Starz's new comedy is getting an early release.
Survivor's Remorse, a six-episode scripted comedy from executive producer Mike O'Malley (Glee), will have its first two episodes available for preview beginning Saturday, Sept. 27, one week before its official television premiere on Oct. 4.
The episodes will be on select cable, satellite and telco affiliates in the U.S. and online via specific websites, including the Survivor's Remorse site, Facebook page and Twitter account, as well as Starz's YouTube channel and the Starz Play app. Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, Sony Entertainment Network and Xbox VIdeo will also carry the episodes early.
Survivor's Remorse follows Cam Calloway (Jessie T. Usher), a basketball phenom in his early 20s who is suddenly thrust into the limelight after signing a multi-million dollar contract with a professional basketball team in Atlanta. Cam, along with his cousin and confidant Reggie Vaughn (RonReaco Lee), move to start Cam's journey to success. Mike Epps, Tichina Arnold, Teyonah Parris and Erica Ash co-star, with O'Malley, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Tom Werner, Paul Wachter and Victor Levin executive producing.
In July, the creative team behind Survivor's Remorse addressed the potential challenges of drawing a broad audience with a African American-fronted cast. "This is about a family. It’s got great appeal to the audience whether they’re white or black or yellow or green," said Werner at the time, citing The Cosby Show's reach as an example. "I'm very confident that this has cross-over appeal."
Starz has previously employed this strategy for its scripted properties, most recently Outlander and Power, both already renewed for sophomore seasons. As the television landscape continues to become more fragmented, other broadcast and cable networks have utilized early-sampling strategies to increase exposure and awareness.
Starz's scripted portfolio includes dramas Outlander, Da Vinci's Demons, Black Sails, Power and the upcoming Flesh and Bone.
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