CW Bulks Up for Summer With Music Competition Show, 2 More Unscripted Series

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Queen Latifah

The CW's summer schedule is starting to fill up.

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The youth-skewing network has given series orders to three new reality series, including a singing competition program with Queen Latifah, Gloria Estefan and John Rich as it looks to keep the lights on during the lesser-rated months.

Nationwide competition series The Star Next Door, which hails from Dave Broome (The Biggest Loser), will feature mentors including Latifah, Estefan and Rich traveling across the country looking for the best and brightest to compete and represent their home towns when they face-off in Hollywood. Latifah will executive produce the series, alongside CBS' Raquel Productions, 25/7 Productions and Latifah's Flavor Unit Entertainment. Additional mentors will be announced at a later date.

Star Next Doorjoins a crowded field of music-themed reality competition series, including NBC's The Voice, Fox's The X Factor and AmericanIdol, the latter of which has seen its hold as the top-rated program this season in viewers and the coveted adults 18-49 demographic fade.

In addition, the network has ordered Breaking Pointe, a behind-the-stage look at one of the nation's most competitive ballet companies, Salt Lake City's Ballet West. Kate Shepherd (Big Brother: According to Russell Brand) and Bill Langworthy (The City) will exec produce alongside BBC Worldwide Productions' Izzie Pick Ashcroft and Jane Tranter.

For its part, The Catalina revolves around the staff of the aptly named hotel in Miami's South Beach and revolves around the group who form their own dysfunctional family. Confessions of a Teen Idol duo Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey will exec produce.

The three series join musical chairs game show Oh Sit! on the network's summer lineup.

“One of my first goals here at the CW was to increase the number of hours of original programming, both throughout the season and during the summer," CW president Mark Pedowitz said in a statement announcing the news Monday. "With these four new reality series, we’re launching our biggest summer schedule yet which will boost our circulation during the summer months and provide us with a promotional platform for our fall launch."

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