A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM NBCUNIVERSAL
THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SINGING COMPETITION
"LA VOZ KIDS"… IS BACK FOR ANOTHER SEASON!
THE SEARCH FOR "THE VOICE OF THE NEW GENERATION" IS ON!
LA VOZ KIDS, SEASON 3,
PREMIERES SUNDAY MARCH 15th
AT 8PM/7 CENTRAL
ONLY ON TELEMUNDO.
WANT MORE LVK3 INFO? GO TO: NBCUniversal Hispanic Group together.nbcuni.com/hispanic.
CYNOPSISBACKSTAGE
The People! The Parties! The Buzz!
On March 3, NYC’s magnificent Cipriani on 42nd St. was the place to be for Spike TV’s Upfront. Once a bank building, now a formidable event house, a few dozen people milled around outside the maroon carpet until the doors opened at noon. If you needed reminding that you were in New York, there were a few strong tells. Men wore blue-framed glasses. Only two women didn’t have on black coats, and bags included Prada and YSL.
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM NBCUNIVERSAL
THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SINGING COMPETITION
"LA VOZ KIDS"… IS BACK FOR ANOTHER SEASON!
THE SEARCH FOR "THE VOICE OF THE NEW GENERATION" IS ON!
LA VOZ KIDS, SEASON 3,
PREMIERES SUNDAY MARCH 15th
AT 8PM/7 CENTRAL
ONLY ON TELEMUNDO.
WANT MORE LVK3 INFO? GO TO: NBCUniversal Hispanic Group together.nbcuni.com/hispanic.
Party On!
At precisely 12:00, ten people at a time were ushered into the cavernous space. This allowed for easy check-in and a multitude of white uniformed professionals to take your coat and whisk it downstairs. No waiting for anyone.
Roughly 330 seats were set up in front of the stage while the old bank’s Corinthian columns loomed and hip hop music blared. At 12:30 exactly CEO Kevin Kay was introduced, but it was Dwayne Johnson, aka the Rock, who took the stage insisting he was Kay. The crowd, counting on a good time, roared. Johnson was charming and witty. “I finally got that circumcision,” he said, in his claiming-to-be-Kay-act. “It really makes a difference.”
The real Kevin Kay, along with Jeff Lucas, head of sales for Viacom’s music and entertainment division and Sharon Levy, EVP of Original series, told their story between clips and appearances from Spike celebs: LL Cool Jay, Sir Ben Kingsley, Jillian Michaels and John Krasinski.
The rebrand: Once a male-skewing network, Spike is reaching out to women. According to execs, Spike now claims a 42% female audience, up from 34% in 2010. To increase those numbers, Spike is adding scripted shows, with several in development, including The War at the Shore, an event series from Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti’s Trigger Street Productions (House of Cards) about Donald Trump and Steve Wynn’s battle for Atlantic City.
With a fresh tag – “The Ones to Watch” new shows that were introduced include three-night miniseries Tut, premiering this summer and starring Sir Ben Kingsley. Said Kingsley, “What amazed me is that Tut ruled 3,000 years ago, but human emotions are still the same.”
Sharon Levy was visibly excited about the original series, shot entirely in Morocco. ”Its our biggest and most ambitious project to date. It has an amazing and diverse cast and first rate cinematic production values,” Levy told Cynopsis. ”It’s a must-see for viewers and must-have for advertisers.”
Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser) will host a new reality show called Sweat Inc., where 12 aspiring fitness entrepreneurs compete to see whose fitness program is best. The winner gets a cash prize and will partner with a national gym chain to develop their brand. (FYI: Dressed in a black leather jacket, jeans and killer high heels, Michaels was proof that working out pays off.)
We had to laugh: John Krasinski and Steve Merchant hopped onstage to lip sync each other for their new show, Lip Sync Battles. Krasinski mouthed Tina Turner’s Proud Mary while stripping down to a silver short dress.
So what’s to make of all this new programming? According to a media exec at Universal McCann, the Upfront was exciting and positive: “It reminded me of a few years ago when A&E did its rebrand.”
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM NBCUNIVERSAL
THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SINGING COMPETITION
"LA VOZ KIDS"… IS BACK FOR ANOTHER SEASON!
THE SEARCH FOR "THE VOICE OF THE NEW GENERATION" IS ON!
LA VOZ KIDS, SEASON 3,
PREMIERES SUNDAY MARCH 15th
AT 8PM/7 CENTRAL
ONLY ON TELEMUNDO.
WANT MORE LVK3 INFO? GO TO: NBCUniversal Hispanic Group together.nbcuni.com/hispanic.
The Food: Two buffet lines were loaded with with branzino, filet mignon, and several gourmet salads including avocado. Pass-alongs were mini T.B.M. sandwiches and petit fours.
Signature drink: The Bellini, of course – though most guests sipped water.
Best snack: Just-made zucchini chips at the bar.
Music: hip hop
Swag Bag: Comfy gray Lip Sync Battles hoodie, navy blue leather zippered iPad cover and a pyramid-shaped blue-tooth speaker with Tut inscribed on the bottom.
Programming Slate: At least 5 scripted shows and mini series and 2 new reality shows.
Fighting Words: Its appeal to a broader audience doesn’t mean Spike is abandoning the guys. Friday Night Lights Out will be devoted to men competing in different live combat sporting events.
Quotable Quote: Asked what her guilty pleasure show was, Sharon Levy said, “Any British serial killer series on Netflix.”
Spike Strategy: The plan, said CEO Kay, is not to be about “what’s on, but what’s next.”
Thursday, March 12
Tomorrow’s Pivot upfront breakfast at the Lambs Club will feature talent aplenty, including Sex and the City alum Kristin Davis, who’s executive producing Gardeners of Eden, a doc premiering on Pivot in May. Also shaking hands will be Jacob Soboroff, host of web seriesInvestigate Fortitude, IF star Luke Treadaway, and Tom Szaky, CEO of Terracycle and the subject of Human Resources.
Friday, March 13
Hear all about Fuse Media’s plans to light buyers up with plans for FM, a brand new music channel. Plus: White Guys get their own talk show!
Tuesday, March 17
All aboard for the UP and ASPiRE upfront meetings, conducted for the fifth year in the unique setting of the UP/ASPiRE Upfront bus. The networks expect to hold some 100 presentations on the 4-wheeler for more than 750 clients and agencies, and travel more than 3,000 miles during its multi-city upfront tour. The 45-foot executive coach will also be the site of after-hours events with clients such as happy hours and karaoke nights.
Keep Watching & Reading,
Lynn Leahey, Editor
Roberta Caploe: Editorial Director @robertacaploe
Diane K Schwartz: Senior Vice President, Media Communications Group
Cynopsis Ad Sales: Mike Farina | VP, Sales | 203-218-6480
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