A trailer for the conclusion can be found above.
The two-night event focuses on the fallout of the former R&b superstar’s crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
The first night will tackle the court testimonial of Azriel Clary who revealed she was instructed to lie in the infamous R. Kelly interview with Gayle King. She also shares details of the abuse on the witness stand. Additionally, her family gives insight into the intimidation tactics launched at the family by the singer’s supporters while legal experts and journalists provide insight into racketeering charges Kelly faces.
Night two will focus on Jane Doe #1 and the revelation of John Does who take the stand as new survivors also emerge. The series concludes with the survivors sharing...
The two-night event focuses on the fallout of the former R&b superstar’s crimes as he faces multiple federal and state trials.
The first night will tackle the court testimonial of Azriel Clary who revealed she was instructed to lie in the infamous R. Kelly interview with Gayle King. She also shares details of the abuse on the witness stand. Additionally, her family gives insight into the intimidation tactics launched at the family by the singer’s supporters while legal experts and journalists provide insight into racketeering charges Kelly faces.
Night two will focus on Jane Doe #1 and the revelation of John Does who take the stand as new survivors also emerge. The series concludes with the survivors sharing...
- 12/14/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Lifetime has appointed Amy Savitsky as its senior vice president of unscripted development and programming. She joins Brie Miranda Bryant to co-lead non-fiction programming. Amy Winter, Lifetime’s executive vice president and head of programming, made the announcement Monday.
“Having worked with Amy prior, we already have a shorthand and I know she can hit the ground running,” said Winter. “Amy is one of the most creative executives I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with and I’m thrilled that she is joining the Lifetime team to help lead unscripted alongside Brie. The future is of Lifetime’s unscripted content is bright with these two powerhouses at the helm.”
Bryant will continue oversight of premium event documentary series and specials like “Surviving R. Kelly,” “Wendy Williams: What a Mess!” and “Janet Jackson.” Both executives will report to Winter.
“I could not be more excited to be reunited with...
“Having worked with Amy prior, we already have a shorthand and I know she can hit the ground running,” said Winter. “Amy is one of the most creative executives I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with and I’m thrilled that she is joining the Lifetime team to help lead unscripted alongside Brie. The future is of Lifetime’s unscripted content is bright with these two powerhouses at the helm.”
Bryant will continue oversight of premium event documentary series and specials like “Surviving R. Kelly,” “Wendy Williams: What a Mess!” and “Janet Jackson.” Both executives will report to Winter.
“I could not be more excited to be reunited with...
- 12/13/2022
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
There’s executive musical chairs going on at A&e Networks.
History’s Amy Savitsky is moving to Lifetime to oversee unscripted programming. Savitsky was previously SVP, Development and Programming for History and will become SVP, Unscripted Development and Programming.
She will work alongside Brie Miranda Bryant, who shares the same job title, reporting to Lifetime’s EVP and Head of Programming Amy Winter.
Savitsky has been tasked with driving the cable network’s non-fiction programming and the pair will manage the programming and development team together, while Bryant will continue to oversee event documentary series and specials like Surviving R. Kelly, Wendy Williams: What a Mess! and Janet Jackson.
At History since November 2019, Savitsky has overseen series such as The Proof Is Out There and The Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters. Before that she was at A&e, where he oversaw Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath and Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole.
History’s Amy Savitsky is moving to Lifetime to oversee unscripted programming. Savitsky was previously SVP, Development and Programming for History and will become SVP, Unscripted Development and Programming.
She will work alongside Brie Miranda Bryant, who shares the same job title, reporting to Lifetime’s EVP and Head of Programming Amy Winter.
Savitsky has been tasked with driving the cable network’s non-fiction programming and the pair will manage the programming and development team together, while Bryant will continue to oversee event documentary series and specials like Surviving R. Kelly, Wendy Williams: What a Mess! and Janet Jackson.
At History since November 2019, Savitsky has overseen series such as The Proof Is Out There and The Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters. Before that she was at A&e, where he oversaw Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath and Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole.
- 12/12/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Academy Award-winner Helen Hunt is set to narrate Lifetime’s new series Meet Marry Murder, premiering October 3 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt as part of its Life & Crime Mondays line-up.
Meet Marry Murder tackles the question: what happens when the person you commit to spending the rest of your life with, winds up taking it instead?
The 10-episode season takes a deep dive into several U.S. homicide cases of spouses insidiously killed by their partners. Each story is told by the family, friends, and colleagues who best knew them, and the investigators who are committed to finding out the truth. Meet Marry Murder digs into relationships that have shockingly turned deadly—from a husband who broadcasts his intent to kill his wife on YouTube, to a woman driven to commit murder for a life insurance payout, and a successful Louisiana attorney slain by the...
Meet Marry Murder tackles the question: what happens when the person you commit to spending the rest of your life with, winds up taking it instead?
The 10-episode season takes a deep dive into several U.S. homicide cases of spouses insidiously killed by their partners. Each story is told by the family, friends, and colleagues who best knew them, and the investigators who are committed to finding out the truth. Meet Marry Murder digs into relationships that have shockingly turned deadly—from a husband who broadcasts his intent to kill his wife on YouTube, to a woman driven to commit murder for a life insurance payout, and a successful Louisiana attorney slain by the...
- 9/7/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Dream Hampton, executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, may not hold much stock in the U.S. criminal justice system, but still hopes R. Kelly being sentenced to 30 years in prison will bring some closure for survivors of his sexual abuse and predation.
