TV One Monday announced that it has acquired several African-American-targeted movies and scripted series from Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution, including episodes from current UPN sitcoms All of Us and Eve.
The comprehensive multiyear deal also includes the rights to air recent episodes of popular syndication series Showtime at the Apollo, including new episodes of the variety show two weeks after airing on broadcast stations, TV One CEO Johnathan Rodgers said. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“This is the most significant deal in the history of TV One,” Rodgers added. “One of the highlights of the deal is our relationship with Showtime at the Apollo, which will give us a virtual presence in New York.”
The network will be able to air episodes of All of Us and Eve in primetime if the new UPN/WB merged network, The CW, does not pick up the two series as part of its new lineup. TV One will have weekend distribution rights if the shows are picked up by the new broadcast network.
The 28 million-subscriber TV One will also have the rights to such movies titles as The Color Purple, Malcolm X, Lean on Me, Boiling Point, New Jack City, Uptown Saturday Night, Strictly Business, Purple Rain, Krush Groove, Sparkle, Shaft and Superfly.
On the series side, TV One has rights to off-network shows such as Living Single, For Your Love, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, The Parent ‘Hood, Wanda at Large, All About the Andersons, Fastlane and A Man Called Hawk. In addition, the network renewed its deals for Martin and Roc.
“Martin and Roc have already proved very popular with TV One viewers, and we expect the rest of this Warner Bros. package to help ensure that we continue to have a strong lineup of acquired scripted programming to complement our original programming as we work toward making TV One the premier viewing destination for African-American adults,” TV One executive vice president of programming and production Rose Catherine Pinkney said in a prepared statement.
