Business Wire
Nov 30, 2000Music, Myth, Comedy and Power: Five New Series and Two One-Offs Come to Oxygen.
Business Editors/Entertainment & Lifestyle Writers
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 2000
Oxygen Greenlights "Who Does She Think She Is?!," "Daily Remix," "Dot Comedy," and Import's Britain's "Pond Life" and Syndication's "Xena: Warrior Princess" As Series and Debuts "Lady Cop" (working title) and "Just Cause" As Specials
In January, Oxygen Media's official second season will include new genres such as music, biography, fantasy, web comedy, reality and long-form animation, it was announced by Debby Beece, Oxygen's president, programming.
The lineup includes a stripped music show - "Daily Remix;" a series of biography specials on women in power - "Who Does She Think She Is?!;" "Dot Comedy," Oxygen's World Wide Web-based co-production with ABC; and two imports - the syndicated mythical fantasy hit "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Pond Life," a British animated series.
Oxygen's new series of one-hour biographical specials "Who Does She Think She is?!" will examine the lives and choices of powerful women today -- CEO's, grassroots organizers, politicians, journalists, etc. Debuting on December 10 at 9:00 p.m., the first episode, hosted by Cheryl Mills, Oxygen senior vice president, corporate policy and public programming and former White House Counsel, will feature Former Texas Governor Ann Richards and New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman. Through intimate conversations with powerful women, Ms. Mills will explore each woman's relationship to power - why some women embrace and others reject power, how power has affected lives, and how we relate to women with power. "Who Does She Think She Is?!" will also address why women encourage or discourage other women from seeking power; why it is still more socially acceptable for women to exercise power in some arenas and not others; and what has changed regarding women's access to and use of power. Oxygen will produce five episodes in 2001. The second installment will feature Diane Sawyer and Leslie Stahl. Staness Jonekos is the executive producer.
Oxygen's inventive new music series, "Daily Remix," will be stripped every weekday night at 11:00 p.m. It is the first music series to feature the artists and music from every genre of music - including rock, classical, pop, jazz, blues, rap, hip-hop, folk, alternative, electronic and country. The half-hour show will be shot on-location around the music world and will feature music videos, artist profiles, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the recording studio and back-stage, commentary from both critics and fans, and highlights from Oxygen's own stages and interview chairs. Hosted by Simran Sethi, a former MTV news anchor and VJ for MTV Asia and MTV India. Executive producer is Seth Jarrett.
"Dot Comedy," the innovative half-hour web-based series produced by Carsey-Werner and Oxygen, will debut on ABC in December. The series will then slide into its weekend timeslot, Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Oxygen in January. Inspired by the British series of the same name, "Dot Comedy" is the first American network series to celebrate the wild, creatively rich material of the World Wide Web. "Dot Comedy" will be hosted by brothers Jason and Randy Sklar (Comedy Central's "Battle Bots") and Annabelle Gurwitch (TBS Host of "Dinner and a Movie") with field reporting from Katie Puckrick (Oxygen's "Pajama Party"). The new series will be a humorous exploration of Internet content that is created not only by the country's most gifted directors, animators and writers but also by any average user who has a modem and an imagination. Todd Yasui, Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner and Caryn Mandabach are Executive Producers and Ed Driscoll is Supervising Producer/Head Writer. The British version is produced by Princess Productions.
"XENA: Warrior Princess," acquired to pair with Oxygen's show for young women, "Trackers," will debut on Oxygen in an all day stunt on January 1st featuring live chat in Oxygen's trademark "stripe." The show will then settle into its regularly scheduled time of weekdays from 6 to 7 p.m. following "Trackers." This groundbreaking series has redefined the female action hero. "Xena" is a witty and slyly subversive portrayal of a powerful feminist superhero with sex appeal and a sense of humor. The series chronicles the life-and-death-and-afterlife adventures of the fierce and fearless warrior princess, played by Lucy Lawless and her warrior bard sidekick Gabrielle, Renee O'Connor. In their travels through ancient imaginary lands, they fight to protect the powerless even as they struggle with their own inner demons. The stories of their adventures blend drama with humor and are enhanced by spectacular action, superb special effects and a knowing modern-day sensibility. "Xena: Warrior Princess" is produced by Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi's Renaissance Pictures (Timecop, Hard Target, Army of Darkness, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Back 2 Back Action) and distributed by Studios USA Domestic Television. The series was acquired as a perfect transition from our young women's block into Oxygen's regular programming.
"Pond Life" is Oxygen's new half-hour series acquired from the U.K. as a companion to "X-Chromosome." The animated series will debut in the U.S. on Friday, February 2nd at 9 p.m. In "Pond Life," our heroine is Dolly Pond. She lives in a small city suburb, where everyone knows everyone else and life can close in on you. A person of extremes, who can be a scatterbrain and a devil woman at the same time, Dolly makes many attempts at improving her life only to be scared by the unknown. Her response to questions like what to do with a boyfriend? A baby? A career? Or success - result in funny observations of modern life. Upcoming episodes include: "Boyfriend," "Holiday," "Bitter & Twisted," and "Birthday Suit." Pond Life is the brainchild of writer/director Candy Guard.
"Lady Cop" (working title) is Oxygen's first show length production shot exclusively on digital video. This reality/action show focuses on five women cops in one of the toughest towns in America, Newark, NJ. Oxygen's digital cameras were with Sakinah Cotton, sisters Cindy and Doris Soto, Youletta Rainey and Juliessa Burgos all day, both on the job and at home. We found these were much more than just women with a badge - we came to understand what their lives were like, and what drove them to risk those lives every day. When they put on their gun and their uniform, they have to be totally focused on their dangerous job, but when they go home, they have to put their children to bed, feed their families, and manage the intricacies of their own lives. Debuting in January, the special is executive produced by Michael Rosenblum.
"Just Cause" is Oxygen's one-hour special about celebrity and charity. Using the power of celebrities acting on behalf of their favorite charities, "Just Cause" explores compelling stories of individuals whose lives have benefited from these organizations. The purpose of "Just Cause" is to facilitate activism on behalf of these causes and to inspire viewers to make a difference in others' lives. Participating celebrities include Mariah Carey, Jasmine Guy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Debbie Allen. The special, debuting in March, is executive produced by Staness Jonekos.
About Oxygen Media
Oxygen Media is an integrated media brand that superserves modern women by combining the best qualities of the Internet and cable television. Founded in 1998 by Geraldine Laybourne, Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Caryn Mandabach and Oprah Winfrey, Oxygen consists of a growing network of popular Web sites located at www.oxygen.com and a 24-hour cable network. (1)All Times ET/PT