Reality Beat: Two Docuseries To Dissect Sean Combs Notoriety, Prime Releases 'Buy It Now' Trailer
Sean "Diddy" Combs and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson - Paras Griffin/Brad Barker/Stringer
Docuseries: Netflix has confirmed its partnership with Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson to produce a docuseries on the sex trafficking and racketeering charges and sexual assault and abuse allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Alexandria Stapleton is serving as an executive producer and is directing the project, which is currently in production. 50 Cent will executive produce the series through his G-Unit Film & Television production company alongside producers from Texas Crew Productions. Proceeds from the documentary will go to sexual assault and rape victims.
“This is a story with significant human impact. It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far,” 50 Cent and Stapleton shared. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives. While the allegations are disturbing, we urge all to remember that Sean Combs’ story is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture. We aim to ensure that individual actions do not overshadow the culture’s broader contributions.”
Investigation Discovery has also announced a docuseries focused on the rise and fall of entertainment icon and hip-hop artist Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. The multipart untitled series is expected to premiere in 2025, exploring Combs’ rise and influence in the entertainment industry, and the allegations of illegal activity and violent conduct that led to his arrest and indictment on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. With archival footage and in-depth reporting from Rolling Stone, the series will provide insight into the unraveling allegations against the once-untouchable superstar and highlight the toxic power dynamics that kept survivors silent. Rolling Stone Films and Maxine Productions (Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV) will produce the Investigation Discovery docuseries.
MSNBC has announced an upcoming project titled The Sing Sing Chronicles, a four-episode investigative docuseries following the story of Jon-Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez (an actor from A24’s Sing Sing released last year) who was recently exonerated of a wrongful murder conviction after serving 24 years. Directed by Dawn Porter, the docuseries is structured by a foundation of more than 20 years of investigative reporting by NBC News’s Dan Slepian. The Sing Sing Chronicles will also investigate the wrongful convictions of five other men who served time at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The docuseries will premiere on MSNBC on November 23rd and November 24th at 9 P.M. ET. Its world premiere will be held at DOC NYC (America’s Largest Documentary Festival) in early November.
“With unprecedented access to one of America’s most well-known prisons, the series sheds light on the criminal justice system by following a journalist and a man convicted of murder and the connection they formed within the walls of Sing Sing Correctional Facility,” according to NBCUniversal.
“I began my film career documenting public defenders working in the criminal legal system. During that time I saw firsthand how difficult it is for anyone accused of a crime to truly get justice,” said Dawn Porter in a statement. “But I could never have imagined the scope and scale of injustice captured by Dan Slepian’s cameras over the course of 20 years. This series allowed me to highlight the work of legal advocates, journalists, and the remarkable men who let us tell their stories. We owe the greatest debt to reporters like Dan Slepian who do not turn away when they see injustice unfolding before them. It is an honor to help tell their story.”
Julie Choi - instagram
Docusoap: Julie Choi has been promoted to Buchwald’s Head of Unscripted Talent and Content, succeeding Ivo Fischer. Choi joined Buchwald in November 2022 as an agent in the division she will now lead. Her clients include Thi Nguyen (Top Chef producer), Ross Matthews (a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race), and Sundee Manusakis (Selling Sunset executive producer). Additionally, Choi represents production companies including Deep Fusion, Michael Levitt Productions, and UNConventional Entertainment. Before joining Buchwald, Choi was an executive producer at the Game Show Network and an agent at Paradigm.
BET Africa has announced the premiere of The Real Black Pearl, a 10-part reality series focused on the raw and unfiltered aspects of actress Pearl Thusi’s journey. Audiences will witness both the vulnerable and strong sides of Pearl Thusi that they’ve never seen as they follow along on her journey of healing, self-discovery, and personal growth. Starring in the series are her daughter Thando (who is currently working on launching a podcast), Tank (Thusi’s manager), and others including Nadia Nakai and Gert-Johan Coetzee. The Real Black Pearl premieres on November 9th on BET Africa (DStv Channel 129).
