Hits, Hype & Hustle: An Insider's Guide to the Music Business - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Making a Star
Agent Emma Banks looks at how the music business finds talent and creates superstars. She has worked with artists such as Katy Perry, Kanye West and Red Hot Chili Peppers and seen the fine line between success and failure, following the careers of hundreds of acts - from geniuses who never quite made it to megastars who conquered the world. The secret to success and stardom is an elusive formula of luck, timing and talent. But as Emma explores, it's also about the team behind the talent - the record execs, label bosses and A&R gurus who find, develop and make a star. From Motown's musical finishing school to Damon Dash's dogged promotion of Jay Z, the film offers a behind-the-scenes peek into the peaks and pitfalls of making a musical superstar. Contributors include Martha Reeves, Alex James, Clive Davis, Perry Farrell and Nona Hendryx. And we follow Emma as she works with new grime star Lady Leshurr.
On the Road
Episode two of the series that gives an insider's view of the music business. For a behind-the-scenes insight into the scale and logistics of a modern mega tour, John goes backstage at U2's latest tour, where he reminisces with Adam Clayton about how the live scene has transformed in the decades they've worked together.
John takes viewers backstage at Isle of Wight 2017, the festival he runs, and where Rod Stewart, Run DMC and Kaiser Chiefs are among the big names.
The programme also tells the story of the original Isle of Wight festival, where a bunch of young promoters with big ideas persuaded Bob Dylan, The Who and Leonard Cohen to perform. A tale of unpaid artists, frantic last-minute negotiations and general mayhem, it was an event that transformed the music industry, and, for the young John who was in the audience, it was the beginning of a whole career.
Revivals and Reunions
Alan Edwards explores the reunion phenomenon - why bands are getting back together, what it's like for them when they do and how it's changing the business.
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Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches
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The Institute
When 12-year-old genius Luke Ellis is kidnapped, he awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who all got there the same way he did, and who are all possessed of unusual abilities. In a nearby town, haunted former police officer Tim Jamieson has come looking to start a new life, but the peace and quiet won't last, as his story and Luke's are destined to collide.
Expedition X
In Expedition X, Josh Gates joined by scientist Phil Torres and paranormal researcher Heather Amaro to investigate reports of supernatural encounters, mysterious creatures, and astonishing extraterrestrial phenomena. Whether trekking through the remote jungles of Cambodia in search of a legendary ape-man or exploring the secrets of the world's largest cave system right here in the United States, the Expedition X team is taking viewers to the stranger side of the unknown.
Making her debut in Expedition X Season 8 is third-generation paranormal investigator Heather Amaro. Amaro notably replaced former host Jessica Chobot, who was one of the main stars of Expedition X for its first seven seasons.