September 12, 2017 ─FUSION TV today announced that the wigs will come off in a new and compelling docu-series, “Shade: Queens of NYC,” premiering Thursday, October 5@ 10:30PM.
The 12-part, half hour series will move past the glam, glitz, and lip syncing and provide an intimate look inside the New York drag community. Shot in a vérité follow documentary format, Shade reveals a side of drag life never before seen on television, examining the unspoken stigmas, taboos and personal sacrifices that drag performers often face on their journey to stardom. Each episode will showcase the day-to-day lives of each individual performer, on and off the stage. In addition, each week viewers will be treated to a spectacular musical number performed by the drag queens. While peeling back the drag personas and highlighting love, commitment, community, heartbreak, family and faith, “Shade” will explore what happens to New York’s fiercest drag queens as they vie for adoration, validation and compensation. Brita Filter, Chelsea Piers, Holly Box-Springs, Jada Valenciaga, Jasmine Rice LaBeija, Marti Gould Cummings, “Showbiz Spitfire” Paige Turner, and Tina Burner are among the talent featured.
“Over the past several years, drag queens have taken center stage in culture and on TV but we’ve mostly only seen one facet of their lives.” said Daniel Eilemberg, President of FUSION TV. “As Fusion TV has always been a home for passionate and diverse people to share their stories, it was important that we more wholly highlight drag queens, looking beyond the incredible artistry to showcase the people behind the performances and capture the dynamic spirit of this community.”
From going deep on cultural obsessions to telling impactful stories that matter, FUSION TV is a channel that serves up a unique blend of enriching programming that reflects the shared passions and values of America’s diverse youth. Find outwhere to watch here.
The series will be produced in conjunction with Cowboy Bear Ninja and is co-created by Mike Kelton. Kelton along with Cowboy Bear Ninja’s Michael Melamedoff and Rufus Lusk will serve as executive producers; Liz DeCesare of Authentic Management will also serve as an executive producer. Lisa Tucker will serve as showrunner. Marti Gould Cummings is also a consulting producer on the project.
ABOUT FUSION TV
From going deep on cultural obsessions to telling impactful stories that matter, FUSION TV is a channel that gives America’s diverse youth a unique blend of enriching programming that reflects their shared passions and values. FUSION TV is available to audiences across a broad range of platforms including cable television (find out where to watch), FUSION.net, and various OTT providers such as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, PlayStation Vue, among others. Follow @FusionTV on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. FUSION TV is a part of the Fusion Media Group’s (FMG). FMG has put some of the web’s most beloved brands under one roof including Gizmodo, Deadspin, Jezebel, Kotaku, Jalopnik, Lifehacker, The Root, and Splinter as well as The Onion, The A.V. Club, and ClickHole. FMG reaches nearly 90 million superfans across its network of sites each month.
