“This show is all about finding new talent,” says comic Steve Harvey, host of Fox’s revival of Showtime at the Apollo.
The high-energy promo by The Shop spotlights what to expect from Fox’s reimagining of the long-running classic talent variety show that began in 1987, and which launched the careers of many artists such as James brown, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill and Michael Jackson.
Featured in the reboot are elements from the Apollo’s legendary Ameteur Night—the 82-year-old live talent competition that provides a platform for up and coming artists. The theater’s audience is known for being tough and brutally honest.
“You decide who lives, and who dies,” Harvey tells the crowd in the trailer.
Fox’s order for its weekly return follows Harvey’s Apollo Christmas special, as well as another special in January, that served as trials.
“We all had such a blast on the two specials that aired earlier this season, that we thought it really deserved being a weekly event,” Harvey said in a press release. “But our mission is a little different this time around. Instead of just putting on a great show, we’re going to do that and find the next great comic and the next big music star. That’s what the Apollo is all about. My roots are on that stage and I can’t wait to be there every week, looking for great talent. Who said you can’t go back home again?”
The show aired in syndication until 2008, and Harvey served as host from 1993 to 2000.
Executive producers include Jim Roush and Chris Wagner for the Roush-Wagner Company, The Apollo Theater’s Jonelle Procope, and IMG’s Michael Antinor. Awith Reginald Hudlin and James McKinlay also executive produce and serve as showrunners, while executive producer Don Weiner also directs.
Showtime at the Apollo is set to premiere in 2018.
READ MORE: Variety
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