It was 2013 when on first listen, I immediately vowed to dedicate a couple hours of my work week to two personalities ready to read anyone and everyone for filth. Those two personalities were Kid Fury and Crissle, who were then introducing their instantaneously successful podcast, aptly titled The Read.
Adding hilariously relatable commentary—from Hollyweird’s bizarre culture to offering advice to the latest wayward listener—this perfect pair offered a marvelous escape from reality. Now, their reality is about to change, in the most prosperous way.
Upfront season—that is, when television network executives attempt to woo marketers into purchasing television commercial slots “up front” and before the next television season begins—is underway, and Fuse Media has gotten a pretty nice head start. The media company’s television sector has announced The Read will be developed into a talk/variety show starring the two popular hosts.
Per Deadline:
The Read with Kid Fury and Crissle West (working title) (Fuse network; 10 x 30’ episodes) – Inspired by their juggernaut podcast – with more than 85 million listens worldwide and 1.5 million unique listens a month – Kid Fury and Crissle host this talk/variety format that carries over their beloved segments like Hot Tops and The Read, while additionally featuring a special celebrity and/or musician guest. The duo uses their sharp, honest brand of cultural commentary and perceptive opinions to drill deep into the roots of the issues and stories affecting their millennial and Gen Z peers, from social justice and politics to dating and music culture, and everything in between. Chloe Pisello, David Martin, Jon Thoday, and Richard Allen-Turner of Avalon Television will Executive Produce. Kid Fury, Crissle West, and Alexandra Rago are also executive producers.
Fuse TV also announced a few more shows of interest to black audiences: Made From Scratch, a documentary cooking show starring Young M.A., as well as Sugar and Toys, an adult animation vehicle from producers Carl Jones and Brian Ash (Black Dynamite, The Boondocks). Jones and Ash will also be developing a show from their hit digital series, Reverse Brothers with Ayo & Teo.
“To successfully target this highly elusive audience, we’ve needed to experiment across platforms and find innovative ways to engage viewers,” said Fuse Media Chief Content Officer J-T Ladt. “We began with our Complex partnership and have seen continued season-to-season growth for Complex x Fuse, which is now in its fourth season. Continuing with this strategy, Fuse is migrating nontraditional IP that already has a built-in multicultural audience to the linear channel. For example, Big Boy’s Neighborhood is also a radio show, The Read is a podcast, and Made from Scratch originated as a YouTube format.”
Wow. Fury and Crissle have really come a long way and it’s been fascinating to watch their evolution.
I’m enjoying this wave of unconventional paths to television. Whether you’re a digital journalist or a podcaster, hot content really is your selling ticket. It’s clearly a creator’s market out this bitch. Let’s get it.