Pop has announced a 2017-18 slate that includes new shows Hot Date (above left), Clique (above right) and Swedish Dicks, Private Investigators and returnees like Schitt’s Creek, Nightcap, Big Brother After Dark and Wolf Creek – plus two new acquisitions – ER and #STILLAWESOME.
The network also released details of its development slate (scripted) that includes a comedy set in an Aerobics studio in the ’80s; a soapy drama set in the world competitive figure skating; a supernatural drama in which a disgraced socialite discovering his heritage as a demon slayer; a comedy anthology series dealing with Love; a comedy series about a boy who raised as a girl because of a bet; a comedy series about a child star turned ad copywriter, and a contemporary fairy tale in which Princess Charming leaves Cinderella for the joys of Venus Beach.
The network’s development slate (unscripted) includes: a talk-travel show, and an unconventional pop culture panel show hosted by Mary McCormack (In Plain Sight, House of Lies).
More detailed series descriptions follow.
POP ANNOUNCES PROGRAMMING SLATE FEATURING NEW AND RETURNING ORIGINAL SERIES, SPANNING MORE THAN 400 HOURS OF ORIGINAL CONTENT
Digital Powerhouse CollegeHumor Teams Up with Pop to Launch Scripted Television Comedy “Hot Date” with Executive Producer Will Arnett and Electus’ Big Breakfast
From the Creative Team behind “Skins” Comes the Highly Anticipated and Provocative Scripted Drama “Clique”
Global Box Office Stars Peter Stormare (“Fargo”) and Keanu Reeves (“John Wick”) Deliver High Octane Comedy in Lionsgate/Viaplay’s Scripted Series “Swedish Dicks, Private Investigators”
LOS ANGELES – April 13, 2017 – Diving deeper into scripted television, Pop announced its 2017-2018 slate today, driven by a roster of premium series and marquee talent. The network’s programming line-up includes seven new and returning series; a line-up of cultural television touchstones, including the greatest medical drama of all time; and nine new projects in development with industry-leading producers and stars.
As one of the fastest-growing networks in television, Pop unveils its programming slate with momentum across its advertising business, distribution and audience. Season over season, Pop added 58 new national advertisers, expanded its distribution on traditional cable and over-the-top platforms and drove double digit growth in viewership among A18-49 (+21%) and W25-54 (+13%), according to Nielsen (Total Day, L+7).
“Pop continues to defy industry trends with consistent year-over-year growth in all areas of our business and a line-up of premium content featuring award-winning talent in front of and behind the camera,” said Brad Schwartz, President of Pop. “Backed by two owners who are industry-leading content companies, we look forward to our biggest year yet.”
“Pop’s new slate features programming that takes broad, familiar constructs and puts a forward-thinking, contemporary spin on them,” said Justin Rosenblatt, EVP, Original Programming and Development. “Building on our breakout original series, SCHITT’S CREEK, and feeding our audience’s appetite for feel-good fare, we’re confident that our new crop of shows will ignite the curiosity of viewers, while complementing our existing programming schedule.”
Pop’s schedule features over 400 hours of original programming in addition to a curated line-up of shows that emotionally resonate with the network’s Modern Grown-up™ audience. The slate includes:
NEW SERIES
HOT DATE is a half-hour scripted comedy created in partnership with digital powerhouse CollegeHumor and its studio, Big Breakfast (“Adam Ruins Everything”). Executive produced by Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue Productions (“Gong Show,” “Flaked”), Principato-Young Entertainment and Big Breakfast, HOT DATE stars Emily Axford and Brian K. Murphy, two of CollegeHumor’s most celebrated cast members. The duo’s sketch videos of the same name have garnered over 100 million online views. The television series heads into production this summer and will premiere in fall 2017.
CLIQUE: On the heels of its recent Buyer’s Coup de Coeur Award at MIPTV’s 2017 MIPDrama Screenings, CLIQUE is a primetime drama series from the creative team behind the cult smash hit “Skins.” The show brings childhood soulmates Georgia (Aisling Franciosi, “The Fall”) and Holly (break-out newcomer Synnove Karlsen) to a university, where a few weeks into the so-called best years of their lives, Georgia gets drawn into an elite clique of alpha girls, led by mysterious professor Jude Monroe (Louise Brealey, “Sherlock”). CLIQUE is created and executive produced by Jess Britain alongside executive producer Bryan Elsley.
