THE CW NETWORK SETS JUNE 19 PREMIERE FOR NEW SPECIALS “THE BLACK PACK: EXCELLENCE”

AND “BRANDON LEAKE: A FAMILY AFFAIR”

New “Black Pack” Special Starring Taye Diggs, NE-YO and Eric Bellinger Commemorates Juneteenth

Brandon Leake, “America’s Got Talent” Winner, Showcases His Inspirational Spoken Word Poetry in Groundbreaking New Special

May 19, 2022 (Burbank, CA) — The CW Network announced today THE BLACK PACK: EXCELLENCE, a new special celebrating Black excellence and commemorating Juneteenth, as well as the new inspirational spoken word special BRANDON LEAKE: A FAMILY AFFAIR featuring “America’s Got Talent” winner Brandon Leake will premiere on Sunday, June 19.

THE BLACK PACK: EXCELLENCE (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT) is the second special on The CW featuring acclaimed film, television, and stage star Taye Diggs (“All American”), GRAMMY Award® winning singer/songwriter NE-YO and GRAMMY Award® winning R&B singer/songwriter Eric Bellinger as “The Black Pack.” Celebrating Black excellence and culture within an irresistible blend of musical and dance performances, THE BLACK PACK: EXCELLENCE will feature a star-studded list of special guests including Tank and a soul stirring performance by Jordin Sparks to commemorate Juneteenth as “The Black Pack” explores how to celebrate America’s newly acknowledged national holiday while glorifying those that came before. “The Black Pack” also pays tribute to the iconic Sammy Davis Jr. and features a newly-penned Juneteenth anthem.

THE BLACK PACK: EXCELLENCE is produced by Magic Lemonade and executive produced by Taye Diggs, Shannon Stoeke and Rikki Hughes, who also serves as the showrunner.

BRANDON LEAKE: A FAMILY AFFAIR (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT) is an innovative and groundbreaking special like no other. Featuring eight original spoken word poems written and performed by “America’s Got Talent” winner Brandon Leake, the audience will get an intimate look at Brandon’s life in Stockton, Calif. As the story unfolds, viewers will meet the people who inspired Brandon’s poetry: his mom, his uncle, his grandmother, his little brother, his wife, Anna, and his two young children, among others. Filmed at the Haggin Museum in Stockton, Brandon’s performance leaves the confines of the stage, transitioning to environments around Stockton and incorporating animation as a way to reflect Brandon’s lived experience. Using his unique blend of humor and depth, Brandon connects his personal experiences to universal themes of community, loss, love and hope.

Produced by Rotten Science and 3 Arts Entertainment, BRANDON LEAKE: A FAMILY AFFAIR is executive produced by Matthew Vaughan, Brandon Leake and Mark Schulman. The special is directed by Brandon Drew Jordan Pierce a.k.a. Beedy.

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Media Contacts:

Rob Moynihan, 760/519-5543

[email protected]

Jodi Karp, 818/977-2609

[email protected]