muchmusic usa Follows Ups & Downs of More Than 50 Pop Stars in Series Premiere of "Behind The Music That Sucks"

Comedically Twisted, Animated Parody of VH-1 Series Anchors mmusa's New "Fuse Fridays" Strand, Beginning March 7th

New York, NY, March 4, 2003 – On Friday, March 7th at 9 PM (ET), the career highs and lows of pop stars past and present will become comedic fodder when muchmusic usa, the nation's only viewer-driven, all music network, ignites a premiere season of Behind the Music that Sucks. The offbeat, animated music bio show will anchor " Fuse Fridays," muchmusic usa's new, Friday all-day programming block that will feature new series premieres and special episodes of ongoing series.

Behind the Music that Sucks follows the rags-to riches-to rags-to-redemption arcs in the careers of pop music notables. This high-octane, no-holds-barred parody of VH-1's iconic rockumentary series, Behind the Music, spins sardonic comedy with career miscalculations while profiling the ups-and-downs of six stars in each episode, versus VH-1's one star/per episode formula.

The March 7th kick-off episode of the weekly series will profile the career victories and scandals of Eminem, Dr. Dre, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Britney Spears and Bon Jovi. Forthcoming episodes will generate laughs from the dubious achievements of urban music greats Puff Daddy, Sisqo and Bloodhound Gang; rap-rockers Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit; pop divas Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera; metal madmen Kiss and Van Halen; jam band nuevo-hippie navel-gazers Phish; and actors-turned-singers David Hasselhoff and William Shatner. Each episode will have six encores: Fridays at 2 AM; Saturdays at 4 and 11 PM; Sundays at 7 PM and midnight; and Tuesdays at 9 PM.

Beginning Saturday, March 1st , muchmusic usa will promote Behind the Music that Sucks and its new " Fuse Friday" strand through a series of on-air promos and off channel marketing that includes advertising throughout Manhattan on telephone kiosks, bus shelters, subway platforms and MTA buses.

"Musicians are a wonderfully creative bunch, with both the art they create and the oversized adventures and myths they generate as they travel the ladder of fame," says muchmusic usa President Marc Juris. "This series pokes fun at their outrageous behavior and the television institution that makes a business of amplifying their climb, crash and burn, and ultimate redemption. For the stars, it's a chance to laugh at themselves; for the creators of Behind the Music, it shows that imitation and exaggeration of their stock and trade is the most sincere form of flattery."

About muchmusic usa

muchmusic usa is the nation's only viewer-driven, all music network, featuring music videos and live concerts in an all-music-all-the-time format. The network programming is viewer-influenced and generated. On muchmusic usa, viewers voice their opinions, influence what's on the air, participate in discovering new music and even create music video programming to air on the network. For more information about muchmusic usa, please visit www.mmusa.tv.

muchmusic usa a network of Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. A subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC), Rainbow has been at the forefront of innovation in programming for more than 20 years. Rainbow also owns and manages AMC, WE: Women's Entertainment, IFC, Mag Rack, Rainbow Sports Networks and News 12 Networks as well as the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. In addition, Rainbow is a fifty-percent partner in FOX Sports Net.

Press Contacts

  • Sal Cataldi
    212-244-9797
    sal@cataldipr.com

  • Georgia Juvelis
    917-542-6318
    gjuvelis@rainbow-media.com