HBO MAX GREENLIGHTS BETHENNY FRANKEL BUSINESS COMPETITION SERIES "THE BIG SHOT WITH BETHENNY" (wt) FROM PRODUCER MARK BURNETT & MGM TELEVISION
Unscripted Series Gives Viewers Exclusive Access Inside the World of the Skinnygirl CEO as Contestants Compete for the Chance to Work at her Company.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 19, 2020 - HBO Max has ordered eight episodes of The Big Shot with Bethenny (wt), a new competition series from MGM Television, Mark Burnett, and reality TV veteran and producer Bethenny Frankel and her B Real Productions. In each half-hour episode, the next generation of business moguls will compete for a chance to be second-in-command to business tycoon and Skinnygirl founder Frankel, and win a coveted position working on her executive team. In business and in life, Frankel never settles and only accepts excellence. Through a series of real-life tasks and challenges, each aspiring mogul will be tested to see how far they can push their creativity and determination to rise to the top.
"I first met Bethenny when I put her on the first season of The Real Housewives of New York City and she's always both impressed and entertained me," says Jennifer O'Connell, executive vice president of original non-fiction and kids programming, HBO Max. "It's incredible to see her empire continue to grow and I know that candidates will be clamoring to work for her."
"Bethenny is that rare talent whose creative instincts are equal to her business acumen and working with her to create this series has been an amazing collaboration," said Barry Poznick, MGM's President of Unscripted & Alternative Television and Orion Television. "We're giving fans what they want, access inside Bethenny's businesses so they can see how she runs her empire, all while offering one fan the chance of a lifetime to join her executive team. We've found the perfect home in HBO Max to bring this exclusive opportunity to viewers."
Added Frankel: "Aside from motherhood, what truly defines me as a person is being a driven, passionate and hard-working woman determined to make the impossible possible. My mantra is to come from a place of 'yes' and to find and create the solution. I am an executor of visions, and I share and impart that information to those who work with me. MGM has been neck-in-neck with me with ideas and their execution. I couldn't be more thrilled to continue my longstanding relationship with Mark Burnett on this series and pay this American Dream story forward."
Frankel is a self-made businesswoman, TV producer, multiple New York Times bestselling author, and mother. A frequent collaborator of MGM Worldwide Television Group Chairman Mark Burnett, Frankel appeared as a shark on two seasons of ABC's critically acclaimed series "Shark Tank," and was the series' highest rated guest shark to-date. Frankel is the Founder & CEO of Skinnygirl, a lifestyle brand offering practical solutions to women, and former star of the popular Bravo series "The Real Housewives of New York City." In 2011, she was named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities by Forbes.
The Big Shot with Bethenny (wt) is produced by MGM Television, B Real Productions and Big Fish Entertainment. Executive producers are Mark Burnett, Barry Poznick, Bethenny Frankel and Dan Cesareo.
About HBO Max
HBO Max is WarnerMedia's direct-to-consumer offering debuting in spring 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content anticipated at launch, HBO Max will offer powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from WarnerMedia's rich library including Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Sign up for updates at HBOMax.com.
About WarnerMedia
WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).
ABOUT MGM TELEVISION:
A multiple Emmy-winning leading producer and global distributor of premium content for television and digital platforms, with distribution rights to original productions and a robust catalogue of television episodes and feature film titles including such premiere entertainment franchises as James Bond, Rocky, Stargate and The Hobbit trilogy. Current scripted projects include Fargo (FX); Vikings (HISTORY); The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu); Get Shorty (EPIX); and Condor (AT&T AUDIENCE Network). As part of their Spanish language joint venture with Gato Grande Productions, the studio also produces Luis Miguel: The Series (Netflix). Current unscripted projects include The Voice (NBC); Survivor (CBS); Shark Tank (ABC); Beat Shazam (FOX) and World's Toughest Race: Eco Challenge (Amazon); and through its distribution entity, Orion TV Productions, the syndicated daytime courtroom series Lauren Lake's Paternity Court, Couples Court with The Cutlers and Personal Injury Court. In addition, MGM owns Evolution Media and Big Fish Entertainment, the prolific unscripted television producers who respectively produce The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Vanderpump Rules (Bravo); Botched and Meet The Frasers (E!); Live PD, Live Rescue, and America's Top Dog (A&E); Love & Hip Hop: New York, Love & Hip Hop: Miami, Black Ink Crew: Chicago and Black Ink Crew: Chicago (VH1). MGM's television programming airs in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
About Big Fish Entertainment
Big Fish Entertainment, an MGM Company, is a full-service production company that creates multi-platform, visually driven content that compels and entertains audiences with the "unexpected." Founded in 2006 by President Dan Cesareo, Big Fish has since produced more than 1000 hours of award-winning and top-rated programming in the live, unscripted reality, lifestyle and documentary space. Current Big Fish series include culinary docu-series Hustle & Soul for WE tv; #1 unscripted crime series Live PD, Live PD: Police Patrol and Live PD Presents: PD Cam for A&E; Live PD Presents: Women on Patrol for Lifetime; mega-hit franchise Black Ink Crew (New York and Chicago) and mental health special In Session Live With Dr. Jess for VH1; Chris Paul's Chapter 3 for ESPN; Tattoo Girls for TLC; How Far Is Tattoo Far? for MTV and the upcoming Animal ER Live for Nat Geo WILD. With other credits including Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan and the Gates Foundation Reality PD public schools project, Big Fish captures and relates extraordinary worlds, characters and stories for such networks as Lifetime, A&E, VH1, WE tv, Discovery, TLC, MTV, E!, National Geographic, Oxygen, Travel Channel and Paramount Network. For more information, visit bigfishusa.com.
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