NEW YORK, 11:53 PM, FRI NOV 21 | 21 POSTS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS | tips@idolator.com | SUBMIT A TIP | RSS
Programming Notes

Fuse Attempts To Differentiate Itself From MTV By Making Its Reality Shows Vaguely Music-Related

MTV also-ran Fuse is taking its commitment to bringing music back to television very seriously, as evidenced by the series it has in the can for the coming months. First, we have the imminently debuting You Rock, Let's Roll (that Dating Game for musicians and groupies) and The Weekly Riff (which sounds supiciously like an updated Four On The Floor). But what of Fuse's fall programming strategy? Are you ready for Intervention... with musicians as the subjects? How about a music-centric No Reservations that, sadly, has no Anthony Bourdain (or Jon Spencer)? Or an updated version of Queen For A Day... only with a "major record deal" as a prize?

Redemption Song (working title)
Q4 2008
Redemption Song takes ten women who are down on their luck, struggling to get by and a little bit ashamed of their choices as they seize one last chance to make it big. Each week, contestants will compete in a series of outlandish music-related challenges ending with a winner who will receive a major record deal and star in her own music video airing on Fuse. Produced by Zig-Zag Productions USA.

Tour Me A New One (working title)
Q4 2008
This half hour series follows comedian Nate Jackson to the far-flung musical corners of the earth. Viewers will meet the world's most interesting, entertaining and devoted music fans - and observe them in their fascinating natural habitats. Produced by Screaming Flea Productions.

Rock Bottom (working title)
Q4 2008
Rock Bottom takes an honest look at the stresses that constantly push and pull at rock bands, hip hop groups and other musical outfits. Each week Fuse follows a rising musical group as they stage an intervention and give one troubled band member dealing with drug addiction, alcoholism or personality problems, a choice - clean up your act or get replaced. Produced by Film Garden Entertainment.

Well, Rock Bottom will have no shortage of material, particularly since the producers smartly threw in the "personality problems" angle in case they run out of people willing to drink themselves into a stupor on TV. But Tour Me A New One kind of sounds like it'll be awful even beyond the name, although the host at least has some Travel Channel Experience. I'm not even going to get into Redemption Song, except to say that I have a feeling the people controlling Bob Marley's estate are probably getting on the horn with Fuse about that choice of name right about now.

Redemption For Fuse [IGN]

4:00 PM on Fri Jul 11 2008
By Maura Johnston
495 views
10 comments

Comments

Comment on this post

Reply by Email

Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.