truTV Greenlights "Upload with Shaquille O'Neal" (working title)
New Series Produced by Vin Di Bona and Bruce Gersh's FishBowl Worldwide Media and Shaq Entertainment
truTV has greenlit Upload with Shaquille O'Neal (working title), a new series starring basketball superstar and TNT NBA analyst Shaquille O'Neal. The show comes to truTV from FishBowl Worldwide Media, founded by entertainment industry veterans Vin Di Bona and Bruce Gersh with the creative team led by Susan Levison, and Shaq Entertainment. FishBowl's Di Bona, Gersh, Levison and Beth Greenwald and Shaq Entertainment's Perry Rogers, Colin Smeeton and Mike Parris will serve as executive producers, along with Mike Gibbons (Tosh.0).
truTV has ordered 10 episodes of Upload with Shaquille O'Neal (working title). Each week on the series, Shaq and his comic friends Gary Owen (Think Like a Man), who hosts the series, and Godfrey (The Mr. Men Show), along with a special guest, will scour the internet looking for the funniest online videos to comment on, as well as create their own viral videos, pull pranks and parody current pop culture stories.
"Shaquille O'Neal has such a great personality, and he really has a lot of fun with the format and the material in this new truTV series," said Marc Juris, executive vice president and chief operating officer of truTV. "We're really excited to be working with Shaq and the outstanding production team. This show is going to be a great fit with truTV's comedic shows like Impractical Jokers and the upcoming Killer Karaoke."
"I've been a fan of truTV for a long time and I look forward to working with my good friends Gary Owen and Godfrey. I've always tried to entertain people and I know this show will deliver big laughs," said Shaquille O'Neal.
"We are very excited to collaborate with Shaquille, truTV and Mike Gibbons on 'Upload,'" said Bruce Gersh, CEO of FishBowl Worldwide Media. "Our creative team, headed by Susan Levison, developed a unique show that showcases Shaquille's sense of humor, and his ability to identify the most outrageous videos online."
Upload with Shaquille O'Neal (working title) is the latest new series greenlit for truTV. The network is also preparing to launch Killer Karaoke, an outrageous singing competition, and Guinness World Records(TM) Gone Wild, which challenges everyday people to push themselves to do astonishing things for their place in history. Both of those series are slated to premiere later this year.
About FishBowl Worldwide Media
Los Angeles-based FishBowl Worldwide Media is an independent production company founded in 2010 by entertainment industry veterans Vin Di Bona and Bruce Gersh, with the creative team led by Susan Levison. This next generation studio is a transmedia storyteller developing properties for television, digital platforms and brands by partnering with marketers, digital companies and ad agencies. FishBowl is currently in production on television properties for networks including Bravo, Fuse, Animal Planet and VH1. Led by David Beebe, FishBowl's Digital division has launched hit web series, CuteWinFail, which is ranked in the YouTube Comedy Channel Top 20 with over 90 million video views; CuteWinFail's Spanish extension, LindoVictoriaFracaso, which received 196,000 video views and 18,000 subscribers in its first two weeks and is hosted by Peru's #1 YouTuber Jose Romero; and Ultimate Proposal, an original series hosted by Cameron Mathison, created for Yahoo! with over 22 million views to date and recently expanded to become Ultimate Suprises: Petsami, a YouTube channel for pets by pets with more than 11 million views. FishBowl is also currently producing Yahoo!'s Stunt Nation, hosted by Sal Masekela, which features hilarious, cringe-inducing stunts and feats. For more information about FishBowl Worldwide Media, please go to: www.fbwmedia.com.
About Shaq Entertainment
Shaq Entertainment founded by basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal and entertainment industry vet Jeff Clanagan is a vertically integrated entertainment and new media company. The company has established it self as a leader in the promotion and management of live urban themed stand up comedy events as well as the leading producer and distributor of urban comedy in the television, DVD and digital markets.
About truTV
truTV, one of cable's fastest growing brands, offers a wildly entertaining look at the real world through outrageous characters, unpredictable situations and irreverent storytelling. Currently seen in 92 million U.S. households, truTV features such popular original series as Hardcore Pawn, Impractical Jokers, Lizard Lick Towing, Storage Hunters, Full Throttle Saloon, Operation Repo, South Beach Tow, World's Dumbest... and Black Gold. In addition, truTV is a partner in airing the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. During the daytime, the channel features expert trial coverage under the name In Session.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
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