“I’m hoping, for the survivors, that this feels a little bit like justice,” Hampton tells The Hollywood Reporter. R. Kelly was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison for using his fame to sexually abuse young fans in a systematic scheme that spanned decades.
The sentence caps a slow-motion fall for Kelly, which was accelerated due to Hampton’s Emmy-nominated Lifetime miniseries Surviving R. Kelly breaking ratings records and setting in motion criminal investigations that resulted in the the R&b singer being convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Hampton, who executive produced Surviving R. Kelly with Brie Miranda Bryant and Tamra Simmons,...
Dream Hampton, executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, may not hold much stock in the U.S. criminal justice system, but still hopes R. Kelly being sentenced to 30 years in prison will bring some closure for survivors of his sexual abuse and predation.
“I’m hoping, for the survivors, that this feels a little bit like justice,” Hampton tells The Hollywood Reporter. R. Kelly was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison for using his fame to sexually abuse young fans in a systematic scheme that spanned decades.
The sentence caps a slow-motion fall for Kelly, which was accelerated due to Hampton’s Emmy-nominated Lifetime miniseries Surviving R. Kelly breaking ratings records and setting in motion criminal investigations that resulted in the the R&b singer being convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Hampton, who executive produced Surviving R. Kelly with Brie Miranda Bryant and Tamra Simmons,...
- 7/1/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Lifetime is expanding its unscripted slate with three new original series set to air on the newly dubbed Life & Crime Mondays. The shows are #TextMeWhenYouGetHome; Meet Marry Murder and Phrogging: Hider in My House, along with UK import Sleeping with a Killer.
Lifetime’s push in true crime unscripted series is not surprising. The network already has a longstanding tradition with true crime-based original movies. Additionally, true crime docuseries attract largely female audiences that are at the core of Lifetime’s target demo. That is the reason NBCU’s female-focused channel Oxygen has leaned so heavily into the genre with its original lineup.
Life & Crime Mondays will kick off with #TextMeWhenYouGetHome and Sleeping with a Killer airing June 6th, at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively. Phrogging: Hider in My House and Meet Marry Murder will debut later this summer.
“True crime has proven to be addictive, and people cannot get enough,...
Lifetime’s push in true crime unscripted series is not surprising. The network already has a longstanding tradition with true crime-based original movies. Additionally, true crime docuseries attract largely female audiences that are at the core of Lifetime’s target demo. That is the reason NBCU’s female-focused channel Oxygen has leaned so heavily into the genre with its original lineup.
Life & Crime Mondays will kick off with #TextMeWhenYouGetHome and Sleeping with a Killer airing June 6th, at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively. Phrogging: Hider in My House and Meet Marry Murder will debut later this summer.
“True crime has proven to be addictive, and people cannot get enough,...
- 4/21/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Janet Jackson is getting candid about her famous family in the new trailer for her Lifetime and A&e documentary “Janet.”
The video shows the superstar singer discussing her childhood, some of the challenges she’s faced, and the fallout from child molestation accusations against her late brother Michael Jackson.
An interviewer asks Janet if the accusations against Michael affected her career. She responds, “Yeah. Guilty by association, ’cause that’s what they call it, right.”
Michael was accused of molestation by a 13-year-old boy in 2003, at his Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, Calif. After a highly publicized trial, the entertainer was acquitted of all charges related to the allegations in June 2005.
In another part of the trailer, Janet asks her mother Katherine Jackson how she feels about discussing Michael. “I can’t,” Mrs. Jackson says before she is shown tearing up.
The video also shows the 55-year-old “Control” singer...
The video shows the superstar singer discussing her childhood, some of the challenges she’s faced, and the fallout from child molestation accusations against her late brother Michael Jackson.
An interviewer asks Janet if the accusations against Michael affected her career. She responds, “Yeah. Guilty by association, ’cause that’s what they call it, right.”
Michael was accused of molestation by a 13-year-old boy in 2003, at his Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, Calif. After a highly publicized trial, the entertainer was acquitted of all charges related to the allegations in June 2005.
In another part of the trailer, Janet asks her mother Katherine Jackson how she feels about discussing Michael. “I can’t,” Mrs. Jackson says before she is shown tearing up.
The video also shows the 55-year-old “Control” singer...
- 1/4/2022
- by Anita Bennett
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Lifetime continues to expand its unscripted programming slate for 2022 with series greenlights to Million Dollar Hustle, a docuseries set in the world of transformational marketing starring Stormy Wellington, as well as Married At First Sight: Afterparty, an after-show hosted by Keshia Knight Pulliam. Additionally, the network has set premiere dates for previously announced docuseries Leave It To Geege and transformation series My Killer Body with K. Michelle.
Leave It To Geege will premiere January 12 at 10 pm/9c. My Killer Body with K. Michelle will debut January 28 at 10pm/9c, then move to its regular timeslot February 3, at 9pm/8c As previously announced, Season 14 of Married At First Sight premieres January 5 at 8pm/7c and it will be followed by new after-show Married at First Sight: Afterparty at 11pm/10c. New docuseries Million Dollar Hustle will premiere January 29 at 10pm/9c, then move to its regular timeslot, February 3, 10pm/9c.
