or


[02/25/09 - 12:49 PM]
TV One and A. Smith & CO. Productions Announce Deal for Eight New Episodes of Top-Rated Bio Series "Unsung"
The series "celebrates the lives and careers of successful artists or groups who, despite great talent, over the years have been under-recognized or under-appreciated."

[via press release from TV One]

TV ONE AND A. SMITH & CO. PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCE DEAL FOR EIGHT NEW EPISODES OF TOP-RATED BIO SERIES "UNSUNG"

-- Series that examines and celebrates talented artists who are under-appreciated will feature Melba Moore, Minnie Riperton, and six others beginning in summer 2009 --

Silver Spring, MD and Los Angeles, CA - TV One and A. Smith & Co. Productions announced the production of eight new episodes of Unsung, the acclaimed series of one-hour biographies that celebrates the lives and careers of successful artists or groups who, despite great talent, over the years have been under-recognized or under-appreciated. The episodes will be executive-produced by Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Frank Sinton of A. Smith & Co. Productions. Mark Rowland will serve as Co-Executive Producer.

A. Smith & Co. produced for TV One four episodes of Unsung featuring DeBarge, Donny Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman and the Clark Sisters, that aired in fall 2008. The four Unsung premieres were viewed by a total 1.1 million people, and the Phyllis Hyman premiere was TV One's highest-rated original program in 2008 and ranked number one in its time slot among ad-supported cable networks for both African-American households and for African-American adults 25-54.

Melba Moore and Minnie Riperton are among those who will be featured in the new episodes, which are expected to begin airing on TV One in June 2009. Unsung will reveal the multiple factors that kept these artists from achieving the iconic commercial status they deserved. And, in the process, these specials will "sing" the praises and celebrate the artistry that has kept fellow artists and fans talking about them for years. Featuring exclusive interviews, musical clips and archival footage, each episode will investigate the stories of these pivotal artists, their journey through music and their perhaps unexpected influence on the music of today.

"Unsung really resonates with our audience. When it first aired, we may have gotten more comments and positive feedback about it than any other entertainment program since we aired the 30th anniversary telecast of Roots," said TV One Senior Vice President of Original Programming Toni Judkins. "There are so many more remarkable artists who have had the raw talent of Diana, Aretha or Stevie, but whose circumstances have prevented them from attaining that iconic status. We are delighted to be teaming up again with A. Smith to be bringing our viewers more of those incredible, real-life stories."

"The opportunity to tell great stories is a key factor in all of the shows we produce and those that Unsung focuses on are truly exceptional," said Frank Sinton. "There are many artists whose stories have not yet been told, which leads to not only compelling television, but also gives these incredible talents a platform for which their stories and music can be showcased."

About TV One

Launched in January 2004, TV One (www.tvoneonline.com) serves more than 47 million households (Nielsen March 2009 estimate), offering a broad range of lifestyle and entertainment-oriented original programming, classic series, movies, fashion and music designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult African American viewers. TV One's investors include Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK; www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets African American and urban listeners; Comcast Corporation [NASDAQ: CMCSA and CMCSK; www.comcast.com], the leading cable television company in the country; The DirecTV Group; Constellation Ventures; Syndicated Communications; and Opportunity Capital Partners.

About A. Smith & Co. Productions

Founded by Arthur Smith and Kent Weed in 2000, A. Smith & Co. Productions generates some of the most innovative, highly-rated and high quality unscripted programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. Since its launch the company has created over 500 hours of programming and developed and produced the number one show in America an astonishing 12 times and a top 5 show over 50 times. The company's current production slate includes the Emmy� nominated hit show Hell's Kitchen as well as Kitchen Nightmares with Chef Gordon Ramsay, I Survived a Japanese Game Show, Trading Spaces with host Paige Davis, the critically acclaimed documentary series American Gangster and UFC Countdown.





  [february 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· UNSUNG (TV ONE)





[05/27/26 - 01:16 PM]
"WWE: Made in America" Special Premieres This Friday, May 29, at 11 P.M. ET on USA Network
As part of USA Network's America 250 celebration, the one-hour special traces the evolution of a regional business into a global powerhouse, examining how the company mirrored the American spirit across five decades.