SWEDISH DICKS, PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS stars Peter Stormare (“John Wick: Chapter 2,” “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski”), Johan Glans (Best Male Comedian, “Swedish Comedy Awards”) and features Keanu Reeves (the “John Wick” and “The Matrix” franchises) in a single-camera comedy from Lionsgate and Viaplay about an aging ex-stuntman stuck in the past and an overly optimistic Swedish DJ stuck in the digital world. Together they get unstuck by forming the private detective firm Swedish Dicks – solving some of the strangest and wildest cases LA has ever seen. Season one of SWEDISH DICKS, PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS will premiere with 10 episodes in fall 2017, featuring guest stars Traci Lords (“Cry-Baby,” “Melrose Place”), Anthony Lapaglia (“Without a Trace,” “Frasier”), Eric Roberts (“The Dark Knight,” “Suits”) and Margaret Cho (“30 Rock,” “Drop Dead Diva”). Season two begins production this summer.
RETURNING SERIES
SCHITT’S CREEK, starring comedy legends and Emmy® winners Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Chris Elliott alongside rising talent Daniel Levy, Annie Murphy and Emily Hampshire, returns in 2018 for season four.
NIGHTCAP, the workplace comedy that pokes fun at late night television, returns Wednesday, June 7 for season two. Produced by Lionsgate, NIGHTCAP stars Ali Wentworth alongside a rotating line-up of A-list guest stars, including Alec Baldwin, Julianne Moore, Brooke Shields, Christie Brinkley, Julianna Margulies, Brendan Fraser, Bob Saget, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, David Hasselhoff, Dr. Oz and more.
BIG BROTHER AFTER DARK, the live late-night feed inside the BIG BROTHER house, is back for its 19th season this summer with Pop as its exclusive television home.
WOLF CREEK, the bone-chilling television series based on the cult horror film of the same name, returns to Pop in 2018. Acclaimed film director and television producer Greg McLean (“The Belko Experiment,” the “Wolf Creek” films) brings back the notorious havoc-wrecking serial killer Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) for more terror in season two.
ACQUISITIONS
ER, one of the longest running and most successful shows of all time, comes to Pop as the only destination – on television or online – where viewers can watch and rediscover the multiple Emmy® Award winning medical drama starring George Clooney and Julianna Margulies.
#STILLAWESOME is Pop’s daytime line-up of cultural programming from the ‘80s and ‘90s that reconnects viewers with the good times in life. #STILLAWESOME on Pop includes “That ‘70s Show,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Baywatch, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Dawson’s Creek.”
IN DEVELOPMENT (SCRIPTED)
LET’S GET PHYSICAL is a mood-boosting comedy playing off the 1980s world of aerobics. The show centers on a middle-aged slacker who makes a reluctant comeback in the fitness industry after his dad, the “Godfather of Aerobics,” unexpectedly passes away and wills his son the broken-down family gym with eccentric conditions attached in order to get his actual fortune and estate. LET’S GET PHYSICAL is produced by Ben and Dan Newmark of Grandma’s House Entertainment and Connor Pritchard’s Inside Center Productions (“Workaholics”).
KISS & CRY is a soapy drama set in the high-stakes world of competitive figure skating from the eyes of Kat, a competitive skater who just choked during an important performance, potentially forcing herself into early retirement. Charged with caring for her unstable mother and a younger sister poised to become an Olympic figure skating star, Kat must also battle her own inner demons to survive. Her only hope at reviving her skating career is to become a pair skater and take on an entitled new male partner under the exacting eye of a demanding new coach.
KISS AND CRY is written by Samantha Stratton (“Search Party”) and produced by Safehouse Pictures’ Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold (“Underground,” “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”).
THE DEMONS OF DORIAN GUNN: Shocked to discover he’s from a long line of demon hunters, disgraced New York socialite Dorian Gunn unwillingly abandons his life of leisure to protect humanity from monsters as they emerge from the gates of hell. THE DEMONS OF DORIAN GUNN is written by Evan Greenspoon and Brandon Scott Jones and executive produced by Tony Hernandez and Lilly Burns of JAX Media (“Younger,” “Broad City,” “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” “Search Party,”), Kara Welker and actress Krysten Ritter (“Jessica Jones”) through her production company Silent Machine.