Leave It To Geege will premiere January 12 at 10 pm/9c. My Killer Body with K. Michelle will debut January 28 at 10pm/9c, then move to its regular timeslot February 3, at 9pm/8c As previously announced, Season 14 of Married At First Sight premieres January 5 at 8pm/7c and it will be followed by new after-show Married at First Sight: Afterparty at 11pm/10c. New docuseries Million Dollar Hustle will premiere January 29 at 10pm/9c, then move to its regular timeslot, February 3, 10pm/9c.
- 12/14/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Lifetime/A&e’s upcoming Janet Jackson doc event series is to drop early next year and Banijay Rights has taken global distribution rights to the intimate, honest and unfiltered look at the singer’s untold story.
The distributor has taken all-territory rights to the four-hour series, revealed at this week’s Mipcom in Cannes.
Commemorating 40 years since her debut eponymous album, the show, entitled Janet, is being produced by Banijay-owned UK indie Workerbee.
The label has been filming for the past five years, having been granted exclusive access to archival footage and never-before-seen home videos of the star.
Airing early next year over two nights on both Lifetime and A&e, Janet joins Jackson as her family is going through an extremely difficult time, mourning the loss of her father Joseph, the pivotal figure in the Jackson dynasty, and the documentary details Janet Jackson’s return to the...
The distributor has taken all-territory rights to the four-hour series, revealed at this week’s Mipcom in Cannes.
Commemorating 40 years since her debut eponymous album, the show, entitled Janet, is being produced by Banijay-owned UK indie Workerbee.
The label has been filming for the past five years, having been granted exclusive access to archival footage and never-before-seen home videos of the star.
Airing early next year over two nights on both Lifetime and A&e, Janet joins Jackson as her family is going through an extremely difficult time, mourning the loss of her father Joseph, the pivotal figure in the Jackson dynasty, and the documentary details Janet Jackson’s return to the...
- 10/11/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
After more than four decades in the entertainment business, Janet Jackson is sharing her story for the first time in a two-hour documentary, “Janet,” slated to premiere on Lifetime and A&e in January. The two-night event celebrates the 40th anniversary of Jackson’s eponymous debut album.
In the minute-long teaser that she debuted on Instagram September 6, Jackson declared: “This is my story told by me. Not through someone else’s eyes. This is the truth. Take it or leave it, love it or hate it, this is me.”
“Janet” offers an intimate, honest, and unfiltered look inside her record-breaking career, giving fans a front-row seat to watch never-before-seen footage and appearances from Jackson’s friends and family, collaborators, and musical peers.
“She’s an empowered woman,” Mariah Carey said in the teaser. Added Paula Abdul, “A force to be reckoned with.” “This is what a superstar [looks] like,” said Missy Elliott,...
In the minute-long teaser that she debuted on Instagram September 6, Jackson declared: “This is my story told by me. Not through someone else’s eyes. This is the truth. Take it or leave it, love it or hate it, this is me.”
“Janet” offers an intimate, honest, and unfiltered look inside her record-breaking career, giving fans a front-row seat to watch never-before-seen footage and appearances from Jackson’s friends and family, collaborators, and musical peers.
“She’s an empowered woman,” Mariah Carey said in the teaser. Added Paula Abdul, “A force to be reckoned with.” “This is what a superstar [looks] like,” said Missy Elliott,...
- 9/24/2021
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
Lifetime is building on the success of unscripted series such as Married At First Sight with a new slate of originals.
The A+E Networks cabler has ordered three new series: plastic surgery transformation series My Killer Body with K. Michelle, dating series Five Guys a Week, based on the UK format and family docuseries Leave it to Geege from RuPaul’s Drag Race producer World of Wonder.
My Killer Body with K. Michelle stars the R&b chart topper, who was one of the first celebrities to come forward with personal health struggles after silicone injections nearly took her life. She will help men and women desperate to reverse plastic surgery procedures that now threaten their lives.
The series is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment and Kingdom Reign Entertainment and executive produced by Kimberly Pate. Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon executive produce for Jesse Collins Entertainment, Carlos King and Scott Shatsky...
The A+E Networks cabler has ordered three new series: plastic surgery transformation series My Killer Body with K. Michelle, dating series Five Guys a Week, based on the UK format and family docuseries Leave it to Geege from RuPaul’s Drag Race producer World of Wonder.
My Killer Body with K. Michelle stars the R&b chart topper, who was one of the first celebrities to come forward with personal health struggles after silicone injections nearly took her life. She will help men and women desperate to reverse plastic surgery procedures that now threaten their lives.
The series is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment and Kingdom Reign Entertainment and executive produced by Kimberly Pate. Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon executive produce for Jesse Collins Entertainment, Carlos King and Scott Shatsky...
- 9/23/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Janet Jackson dropped the first teaser for her upcoming Lifetime and A&e documentary Janet, set to premiere in January.
“This is my story told by me. Not through someone else’s eyes,” Jackson says in the teaser below.
The two-night four-hour documentary follows Jackson’s personal life and her 40+ year career and will include never-before-seen home videos and archival footage. The premiere coincides with the 40th anniversary of her self-titled debut album which debuted in 1982.
Janet also features commentary from family, friends, and admirers including Mariah Carey, Missy Elliot, Tito Jackson, and Paula Abdul, among others.
It comes as her dad, Joe Jackson, a pivotal figure in the Jackson dynasty, died in 2018, and will detail her return to the world stage following a sudden break from music. She will discuss her controversial Super Bowl appearance with Justin Timberlake in 2004, the death of her brother Michael and becoming a mother later in life.
“This is my story told by me. Not through someone else’s eyes,” Jackson says in the teaser below.
