TV ONE DOCU-SERIES CELEBRITY CRIME FILES KICKS OFF THIRD SEASON WITH NEW NARRATOR ICE-T ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 10:00 PM/ET
--Ten-Episode Series Explores Controversial Celebrity Crimes Involving: Chris Lighty, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson Jr.,Ray Nagin, Shakir “Shake” Stewart, Medgar Evers, Huey P. Newton, Riddikk Bowe, Ray Nagin and More--
August 20, 2014 – Silver Spring, MD –
TV One, which entertains, informs and inspires Black adult viewers, today announced that its popular investigative docu-series
Celebrity Crime Files returns for a riveting third season
Monday, September 8 at
10 PM/ET. This season, acclaimed rapper and actor
Ice-T joins the show as narrator. In its most captivating episodes yet,
Celebrity Crime Files delves into the scandals, misdeeds and mysterious deaths of prominent politicians, athletes, athletes, entertainers, executives and civil rights activists.
“Ice-T’s iconic voice has catapulted him to an internationally recognized performer and actor,” said D’Angela Proctor, SVP of Programming and Production for TV One. “This season, his voice will lend a deeper look at crimes and indiscretions of public figures from this decade and decades past, while also showing a side of history that is rarely explored in the books.”
Celebrity Crime Files season three explores the real story behind crimes involving:
- “Chris Lighty”: Chris Lighty was a giant in the entertainment world, helming the careers of superstars like 50 Cent, P. Diddy, Mariah Carey and many more. While he had corporate success, street beefs still haunted him. But it wouldn’t be a rap beef that would eventually end his life. While police ruled his death a suicide, friends and family say he was the victim of foul play. For the first time ever on TV, those closest to him including LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes explain just what happened to Chris Lighty.
- “Lady Gangster”: Deemed “Madam Queen,” Stephanie St. Clair was New York City’s beloved badass boss and first female kingpin in the 1920s. From putting the NYPD on blast for extortion to her bloody battles with notorious gangsters in the world of organized crime that ended in over 40 murders, St. Clair remains a fascinating and mysterious female gangster.
- “Elected to Lead, Consumed by Greed”: Black men and women are often underrepresented in politics, so when a black elected official breaks the law the community suffers deeply. In their deceit and illegal maneuverings, prominent public figures such as Jesse Jackson Jr., Ray Nagin and William Jefferson betrayed the support and trust of their citizenry for their own personal gain.
- “From Touchdown to Lockdown: Drugs and the NFL”: Nearly every week, a player is suspended from the NFL for violating The League’s anti-drug policy, but players such as Sam Hurd and Darryl Henley take the business of drugs one step further. Both men were seen as popular all-American players on a rise to the top before they were put behind bars for illegal drug involvement.
- “Hate Crimes”: For hundreds of years, thousands of Black people were lynched or violently killed at the hands of racists in America. Since the Jim Crow laws were overturned, incidences of hate crimes have declined. However, the more-recent deaths of James Byrd and Michael Donald in Texas and Alabama shocked the nation and left reminders of America’s not-so-distant past.
- “Contenders to Offenders: Heavyweight Champions Behind Bars”: With prison being an understandable breeding ground for up-and-coming professional boxers, this episode looks at the careers and personal lives of championship boxers Trevor Berbick, Riddikk Bowe and Henry Tillman – three men who achieved great success inside the ring despite finding themselves behind bars.
- “Martyrs of the Movement”: Among the list of people who died fighting for civil right and social justice, three iconic men stand out. The legendary efforts of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers resulted in significant, groundbreaking milestones in achieving equality for African American men and women.
- “Shakir Stewart”: Oakland native Shakir “Shake” Stewart rose to become Executive Vice President of rap powerhouse label Def Jam Records, discovering and signing multi-platinum rap superstars like Rick Ross and worked with R&B divas Beyoncé and many others. Working closely with famed producer and executive LA Reid, Stewart seemed headed to the same heights, but the stress and dangers of the music business proved too much for him. His suicide shocked his peers, left his family devastated and a cloud of mystery surrounding his death.
- “The Black Panthers”: Blasting onto the scene in October 1966, the Black Panther Party was a revolutionary civil rights group that became known for their “freedom by any means” philosophy. Party founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, as well as its prominent party members empowered a nation before becoming the FBI’s Most Wanted.
- “Tookie Williams”: Once the most powerful member of The Crips, Stanley “Tookie” Williams helped spread massive bloodshed and terror throughout South Central Los Angeles and beyond. In 1979, he was convicted of four counts of murder and sentenced to death. In jail, he went on to reject his former gang life and initiated a campaign to stop the violence. Though he maintained innocence and several attempts made to have his conviction overturned, in 2005 he was put to death via lethal injection.
The series is produced for TV One by A. Smith and Co. Productions. Executive Producers for the series are Arthur Smith, Frank Sinton and Anthony Storm. Lamar Chase serves as Producer for the network. Executive In Charge of production for TV One is Robyn Greene Arrington.
About TV One
Launched in January 2004, TV One (
www.tvone.tv) serves 57 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult black viewers. In December 2008, the company launched TV One High Def, which now serves 14 million households. TV One is owned by Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK;
www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets Black and urban listeners; and Comcast Corporation [NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK;
www.comcast.com], one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information, and communications products and services.
About A. Smith & Co. Productions:A. Smith & Co. Productions creates some of the most innovative, highly rated and high-quality programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. The company has produced more than 2,000 hours of award-winning programming. Current productions include such hits as ”Hell’s Kitchen,” “
Kitchen Nightmares,” “American Ninja Warrior,” “Ellen’s Design Challenge,” “Unsung,” “
Full Throttle Saloon,” “Celebrity Crime Files,” “
Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura,” “Too Young to Marry?,” “Save Our Business,” “UFC Countdown,” “Joe Rogan Questions Everything,” “Divorce Hotel” and many others. A. Smith & Co.’s library of programming includes hit shows such as “Paradise Hotel,” “I Survived a Japanese Game Show,” “The Swan,” “Trading Spaces,” “Pros vs. Joes” and “Skating with Celebrities.” A. Smith & Co. has developed and produced the No. 1 show in America 25 times and a Top 10 show more than 200 times, producing programs with budgets totaling approximately one billion dollars for more than 42 broadcast and cable networks.
