{"id":9782,"date":"2017-02-22T11:05:02","date_gmt":"2017-02-22T16:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz\/"},"modified":"2017-03-10T09:42:45","modified_gmt":"2017-03-10T14:42:45","slug":"crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz\/","title":{"rendered":"Crime & Celebrities Rule at REELZ"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steve Cheskin, the senior VP of programming at REELZ, tells\u00a0<\/em>TV Real\u00a0about the signature shows on the channel and why crime- and celebrity-focused programs draw eyeballs.<\/em><\/p>\n

True-crime titles are having their moment on both linear and nonlinear TV these days, and celebrities have always been a hook for viewers. Indie television network REELZ schedules programming that appeals to television audiences\u2019 fascination with both crime and famous faces. According to Steve Cheskin, who serves as the senior VP of programming at REELZ, the content that airs on the channel is \u201can intersection of celebrity and crime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"***Image***\"\u201cOn our network, the programs that we have involving crime must be told through our lens of real stories about real celebrities and\/or Hollywood and movies,\u201d Cheskin says. \u201cTrue crime lends itself to great storytelling, and\u00a0I learned long ago that you can tell sensational stories in a credible way,\u201d which is what REELZ aims to do with the programming it airs.<\/p>\n

REELZ, which is currently available throughout the U.S. on cable and satellite, as well as in Puerto Rico, \u201cconcentrates on contemporary documentary storytelling,\u201d he explains. This includes re-creation as well as more traditional documentary storytelling with interviews, archival footage and more.\u00a0\u201cThe narrative is essential and all the original programming and acquisitions we do are connected to celebrities and\/or Hollywood and movies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are acquiring and producing original programming from many places around the world,\u201d Cheskin explains. \u201cThe majority of the hours come from the U.S., U.K. and Canada. We work with some very large production companies, but also very small ones.\u201d He finds that REELZ\u2019s success is rooted in the practice of \u201ctreating all of the companies we work with as partners. We don’t demand that we have to own everything like many other networks do. This allows our production partners to share in the success of the shows internationally.\u201d<\/p>\n

The channel has seen success with\u00a0Autopsy: The Last Hours Of\u2026<\/em>. \u201cIt began as an acquisition of episodes that had run on Channel 5 in the U.K. and then we began producing them [as] originals for our air,\u201d Cheskin says. The show, produced by ITV Studios\u2019 Potato, examines the final hours in the lives of global icons such as Bruce Lee, Janis Joplin and Steve McQueen.<\/p>\n

Gangsters: America\u2019s Most Evil<\/em>\u00a0from Asylum Entertainment is another popular show that started as an acquisition. \u201cIt did really well and is now in our second season of originals,\u201d Cheskin reports. \u201cBy doing original episodes we are able to help bring out the Hollywood\/movie story parallel to true life, and these episodes have proven even more popular on the network.\u201d<\/p>\n

National Enquirer Investigates<\/em>\u00a0had a successful first season and has also been renewed for another run. The show, produced by Jupiter Entertainment in conjunction with The Weinstein Company, looks at sensational crimes and celebrity scandals, including well-known stars such as Natalie Wood,\u00a0Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston and Bobbi Kristina Brown. Another show that has scored a season three renewal and even a spin-off is the AMS Pictures-produced\u00a0Murder Made Me Famous<\/em>. \u201cThe spin-off,\u00a0Scandal Made Me Famous<\/em>, is currently airing and is also a hit,\u201d Cheskin says.<\/p>\n

The shows REELZ airs focus not only on the link between crime and celebrities but also on the connection between criminal activity and movies.\u00a0Real Story Of\u2026<\/em>, for example, puts a spotlight on films that were based on true stories and shows what actually happened. Similarly,\u00a0CopyCat Killers\u00a0<\/em>examines murderers who were motivated to commit a crime by something they saw in the movies. \u201cWe are currently working on a second season order of 20 hours,\u201d Cheskin notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also had a number of hugely successful specials,\u201d he adds. These include\u00a0JFK: The Smoking Gun<\/em>,\u00a0Princess Diana’s Death: Mystery Solved\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0The Amityville Horror Murders<\/em>. The series of two-hour specials\u00a0Behind Closed Doors<\/em>, which takes a look at the lives of celebrities such as Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy and Robin Williams, has also done well for the channel.<\/p>\n

Cheskin says that the shock-value and high emotions triggered by these stories makes them relatable. \u201cI’m especially moved by the response we’ve gotten from many of the families who lost a close relative in a tragic crime,\u201d he says of the impact of the programming on REELZ. The families have \u201cappreciated the opportunity to tell the story of their loved one and let our viewers go beyond the sensational headlines that probably existed at the time and learn more about the person whose life was cut short.\u201d<\/p>\n

REELZ\u2019s schedule begins with celebrity programming in the morning before shifting to an afternoon block of true-crime programming. \u201cIn prime time and late night we are primarily focused on celebrity stories, with some of those intersecting with true crime, like in the case of O.J. Simpson, where the crime essentially created a celebrity,\u201d says Cheskin. Movies are also part of the lineup, and REELZ is currently gearing up for the premiere of the four-hour miniseries event\u00a0The Kennedys: After Camelot<\/em>\u00a0in April. The premiere is set for Sunday, April 2, at 9 p.m., with the two-hour conclusion slated for Sunday, April 9, at 9 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing forward we want to continue with great storytelling about celebrities,\u201d says Cheskin. \u201cWe will be looking to expand our list of celebrities that we have shows about, including [placing] more emphasis on contemporary stars.\u201d He notes that REELZ is also beginning to bolster its roster of well-known TV personalities and journalists to host its shows. \u201cThat will be a very important element of our next stage,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough a natural progression of seeing the kinds of shows that were working for us we found a genre that was essentially abandoned by other networks and certainly no one was doing it on a regular basis,\u201d Cheskin notes. \u201cIn an environment where most networks are losing audience, we are gaining.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steve Cheskin, the channel’s SVP of programming, discusses signature shows and why crime- and celebrity-focused content draws eyeballs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":477,"featured_media":9783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,69],"tags":[266,1966],"class_list":["post-9782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-profiles","category-top-stories","tag-reelz","tag-steve-cheskin","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nCrime & Celebrities Rule at REELZ - TVREAL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Crime & Celebrities Rule at REELZ - TVREAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Steve Cheskin, the channel's SVP of programming, discusses signature shows and why crime- and celebrity-focused content draws eyeballs.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TVREAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-02-22T16:05:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-03-10T14:42:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2015\/09\/2017-02-22-Steve-Cheskin_SVP-of-REELZ-PROGRAMMING.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sara Alessi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sara Alessi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz\/\",\"name\":\"Crime & Celebrities Rule at REELZ - TVREAL\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-02-22T16:05:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-03-10T14:42:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#\/schema\/person\/3a30a856ec6d9cc2372bf054d26a0418\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/crime-celebrities-rule-the-roost-at-reelz\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Crime & Celebrities Rule at REELZ\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/\",\"name\":\"TVREAL\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#\/schema\/person\/3a30a856ec6d9cc2372bf054d26a0418\",\"name\":\"Sara Alessi\",\"description\":\"Sara Alessi is the associate editor of World Screen. 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