Tuning in to TV

“The Vanilla Ice Project” came together after a producer remembered Mr. Van Winkle talking about his real estate experience during an interview for another show.

Matt Levine, with Departure Films, said he had done a special on Vanilla Ice for the Biography Channel several years ago. So when the production company was looking to duplicate the success of “Flip This House,” a hit on the A&E Network, Mr. Levine thought of Mr. Van Winkle. When Mr. Levine called, he learned that Mr. Van Winkle was in the process of buying a large, completely gutted foreclosure in Palm Beach.

“I flew down with a camera, and we shot a little demo of him showing off the place and talking about his experience in real estate and what he wanted to do with this house,” Mr. Levine said. “It was really very impressive, and it became this little teaser reel. And DIY was immediately interested in it.”

That house became the project for the first season, which aired in fall 2010. The show became an instant hit for the DIY Network, and the home sold a short time later.

“I think it was unexpected, his likeability and how much he knew,” Mr. Levine said. “I think once it became clear that he really knew his stuff, people started to look at him in a different way. Instead of seeing him as a one-hit wonder or a blast from the past, people started to appreciate him much more than they expected.”

Cuban’s HDNet gets relaunch, will feature lifestyle shows

Mark Cuban’s HDNet is joining forces with sports and entertainment presenter AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media and Hollywood talent firm Creative Artists Agency to rebrand the network, the Associated Press reports.

The relaunched network will be called AXS TV (pronounced “access”) and will debut this summer with a slate of live entertainment and lifestyle programming, the companies announced Wednesday. The new network will benefit from the reach of AEG and will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access to concerts, award shows and other pop-culture events, they said.

Claiming an inside track to programming that connects the audience with the complete live experience, AXS TV plans to display touring acts from the creation and development of the show, to rehearsals, soundcheck and performance, as well as the after-party.

“This is a major step on our way to offering more live programming than any other entertainment and lifestyle network,” said Mr. Cuban, a billionaire who owns the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. “AXS TV will unquestionably be able to leverage our unique assets to do things no other network will be able to replicate.”

Some existing programs on HDNet, including “HDNet Fights” and the newsmagazine “Dan Rather Reports,” will continue.

'Deadliest Catch' captain sentenced in fatal crash

An Alaska fishing captain who led a crew on the program that spawned the cable TV show “Deadliest Catch” will serve five years in prison for a fatal crash.

According to the Associated Press, the Peninsula Clarion reported 60-year-old Clarence “Ole” Helgevold Jr. of Soldotna was sentenced Wednesday.

He originally was charged with manslaughter in January 2011 when his car crashed with a snowmobile driven by George Larion, who was thrown from the snowmobile and died.

Story Continues →