EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Holly Carter (The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel) today announced the launch of her family, faith and lifestyle network MergeTV on James DuBose’s In The Black Network, a streaming service that highlights Black voices and original stories.
Carter also announced MergeTV’s slate of original programming dropping on April 2, which includes its flagship show Food for Thought with DeVon Franklin, hosted by the bestselling author, producer and preacher. Franklin will be joined by some of his famous friends “to bake up delicious desserts and share deep conversation,” according to the series description, with guests ranging from Smokey Robinson to Cedric the Entertainer.
MergeTV’s slate also includes talk show Chatter, dating show Finding My Romeo, hosted by musician and actor Romeo Miller; Preachers Reunion and Preachers Wedding Edition, and cooking show Katching Kierra, hosted by Gospel standout Kierra Sheard-Kelly. Complete descriptions follow below.
“We are thrilled to welcome MergeTV to the In the Black Network family, enriching our offerings with faith-based content that resonates deeply with our audience., said Samantha Johnstone, In the Black Network COO on today’s announcement. “This underscores our commitment to providing a platform where all Black stories and voices are celebrated and reinforces our mission to be the definitive destination of Black storytelling.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH DEVON FRANKLIN
PRODUCER: Jaiyde Simone
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dr. Holly Carter, DeVon Franklin, Keesha Brickhouse, T Jones
TALENT: Smokey Robinson, Angela White, Tabitha Brown, Trai Byers, Cedric The Entertainer, Gloria Govan and Derek Fisher
LOGLINE: New York Times best-selling author, producer, preacher and motivational speaker, DeVon Franklin invites some of his famous friends over to bake sumptuous desserts and engage in lively, honest, and thought-provoking conversations that include everything from the challenges of managing a successful career to the ups and downs of love to celebrating the wins of life while surviving difficult life losses.
CHATTER
PRODUCER: Jaiyde Simone
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dr. Holly Carter, Keesha Brickhouse, T Jones, Dr. DeeDee Freeman
TALENT: Dr. Holly Carter, Kimberly Jones Pothier aka Real Talk Kim, Dr. DeeDee Freeman, Monique Idlett-Mosley and Jewel Tankard
LOGLINE: Five women of faith and influence sit down for weekly honest, no-holds-barred discussions about important, timely issues, relationships, family, faith and lifestyle. These women are raw, real and ready to tackle an array of thought-provoking topics.
FINDING MY ROMEO
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dr. Holly Carter, Romeo Miller, Keesha Brickhouse, Paul Mays
TALENT: Romeo Miller
LOGLINE: Rapper, actor and musician Romeo Miller hosts a new and exciting dating show featuring a “Romeo”, our handsome bachelor who is on the quest to find his “Juliet”. Real women lay it all on the line as they participate in several fun challenges in this culturally-relevant dating show.
PREACHERS REUNION
PRODUCERS: Loretta Jones
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dr. Holly Carter, Keesha Brickhouse, T Jones
TALENT: Bishop Noel Jones and First Lady Loretta Jones, Pastor Deitrick Haddon, Bishop Ron Gibson and First Lady LaVette Gibson, and Pastor Wayne Chaney.
LOGLINE: A special two-part event that catches up with the cast of Preachers of LA ten years later! Debuting before the premiere of the Preachers Wedding Edition series, the provocative Pastors and First Ladies dig deep into intimate conversations to revisit old drama—and new!
PREACHERS WEDDING EDITION
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dr. Holly Carter, Keesha Brickhouse, Paul Mays
TALENT: Bishop Noel Jones and First Lady Loretta Jones, Pastor Deitrick Haddon and First Lady Dominique Haddon, Bishop Ron Gibson and First Lady LaVette Gibson, Bishop Clarence McClendon, Pastor Wayne Chaney and Myesha Chaney.
LOGLINE: The long-awaited wedding event of Bishop Noel Jones and Loretta Jones is finally happening and your favorite high-profile Pastors and First Ladies are together again to celebrate–but will they be able lay those long-standing arguments to rest, or will the drama surface again after all these years?
KATCHING KIERRA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Kierra Sheard-Kelly
TALENT: Kierra Sheard-Kelly, Jacky Clark-Chisholm, Twinkie Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark-Sheard
LOGLINE: Katching Kierra is a fun, uplifting and sometimes zany cooking show with Kierra Sheard-Kelly inviting members of her famous family into her kitchen to whip up their favorite mouth-watering recipes.