LOS ANGELES (JULY 27, 2019) – The new Court TV, which launched across multiple platforms in May, will develop and produce original programming including documentaries and docuseries centered around the real-life drama of true crimes and cases which will draw from the nearly 100,000 hours of footage in the original Court TV library.
“Mining the vast Court TV library of more than a thousand trials provides the new opportunity to tell compelling true-crime stories and create captivating content supporting our live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the country’s top current trials,” said Jonathan Katz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Katz Networks, which owns and operates Court TV.
The first Court TV original will be OJ25, which will premiere in January 2020 and look back at the world-famous O.J. Simpson murder case – dubbed “The Trial of the Century” – 25 years later. Roger Cossack, renowned attorney and acclaimed legal analyst, will host the series. Cossack provided insight into the Simpson trial at the time for CNN as the network’s legal analyst and went on to the same role for ESPN.
OJ25 will give viewers a front row seat in the Simpson jury box, to relive the trial or discover it for the first time. Court TV’s extensive library includes every minute of the 37-week long trial and the 37 hour-long chapters of OJ25 will present, explore and contextualize the main events of the trial coinciding with the same week 25 years earlier. Exclusive new interviews with the key players in the case will take people behind-the-scenes of the trial, providing fresh perspective and insight on legal strategies and maneuverings, missteps, lost opportunities and more.
Court TV original docuseries will be branded Court TV Mysteries and present real-life stories of
betrayal, greed and murder leading to justice in the courtroom. These sordid stories will be told through Court TV trial footage, stylized re-creations, expert investigative insights and exclusive legal and law enforcement analysis. Court TV Mysteries will premiere in the first quarter of 2020.
The network’s original programming will be guided by Court TV Vice Presidents and Managing Editors John Alleva and Scott Tufts and former Turner Broadcasting programming executives David Hudson, Executive Vice President of Original Programming for Katz Networks and Sophia Karteris Kelley, Senior Vice President of Original Programming, Katz Networks.
Alleva and Tufts have a combined 40 years of experience producing trials for Court TV and CNN. Alleva was the lead producer for Court TV for more than 15 years and managed editorial content and field operations. Tufts spearheaded CNN’s coverage of the O.J. Simpson, Casey Anthony, Jodi Arias and George Zimmerman trial. Hudson spent a dozen years in ascending positions for TNT and TBS, oversaw Conan and Lopez Tonight, the Screen Actors Guild Awards® show on TNT and TBS and Christmas in Washington on TNT and oversaw production of TV movies for TBS and TNT. Before joining Turner, Hudson earned many credits as an executive-in-charge of production, line producer and co-series producer, with credits including Hard Copy, A Current Affair, the EMMY®-nominated series Trial Watch and Forensic Files with Patricia Cornwell and more. Kelley held ascending roles for over 20 years at Turner Broadcasting, with programming responsibilities for TBS, Turner South and overseeing digital content for TBS, TNT and TCM. She most recently headed acquisitions, scheduling and movie co-productions for UPtv and oversaw acquisitions and planning for SVOD service UP Faith and Family and aspiretv.
About Court TV
For nearly two decades through 2008, Court TV brought high-profile courtroom dramas into American living rooms. Continuing that legacy, the new Court TV runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is available to be seen on cable, over-the-air and over-the-top. Court TV is also live streamed on CourtTV.com as well as the Court TV app for Roku®, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android and Apple devices.All feature robust and exclusive content from the massive Court TV library, including the nation’s most compelling, high-profile cases over the past 20 years available on demand.
About Katz Networks
The Katz Networks are targeted, demo-specific brands leading a new generation of fast-growing, multi-platform networks that super serve consumers with diverse and entertaining programming available to be seen everywhere, on over-the-air, cable, satellite television, via over-the-top services, on mobile devices and on the web. In addition to Court TV: Bounce is the first and only multi-platform African-American network and features a programming mix of original series and movies, off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and events and more. Escape reaches women 25-54 with a brand of programming anchored in stories of crime and mystery. Grit targets men 25-54 with a lineup of western and action movies and series. Laff is devoted to comedy around-the-clock and presents contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular movies geared toward an audience of adults 18-49. Brown Sugar is the popular streaming service featuring the biggest collection of iconic African-American movies available. And “The List” is the nationally syndicated daily news magazine program featuring everything that’s trending in pop culture. Katz Networks is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).