Carter reality series part of new E! slate
E! to mark slate
May 1, 2006
E! Entertainment Television is set to announce today a slate of new series and specials, including an unscripted show centering on the real-life drama of singers Nick and Aaron Carter and their sisters.
Also on the slate are new series examining the seven deadly sins from a Hollywood point of view and a countdown of the sexiest celebrities. The new shows will join a schedule that includes the next installment of "The Simple Life" as well as returning series "The Girls Next Door," among others.
E! Networks president and CEO Ted Harbert said the channel is at a place where it can be choosy about which programming gets greenlighted, saying the ratings are up year-on-year despite losing top-rated show "Howard Stern" and citing the addition of Ryan Seacrest to the network as helping to strengthen the brand.
"The fact that we are up is a testament to our core programming," Harbert said. "We're performing well enough that I can handpick a few series that I have confidence in. And the best thing is that if one show doesn't work, the network isn't in trouble because we have so much core programming performing well week in and week out."
Harbert said the top-rated shows on E! are now library episodes of "The Simple Life," acquired in November, and "E! News," which Seacrest joined as lead anchor along with Giuliana DePandi in March. In first-quarter 2006, "E! News" is up 61% in adults 18-49 to a 0.3 average rating compared with the same period a year ago, while the network's primetime schedule is up 29% in the demo to a 0.3 compared with first-quarter 2005. "Simple Life" is averaging a 0.3 in 18-49 from March 6-April 26.
E!'s new series:
"The Carters," an eight-part half-hour series that follows Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, his younger brother, pop singer Aaron, and their three sisters as they live together, work and plan their futures. For the past decade, the siblings have been living disparate lives, and Nick Carter now wants to bring them back together. Kenneth Crear and Johnny Wright of Wright Crear Management, Rob Lee and J.T. Taylor will executive produce the series, which premieres in the fall.
"It's a touching dramatic story, but there's real conflict because it's a family of five with a lot of things to work out," Harbert said.
"7 Deadly Hollywood Sins," a seven-part half-hour series in which each episode will focus on one of the sins -- anger, pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony and sloth -- from a Hollywood point of view, offering up real-life examples of "Tinseltown's hottest sinners." It premieres June 5.
"Sexiest," a 13-part series airing at 10 p.m. Tuesdays, counts down the sexiest celebrities in various categories, including rock stars, action heroes and red-carpet divas. The show premiered Tuesday.
Meanwhile, "The Simple Life: 'Till Death Do Us Part," starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, premieres at 10 p.m. June 4. In this installment, the "celebutantes" will take turns stepping into a new family circle, juggling household chores, married life and kids.
"The producers and stars say it's the funniest season ever," Harbert said, adding that while the two former best friends, who had a well-documented fallout, shot only one scene together, footage will be "intercut so that they are fully in each episode. No one is trying to cheat and suggest they shot together, but it makes it funnier because we are intercutting how each handles the same situation."
Also returning to E! in the summer are new episodes of "Girls Next Door," again featuring Hugh Hefner and his girlfriends Holly, Bridget and Kendra, and "Child Star Confidential." "Dr. 90210" returns in the fall.
New specials include "Rise of the Geeks," premiering at 10 p.m. Wednesday; "Last Bride Standing: To Have and to Hold," premiering May 27; "Stranded With a Star: Who Would You Choose?" debuting at 8 p.m. June 4; and "Forbes 100 Richest Celebrities (and 1 Who Didn't Make It)" (working title), premiering at 8 p.m. July 16. E! hasn't yet determined the premiere date for another special, "Uncovered: Hidden Lives of Miss USA," which is from Al Roker Prods. and executive producers Al Roker, Lisa Sharkey and Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization.
Also on the slate are new series examining the seven deadly sins from a Hollywood point of view and a countdown of the sexiest celebrities. The new shows will join a schedule that includes the next installment of "The Simple Life" as well as returning series "The Girls Next Door," among others.
E! Networks president and CEO Ted Harbert said the channel is at a place where it can be choosy about which programming gets greenlighted, saying the ratings are up year-on-year despite losing top-rated show "Howard Stern" and citing the addition of Ryan Seacrest to the network as helping to strengthen the brand.
"The fact that we are up is a testament to our core programming," Harbert said. "We're performing well enough that I can handpick a few series that I have confidence in. And the best thing is that if one show doesn't work, the network isn't in trouble because we have so much core programming performing well week in and week out."
Harbert said the top-rated shows on E! are now library episodes of "The Simple Life," acquired in November, and "E! News," which Seacrest joined as lead anchor along with Giuliana DePandi in March. In first-quarter 2006, "E! News" is up 61% in adults 18-49 to a 0.3 average rating compared with the same period a year ago, while the network's primetime schedule is up 29% in the demo to a 0.3 compared with first-quarter 2005. "Simple Life" is averaging a 0.3 in 18-49 from March 6-April 26.
E!'s new series:
"The Carters," an eight-part half-hour series that follows Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, his younger brother, pop singer Aaron, and their three sisters as they live together, work and plan their futures. For the past decade, the siblings have been living disparate lives, and Nick Carter now wants to bring them back together. Kenneth Crear and Johnny Wright of Wright Crear Management, Rob Lee and J.T. Taylor will executive produce the series, which premieres in the fall.
"It's a touching dramatic story, but there's real conflict because it's a family of five with a lot of things to work out," Harbert said.
"7 Deadly Hollywood Sins," a seven-part half-hour series in which each episode will focus on one of the sins -- anger, pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony and sloth -- from a Hollywood point of view, offering up real-life examples of "Tinseltown's hottest sinners." It premieres June 5.
"Sexiest," a 13-part series airing at 10 p.m. Tuesdays, counts down the sexiest celebrities in various categories, including rock stars, action heroes and red-carpet divas. The show premiered Tuesday.
Meanwhile, "The Simple Life: 'Till Death Do Us Part," starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, premieres at 10 p.m. June 4. In this installment, the "celebutantes" will take turns stepping into a new family circle, juggling household chores, married life and kids.
"The producers and stars say it's the funniest season ever," Harbert said, adding that while the two former best friends, who had a well-documented fallout, shot only one scene together, footage will be "intercut so that they are fully in each episode. No one is trying to cheat and suggest they shot together, but it makes it funnier because we are intercutting how each handles the same situation."
Also returning to E! in the summer are new episodes of "Girls Next Door," again featuring Hugh Hefner and his girlfriends Holly, Bridget and Kendra, and "Child Star Confidential." "Dr. 90210" returns in the fall.
New specials include "Rise of the Geeks," premiering at 10 p.m. Wednesday; "Last Bride Standing: To Have and to Hold," premiering May 27; "Stranded With a Star: Who Would You Choose?" debuting at 8 p.m. June 4; and "Forbes 100 Richest Celebrities (and 1 Who Didn't Make It)" (working title), premiering at 8 p.m. July 16. E! hasn't yet determined the premiere date for another special, "Uncovered: Hidden Lives of Miss USA," which is from Al Roker Prods. and executive producers Al Roker, Lisa Sharkey and Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization.
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