The two-night four-hour documentary follows Jackson’s personal life and her 40+ year career and will include never-before-seen home videos and archival footage. The premiere coincides with the 40th anniversary of her self-titled debut album which debuted in 1982.
Janet also features commentary from family, friends, and admirers including Mariah Carey, Missy Elliot, Tito Jackson, and Paula Abdul, among others.
It comes as her dad, Joe Jackson, a pivotal figure in the Jackson dynasty, died in 2018, and will detail her return to the world stage following a sudden break from music. She will discuss her controversial Super Bowl appearance with Justin Timberlake in 2004, the death of her brother Michael and becoming a mother later in life.
- 9/7/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
A new two-hour documentary about Janet Jackson, simply titled “Janet,” will premiere in January 2022 on Lifetime and A&e in celebration of the star’s 40th anniversary of her debut album.
Jackson released a teaser for the documentary, in which fellow musicians such as Mariah Carey and Paula Abdul speak about their relationship with the singer. Jackson’s family members make appearances as well, with clips of the late Michael Jackson with his younger sister in home videos, as well as Tito Jackson saying, “She will always be my baby sister.”
Beneath the teaser is Jackson’s 1986 “Control,” which speaks to how she has taken charge of her own narrative and would like to speak in her own words about her life. “This is my story told by me, not through someone else’s eyes,” Jackson says.
The “Janet” documentary has been five years in the making, with the film...
Jackson released a teaser for the documentary, in which fellow musicians such as Mariah Carey and Paula Abdul speak about their relationship with the singer. Jackson’s family members make appearances as well, with clips of the late Michael Jackson with his younger sister in home videos, as well as Tito Jackson saying, “She will always be my baby sister.”
Beneath the teaser is Jackson’s 1986 “Control,” which speaks to how she has taken charge of her own narrative and would like to speak in her own words about her life. “This is my story told by me, not through someone else’s eyes,” Jackson says.
The “Janet” documentary has been five years in the making, with the film...
- 9/7/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
Janet Jackson has revealed the first teaser for her two-night documentary, “Janet,” which premieres in January 2022 in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the star’s first album.
Fellow friends and celebrities such as Paula Abdul and Mariah Carey are shown in the teaser, talking about the connection they have to the star while speaking on her career. “She’s an empowered woman,” said Carey. “She is a force to be reckoned with,” added Abdul. Family members appear as well, with clips of the late Michael Jackson with his younger sister, as well as Tito Jackson saying, “She will always be my baby sister” in the teaser.
Sung underneath it all is Jackson’s 1986 “Control,” which speaks to how she has taken the reigns of her own narrative after saying yes to everyone in her life when she was younger. “But that was long ago,” the lyrics state. Jackson’s first album,...
Fellow friends and celebrities such as Paula Abdul and Mariah Carey are shown in the teaser, talking about the connection they have to the star while speaking on her career. “She’s an empowered woman,” said Carey. “She is a force to be reckoned with,” added Abdul. Family members appear as well, with clips of the late Michael Jackson with his younger sister, as well as Tito Jackson saying, “She will always be my baby sister” in the teaser.
Sung underneath it all is Jackson’s 1986 “Control,” which speaks to how she has taken the reigns of her own narrative after saying yes to everyone in her life when she was younger. “But that was long ago,” the lyrics state. Jackson’s first album,...
- 9/6/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
AMC announced that the first two episodes of the upcoming dark comedy “Kevin Can F**k Himself” will premiere on AMC Plus on June 13 and air on June 20 at 9 p.m. on AMC.
The remaining episodes will continue to debut on AMC Plus one week ahead of the AMC linear airings on Sundays at 9 p.m.
In the new series, “Schitt’s Creek” star Annie Murphy plays Allison McRoberts, a prototypical sitcom wife who wakes up and revolts against the injustices in her life. The series also stars Mary Hollis Inboden, Eric Petersen, Alex Bonifer, Brian Howe and Raymond Lee, and is executive produced by creator Valerie Armstrong, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack and showrunner Craig Digregorio.
Also in today’s TV news roundup…
Dates
BET Plus will stream “Favorite Son” on May 6, Variety learned exclusively. Based on Tiffany L. Warren’s novel of the same name, the film follows a gospel group...
The remaining episodes will continue to debut on AMC Plus one week ahead of the AMC linear airings on Sundays at 9 p.m.
In the new series, “Schitt’s Creek” star Annie Murphy plays Allison McRoberts, a prototypical sitcom wife who wakes up and revolts against the injustices in her life. The series also stars Mary Hollis Inboden, Eric Petersen, Alex Bonifer, Brian Howe and Raymond Lee, and is executive produced by creator Valerie Armstrong, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack and showrunner Craig Digregorio.
Also in today’s TV news roundup…
Dates
BET Plus will stream “Favorite Son” on May 6, Variety learned exclusively. Based on Tiffany L. Warren’s novel of the same name, the film follows a gospel group...
- 4/22/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Lifetime has greenlit Cellmate Secrets, a new six-episode docuseries that stems from last year’s hit special, Jodi Arias: Cellmate Secrets. Angie Harmon is set to narrate the series, which revisits some of the most infamous stories of headline grabbing criminals as part of Lifetime’s Summer of Secrets line-up.
Cellmate Secrets reveals new insights and information as former friends, guards, cellmates and lovers give first-hand accounts of their time with famed felons and defendants.
