Bounce TV to Launch 1st Ever Original Series
By: News Release
Updated: April 30, 2012
Bounce TV , the nation's first-ever over-the-air broadcast television network for African-Americans, will launch its first-ever original series Family Time - a half hour situation comedy created by Bentley Kyle Evans (The Jamie Foxx Show, Martin, Love That Girl) and produced by Evans and partner Trenten Gumbs - this summer, it was announced today by Bounce TV Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Katz. Family Time will be seen on Bounce TV Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. with the series premiere set for Monday, June 18.
Family Time centers around the life and times of The Stallworths, a working class African American family who scratches off a lottery ticket and jumps to middle class overnight. They're an authentic picture of an African American family working to live the dream. This family-next-door consists of two loving parents: Anthony (Omar Gooding) and Lisa (Angell Conwell) Stallworth and their children Ebony (Jayla Calhoun) and Devin (Bentley Kyle Evans, Jr.) The Stallworths move to a middle class community in sunny southern California and both Anthony and Lisa bring baggage and other family members into their relationship that makes for great comedy - and occasional drama.
"Bounce TV's original series development has been accelerated by the network's skyrocketing distribution growth," commented Katz. "Family Time is the perfect way to launch Bounce TV's originals, as Bentley Kyle Evans and Trenten Gumbs boast an amazing track record producing successful series for Fox, The WB and others and they've developed an irreverent sitcom in Family Time that addresses contemporary issues in a way that all parents can relate."
"Bounce TV is fast becoming a major entertainment force in the African American community and I'm honored to have Family Time become Bounce TV's first-ever original series," commented Evans. "Family Time is truly unique in today's television landscape as programming focused on the African American family is virtually nonexistent at the other broadcast networks," said Gumbs.
Evans and Gumbs are the producers of Love That Girl currently running on the TV One network. Evans has been in the unique position of executive producing two hit shows simultaneously, serving as the show-runner of FOX-TV's smash hit Martin starring Martin Lawrence and The Jamie Foxx Show for The WB. As an actor Evans has appeared in such theatricals as Robert Townsend's Hollywood Shuffle, Keenan Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Get U Sucka, and House Party and guest appearances on such television series as Family Matters, Head of the Class, and Doogie Howser MD.
Gooding is best known for appearing in television shows such as Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Smart Guy, Deadwood, Barbershop: The Series and Playmakers and also the films Ghost Dad and Baby Boy. Conwell played Meshach Taylor's daughter on the CBS series Dave's World and has guest starred and recurred on dozens of hit shows including NYPD Blue, Moesha, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and 3rd Rock from the Sun. She was also in the theatricals Baby Boy and Soul Plane alongside Kevin Hart, Sofia Vergara and Monique.
Bounce TV launched September 26, 2011 and is already available in 75% of African American households and 60 million homes nationally. Bounce TV airs twenty four hours a day, seven days a week on the digital signals of local television stations. Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young are among the Founding Group and Board of Directors of Bounce TV. Bounce TV is majority African American-owned. Toyota USA is the signature sponsor of the network.
Bounce TV targets African Americans primarily between the ages of 25-54 with a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, live sports, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-net series and now original series. Live sports and events are part of the Bounce TV schedule, including both football and basketball games from the nation's largest African American athletic conference, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA.)
Family Time centers around the life and times of The Stallworths, a working class African American family who scratches off a lottery ticket and jumps to middle class overnight. They're an authentic picture of an African American family working to live the dream. This family-next-door consists of two loving parents: Anthony (Omar Gooding) and Lisa (Angell Conwell) Stallworth and their children Ebony (Jayla Calhoun) and Devin (Bentley Kyle Evans, Jr.) The Stallworths move to a middle class community in sunny southern California and both Anthony and Lisa bring baggage and other family members into their relationship that makes for great comedy - and occasional drama.
"Bounce TV's original series development has been accelerated by the network's skyrocketing distribution growth," commented Katz. "Family Time is the perfect way to launch Bounce TV's originals, as Bentley Kyle Evans and Trenten Gumbs boast an amazing track record producing successful series for Fox, The WB and others and they've developed an irreverent sitcom in Family Time that addresses contemporary issues in a way that all parents can relate."
"Bounce TV is fast becoming a major entertainment force in the African American community and I'm honored to have Family Time become Bounce TV's first-ever original series," commented Evans. "Family Time is truly unique in today's television landscape as programming focused on the African American family is virtually nonexistent at the other broadcast networks," said Gumbs.
Evans and Gumbs are the producers of Love That Girl currently running on the TV One network. Evans has been in the unique position of executive producing two hit shows simultaneously, serving as the show-runner of FOX-TV's smash hit Martin starring Martin Lawrence and The Jamie Foxx Show for The WB. As an actor Evans has appeared in such theatricals as Robert Townsend's Hollywood Shuffle, Keenan Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Get U Sucka, and House Party and guest appearances on such television series as Family Matters, Head of the Class, and Doogie Howser MD.
Gooding is best known for appearing in television shows such as Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Smart Guy, Deadwood, Barbershop: The Series and Playmakers and also the films Ghost Dad and Baby Boy. Conwell played Meshach Taylor's daughter on the CBS series Dave's World and has guest starred and recurred on dozens of hit shows including NYPD Blue, Moesha, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and 3rd Rock from the Sun. She was also in the theatricals Baby Boy and Soul Plane alongside Kevin Hart, Sofia Vergara and Monique.
Bounce TV launched September 26, 2011 and is already available in 75% of African American households and 60 million homes nationally. Bounce TV airs twenty four hours a day, seven days a week on the digital signals of local television stations. Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young are among the Founding Group and Board of Directors of Bounce TV. Bounce TV is majority African American-owned. Toyota USA is the signature sponsor of the network.
Bounce TV targets African Americans primarily between the ages of 25-54 with a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, live sports, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-net series and now original series. Live sports and events are part of the Bounce TV schedule, including both football and basketball games from the nation's largest African American athletic conference, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA.)
