Chicken Soup For The Soul Productions Expands Programming Slate And Partnerships

Chicken Soup for the Soul Green Lights Its First Network Television Series on The CW

Will use its brand, a committed production fund and extensive relationships with sponsors to create transformative "entertainment with a payoff"

COS COB, Conn., Jan. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Soup for the Soul Productions today announced that it has committed to its first series for network television, signing a deal with Litton Entertainment, the Emmy Award-winning creators of the Saturday morning blocks on ABC, CBS and The CW. The half-hour series will air for 52 weeks as part of The CW's Saturday "One Magnificent Morning" lineup. Scheduled to premiere October 3, 2015, the family series is produced in partnership with The Boniuk Foundation, a Houston-based non-profit organization, and will promote tolerance, respect and compassion in a highly entertaining and interactive format.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Productions was launched in September 2014 by William Rouhana, Jr., CEO of the iconic Chicken Soup for the Soul brand and is headed by chief executive Steve Ronson, a veteran executive from the A + E Networks. Although it has been only four months since its inception, Chicken Soup for the Soul Productions has accelerated and expanded its plan by establishing its own production and development fund, working with sponsors and cementing alliances with established production partners.

"Chicken Soup for the Soul Productions will aggressively develop, produce, finance and distribute television projects," said Ronson. "We are not only developing our own content inspired by our rapidly expanding library of 21,000 entertaining stories, but we are also working on projects in areas ranging from comedy and drama to sports, food, home, music, and design, including reality, contestant and competition shows, holiday specials, series, and packages. Our production slate promises a raft of family-friendly programming, the kind that advertisers are hungry for. We look forward to working with Litton Entertainment on our first non-fiction series airing on the The CW in October 2015." 

"We are pleased to partner with Chicken Soup for the Soul to continue to create original programming that educates and inspires young people and their families across the country. I'm proud that we've made Saturday morning television a destination for families on The CW," commented Dave Morgan, CEO and President of Litton Entertainment.

Other television projects in development include two unscripted series with DB GOLDLINE and Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Talk Show with Alcon Television.  The talk show features unique and original interactive elements and will be hosted by a high-powered duo with an impressive array of specialized celebrity correspondents. Several other co-production reality and competition projects are in discussion and development with Ricky Goldin and Derek Britt, principals of New York based DB GOLDLINE, represented by Peter Rosegarten of The Conversation Company, Ltd. and with Jordan Kerner and The Kerner Entertainment Company. As part of its production efforts, Chicken Soup for the Soul Productions is also developing a short form digital "Daily Sip of Soup." The "Daily Sip" vignettes will entertain and inspire, celebrating "moments that become stories."

On the film front, Alcon Entertainment and Chicken Soup for the Soul Productions continue to work with Jordan Kerner to produce a feature film to be written by Lewis Colick (October Sky, Ghosts of Mississippi) that will be distributed through Alcon's output deal with Warner Bros.

"Chicken Soup for the Soul is a well-known brand that is recognized by almost 90% of the United States population and translates into highly entertaining, inspirational television for a broad audience," Ronson continued. "Our brand appeals to all demos, has sold in excess of 500 million books, has a network of independent blogs reaching 40 million unique visitors a month, and an international presence in over 100 countries. We are ready to take off on both television and second screens to deliver 'entertainment with a payoff.' We look forward to developing and funding several projects this year and are currently accepting development proposals for consideration."

About Chicken Soup for the Soul:
Chicken Soup for the Soul, the world's favorite and most recognized storyteller, publishes the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. With over 100 million books sold to date in the U.S. and Canada alone, more than 250 titles, and translations into more than 40 languages, "chicken soup for the soul" is one of the world's best-known phrases and is regularly referenced in pop culture. Today, 22 years after it first began sharing happiness, inspiration and wellness through its books, this socially conscious company continues to publish new titles, but has also evolved beyond the bookstore with super premium pet food, a line of high quality food to bring people together for healthy meals, and a variety of licensed products and digital offerings, all inspired by stories. Chicken Soup for the Soul has recently expanded into visual storytelling through movies and television. Chicken Soup for the Soul is "changing the world one story at a time®."

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SOURCE Chicken Soup for the Soul