Paramount+ to Air New Documentary About Boy Bands & Their Place in Pop Culture

Dame Shirley Bassey.Created by the BBC, the new documentary is titled Black Music Wales and explores the experiences shared by Black musicians hailing from Wales – particularly how they are often “forgotten” due to the success of Bassey.Fronted by Newport rapper Lemfreck, the programme also delves into the history of Welsh black music and sees how it has evolved from the late 1800s up until the current day.“Recognition for black Welsh musicians hasn’t been helped by the fact that there’s one very famous singer who overshadows everybody,” Lemfreck said.It also features an appearance from DJ and broadcaster Kervin Julien, who added: “I think because Shirley Bassey is one of the most famous singers to come from Wales – too many singers are all forgotten about.“I’m not going to disrespect Shirley Bassey in any shape or form. She’s an absolute legend but let’s just get it right, [but] sometimes it sounds like the only thing we’ve ever had is Shirley Bassey.”Singer, songwriter and producer Dionne Bennett also agreed in the documentary, adding that she was frequently put in the same category as the music icon, despite their music being nothing alike.“Why are we still talking about Shirley Bassey?” she said.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic When DreamWorks’ original “Trolls” movie was released, it wasn’t immediately apparent that the studio was launching a musical franchise. The rainbow-bright computer-animated feature boasted a sparkly soundtrack and the voice of Justin Timberlake as grumpy, gray-skinned Branch, but it wasn’t until the sequel — “Trolls World Tour,” released straight to streaming during the pandemic — that the series explicitly embraced its top-40 ’tude.

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Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The making of the Rolling Stones‘ forthcoming album, “Hackney Diamonds,” is explored in a new one-hour TV documentary, “The Stones: Still Rolling,” produced by Fulwell 73 and Mercury Studios. Mercury is looking to sell the project at Mipcom, taking place this week in Cannes.

Jon Burlingame When directors Dan Abraham and Trent Corey were preparing “Once Upon a Studio,” their animated tribute to 100 years of Disney animation, they knew they wanted two musical elements: Cliff Edwards, as Jiminy Cricket, singing “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and songwriter Richard Sherman playing piano for “Feed the Birds.” Those two songs are emblematic of Walt Disney’s commitment to memorable, meaningful tunes as part of every Disney project dating back to the early Mickey Mouse days and the “Silly Symphonies” cartoon series. “When You Wish Upon a Star,” the Oscar-winning song from 1940’s “Pinocchio,” has become the studio’s unofficial musical signature, and “Feed the Birds,” from 1964’s “Mary Poppins,” was Disney’s personal favorite.

Ben Croll Imagine Documentaries, the non-fiction branch of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment, is looking to boost a new generation of documentary talent. Speaking at a panel at Rome’s MIA Market, Imagine Documentaries president Sara Bernstein revealed that her company has signed a development deal with filmmakers Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill, whose teenagers-in-Texas portrait “Cusp” premiered to critical acclaim at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, while praising director Jackie Jesko, whose three-part, true-crime doc “Savior Complex” premiered on HBO last month.

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With the WGA guild strike over, writers’ rooms all over the industry are back open for business. And that includes the one for Vince Gilligan‘s upcoming show at Apple TV+ with “Better Call Saul” actress Rhea Seehorn.

Netflix subscribers watching the new David Beckham documentary have made the same unusual realisation about the footballer.

LEGACY later this year.LEGACY shall explore the untold stories of Birmingham’s grime, hip-hop and rap scene, showcasing the artists, tastemakers and entrepreneurs who are responsible for the city’s influence on Black British music; allowing many more new genres and artists to follow in their footsteps.Set to be released on November 15, the LEGACY mini-series and book will feature Brum trailblazers such as Jaykae, Lady Leshurr, MIST, Sian Anderson and many more talking about their part in the Birmingham music scene.A post shared by Jess Monroe (@jessmonroex)However, the book – co-written by Jess Monroe and Casey Bailey – will dive deeper into the history of the Birmingham Black music scene, writing about the evolution of radio, the producers who influenced the UK sound, iconic clashes (rap battles) and other cultural moments that made the city famous for its Black music.In the book, Lady Leshurr reminisces on how “it’s not as hard as it used to be” to blow up in Birmingham. “I had to leave Birmingham to make a name in London,” she explained.

*NSYNC, New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys has been greenlit by Paramount+.According to Variety, the as-yet untitled documentary will trace the legacy of boy bands during the height of their fame in the ‘90s and early-2000s, and will feature interviews with boy band members as well as archival music footage.The project will be directed by Tamra Davis, whose credits include the music videos for New Kids on the Block’s ‘Call It What You Want’ and Hanson’s ‘MMMBop’, among others. The documentary is co-produced by Johnny Wright, who previously served as the tour manager for both New Kids on the Block and *NSYNC member, Justin Timberlake.“The Nineties boy band era was an extraordinary chapter in music where harmonies and beats came together,” Wright said of the documentary, per Rolling Stone.

NSYNC, Britney Spears) joins Gunpower and Sky CEO Van Toffler (MTV VMAs, “Tupac: Resurrection”) to produce this project exploring the boy band-obsessed era of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Bruce Gilmer, Paramount’s president of music, music talent, programming and events and Paramount+’s chief content officer of music, made a statement on the upcoming project: “The ’90s boy band era made an indelible impact and will be forever woven into the pop culture landscape. Boy bands remain bonafide global sensations to this day, as seen in the fan frenzy heard around the world during *NSYNC’s on-stage reunion at this year’s VMAs and the ever-spreading domination of K-Pop’s biggest groups like BTS, Stray Kids and TXT.” The documentary will include the songs, band members and personalities who defined the time period and explain the popularity of boy bands.

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount+ is hangin’ tough with its latest music documentary.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The 44th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards kicked off the first of two nights on Wednesday in New York, with CNN, Vice and the New York Times as among the big winners. CNN led the news portion of the Emmys, with ten wins — followed closely by Vice, with nine, and then the NYT with five.

CNN, Vice, and the New York Times were among the big winners on the first of two nights for the 44th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. CNN led the news portion of the Emmys with ten wins, with trailing Vice winning nine and the New York Times with five.

Joy Anonymous have teamed up with Brooklyn Brewery and Universal Music for a new documentary. Check it out below.Shot between London and New York, the new short film captures “an unorthodox movement that started in an unexpected moment” and explores the creative process of the viral London-based dance duo.“Like Brooklyn Brewery, we’re part of a movement that celebrates people coming together, without barriers,” said the duo – formed of Henry Counsell and Louis Curran.

Russell Brand is speaking out for the first time after serious allegations were made against him.

Riverdale fans are hyper-focused on the relationships that play out onscreen between the various stars in the beloved CW series. However, the actors lead equally exciting lives in reality!