TV One to Air Casting Reality Show 'Backstage'

TV One, a cable/satellite television network, programming primarily to African American adults, has commissioned "David E. Talbert's Backstage," Variety reports.

The reality series will follow aspiring actors as they compete for roles in a touring production of Talberts' Love in the Nick or Tyme, "a classic tale of relationships, challenges, and dreams deferred," according to earlier notes.

The eight one-hour episodes of "Backstage," produced by Edmonds Entertainment, will follow 10 aspiring actors (five men, five women) as they audition for understudy parts for his latest play, Love in the Nick of Tyme, on it's five-month U.S. tour.

In the style of "Dancing With the Stars" and "American Idol" judges, Talbert and veteran Blair Underwood, will eliminate two actors each week until the final episode where the survivors land leading roles in Talbert's next play for the length of its road tour.

Talbert's 11 blockbuster plays have been nominated for 24 NAACP Awards including winning Best Playwright for The Fabric Of A Man. In film, his independent romantic comedy A Woman Like That  won him the UrbanWorld award for best dramatic feature. In television, the collaboration with Jamie Foxx  yielded the critically-acclaimed prime time special, "Unpredictable: A Musical Journey."

TV One offers a broad range of lifestyle and entertainment-oriented programming that respects African American values and reflects their intellectual and cultural diversity. TV One was the second fastest-growing cable network in 2006, climbing by 10.3 million subscribers to bring its total to 34.9 million.