Posted in: Current News, Editor's Picks TV News, Movies, Recent Updates, TV | Tagged: American Woman, Bar Rescue, bellator, cable, heathers, HRL, I Am Martin Luther King Jr, Ink Master, lip sync battle, mma, paramount network, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, Spike TV, streaming, television, The Mist, The Shannara Chronicles, tv, Waco, yellowstone

Spike TV Officially Becomes Paramount Network In January 2018 With Live 'Lip Sync Battle'

Paramount Network will debut on January 18th, 2018 at 9 p.m. EST, with festivities kicking off with a live one-hour Lip Sync Battle from the Paramount lot in Hollywood. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Parent company Viacom will be releasing more details on the network launch over the next few weeks. Paramount Network is the new name for the re-branded Spike TV, Viacom looks to broaden its cable presence and diversify its viewership beyond the male-leaning demographics of the former network.

For its first year, the Paramount Network is looking to have six original scripted series in rotation; increasing that order to eight once the network has a stable programming slate established. during the next couple years to eight. Programs original to other Viacom networks (for example, MTV, BET, and Comedy Central) might also receive a secondary broadcast life on the Paramount Network.

The initial slate of programming consists of: dark high school comedy reboot Heathers; half-hour Alicia Silverstone comedy American Woman; six-part cult leader David Koresh miniseries Waco; Yellowstone, the first straight-to-series order picked up specifically for Paramount Network; Stephen King adaptation The Mist; and the genre drama adaptation of The Shannara Chronicles book series. That line-up is subject to change, as The Mist is a holdover from Spike TV that has yet to be renewed for a second season (though The Shannara Chronicles has been renewed and is moving from MTV).

When it comes to "unscripted" programming, the Paramount Network is looking for a tough combination of quality and quantity to fill out their daily schedule. Some programs set to premiere during the network's first year include: six-part docu-series Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story; returning variety competition series Lip Sync Battle; returning tattoo reality competition series Ink Master; returning bar repair show Bar Rescue; the latest installment in Spike's "I Am" series, I Am Martin Luther King Jr; and mixed martial matches through Bellator.

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