This season will reexamine the high-profile case of Casey Anthony, now nearing the 10th anniversary of when Anthony was acquitted for the murder of her daughter Caylee, as well as the story of Joyce Mitchell, the woman who aided two convicts in their escape from prison in Dannemora, NY. Cellmate Secrets will also delve into the inner lives of convicted killers Drew Peterson, Chris Watts, Susan Smith and Shayna Hubers.
Cellmate Secrets will air...
Cellmate Secrets reveals new insights and information as former friends, guards, cellmates and lovers give first-hand accounts of their time with famed felons and defendants.
This season will reexamine the high-profile case of Casey Anthony, now nearing the 10th anniversary of when Anthony was acquitted for the murder of her daughter Caylee, as well as the story of Joyce Mitchell, the woman who aided two convicts in their escape from prison in Dannemora, NY. Cellmate Secrets will also delve into the inner lives of convicted killers Drew Peterson, Chris Watts, Susan Smith and Shayna Hubers.
Cellmate Secrets will air...
- 4/22/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Tamra Simmons, an executive producer behind the Emmy-nominated docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, has signed a development deal with Blue And Studios to identify and develop a slate of unscripted projects.
The partnership builds on Blue Ant’s expanding U.S. production business and comes is the latest in the series of development initiatives that seek to champion women-led content. Under the new deal, the LA Productions executive producer and CEO of Atlanta-based firm The Tamra Simmons Brand Agency will work with Blue Ant to produce unscripted projects that explore a range of perspective sand experiences. Her credits include Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning, Growing Up Hip Hop, Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta, Mary Mary and Words of Wisdom: Faith & Forgiveness.
“The content we consume shapes our minds, drives our decisions and informs our outlook on the world. It is imperative that our content options provoke our thoughts...
The partnership builds on Blue Ant’s expanding U.S. production business and comes is the latest in the series of development initiatives that seek to champion women-led content. Under the new deal, the LA Productions executive producer and CEO of Atlanta-based firm The Tamra Simmons Brand Agency will work with Blue Ant to produce unscripted projects that explore a range of perspective sand experiences. Her credits include Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning, Growing Up Hip Hop, Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta, Mary Mary and Words of Wisdom: Faith & Forgiveness.
“The content we consume shapes our minds, drives our decisions and informs our outlook on the world. It is imperative that our content options provoke our thoughts...
- 4/13/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Lifetime and A&e have picked up a two-part documentary about the life and career of Janet Jackson, the networks announced Wednesday.
The four-hour project, which has the working title “Janet,” is timed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Jackson’s self-titled debut album, which was released in 1982. It will feature archival footage and never-before-seen home videos, as well as interviews with those close to the singer.
The documentary, which has been in the works for three years, will cover topics including her infamous 2004 Super Bowl appearance with Justin Timberlake and the death of her brother Michael Jackson.
Ben Hirsch is director on the two-part film, which is slated to premiere on Lifetime and A&e in 2022.
Workerbee and Aec (Associated Entertainment Corporation) co-produced the documentary, with Janet Jackson and Randy Jackson serving as executive producers. Rick Murray executive produces for Workerbee and Brie Miranda Bryant for A+E Networks.
The Janet...
The four-hour project, which has the working title “Janet,” is timed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Jackson’s self-titled debut album, which was released in 1982. It will feature archival footage and never-before-seen home videos, as well as interviews with those close to the singer.
The documentary, which has been in the works for three years, will cover topics including her infamous 2004 Super Bowl appearance with Justin Timberlake and the death of her brother Michael Jackson.
Ben Hirsch is director on the two-part film, which is slated to premiere on Lifetime and A&e in 2022.
Workerbee and Aec (Associated Entertainment Corporation) co-produced the documentary, with Janet Jackson and Randy Jackson serving as executive producers. Rick Murray executive produces for Workerbee and Brie Miranda Bryant for A+E Networks.
The Janet...
- 3/3/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Janet Jackson’s life story will get the documentary treatment next year from Lifetime and A&e to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her first album.
At its virtual upfront today, the A+E Networks group highlighted its upcoming programming slate and announced that Lifetime and A&e have ordered a two-night, four-hour documentary event with the working titled “Janet.” Jackson’s first album, titled “Janet Jackson,” was released in 1982 when she was 16.
The documentary, co-produced by Workerbee and Associated Entertainment Corporation, promises to offer unprecedented access to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s life, and an intimate, honest and unfiltered look at the untold story of one of the highest-earning artists in music history.
Filming on “Janet” has been under way for three years. The doc follows Janet as her family is going through the loss of her father, Joseph, the patriarch of the Jackson dynasty who passed...
At its virtual upfront today, the A+E Networks group highlighted its upcoming programming slate and announced that Lifetime and A&e have ordered a two-night, four-hour documentary event with the working titled “Janet.” Jackson’s first album, titled “Janet Jackson,” was released in 1982 when she was 16.
The documentary, co-produced by Workerbee and Associated Entertainment Corporation, promises to offer unprecedented access to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s life, and an intimate, honest and unfiltered look at the untold story of one of the highest-earning artists in music history.
Filming on “Janet” has been under way for three years. The doc follows Janet as her family is going through the loss of her father, Joseph, the patriarch of the Jackson dynasty who passed...
- 3/3/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
A+E Networks has launched Voices Magnified, a cross-platform campaign that will spotlight and amplify the voices of those making changes in their communities for the greater good.
The A+E Networks initiative will create specials and a series of short form videos that give a national spotlight to conversations on equality and social reform which are occurring across America today.
