CMT will launch a five-nights-a-week talk show and debut a scripted comedy starring Billy Ray Cyrus, the first time the Viacom-owned network has tried either format, as part of an ambitious effort to grow its audience.
“It’s the biggest, broadest attack we’ve ever mounted,” said Jayson Dinsmore, executive vice president of development for CMT, in an interview. “If feels like we have a lot of avenues with which we can hopefully cume a much bigger audience over time.”
The talk show, “The Josh Wolf Show,” will air nightly from Wednesday to Saturday starting June 11, and focus on comedy and sketches involving country-music stars and Hollywood celebrities. Wolf, who was a regular on Chelsea Handler’s “Chelsea Lately” on E!, is expected to do much more than interview guest about their latest project, Dinsmore said. “We are big fans of what Jimmy Fallon has done in latenight. He has really turned that show into an opportunity to push things out virally,” said Dinsmore. Wolf’s show, he added, “is much more of an interactive experience.”
“Still the King” will feature Cyrus as “Burning Vernon” Brown, a washed up one-hit wonder who is kicked out of country music, only to emerge 20 years later as the second best Elvis impersonator in Laughlin, Nevada.
The show is “truly the brainchild of Billy Ray Cyrus,” said Brian Philips, CMT’s president, in an interview. “He hits multiple generations, and the guy can act. We thought if we were going to get into this world, let’s do it with someone who has a proven track record and someone we’ve known for a very long time.”
“I Love Kellie Pickler” will launch in September and follow the star and her marriage to Kyle Jacobs, who is her complete opposite. The program is produced by Ryan Seacrest with executive producers Ryan Seacrest, Eugene Young, Rabih Gholam, Kellie Pickler and Kyle Jacobs. Jayson Dinsmore and Morgan Selzer executive produce for CMT.
CMT will also launch the documentary series “Gainesville,” which follows a tight-knit group of friends in small town Florida as they attempt to transition into adulthood.
CMT is set in 2016 to launch a limited series, “American Speed: The True Story of NASCAR,” billed as a “high-octane account” of the true story behind the racing institution. It will be narrated by Dale Earnhardt Jr. The series is executive produced by Stephen David of Stephen David Entertainment and Zane Stoddard for NASCAR. Jayson Dinsmore, Lewis Bogach and John Miller-Monzon executive produce for CMT.