IT’S A DATE: From the producers of “Sex and the City,” “Divorce” and “Summer Heights High,” IT’S A DATE is the ultimate comedy anthology about the pursuit of love – an irreverent, funny and no-holds-barred exploration of modern-day courtship and looking for love. IT’S A DATE is produced by Sarah Jessica Parker and Alison Benson’s Pretty Matches (“Divorce,” “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist”) and Laura Waters’ Princess Pictures (“Ja’ime: Private School Girl,” “Summer Heights High”).
PEACHES is an off-the-wall comedy series about Peaches, who was born a boy but had to be raised as a girl after his parents lose a pie-eating contest wager – and the only way for them to keep him was to hide his gender. This audacious series follows Peaches Walker’s journey from small town Georgia to L.A. to reconnect with his troubled socialite best friend from childhood. PEACHES is written by Barry Safchik and Michael Platt (“Grace and Frankie,” “Weeds”) and produced by Michael Rosenberg’s Rosey TV (“Hell on Wheels,” “Rogue,” “Hung”) with global independent studio Entertainment One (“You Me Her,” “Mary Kills People,” “Ransom”).
THE NEW AND IMPROVED PIXIE WEXLER is a broad comedy following the quirky and enthusiastic Pixie Wexler, who was born to be an ad woman. A former child commercial star now fresh out of grad school, Pixie embarks on her career as a copywriter at a Chicago ad agency. On her first day in the office, most of the agency’s staff is fired in the wake of an embezzling scandal. Pixie must prove her worth in a competitive new workplace full of eccentric characters, including her ex-boyfriend…who just dumped her. THE NEW AND IMPROVED PIXIE WEXLER is written by John Montgomery (“Superior Donuts,” “MADtv,” “The Crazy Ones”) and produced by Mark Teitelbaum of Teitelbaum Artists Group (“Superior Donuts,” “The Crazy Ones,” “MADtv”), Bill D’Elia (“How to Get Away with Murder,” “Ally McBeal,” “Boston Legal”) and John Montgomery (“Superior Donuts,” “MADtv,” “The Crazy Ones”).
TWO PRINCES is a contemporary comedic fairytale in which Prince Charming leaves Cinderella behind in Fantasyland and winds up in present day Venice Beach, befriending a lovable loser who leans on the prince for lessons in love and courtship. TWO PRINCES is written by Jay Baxter (“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”) and Shaun Zaken (“Wizards of Waverly Place”).
IN DEVELOPMENT (UNSCRIPTED)
GET IN MY VAN is a talk-travel show hosted by Kate Walsh (“Private Practice,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) and her best friend, comedian Arden Myrin (“Shameless,” “Fresh Off the Boat”), as they travel the country in their pimped-out RV meeting real people and celebrity friends alike through hilarious reality segments and interviews. GET IN MY VAN is produced by Magical Elves (“Top Chef,” “Project Runway,” “Braxton Family Values”).
YOU TAKE MY POINT: In partnership with Rashida Jones (“Parks and Recreation,” “Angie Tribeca”) and Matador (“Lip Sync Battle”), this unconventional pop culture panel show is hosted by Mary McCormack (“Divorce,” “House of Lies”) from the comfort of her own Hollywood Hills living room. Regulars on Mary’s couch include her best friends, Rashida Jones and Chelsea Handler (“Chelsea”), and her brother, director Will McCormack (“A to Z,” “A Wrinkle in Time”), along with a rotating panel of celebrity guests. YOU TAKE MY POINT gives unique insight into what makes these stars tick, all through the lens of celebrity TV viewing habits.
About Pop:
Fans don’t sit at the outskirts of pop culture making snarky comments. They live right smack in the middle of it, sharing, creating and connecting their passions with others. Seen in more than 80 million homes, Pop gives fans a dedicated channel that loves being a fan as much as they do. A channel filled with optimism, humor, excitement and a passion for the great times in life – those you remember and those still to come.
Pop is a joint venture of CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF). The partnership combines CBS’ programming, production and marketing assets with Lionsgate’s resources in motion pictures, television and digitally delivered content. Pop’s ownership structure is comprised of the company with the #1 broadcast network and many of the top first-run syndication series and the studio that produces and distributes the blockbuster “Hunger Games,” “Twilight” and “Divergent” franchises and produces such award-winning TV series as “Mad Men” and “Orange is the New Black.”
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