Magnolia Network is entering the family game show lane with its upcoming fall slate.
The network revealed their upcoming series during the Fall Upfronts this week. The three series, Roller Jam, Second Chance Stage and Human vs. Hamster, will all air on Max later this year.
Roller Jam is hosted by Jordin Sparks with athletes Jonny Weir and Terrell Ferguson judging. The series is billed as the “first-ever nationwide roller dancing competition on television,” comprised of teams creating new routines for the judges each week.
Second Chance Stage gives contestants another chance to achieve their dreams with a cash prize on the line. Hosted by Emmanuel Acho, the series will include Martina McBride and Heidi Gardner as hosts.
Human vs. Hamster stars Sarah Sherman as host with Kyle Brandt and Brian Balthazar adding color commentary and hamster enthusiasm. The series follows teams competing to see if they are more agile and adapt than hamsters.
Here’s more about each series.
Produced by Nikki Boella (Americas Got Talent; Rhythm + Flow) and Brian Lando (A Very Brady Renovation), Roller Jam is a six-episode competition series featuring the top roller-skating crews in the country dancing through the decades for a chance to win a $150,000 cash prize and a $10,000 donation to their local rink. Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum singer/songwriter and actress Jordin Sparks will host, with two-time U.S. Olympian and national figure skating champion Johnny Weir and roller-skating legend Terrell Ferguson serving as judges of the first-ever nationwide roller dancing competition on television. Each episode, skate teams must create all-new routines to perform for Johnny, Terrell and a celebrity guest judge in front of a live audience with only one chosen in the end as the ultimate roller dancing team in the country.
Filmed in Kansas City, Second Chance Stage is an eight-episode talent competition series produced by Sony Pictures Television’s The Intellectual Property Corporation (Selena + Restaurant; We’re Here; The Climb) that offers contestants who have pushed their dreams aside for years, even decades, a second chance at their big break. With performances ranging from dancing to singing to stand-up comedy and more, one winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize in front of an audience full of talent scouts, agents and producers looking for the next big star. Judges include country music superstar Martina McBride, acclaimed stage and screen actor Taye Diggs and Saturday Night Live cast member, comedian and actress Heidi Gardner with sports broadcaster and New York Times bestselling author Emmanuel Acho tapped to host.
Produced by A. Smith and Co. (American Ninja Warrior; Floor is Lava), Human vs. Hamster is a cheeky eight-episode competition series where the world’s most remarkable pet hamsters go toe-to-toe with teams of humans in scaled challenges that will test their speed, strength, agility – and, of course, their eating prowess – all for the sake of answering the burning question: “Which species is superior, humans or hamsters?” The team who wins the most challenges against the hamsters moves on to an epic obstacle course – The Cage – where they must escape before the hamsters to win. Saturday Night Live cast member, comedian and actress Sarah Sherman will host with football commentator Kyle Brandt, plus television personality Brian Balthazar as the resident hamster enthusiast.
“We’re thrilled to launch this fun, ambitious and expansive unscripted slate on Max this fall,” said Allison Page, Magnolia Network president, said in a statement. “By leveraging our storytelling and production expertise for these imaginative formats, we aim to surprise and delight viewers of all ages and create opportunities for families and friends to enjoy together.”
Magnolia Network also previewed their upcoming 2025 series Back to the Frontier, the network’s “first-ever social experiment.” The series will follow three families as they live for two months as if they are on the 1800s American frontier. They will have to rely on each other to get through daily 1800s-era challenges, such as raising animals, farming, and making a homestead. The series is produced by Wall to Wall Media, the company behind Who Do You Think You Are? and Becoming You.
Check out the video below to learn more about the upcoming series.