“We are proud to launch the Voices Magnified campaign to elevate the stories of those pursuing solutions to the critical issues of our time,” said Rob Sharenow, president, programming at A+E Networks. “Through long-form and short-form programming, PSAs, and partnerships, we are committed to using our platforms to shine a light on the diverse people and organizations who are bringing communities together, confronting challenges and inspiring change.”
The first programming special to originate under the banner is Voices Magnified: Policing in America, which premieres Sunday, August 30 at 9 p.m.
The A+E Networks initiative will create specials and a series of short form videos that give a national spotlight to conversations on equality and social reform which are occurring across America today.
“We are proud to launch the Voices Magnified campaign to elevate the stories of those pursuing solutions to the critical issues of our time,” said Rob Sharenow, president, programming at A+E Networks. “Through long-form and short-form programming, PSAs, and partnerships, we are committed to using our platforms to shine a light on the diverse people and organizations who are bringing communities together, confronting challenges and inspiring change.”
The first programming special to originate under the banner is Voices Magnified: Policing in America, which premieres Sunday, August 30 at 9 p.m.
- 8/27/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
A+E Networks has launched a new campaign called Voices Magnified,
The cross-platform campaign is meant to spotlight and amplify the voices of those making changes in their communities for the greater good. Voices Magnified aims to create specials and a series of short form videos that give a national spotlight to conversations on equality and social reform which are occurring across America today.
“We are proud to launch the Voices Magnified campaign to elevate the stories of those pursuing solutions to the critical issues of our time,” said Rob Sharenow, president of programming at A+E Networks. “Through long-form and short-form programming, PSAs and partnerships, we are committed to using our platforms to shine a light on the diverse people and organizations who are bringing communities together, confronting challenges and inspiring change.”
The first programming special to originate under the banner is “Voices Magnified: Policing in America” which premieres Sunday,...
The cross-platform campaign is meant to spotlight and amplify the voices of those making changes in their communities for the greater good. Voices Magnified aims to create specials and a series of short form videos that give a national spotlight to conversations on equality and social reform which are occurring across America today.
“We are proud to launch the Voices Magnified campaign to elevate the stories of those pursuing solutions to the critical issues of our time,” said Rob Sharenow, president of programming at A+E Networks. “Through long-form and short-form programming, PSAs and partnerships, we are committed to using our platforms to shine a light on the diverse people and organizations who are bringing communities together, confronting challenges and inspiring change.”
The first programming special to originate under the banner is “Voices Magnified: Policing in America” which premieres Sunday,...
- 8/27/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
In the sixth episode of Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer’s docuseries “The Vow,” Sarah Edmondson, a whistleblower who was once in the inner-circle of Nxivm and also a part of its master-slave subgroup Dos, is asked outright if she is a victim. Although she answers quickly in the affirmative, she also makes it clear that she made choices during her time working with the organization. Some of these choices simply kept her involved, while others were direct recruitment of other young women. To some, this may paint her in the colors of someone more culpable than coerced.
But the truth is much more complicated. And what Noujaim and Amer endeavor to do with their nine-part HBO docuseries is peel back the layers of the psychology of not only the women who found themselves in this organization that purported to be one of self-improvement, but also of its founder and high-ranking officials,...
But the truth is much more complicated. And what Noujaim and Amer endeavor to do with their nine-part HBO docuseries is peel back the layers of the psychology of not only the women who found themselves in this organization that purported to be one of self-improvement, but also of its founder and high-ranking officials,...
- 8/27/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
The original editors of Lifetime’s now-famous January 2019 docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” walked out over creative disagreements on how best to portray sexual assault survivors, according to a bombshell report published Wednesday morning by The Hollywood Reporter.
Though these events took place in 2018 during post-production on the docuseries, the story recently came to light when Peggy Tachdjian, a TV editor who used to work at production company Bunim/Murray and witnessed the events take place, wrote an Instagram post in June in support of the editors along with an image that said, “Let’s talk about performative allyship.”
“In 2018 @bunimmurray was making a show called Surviving R. Kelly. I saw them take the step to hire 5 Poc editors for this project that we all knew would have deep impact for the African American community,” Tachdjian wrote.
Also Read: While Lifetime's 'Surviving Jeffrey Epstein' Aired, Calls to National Sexual...
Though these events took place in 2018 during post-production on the docuseries, the story recently came to light when Peggy Tachdjian, a TV editor who used to work at production company Bunim/Murray and witnessed the events take place, wrote an Instagram post in June in support of the editors along with an image that said, “Let’s talk about performative allyship.”
“In 2018 @bunimmurray was making a show called Surviving R. Kelly. I saw them take the step to hire 5 Poc editors for this project that we all knew would have deep impact for the African American community,” Tachdjian wrote.
Also Read: While Lifetime's 'Surviving Jeffrey Epstein' Aired, Calls to National Sexual...
- 8/12/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
The white-hot market for the next entertaining, obsessive, engaging, gasp-inducing docuseries that leads to real-world change is still very much alive and well.
In the past six months alone, docuseries including HBO’s “Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children,” Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” Netflix’s “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” and ESPN’s “The Last Dance” have been released and received widely. Each series was made with the intent to inform as well as entertain, leaving filmmakers in the precarious position of not only having to report and make sense of the facts, but also order those truths in a compelling, and at times dramatic, fashion.
While editing the 10-part series “The Last Dance,” about the Chicago Bulls 1997-98 season, director Jason Hehir says he had a “philosophy that we had to keep people entertained and keep them off balance a little bit by...