Pearl Thusi stated, “This show is so close to my heart because it shows me as I am–vulnerable, empowered, and evolving. I want my fans to see that behind the headlines and trending topics, I am just like anyone else on a journey to be my best self; navigating the challenges and joys that unite us all. The Real Black Pearl isn’t just my story–it’s a story about growth, authenticity, and finding your truth, and I hope it inspires others to embrace their own paths.”
Senior Vice-President & General Manager of Paramount Africa and Lead BET International, Monde Twala, said, “We are thrilled to bring The Real Black Pearl to BET Africa audiences. Pearl Thusi is a cultural force, and her story is one that will resonate with viewers across the continent. This series is a celebration of empowerment, authenticity, and the evolving roles of African women in media. At BET, we are committed to telling local stories that matter, and The Real Black Pearl is a powerful addition to our expanding slate of original African content.”
Wrigley Media Group has welcomed Cyndi Harder to its Unscripted TV division. Harder served as executive producer on multiple series including Cake Toppers, Legends of the Fork, and Buddy Valastro’s Cake Dynasty.
“We are building something very special here in Kentucky, where we are the largest film and TV company in the state and growing exponentially,” says Wrigley’s CEO Joe Livecchi. “Our commitment to unscripted original development and production comes when many in our industry are unfortunately shrinking their teams. On top of that, Kentucky’s 30-35% tax rebate that we cash flow upfront to preferred partners along with our state-of-the-art facilities in Lexington is a complete production game-changer.”
Ross Brietenbach (division lead and creator of Hack My Home) stated, “[…] Cyndi, who worked as both a buyer and seller and has an eye for new social experiments and unscripted entertainment formats… join[s] our established team at Wrigley Media that’s already produced hundreds of hours of TV and will surely help us expand upon that success going forward.”
WME and MVE have co-signed Love Island UK reality star Uma Jammeh. Jammeh starred in Season 11 of ITV’s Love Island UK and is a London-based model, creator, and TV personality.
WME and MVE have called the signing a “360 management and agent partnership” that “marks an exciting new chapter for Uma.”
Claudia Parinello (MVE Senior Vice President) and Minnie Harding (Head of Talent UK) stated, “From the moment we saw Uma on TV we knew she was a star, we are thrilled to welcome her to the MVE family… Uma’s talent threads throughout all that she does, and she is quickly becoming recognized as a breakthrough name amongst industry and brand alike. In partnership with Caroline Simensciu-Marin and Lola Oyewole at WME, we can supercharge Uma’s career across the global entertainment landscape.”
“I am beyond excited to be repped by WME and MVE,” said Jammeh. “Both companies have an elite reputation for nurturing global talent, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
Civil Justice with Sean Collinson is entering the marketplace. After being sold to Roku and the CW App on a non-exclusive basis, the 40-episode series is being distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. Based in Los Angeles, Sean Collinson is a Civil and Family Law Mediator previously featured on Dr. Phil. He’s resolved over 4,000 cases throughout the US. Before his law career, Collinson was a rapper named Kid Flash, debuting in 1998 with “Hot Like Fire.”
Game Shows: Amazon Prime has released a trailer for its new reality competition series Buy It Now. Hosted by JB Smoove, the new series has a spin on the Shark Tank concept. Contestants present their product ideas before a panel of investors, but they’ll also be judged by ‘The 100,’ which is an audience of ‘potential customers.’ If the products are chosen, Amazon will sell them in a new section of its store called Amazon’s Buy It Now Store. Viewers can reach the storefront using a QR code that appears during episodes. One contestant per episode will receive a $20,000 prize. Alongside host JB Smoove comes a rotating celebrity panel including Anthony Anderson, Tabitha Brown, Tony Hawk, and Christian Siriano. Three Amazon executives and Jamie Siminoff (Ring founder and CEO of Door.com) will serve as resident judges and entrepreneurial panelists. All participating panelists will sell their products on Amazon’s Buy It Now Store. Buy It Now premieres on Amazon Prime on October 30th to start its 13-episode season.