[05/27/26 - 01:01 PM]
Bravo's "Southern Hospitality" First-Ever Two-Part Reunion Event Begins Wednesday, June 3 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
Republic Garden & Lounge comes to life in New York as host Andy Cohen sits down with the entire cast on an immersive reunion set inspired by King Street and the crew's stomping grounds.

[05/27/26 - 12:31 PM]
Prime Video Unveils New and Returning Canadian Originals at 2026 Amazon Upfront
Prime Video also debuted trailers for "Young Farts Trailer Parts," executive produced by Jacob Tierney and premiering July 17, and "Operation Deception."

[05/27/26 - 12:17 PM]
USA Sports Announces 2026 Schedule for Inaugural Season of New Pac-12 Football Coverage on USA Network
USA Network's 22-game slate features multiple appearances by all eight Pac-12 schools with at least one home game for every team, showcasing each unique gameday experience throughout the Pac-12.

[05/27/26 - 12:16 PM]
FOX Sports Unveils Powerhouse 2026 College Football Schedule
In 2026, FOX Sports is home to 137 college football games across the FOX family of networks - including 89 Big Ten conference games across FOX, FS1 and BTN.

[05/27/26 - 12:02 PM]
2025 National Champion Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan Wolverines, and Iowa State vs. Iowa Headline Early-Season Big Ten Football Schedule Across NBC and Peacock
NBC Sports' Big Ten coverage starts on Saturday, August 29, as the USC Trojans host the San Jose State Spartans at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

[05/27/26 - 12:01 PM]
Powerhouse Presentations, Ranked Showdowns and Conference Clashes Fuel ESPN's Blockbuster Broadcast Schedule for the 2026-27 College Football Season
More than 1,000 games will be set for ESPN networks with every showdown streaming on the ESPN App.

[05/27/26 - 12:01 PM]
The CW Network Unveils 2026 College Football Schedule
The season kicks off with a Week 0 ACC non-conference game as New Mexico State visits Florida State for a primetime showdown on Saturday, August 29 at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT.

[05/27/26 - 10:01 AM]
Prime Video Orders Three New Animated Series from GenAI Creators' Fund, Backed by Amazon MGM Studios and AWS
Powering all of this is Project Nara, Amazon MGM Studios' purpose-built AI production platform for cinematic storytelling, built on AWS.

[05/27/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Marvel Animation's "X-Men '97" Season 2 - Official Trailer
Time to get the X-Men back to the 90s.

[05/27/26 - 09:01 AM]
"Project Runway" Reveals 22 Designers for Its 22nd Season
Season 22 debuts in the evening on July 9 on Freeform and will stream shortly after on Hulu and Disney+, followed by weekly airings.

[05/27/26 - 09:00 AM]
"The Book of Mormon" Original Cast to Perform at "The 79th Annual Tony Awards" Live Sunday, June 7 on CBS
The entire original cast, including Tony Award nominees Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells and Rory O'Malley and Tony Award winner Nikki M. James, will take the stage to celebrate the show's 15th anniversary on Broadway.

[05/27/26 - 08:31 AM]
Spotify & Netflix Partner with Jay Shetty to Bring "On Purpose" Video to Both Services
Netflix will bring the visual series to its members worldwide, while Spotify will serve as the global sales representative for the show and offer fans the flexibility to seamlessly watch or listen within a single app.

[05/27/26 - 08:06 AM]
Video: BritBox Debuts Teaser Trailer and Announces September 15th Premiere Date for "Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence"
The six-part adaptation of the Agatha Christie novels and short stories stars Antonia Thomas, Josh Dylan, and Imelda Staunton.

[05/27/26 - 08:04 AM]
Modern Greek Noir Thriller "Save Me" Makes U.S. Debut on the Viaplay Streaming Service Beginning Thursday, June 18
The eight-episode crime drama follows a missing-person investigation that soon spirals into the hunt for a serial killer.