In the past six months alone, docuseries including HBO’s “Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children,” Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” Netflix’s “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” and ESPN’s “The Last Dance” have been released and received widely. Each series was made with the intent to inform as well as entertain, leaving filmmakers in the precarious position of not only having to report and make sense of the facts, but also order those truths in a compelling, and at times dramatic, fashion.
While editing the 10-part series “The Last Dance,” about the Chicago Bulls 1997-98 season, director Jason Hehir says he had a “philosophy that we had to keep people entertained and keep them off balance a little bit by...
- 7/2/2020
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, Showtime announced “The Good Lord Bird” will premiere in August, and Netflix released the trailer for the final batch of “Fuller House” episodes.
Dates
Showtime has announced “The Good Lord Bird” will premiere on Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. The limited series from Blumhouse Television is based on James McBride‘s best-selling novel of the same name and told from the point of view of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a fictional enslaved boy who becomes a member of abolitionist John Brown’s (Ethan Hawke) motley family of soldiers during Bleeding Kansas. Onion eventually finds himself participating in the 1859 raid on the U.S Armory at Harpers Ferry. “The Good Lord Bird” is executive produced by Jason Blum, Ethan Hawke, Ryan Hawke, Mark Richard, Padraic McKinley, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Albert Hughes, James McBride, Brian Taylor, Marshall Persinger and David Schiff. Watch a trailer for the new series below.
Dates
Showtime has announced “The Good Lord Bird” will premiere on Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. The limited series from Blumhouse Television is based on James McBride‘s best-selling novel of the same name and told from the point of view of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a fictional enslaved boy who becomes a member of abolitionist John Brown’s (Ethan Hawke) motley family of soldiers during Bleeding Kansas. Onion eventually finds himself participating in the 1859 raid on the U.S Armory at Harpers Ferry. “The Good Lord Bird” is executive produced by Jason Blum, Ethan Hawke, Ryan Hawke, Mark Richard, Padraic McKinley, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Albert Hughes, James McBride, Brian Taylor, Marshall Persinger and David Schiff. Watch a trailer for the new series below.
- 5/13/2020
- by Klaritza Rico
- Variety Film + TV
Calls to Rainn’s National Sexual Assault Hotline spiked during the airing of Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning, the network said Monday.
“The Friday and Saturday after Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning aired, Rainn’s National Sexual Assault Hotline experienced a 40% increase in calls,” said Erinn Robinson, Rainn press secretary. “We are proud to have partnered with Lifetime on this project and are encouraged that our work with the media continues to empower survivors of sexual violence to seek the help that they need to heal.”
Surviving R. Kelly Part II, the follow-up to the Emmy-nominated Surviving R. Kelly series, aired over three nights and featured new survivors, supporters, psychologists and cultural and legal experts, as well as new insights into the saga of the R&b singer, who is facing federal and state charges. The three-night event included Rainn’s sexual hotline number...
“The Friday and Saturday after Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning aired, Rainn’s National Sexual Assault Hotline experienced a 40% increase in calls,” said Erinn Robinson, Rainn press secretary. “We are proud to have partnered with Lifetime on this project and are encouraged that our work with the media continues to empower survivors of sexual violence to seek the help that they need to heal.”
Surviving R. Kelly Part II, the follow-up to the Emmy-nominated Surviving R. Kelly series, aired over three nights and featured new survivors, supporters, psychologists and cultural and legal experts, as well as new insights into the saga of the R&b singer, who is facing federal and state charges. The three-night event included Rainn’s sexual hotline number...
- 1/7/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Lifetime’s follow-up to the acclaimed docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” led to a 40% increase in calls to Rainn’s national sexual assault hotline, according to the anti-sexual violence organization.
“The Friday and Saturday after ‘Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning’ aired, Rainn’s National Sexual Assault Hotline experienced a 40% increase in calls,” said Rainn Press Secretary Erinn Robinson. “We are proud to have partnered with Lifetime on this project and are encouraged that our work with the media continues to empower survivors of sexual violence to seek the help that they need to heal.”
The new docuseries aired over three nights between Jan. 2-4 on Lifetime, and featured interviews with new accusers, legal experts, and supporters the R&b singer, who is currently facing federal and state sex assault charges in two different cities.
Also Read: R Kelly Bribed Government Employee to Obtain Fake ID for Aaliyah (Report)
“We...
“The Friday and Saturday after ‘Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning’ aired, Rainn’s National Sexual Assault Hotline experienced a 40% increase in calls,” said Rainn Press Secretary Erinn Robinson. “We are proud to have partnered with Lifetime on this project and are encouraged that our work with the media continues to empower survivors of sexual violence to seek the help that they need to heal.”
The new docuseries aired over three nights between Jan. 2-4 on Lifetime, and featured interviews with new accusers, legal experts, and supporters the R&b singer, who is currently facing federal and state sex assault charges in two different cities.
Also Read: R Kelly Bribed Government Employee to Obtain Fake ID for Aaliyah (Report)
“We...
- 1/6/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
The first installment of last year’s Lifetime docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” accomplished what decades of reporting, legal action and often-overlooked public outcry did not: New charges and incarceration for the singer, who has had dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him over the past 25 years.
While Kelly awaits trial — on multiple charges in three states — in a jail outside Chicago, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” which brings forward even more accusers and recaps the events of the past year, aired on Lifetime in three episodes on Jan. 2-4 — and brought a 40% increase in calls to Rainn’s national sexual assault hotline (800-656-4673), according to a statement from the organization and the network. Rainn, is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.
