Elvis Costello, Elton John Pair for New Series

TORONTO, April 2: Music
heavyweights Elvis Costello and Elton John are teaming up for a new talk
show/music series, to be broadcast on CTV in Canada, Sundance Channel in the
U.S. and Channel 4 in the U.K., with international distribution handled by
FremantleMedia Enterprises.

Spectacle: Elvis
Costello with… will be hosted by
its namesake and produced in conjunction with Sir Elton John’s Rocket Pictures.
John will be one of the program's executive producers. Conceived and developed
in Canada, the Canada/U.K. co-production will start shooting soon for broadcast
later this year in Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. FremantleMedia Enterprises
will handle sales of the show to the rest of the world.

Designed to provide a
forum for in-depth discussion and performance with interesting and influential
artists and personalities, the show is a talk show/music series hybrid.
Co-produced by Toronto’s reinvention entertainment, SpyBox Pictures and
Prospero Pictures, along with London-based Rocket Pictures, Spectacle: Elvis
Costello’s 13 one-hour programs
will feature everything from intimate one-on-ones with legendary performers and
notable newcomers to thematic panel discussions. It will also feature a variety
of performance elements including collaborations, acoustic and impromptu “illustrative”
demonstrations of the creative process, and some original interpretations of
others’ songs by Costello.

The series producers have
struck an association with the (Product) RED campaign created to raise
awareness and money for the Global Fund (www.theglobalfund.org) to fight AIDS
in Africa. Select program excerpts and performances will be distributed in a
variety of new media and conventional platforms, with a portion of the profits
directed to the Global Fund.

“The extraordinarily
versatile Elvis Costello and the legendary Elton John have joined forces to
bring viewers an unprecedented window into the world of music,” said Susanne
Boyce, the president of creative, content and channels at CTV Inc. “Spectacle will be spectacular—providing a platform for
the most acclaimed artists of our time to discuss and demonstrate their craft
in a unique setting.”

—By Mansha Daswani