NYTVF Productions & The Orchard to Premiere their First Independent Original TV Series THE JAMZ

NYTVF Productions and The Orchard today announced their original TV series, The Jamz, will be available on iTunes exclusively beginning on April 12. Based on the 2014 New York Television Festival Official Selection of the same name, The Jamz is the first original TV program to be funded and distributed worldwide by The Orchard and the first series from the indie TV organization's recently launched NYTVF Productions division.

Watch the trailer below:

Comedy fans worldwide will be able to access The Jamz via an iTunes Season Pass for all four, half-hour episodes for $4.99 at iTunes.com/TheJamz. The series premiere will be available on iTunes for free starting April 12, and beginning April 30, the series will be available on additional digital platforms.

"It is exciting to experience today's evolving distribution landscape for indie television productions and the opportunity that has created for the stellar talent behind The Jamz," said Paul Davidson, SVP of Film & TV for The Orchard and executive producer of The Jamz. "iTunes has consistently led the way in championing independent voices and curating the best content and we feel they are the perfect partner to highlight our vision."

Produced in Chicago last year, The Jamz is a half-hour workplace sitcom following the exploits of the crew at 101.7 THE JAMZ, Chicago's (fictional) #1-rated radio station. The original concept for The Jamz, which was ordered straight-to-series by The Orchard, was created by Jim Kozyra and Chris Petlak, who serve as series regulars, writers, and co-executive producers.

"Indie film forged a bold and vital creative pipeline for cinema, and we are now seeing the same potential for indie TV thanks to new platforms and digital distribution options," said NYTVF Productions' Terence Gray, who serves as executive producer of The Jamz. "The indie film approach used on The Jamz allowed us to create premium episodic content with a limited budget, and the result is a funny, heart-felt, accessible comedy that fans around the globe will enjoy during this and hopefully subsequent seasons."

Also starring in the ensemble comedy are Kathy Najimy, David Pasquesi, and Michael Patrick Thornton, as well as Rammel Chan, Tamberla Perry, Emily Peterson and Vincent Teninty. Select members of the cast and crew will be on hand for the world premiere of the sitcom on Monday, April 4 at Chicago's historic Logan Theatre. The event will include a screening of the series pilot and a talk-back with creators and stars, set to be moderated by Eric Ferguson, host of Chicago's (actual) #1 morning show, Eric & Kathy, on 101.9 THE MIX.

In addition to Kozyra and Petlak, other New York Television Festival alumni contributed to the production, including Ted Tremper directing the series' first four episodes, and Jeff Murdoch and Jo Scott earning writing credits. Chicago-based companies rounded out the production, with Black Apple Media serving as Line Producer, Paskal Rudnicke Casting overseeing local casting, and Quriosity Productions providing post-production services.