The Boston Pops, a traditional TV staple for 35 years on PBS and cable, has set its sights on the MTV audience.
The Pops are teaming with Weller/Grossman, a Los Angeles-based TV production company that has worked closely with other orchestras and has produced a number of documentaries, for a series of hour-long specials.
“We will introduce the Boston Pops to today’s viewers through the production of programs incorporating music videos, reality elements, segments with Conductor Keith Lockhart and superb guest performances,” says co-executive producer Rob Weller. “We’ll go on the road, behind-the-scenes and delve into the music in an exciting, contemporary way.”
The Pops have been a fixture on PBS’ Evening at the Pops – the second-longest running program on public television behind only Sesame Street—and have also appeared on A&E and CBS.
The production, set to premiere in 2006, will be based at the Boston Pops’ primary home, Boston’s historic Symphony Hall. However, elements of each show will be shot at other locations around Boston, as well as in other domestic and international locales.
An announcement released Thursday noted that Weller/Grossman Productions is in discussions with key advertising agencies and major corporations regarding underwriting, as well as with a number of networks concerning scheduling.
