Source: The Root
Celebrity profiles and family bonds are among the themes driving the 2012-2013 programming lineup that TV One unveiled at its upfront presentation Tuesday at Cipriani’s in New York City.
The black-focused cable television network, which reaches 56 million households, will add 14 series and specials next season, and bring back 8 shows. Most of the entries are set to air during the third and fourth quarters. Among the new fare we’ll be looking out for are:
Save My Son, an unscripted series in which educator Steve Perry reaches out to single-parent families with at-risk teenage boys who lack a strong male role model. In each show he stages an intervention, following up with guidance and resources. It is slated to premiere in the third quarter of 2012.
The Ladies of R&B, an unscripted series that follows the current trials, tribulations and triumphs of singers Faith Evans, Nicci Gilbert, Keke Wyatt, Monifah Carter and Syleena Johnson. It is also slated to premiere in the third quarter of 2012.
Unresolved: Celebrity Cases, an investigative series looking at mysteries involving stars, such as the shootings of Jam Master Jay and Tupac, as well as the airplane crash that took Aaliyah’s life. It is scheduled to premiere in fourth quarter of 2012.
Church Folk, a sitcom in development, about a family who is forced to leave the Los Angeles megachurch they built to move back down south and start over again.
The Rickey Smiley Show, a sitcom in development loosely-based on the career and family life of its star, who is a comedian and Radio One syndicated show host. Said Smiley, who is a single father, “If you liked The Cosby Show and you liked Martin, it’s a mix between the two.”
Among the shows returning for a new season are Unsung, Find Our Missing and Life After; as well as Washington Watch With Roland Martin, which the host said will focus on the 2012 election season and voter suppression, while still being “unapologetically black.”
