Featuring a new line-up of incredible talents whose full stories and journeys have yet to be told, TV One's longest-running and award-winning UNSUNG series premieres six new episodes beginning, Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Through first-hand accounts, interviews with family and friends, and archival footage, each episode weaves a tale of the highs and lows of a life in the limelight. These poignant stories offer insight into the trials and triumphs faced in both private and public forums.
Kicking off the series' new episodes is
UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD highlighting the life and career of Black Hollywood's influential film and TV stars Hill Harper on Nov. 2, followed by Joe and Guy Torry on Nov. 9 and Bill Bellamy on Nov. 16.
UNSUNG continues with new episodes featuring hit
MAKERS and
GAME CHANGERS Kurupt on Nov. 23, Frankie Knuckles and the Roots of House on Nov. 30 and Bobby Bland on Dec. 7.
"The next episodes of
UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD highlight men who have crafted careers in comedy and drama," said Jubba Seyyid, Sr. Director, Programming and Production for TV One. "Hill Harper, Bill Bellamy, and the Torry brothers are not only dedicated to their craft, but collectively, they are committed to their families, dedicated to uplifting youth in the Black community, and continuing to impact Hollywood in a positive way. Their contributions to art and society will really resonate with our audience."
"Unsung has truly become a household staple with our audience as it allows them to reminisce on the music they listened to growing up," Seyyid continued. "Fans always learn something new about their favorite artists, and this fall they will see Kurupt slay hip-hop, West coast style, and they will party to the soulful house music of Frankie Knuckles."
TV One's upcoming new episodes of
UNSUNG and
UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD are outlined below.
UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD: NEW EPISODES
HILL HARPER
Premiere: Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. ET
Best known for his role as Sheldon Hawkes on the
CBS crime drama "CSI: NY", three time NAACP Image Award winner Hill Harper has quietly put together a distinguished career of range and heart. A longtime friend of President Obama, he has made a positive difference on and off the screen, authoring several books, including "Letters to a Young Brother," and "The Conversation: How (Black) Men and Women Can Build Trusting, Loving Relationships." This episode of
UNSUNG HOLLYWOOD takes us inside the life and career of one of Hollywood's smoothest and most passionate stars.
JOE & GUY TORRY
Premiere: Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. ET
As part of HBO's Def Comedy Jam in the 1990s, Joe and Guy Torry helped launch a revolution in urban comedy with a hip-hop beat. The brothers rose from poverty to the heights of Hollywood, each carving out their own rep in films like "Poetic Justice" and "American History X." Through it all, a sibling rivalry, not always friendly, fueled the laughs. George Lopez, Miguel Nunez, Cedric the Entertainer, Luenell, Vivica
FOX and Buddy Lewis help tell the tale.
BILL BELLAMY
Premiere: Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. ET
Comedian-Actor Bill Bellamy, creator of the phrase "booty call", first shot to fame as part of HBO's "Def Comedy Jam" in the 1990s and then as a premiere
MTV VJ. Since then he has enjoyed a wide-ranging career in film and TV with roles in "Love Jones," "How to Be A Player," and "Any Given Sunday." Bellamy, the cousin of Shaquille O'Neal, has also made his mark as
THE VOICE of Skeeter in "Cousin Skeeter," and as the host of NBC's "Last Comic Standing: and TV One's "Who's Got Jokes."
Unsung Hollywood is narrated by Gary Anthony Williams, and is Executive Produced by Arthur Smith, Kent Weed, Mark Rowland and Frank Sinton of A. Smith & Co. Productions. Henry Schipper is the Co-Executive Producer. For TV One, Jubba Seyyid is Executive in Charge of Production and Sr. Director of Programming; Robyn Greene Arrington is Executive in Charge of Production and Vice President, Original Programming and Production; and D'Angela Proctor is Head of Original Programming.
UNSUNG: NEW EPISODES
KURUPT
Premiere: Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. ET
Widely regarded as one of the greatest rap lyricists ever, Kurupt might be your favorite rapper's favorite rapper. He became a household name recording with longtime friends Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Nate Dogg at the height of the
DEATH ROW Records era in the 1990's. With 25 years in the game, he's also had numerous successful hits with his partner in rhyme, Daz, as part of the platinum duo Dogg Pound. He has endured label drama, addiction, a very public split from fiancée Foxy Brown and the tragic death of his former fiancée and mother of his child, Natina Reed. Through it all, Kurupt has kept going and never stopped rapping. He is the very definition of Unsung.
FRANKIE KNUCKLES AND THE ROOTS OF HOUSE
Premiere: Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. ET
For three decades and counting, house music has dominated the dance floors by mixing the sonic innovation of Hip Hop with the ecstasy of soul and dance floor disco. Legendary DJs, including rare interviews from the man known as the godfather of house - the late Frankie Knuckles - tell the story of an
UNDERGROUND music that changed the world.
BOBBY BLAND
Premiere: Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET
Known as one of the best voices in the business, Bobby "Blue" Bland's career spanned 60 years. With 63 charting singles, including the powerful, "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City," Bland had a sound ahead of his time, but needed the help of his wife to order his steps, and keep him from an early grave. Overcoming his demons and learning deficiencies, his legacy was cemented by his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Unsung is narrated by actor Gary Anthony Williams and is Executive Produced by Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Frank Sinton of A. Smith & Co. Productions. Mark Rowland is Co-Executive Producer. For TV One, , Jubba Seyyid is Executive in Charge of Production and Sr. Director of Programming; Robyn Arrington Greene is Vice President, Original Programming and Production; and D'Angela Proctor is Head of Original Programming and Production.
For more information on
UNSUNG and
UNSUNG Hollywood, visit TV One's
Youtube Channel and catch full the full episodes the day after premiere on
www.tvone.tv/unsung and
www.tvone.tv/unsunghollywood. Viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on TV One's Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) and the
UNSUNG Facebook (@tvoneunsung) using the hash tags #UNSUNG and #UNSUNGHOLLYWOOD.
About A. Smith & Co. Productions: Smith & Co. Productions creates some of the most innovative, highly rated, and high-quality programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. The company has produced more than 3,000 hours of award-winning programming - with budgets totaling over one billion dollars across more than 45 broadcast and cable networks. Current productions include "Hell's Kitchen," "American Ninja Warrior," "Spartan Race," "Ellen's Design Challenge," "Unsung," and "The Dunk King." Past hits include "Kitchen Nightmares," "Wizard Wars," "Full Throttle Saloon," "Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura," "UFC Countdown," "Joe Rogan Questions Everything," "Paradise Hotel," "I Survived a Japanese Game Show," "The Swan," "Trading Spaces," "Pros vs. Joes," "Skating with Celebrities," and many others. For more information, visit www.asmithco.com.
Image courtesy of TV One
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