POP Sets Development Slate

POP has commissioned three new original series, including a comedy series featuring New Kids on the Block’s Joey McIntyre, the network said Thursday.

The half-hour The Joey McIntyre Project comedy series will feature the boy band singer attempting to branch out from his New Kids on the Block fame toward his goal of becoming a serious actor, said network officials.

The other projects include Celebrity Escape Room, a live action game that forces celebrities and their friends to use their pop culture knowledge to escape a locked room featuring themes ranging from a zombie apocalypse to the 1980s; and I Watch It With My Girlfriend (Working Title), which offers male perspectives on female-skewing TV shows.

“We are thrilled to be developing three new projects that feature remarkable talent, closely align with our brand and are inspired by fan-driven concepts,” said Paul Adler, Senior Vice President, Original Programming and Development, Pop. “Our programming continues to celebrate the excitement of fandom by covering the next big thing in pop culture.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.