TV One Renews ‘R&B Divas’

TV One has renewed its music-themed reality series R&B Divas for a second season and will develop a Los Angeles-based spinoff of the show later this year, the network announced Tuesday.

The Atlanta-based series, which followed the lives Faith Evans, Nicci Gilbert-Daniels, Monifah Carter, Syleena Johnson and Keke Wyatt as they worked together to produce a compilation album, has received a eight episode order for its sophomore season.

R&B Divas has definitely struck a positive chord with viewers,” said Toni Judkins, executive vice president programming and production for TV One in a statement. “Week-after-week, the series continued to build on its audience and we’re thrilled to provide another season and a new franchise of a dynamic program that is clearly resonating with audiences.”

Based on its success of R&B Divas, the network will spin-off a second series, tentatively titled R&B Divas: LA, which will follow the lives and careers of five yet-to-be-named Los Angeles based R&B performers. The eight-episode series is slated to premiere in third quarter 2013, said network officials.  

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.