Fundraising special Stand Up to Cancer returns to primetime on Sept. 10 in a star-studded show co-hosted by Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Brian Williams.
The live show will air simultaneously from Los Angeles on ABC, CBS and NBC at 8 p.m. ET/PT and 7 p.m. CT. HBO, Discovery Health, E!, MLB Network and the Style Network also will carry the show, with other networks and cable channels expected to join the effort.
Viewers can donate through designated phone lines, as well as online at standup2cancer.org. One hundred percent of all public donations will go directly to cancer research.
The first Stand Up to Cancer special, in 2008, raised more than $100 million, and more than $83 million has since been committed to five multidisciplinary "Dream Teams" of researchers from more than 50 institutions. Its primary goal to raise funds for research to accelerate the delivery of new therapies to patients, getting them “from the bench to the bedside” as quickly as possible.
The show will feature live performances by legendary recording artists as well as stars from film, television and sports who will present content providing viewers with insights into cancer.
"For people struggling with this disease, or those who will be diagnosed, scientific breakthroughs can be a matter of life or death — literally. We want everyone to know that they can make a difference in this fight," said Sherry Lansing, SU2C co-founder, who also established the Sherry Lansing Foundation and chairs the Entertainment Industry Foundation board of directors. "From the person who can give $5 to the philanthropist who can give millions, we are all connected to the devastation that cancer causes in our families, and together, we can Stand Up to end it."
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Scientist Dr. J. Craig Venter announced Thursday that he and his team at the J. Craig Venter Institute are the first in history to synthetically create a living, self-replicating cell, a breakthrough that holds potential for solutions to a host of global problems such as cleaning up pollution and generating new food sources.
What does this have to do with TV, you ask?
Science Channel cameras have been following Dr. Venter and his team for five years, and you can watch his road to success in “Creating Synthetic Life,” premiering Thursday, June 3, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Science recorded the breakthrough moments of Dr. Venter, Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith, Dr. Clyde Hutchison and other researchers.
Following the premiere of “Creating” will be a one-hour special that weighs the ethical and scientific implications of this discovery. “Creating Synthetic Life: Your Questions Answered” is an open-forum discussion bringing together Dr. Venter and leading bioethicists and scientists. Viewers can submit questions online through May 26 for potential inclusion in the show.
“Creating Synthetic Life” is produced by Compass Light Productions, with Rocky Collins and David Conover its executive producers. The followup special is produced by CBS Eye Too Productions.
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If that’s not enough scary science for you, tune in to Animal Planet on June 9 for the second season of “Monsters Inside Me.” The series investigates real-life stories of people who exhibit curious, serious medical symptoms … and what happens when they find out it’s a living, breathing, parasite within them that’s causing such chaos.
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VH1 stays on the lighter side with its June series premieres. “Spoiled rich girls and overweight brides-to-be struggle to change their ways,” the network says of its “You’re Cut Off!” and “Bridal Bootcamp.”
Both shows premiere Wednesday, June 9, at 9 and 10 p.m. respectively.
“You’re Cut Off” is about nine spoiled young women who, having grown up being given everything by their loved ones, suddenly are cut off. Stripped of all cash and convenience, they’re forced to live like "normal people" — right in the middle of a recession! Life coach Laura Baron teaches the girls to complete daily chores and find the confidence and independence to grow up.
Participants are Georgia peaches Amber from Savannah and Chrissy from Fairburn; Jersey girls Jaqueline from Mahwah and Jess from Howell; Valley Girls Gia and Leanne, from Sherman Oaks, Calif; Courtnee from Gastonia, N.C.; Erica from Houston; and Pamela from New York City.
“Bridal Bootcamp,” meanwhile, features Cynthia Conde, the founder and bestselling author of Bridal Bootcamp. She has chosen 10 flabby fiances, divided them into two "bridal parties" and set them up in a special boot camp designed to turn them into bombshell brides before their big day. The brides-to-be will be put through "Marital Missions" to lose enough weight to fit into their dream dress and survive a series of eliminations in hopes of winning the wedding of their dreams.
The hourlong premiere will be followed by seven half-hours.
Contestants include Courtney, who lives on a cruise ship; Jamie from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage; Amberly from San Diego; Kacey from Rosamond, Calif.; Pennsylvania’s Lauren (Old Forge) and Melissa (Pittsburgh); Tennessee ladies Kelley (Murfreesboro), Tina (Harriman) and Tara (Spring Hill); and Tesha from Portsmouth, Va. Assisting Conde are trainers Steve Pfeister and Francesca Petrucci.
“You’re Cut Off” is produced by Fly on the Wall Productions; executive producers are Allison Grodner, Rich Meehan, Amy Palmer and Rick de Oliveira. “Bridal Bootcamp” is produced by Leftfield Pictures; executive producers are Brent Montgomery and Colby Gaines.
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HGTV’s reality competition series “HGTV Design Star” will return for a fifth season of 11 episodes starting Sunday, June 13, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Shot in New York City, it features 12 creative finalists as they audition for their own show on HGTV. The finalists are Courtland Bascon, Los Angeles; Stacey Cohen, Chicago; Dan Faires, New York City; Nina Ferrer, New York City; Tera Hampton, Austin, Texas; Emily Henderson, Los Angeles; Trent Hultgren, Venice, Calif.; Julie Khuu, Santa Ana, Calif.; Michael Moeller, New York City; Casey Noble, Redondo Beach, Calif.; Alex Sanchez, Upper Marlboro, Md.; and Tom Vecchione, New York City.
Mark Burnett Productions has taken over the show, focusing during the casting process on relevant expertise and hosting ability.
Using New York locations as the City’s Fire Houses and the Flower Market for the challenges, judges Genevieve Gorder, Candice Olson and Vern Yip will visit each challenge location and offer an in-person evaluation of the finalists’ design work.
And beginning June 14, after each episode, online users can visit the HGTV Design Star blog to read the comments of blogger Heather Armstrong and watch HGTV designer and season one “HGTV Design Star” champ David Bromstad as he reveals his perspectives in his weekly vlog.
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Every horrible crime draws out some neighbor or friend who says of the suspect, “He was always such a nice boy!”
Investigation Discovery’s “Unusual Suspects” profiles those people: the ones you would least expect to be capable of committing shocking crimes.
Whether it’s the church-going granny or the devoted brother, they were respected role models and trusted members of their community until the day they were charged with a shocking crime.
After a sneak preview airing on Memorial Day, May 31, the hour series begins airing Monday, June 21, at 10 p.m.
The show is produced by LMNO Cable Group; Eric Schotz is executive producer.
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Spike TV premieres “Half Pint Brawlers,” featuring little person wrestling, on Wednesday, June 2, at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
The unscripted half-hour, of which Spike has ordered six episodes, follows Puppet “The Psycho Dwarf” and his troup, the Brawlers.
The series follows their actions inside the ring, but also their wild lifestyles outside the ring, filled with chaotic parties and overzealous groupies.
The Brawlers are: Puppet, the leader and founder of the group; Bobby, the ladies’ man; Kato, Bobby’s brother and a veteran wrestler; Mad Mexx, the Immigration Sensation and hard-core wrestler; Turtle, the rookie; Teo, the smallest and most athletic member; and Spyder, the regular-size announcer for the group.
Halfpint.spike.com will feature exclusive show content, including extended footage and interviews with the cast members and bios for each of the brawlers.
"Half Pint Brawlers" is produced by Lumberjack Crew, the Idea Factory and Stephen David Entertainment with executive producers Darryl Silver, Stephen David, Duke Straub, Royal Malloy, Jeff Guerriero and Trip Taylor.
