Updated Monday, November 16, 2015 at 2:55 pm PT.
The Fox Television Stations are once again partnering with Harvey Levin and the producers of Warner Bros.’ TMZ, this time to test a new game show.
South of Wilshire, which is set in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw District, will debut on Fox owned stations in New York, Los Angeles and other markets to be determined on Jan. 4, and run for eight weeks.
The show will be set in Dulan’s, a soul-food restaurant in the neighborhood. Diners will also serve as the show’s contestants, who will be given videos to watch and clues to solve to figure out what celebrity is being featured. The final clue will be offered by the disguised celebrity him or herself.
"We were looking for an entertaining game show and when you watch this show, it’s just really entertaining," says Harvey Levin, executive producer of TMZ, TMZ Live and TMZ Sports. "The people in the locations that we shoot are really fun. The contestants are really fun. The atmosphere is really fun. Ultimately, we wondered if we could do a good show that had a game viewers could play along with that was simple and engaging, and with this, all of those elements work."
South of Wilshire will be executive produced by Levin and Ryan Regan, and Adam Glyn, a TMZ cameraman and stand-up comedian, is the host. Fox previously has partnered with Warner Bros. and TMZ to test TMZ Live, which continues to air in every Fox market, as well as other programs.
All of the episodes for the eight-week test already have been produced, said Levin, and should Fox decide it wants to pick up the show, could continue to be produced. "We know exactly how to do it," Levin says.
In addition, the game could be played in other locations in other markets. The ability to take the show into different local markets could be a good selling point for station groups looking to buy the show. It also offers marketing and promotional opportunities for local businesses, which was one of the reasons celebrities were attracted to the project, says Levin.
"A lot of the businesses are really excited to participate because we're supporting businesses in areas that could use support," says Levin. "A lot of the celebrities love the fact that a place that they like are getting a free commercial."
TMZ, shot in Playa Vista, Calif., continues to diversify from its original launch as a website 10 years ago. It currently has three TV shows on the air: TMZ and TMZ Live on television stations and TMZ Sports, which recently debuted on Fox Sports 1. TMZ also offers a red-bus tour all around Hollywood, and TMZ-themed slot machines are debuting in Las Vegas.
