OWN announced today two new series from prolific hit-maker Will Packer (βGirls Trip,β βStraight Outta Compton,β βRide Along,β βRootsβ) and his Will Packer Media banner: the soapy new drama series βAmbitionsβ from global content leader Lionsgate and the unscripted dating series βReady to Love.β Packer will serve as executive producer for both series. The new shows mark the first television series to be created under Packerβs first-look deal with the network.
βWill is a creative powerhouse who knows what audiences want,β said Erik Logan, president of OWN. βHe has an insightful approach to relationships and a keen eye for great storytelling that resonates with viewers across the board. We canβt wait to bring these two new series to our viewers.”βPartnering with OWN to bring βAmbitionsβ and βReady to Loveβ to their fast-growing lineup of critically acclaimed series is a win-win scenario,β said Will Packer, CEO and founder of Will Packer Media. βOWN has been on an incredible streak with its recent slate, and weβre looking forward to extending the networkβs primetime successΒ with these new shows created specifically with the OWN audience in mind.β
βAmbitionsβ (working title) is a multigenerational family saga centered around one woman who, having recently relocated and intent on revitalizing her marriage, finds herself going head to head with some of the most powerful and deceitful players in the city. βAmbitions” will begin production later this year and will debut on OWN in 2019. The new series will be produced for OWN by Will Packer Media in association with Lionsgate/Debmar-Mercury. Will Packer is executive producer. Will Packer Mediaβs Sheila Ducksworth also serves as executive producer and writer Jamey Giddens serves as co-executive producer.
βReady to Loveβ (working title), which begins production in Atlanta this spring, will join OWNβs popularΒ SaturdayΒ night unscripted programming lineup later this year. The dating series will focus on successful men and women of all shapes, sizes and shades, each of whom is looking for lasting love. A unique twist on a typical dating show, βReady to Loveβ will specifically bringΒ the perspective of menΒ to the forefront. It will present a unique opportunity to see what men say about dating, when women arenβt around. βReady to Loveβ will be produced by Will Packer Media and Lighthearted Entertainment. Will Packer is executive producer. Will Packer Mediaβs Kelly Smith and Lightheartedβs Rob LaPlante and Jeff Spangler will also executive produce.
The two new series join OWNβs primetime programming slate including the popular dramas βQueen Sugar,β βGreenleaf,β βThe Haves and the Have Nots,β and βIf Loving You is Wrongβ β four of the top eight original scripted series on ad-supported cable in 2017 for women 25-54; the hit sitcom βThe Paynes,β the upcoming dramedy βLove Is__β premiering this summer, and the successful Saturday night unscripted series βIyanla: Fix My Life,β βThe Book of John Gray,β βWelcome to Sweetie Pieβsβ and βBlack Love.β In addition, the networkβs new drama series from Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (βMoonlightβ) will go into production this summer.
Led by Hollywood producer Will Packer, Will Packer Media is a first-of-its-kind production and branded content company focused on the New American Mainstream audience, with an urban millennial core. In partnership with Discovery Communications and Universal Pictures, the company produces episodic scripted and unscripted series across television and digital platforms, compelling content for brand clients, and short-form digital content for millennial audiences. Will Packerβs films have earned more than $1 billion, with nine opening at number one at the box office.