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MTV Entertainment Studios is teaming up with Glass Entertainment Group for the brand-new docuseries MTV’s Family Legacy, which will dive into MTV’s most celebrated events and iconic artists through the eyes of their children.
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The intimate docuseries will capture musicians through the lens of their kids, with exclusive footage and brand-new interviews with the children of beloved music stars, including Van Halen’s Sammy Hagar, Backstreet Boys’ Brian Littrell, *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone, Boyz II Men’s Nathan Morris, TLC’s Chili, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Brandy and Melissa Etheridge. The kids of late legends The Notorious B.I.G. and Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington are also featured in the series, which will be narrated by actor and musician Quincy Brown, the son of Al B. Sure and Diddy’s late ex Kim Porter.
While the MTV’s Family Legacy docuseries doesn’t arrive until 2023, a special around the series is set to premiere as part of the monthlong “We Speak Music” programming on MTV starting Dec. 19.
In other big news for MTV, RuPaul’s Drag Race announced a “global expansion” of its brand, which includes a new deal that will see the flagship show move over from VH1 (its home for the last six years) to MTV for its long-awaited 15th season.
In alphabetical order, season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race will see Amethyst, Anetra, Aura Mayari, Irene Dubois, Jax, Loosey LaDuca, Luxx Noir London, Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, Marcia Marcia Marcia, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Princess Poppy, Robin Fierce, Salina EsTitties, Sugar and Spice all compete for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar — as well as a newly increased cash prize of $200,000.
BET president and CEO Scott Mills is adding to his portfolio at Paramount Global.
In the latest piece of reorganization at the conglomerate, VH1 will move under Mills’ BET Media Group. The cable outlet was previously part of the Chris McCarthy-led Paramount Media Networks, along with Paramount Network, MTV, Comedy Central, CMT and others.
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish wrote in a memo to staff Wednesday (see it in full here) that the move will allow for better alignment of priorities and make VH1 “best positioned for future success as a key part of the powerful BET ecosystem.” VH1 is the second most popular entertainment cable outlet among Black viewers, behind only BET.
It also lightens the load for McCarthy, a Bakish favorite who will add premium cabler Showtime to his purview following David Nevins’ departure at the end of the year. MTV Entertainment Studios, headed by McCarthy and Nina L. Diaz, will continue to produce a number of VH1 series, including the Love & Hip Hop franchise, RuPaul’s Drag Race and Black Ink Crew.
The VH1 move also separates it from MTV in Paramount’s structure, ending almost four decades of close association between the two networks. The cable network started in 1985 as a music-video channel targeting a somewhat older audience than the youth-driven MTV. It eventually branched into original programming with shows like Behind the Music, I Love the … and a host of “celebreality” shows like Rock of Love and The Surreal Life. And, like MTV, it has mostly left its music roots behind.
As has been the case across the cable universe, VH1’s on-air audience has declined in recent years as increasing numbers of TV consumers opt out of cable subscriptions. Within that smaller ecosystem, however, it still ranks in the upper third of cable networks in the key ad demographic of adults 18-49.
VH1 will join a BET Media Group that also includes the namesake cable channel, streaming platform BET+, BET Her, BET Studios and BET Digital. “Scott and his team continue to drive the evolution and growth of BET by building an interconnected set of leading platforms — linear, streaming, digital and studios — centered around the Black community, Black culture and content,” Bakish wrote.
Read Bakish’s full memo.