TV ONE TO PREMIERE THIRD SEASON OF “LIFE AFTER””WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28 AT 10 PM ET, EXPLORING TURNING POINTS IN CELEBRITIES’ LIVES
— Incorporating the celebrities’ own personal perspectives, the series features Jackée Harry, Jayne Kennedy, Christopher Williams, André Harrell, Christopher “Play””Martin, Ginuwine, Antonio Fargas, Kim Coles, Danielle Spencer, Countess Vaughn, and AJ Johnson —
Sept. 15, 2011, Silver Spring, MD ““ Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 10 PM ET, TV One will premiere 11 new episodes of Life After, its popular series that explores some of America’s most intriguing celebrities from the perspective of the turning points that have forever changed their lives, be they public or private, triumphant or tragic.
The half-hour series shares with viewers the real, behind-the-scenes stories of the transformative events in the lives of public figures —incorporating their own personal perspectives. The series will share their joy and happiness, pain and loss, while also revealing the ways in which they evolved from these experiences to a more fulfilling “life after. .
. “Part biography, part confessional and all a celebration of the human spirit, each episode of Life After focuses on a well-known person and tells his or her life-changing story, featuring exclusive interviews with the celebrities themselves, family members, friends, and professional colleagues, as well as rare clips and archival footage.
The new season’s episodes include:Jackée: Life After “227”””“ (Premieres Sept. 28) This special one-hour episode explores Jackée after her big break in the role of Sandra in 227, for which she became the first African American to win an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Seduced by her success, she began to attract criticism for her “diva-like””antics, and she suffered through a series of failed pilots before a career comeback when she charmed audiences for five years on Sister Sister. Following the cancellation of the program, Jackée adapted yet again in a celebrated return to the theater stage.
Discover how decades in the spotlight have impacted the legendary personality and actress in Life After “227. “Danielle Spencer: Life After “What’s Happening! !
“””“ (Oct. 5) As sharp-witted Dee on What’s Happening! Danielle Spencer achieved icon status at the tender age of eleven.
But, in the summer of 1977, Spencer and her stepfather were involved in a car accident, forever impacting Spencer’s physical ability and claiming the life of her stepfather and mentor, actor Timothy Pelt. Through sheer will and determination Spencer returned to work on What’s Happening! !
and eventually went on to attain academic achievement and personal fulfillment as a veterinarian. Life After traces the surprising journey of the multi-talented Spencer from child star to adult. Christopher “Play””Martin: Life After Kid “˜N Play – (Oct. 12) Life After traces Christopher Martin from his childhood neighborhood in Queens, NY, where he first joined forces with Christopher Reid in what would eventually become the commercial powerhouse hip-hop music duo, “Kid N Play,””through his disillusionment with commercial success and his redirection toward a spiritual life and career of greater fulfillment.
Ginuwine: Life After “Pony”””“ (Oct. 19) The series traces the talented singer’s early success and his life after “Pony””as he battled with depression, drugs and alcohol after losing his father to suicide then his mother to cancer within the same year.
These dark days would force him to re-evaluate the true meaning of success and ultimately lead the artist back into the light to arrive at a new destiny – one in which he is a new man, with the same extraordinary talent. Life After follows Elgin on his incredible journey impacted by the soaring highs of success and the devastating lows of personal tragedy.
Christopher Williams: Life After “New Jack City””- (Oct 26) Life After chronicles the story of this crooner and actor’s rise to early stardom in music and in the iconic film New Jack City, and his perseverance through subsequent controversies, label mismanagement and a changing music industry to a comeback in the theater and the music stage 20 years later.
AJ Johnson: Life After “Baby Boy”” ““ (Nov. 2) Regarded as the premier wellness mentor to the stars, AJ Johnson has made her mark on both sides of the camera lens as a celebrated actress and the celebrity coach responsible for the coveted physiques of Hollywood’s elite. Life After follows Johnson from a temporary hiatus from medical school through the premature loss of both parents in early adulthood to her new life’s path.
She has made it her life’s mission to inspire and encourage others to strive for mind and body well being. Life After will share Johnson’s inspiring story of courage, focus, and purpose. Countess Vaughn: Life After “The Parkers”””“ (Nov. 9) A star since her victory as an 11-year-old in Star Search, Countess Vaughn’s natural ability to command the crowd followed the young starlet from sitcom to sitcom until she secured a spot captivating audiences weekly on “Moesha.
“” Life After follows Vaughn from her tension-filled days opposite Brandy on Moesha that soon spilled over to the tabloids, to her starring role in The Parkers, and into the next chapter where Vaughn triumphs over divorce and personal struggle to finally achieve self love.
Antonio Fargas: Life After “˜Huggy Bear’ ““(Nov. 16) Known to many as “Huggy Bear”, the iconic street hustler who helped detectives Starsky and Hutch solve crimes throughout the late 1970s, Antonio Fargas propelled the intended bit part into legendary fame. Breaking boundaries as a gay character in Next Stop: Greenwich Villiage and a transsexual character in Car Wash, Fargas never shied away from breakthrough roles.
Known to many now as “Doc””from Everybody Hates Chris, he has charted an impressive career across four decades, establishing a reputation as a formidable performer.
Life After takes a look at the career of one of show business’ most versatile characters. Kim Coles: Life After “Living Single”””“ (Nov. 23) Following her release from In Living Color after its first season, comedienne Kim Coles worried whether she would ever work again.
But she was soon cast in her most memorable role as the lovable “Synclaire””in Living Single. After two decades of ongoing and wide-ranging work in television, Coles has had her share of life lessons learned and is now using that triumphant know-how to inspire the lives of others. Life After takes a look at Kim Coles’ multitalented career and ever-inspiring life.
Jayne Kennedy: Life After Hollywood ““ (Nov. 30) The first African American to win the Miss Ohio crown, Jayne Kennedy broke boundaries as the beauty who redefined old assumptions about race and gender. Her keen intellect and unparalleled ambition then landed her in the co-anchor chair at CBS’s NFL Today.
Enduring criticism by industry detractors, sexist naysayers and an eventual pink slip, the multitalented Kennedy went on to establish a media empire that defied tradition and inspired generations to come. Life After follows Kennedy through decades of barrier breaking to reveal an uncompromising spirit!
Andre Harrell: Life After Uptown Records ““ (Dec. 7) One hour episode – After initial success as a member of the rap group Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Andre Harrell decided to move to the business side of music, and he quickly flourished as he discovered stars like Jodeci, Heavy D, Guy and the ultimate queen of R&B, Mary J Blige.
In Life After, viewers will see how Andre Harrell made the move from rapping in high schools to managing one of the biggest record labels of its time, Uptown Records. He’ll talk about it all, from the high points of discovering Mary J Blige and his $50 Million Dollar deal at MCA, to the lows of his untimely resignation from the CEO post at Motown and heart surgery that brought him back from the brink.
“Life After has been a big hit with TV One’s audience in its first two seasons, as it balances joyous moments with painful memories and successfully captures how those featured have both celebrated and enjoyed their fame – and endured their darkest hours,””said TV One Executive Vice President of Original Programming Toni Judkins.
“Viewers can continue to look forward in season three to Life After investigating the ways in which landmark moments shaped these celebrities’ lives, allowing them to share intimate revelations from the unpredictable journey of life. “The series is produced for TV One by K2 Pictures. Executive producers for the series are Erica Forstadt, Robert Katz and Jay Peterson.
Executive in charge of production for TV One is Robyn Greene Arrington. The episodes repeat the same night at 1 AM ET.
