VH1 Green-Lights Four Series, Three Documentaries

Spinoffs of I Love New York, Hogan Knows Best Highlight Cable Network’s New Fare

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/6/2008 11:53:00 AM

VH1 gave the green-light to four new series, including spinoffs of I Love New York and Hogan Knows Best.

A number of the new shows continue VH1’s “Celebreality” effort. The pickups come as the network cracked the top 10 list of cable networks among viewers 18-49 in primetime, according to Nielsen Media Research.

"Breaking into cable's overall top-10 network rankings is a new milestone in VH1's ratings ascent that's been propelled by some of the most talked-about shows in television this year, including Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and Rock of Love 2," executive vice president of original programming and production Jeff Olde said. "VH1 has never had so many hit shows on our air at one time. This new slate of provocative 'Celebreality' shows, insightful music documentaries and exclusive music performances will keep our success streak going while fueling our expanding original-programming efforts."

The shows picked up by VH1 include:

• The Cho Show, picked up for seven episodes, which will mark comedian Margaret Cho’s return to television. The show will follow Cho and her entourage as she deals with her parents and friends, all while working a hectic stand-up career.

• Brooke Hogan Knows Best, a spinoff of Hogan Knows Best, which will follow Brooke Hogan, daughter of Hulk Hogan, as she moves out of her parents’ house. A total of 10 episodes of the series were ordered, and they will feature Brooke, as well as her roommates, Ashley and Glenn.

• New York Goes to Hollywood, following in the VH1 tradition of creating a spinoff of a spinoff of a spinoff, features New York from Flavor of Love and I Love New York heading to Los Angeles as she tries to make it as an actress.

• Luke’s Parental Advisory will follow former 2 Live Crew member Luke Campbell as he runs his company, all while dealing with fatherhood.

VH1 also picked up nonfiction programming:

• VH1 Rock Doc: The Night James Brown Saved Boston is a one-hour special that will examine the aftermath of the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination and the surprising influence of the James Brown concert the following night.

• VH1 Rock Doc: Elton John: Me Myself & I will explore the career of Elton John, featuring archive material and special effects to make it appear as though John is interacting with his younger self.

• VH1 Storytellers: Snoop Dogg will feature exclusive music from Snoop’s upcoming album, as well as a Q&A with fans.