Raven-Symoné hosts The CW’s game series Scrabble, a revival of the NBC series that aired in the 1980s based on the popular word-based board game. The revival of the series began on October 3rd. Contestants compete to win points through their wordsmith talents by piecing complex words that are possible from the letters available to them. The CW has also acquired Trivial Pursuit, another board game formatted series hosted by LeVar Burton. Scrabble airs weekly on The CW at 8 P.M. ET with Trivial Pursuit following at 9 P.M. ET during the network’s ‘Game Night.’
“I was so honored when I was asked to host Scrabble because I am a game player. I play games all the time and when the opportunity came to host one of the most iconic game boards ever I jumped at the opportunity,” said Scrabble’s Raven-Symoné.
“It’s the colors, it’s the wheels,” said Trivial Pursuit’s LeVar Burton. “We are all familiar with the wedges of pie, and even if you don’t know all six categories by name, you’ll be able to immediately recognize it. There are two games in every episode. We begin with three contestants, whittle it down to two, then down to a single player who goes on to play for the $10,000 in the final round.”
Brad Schwartz, head at The CW Network stated, “The CW is currently enjoying three consecutive quarters of growth, and we are looking forward to a fall schedule that is stronger than ever, starting with a brand-new game night featuring Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble—two games families have enjoyed for decades and hosted by fan-favorites LeVar Burton and Raven-Symoné.”
Netflix has renewed the South Korean mystery game series Crime Scene for a fifth season. Contestants play as suspects and detectives working to uncover the hidden culprit among them. The first three seasons of Crime Scene aired on JTBC while its fourth season aired on TVING in February. The upcoming fifth season will be produced as a Netflix original variety series.
Yoon Hyun-Joon, the director of the previous seasons, commented, “We made this decision to introduce the show to fans not only in Korea but around the world.”
Lifestyle: Comedian Desus Nice, host of Showtime’s late-night series Desus & Mero, has announced a collaboration with Story Syndicate and Amazon MGM Studios to create a new travel series. A pilot presentation is in production for Prime Video. Desus was a guest on Anthony Bourdain’s CNN travel series Parts Unknown, where he took the host to various hit spots across the Bronx. UTA and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz represent Desus.
Sports: Fox Corporation’s Fox Deportes and NBCUniversal’s Telemundo will produce separate broadcasts of Super Bowl LIX in 2025, giving fans access to two Spanish-speaking broadcasts instead of one. The new system allows NBCUniversal to gain Super Bowl audiences and advertisers. Telemundo reserves the right to sell advertisements at higher prices to local and regional marketers, while Fox reserves control of all national commercial inventory in the game.
“Delivering live NFL games in Spanish is key to reaching the large and rapidly growing Spanish-speaking NFL fan base,” said NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder. “We are constantly looking for ways to expand access to our games and reach more fans, and this partnership is another step forward. We are excited for the experience that Fox Deportes and Telemundo will create for Super Bowl LIX.”
Netflix has signed five sponsors for its upcoming live boxing match between veteran boxer Mike Tyson and influencer-turned-fighter Jake Paul. Netflix has signed sponsorship deals with Celcius, DraftKings Sportsbook, Experian, Meta Quest, and Spaten (a beer brand from Brazil). The boxing match will stream live on November 15th at 8 P.M. ET, broadcasting on Netflix from the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Celsius’s ‘Essential Energy Highlight of the Fight’ will feature key moments from the main event. DraftKings Sportsbook ‘Tale of the Bet’ will feature an on-screen educational gambling segment informing US-based audiences about current betting markets and predictions. Meta Quest and Experian will feature pre-fight segments that include fighter bios, records, etc. Sponsorship logos will be presented throughout the event. On November 7th, Netflix will premiere the three-part docuseries Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson which provides a glimpse of the training camps and special access to the two fighters.
Roku
Industry: Fifth Season and Roku have reached an extended agreement for their international unscripted pact. The deal includes Fifth Season selling the rights for Roku originals in Latin American and Canadian distributions and obtaining rights for new seasons of various Roku series. When the unscripted distribution pact was first agreed upon last November, the US, Canada, and Latin America were excluded. Honest Renovations, Morimoto’s Sushi Master, UFO Cowboys, Reptile Royalty, and Meet in Rome have been renewed for second seasons amid Fifth Season’s acquired rights.