“The Friday and Saturday after ‘Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning’ aired, Rainn’s National Sexual Assault Hotline experienced a 40% increase in calls,...
While Kelly awaits trial — on multiple charges in three states — in a jail outside Chicago, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” which brings forward even more accusers and recaps the events of the past year, aired on Lifetime in three episodes on Jan. 2-4 — and brought a 40% increase in calls to Rainn’s national sexual assault hotline (800-656-4673), according to a statement from the organization and the network. Rainn, is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.
“The Friday and Saturday after ‘Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning’ aired, Rainn’s National Sexual Assault Hotline experienced a 40% increase in calls,...
- 1/6/2020
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
It’s hard to imagine that R. Kelly would be in jail today without “Surviving R. Kelly,” the Lifetime docuseries that aired just under a year ago and threw decades of sexual-assault and misconduct allegations against the singer into dramatic relief. Just six weeks after the series aired, the singer was arrested on a new set of allegations that were soon joined by more allegations, and now he faces multiple charges in three states, and the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
That it took a dramatically produced docuseries to produce a result that years of investigative reporting and legal action could not is itself a statement about this country and this culture. That is one of the many collateral effects explored in the second part of the series, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” and a panel discussion that immediately followed a media preview...
That it took a dramatically produced docuseries to produce a result that years of investigative reporting and legal action could not is itself a statement about this country and this culture. That is one of the many collateral effects explored in the second part of the series, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” and a panel discussion that immediately followed a media preview...
- 12/18/2019
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
Lifetime has set a premiere date and released a trailer for its sequel documentary series Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning: The follow-up to the much-watched, Emmy-nominated Surviving R. Kelly series debuts January 2 and will air on three consecutive nights.
Part II: The Reckoning will feature interviews with new survivors, supporters, psychologists and cultural and legal experts. Lifetime also promises “more insights into the ever-growing saga of the R&b singer, who is currently facing federal and state charges.”
The three-night event will include new stories and details, exploring “why the voices of the girls that spoke up decades ago are only now being heard.”
Lifetime will air a six-hour marathon of Part 1, in its entirety, starting at 3 p.m. January 2. The marathon leads up to the two-hour premiere of Part II at 9 p.m. The two-hour second episode of Part II begins at 9 p.m. January 3, with the 90-minute conclusion set for 8 p.
Part II: The Reckoning will feature interviews with new survivors, supporters, psychologists and cultural and legal experts. Lifetime also promises “more insights into the ever-growing saga of the R&b singer, who is currently facing federal and state charges.”
The three-night event will include new stories and details, exploring “why the voices of the girls that spoke up decades ago are only now being heard.”
Lifetime will air a six-hour marathon of Part 1, in its entirety, starting at 3 p.m. January 2. The marathon leads up to the two-hour premiere of Part II at 9 p.m. The two-hour second episode of Part II begins at 9 p.m. January 3, with the 90-minute conclusion set for 8 p.
- 12/11/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Without overstating the case, it’s hard to imagine that R. Kelly would not be in jail today if not for “Surviving R. Kelly.” While many of the details and accusers featured in the Lifetime docuseries were new, the primary facts have been known for many years — and yet the series, more than any of the news reports over the decade since he was acquitted on child-pornography charges in 2008, put all of the facts into a single powerful context. And the fact that there was a gun threat at the docuseries’ first screening in New York only amplified the air of criminality around it.
Almost exactly one year later, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning” takes a look at the events of the past year that led to multiple new charges and accusations against the singer, the demise of his empire and his current indefinite incarceration as he awaits trial in three states.
Almost exactly one year later, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning” takes a look at the events of the past year that led to multiple new charges and accusations against the singer, the demise of his empire and his current indefinite incarceration as he awaits trial in three states.
- 12/11/2019
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
Lifetime has released the trailer and premiere date for its three-part “Surviving R. Kelly” follow up, now titled “The Reckoning.”
The new docuseries, which will air over three nights between Jan. 2-4, 2020, will feature interviews from a variety of perspectives including with new survivors, supporters, psychologists and cultural and legal experts, and will provide more insights into the ever-growing saga of the R&b singer, who is currently facing federal and state charges.
New interviewees include Michael Avenatti, Dame Dash, Michael Knowles, Gloria Allred and longtime music reporter Jim DeRogatis, who was one of the first reporters to look into Kelly’s behavior, more than 20 years ago.
Also Read: R Kelly Bribed Government Employee to Obtain Fake ID for Aaliyah (Report)
In February, Kelly was indicted on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, based on accusations from four different accusers. In May, 11 additional felony counts were filed against him, including...
The new docuseries, which will air over three nights between Jan. 2-4, 2020, will feature interviews from a variety of perspectives including with new survivors, supporters, psychologists and cultural and legal experts, and will provide more insights into the ever-growing saga of the R&b singer, who is currently facing federal and state charges.
New interviewees include Michael Avenatti, Dame Dash, Michael Knowles, Gloria Allred and longtime music reporter Jim DeRogatis, who was one of the first reporters to look into Kelly’s behavior, more than 20 years ago.
Also Read: R Kelly Bribed Government Employee to Obtain Fake ID for Aaliyah (Report)
In February, Kelly was indicted on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, based on accusations from four different accusers. In May, 11 additional felony counts were filed against him, including...
- 12/11/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
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