President of TV Distribution at Fifth Season, Prentiss Fraser, said, “Since the start of our partnership with Roku, we’ve had significant interest from buyers internationally in this slate – who are drawn to these elevated and aspirational shows fronted by some of the biggest household names in Hollywood. As we build on the strong start of our collaboration with our first wave of sales, it’s a testament to the success of this partnership that Roku is already expanding our territory rights into Canada alongside Latin America – a major market we as Fifth Season are significantly deepening our presence in.”
Head of Content at Roku Media, David Eilenberg, stated, “We’re delighted to further expand our partnership with Fifth Season and for the opportunity to work with them to connect even more global audiences with our impressive slate of originals.”
Charles Barkley is launching the new production company Round Mound Media. The new company will use Barkley’s ideas to create projects, leading to the production of original documentaries, live telecasts, and scripted content. Ten projects are in development including a possible long-form documentary detailing Barkley’s life. Several scripted projects are also in development. Marc Perman, who has managed Barkley for over three decades, has been appointed president of the company and maintains his role with Perman Management Incorporated. Barkley will continue his work as an on-air analyst for TNT Sports.
“Round Mound Media is about creating an outlet for my vision to share compelling, original stories meant to captivate audiences across the world,” said Barkley, in a statement. “I’ve always looked for projects and relationships that will allow me to be authentic, and hopefully to build my platform for making the world a better place. EverWonder Studio is the perfect partner to be my creative home and bring this to the next level. Fans will love what we have in the works and I’m excited to get started.”
“With this new joint venture we have the backing of a studio that understands and believes in Charles’s creative vision, and will elevate his prolific ideas,” said Perman, in a statement. “EverWonder is an excellent partner to amplify Charles’s unmatched voice and perspective in a way that fans and audiences haven’t seen before, and we can’t wait to bring these new opportunities to screen.”
13 leading French producers and distributors from Banijay France, Satisfaction, Mediawan, and France TV Distribution have collaborated to form a new TV event called the Paris Unscripted Showcase. The premiere event will be held from April 28th to April 30th in the French capital. The new Paris event will highlight the growth of France’s unscripted business, and fill a gap caused by MipTV’s move from Cannes to London in 2025. Producers and distributors will have a chance to reveal their lineups to broadcasters and streamers. Buyers from the US, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, China, and Australia are expected to attend the premiere event. The first producers and distributors to participate include 2P2L, Can’t Stop Media, Effervescence, Tooco, and WeMake. Companies will organize events and sessions to meet creators from different genres and reveal exclusive content.
A Paris Unscripted Showcase spokesperson stated, “This is a unique opportunity to celebrate the innovation and diversity of French and European unscripted formats… This event marks the beginning of a strengthened collaboration between formats producers and broadcasters on an international scale, meeting the actual expectations of the global market.” The detailed schedule of the event will be unveiled soon.
Streaming platform Free Live Sports has launched, offering over 100 FAST (free ad-supported TV) channels and thousands of documentaries, series, sports movies, and highlights. The platform launched with 68 channels, with an additional 34 channels to be added by the end of October. With availability in over 75 countries, Free Live Sports is currently accessible on Roku, Fire TV, Android, VIZIO, iOS, and tvOS.
“From the outset, we are providing fans with the opportunity to experience their favorite sports and competitions,” said co-founders and partners Cathy Rasenberger (Rasenberger Media LLC), Geoff Clark (acTVe), Ryan James (OTT Studio LLC), and Patrick James (OTT Studio LLC) in a joint statement. “With our combined expertise in launching, marketing, operating, and optimizing cable and streaming channels and OTT apps, we are rapidly establishing ourselves as the primary FAST destination for millions of passionate sports fans.”
“Our fans-first focus is why we are looking forward to partnerships with major sports leagues in the US that already have, or are developing their own branded FAST channels,” the partners added. “Free Live Sports can help them broaden their reach and attract new fans within our rapidly growing user base.”
