NEW SPECIAL “LIP SYNC TO THE RESCUE,” HOSTED BY CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER AND FEATURING COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR LUKE BRYAN, TO AIR SEPT. 9 ON CBS
Inspired by the Viral Video Phenomenon #LipSyncChallenge, Featuring First Responders Posting Lip Sync Videos and Challenging Other Departments to Do the Same
More than 11 Million Votes Cast on CBS.com to Set Up the Top 10 Countdown
Viewers Will Choose Their Favorite Lip Sync Video Winner During the Live Broadcast
$100,000 Awarded to Winner and $50,000 to Runner-Up
Inspired by the viral video phenomenon #LipSyncChallenge, the new special LIP SYNC TO THE RESCUE, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, star of CBS’ hit comedy THE NEIGHBORHOOD, will be broadcast Monday, Sept. 9 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Also, country music superstar Luke Bryan is featured on the show when he surprises the Saratoga County, N.Y. deputy sheriff’s office and helps them redo their original lip sync video.
“The quality of lip sync videos produced, the response in submissions, and the voting have been off the charts,” said Robert Horowitz, JUMA President & Executive Producer. “Viewers will be amazed with the production quality and entertainment value with each video. Plus, with Cedric the Entertainer as host and Luke Bryan coming to the rescue of a first responder unit with a once-in-a-lifetime do-over opportunity, there are magical moments throughout the show.”
LIP SYNC TO THE RESCUE is an interactive countdown special featuring first responders channeling their inner pop stars and lip-syncing to hit music, a trend that began with the viral video sensation #LipSyncChallenge. Fans are rallying around their favorite videos from departments around the country from Norfolk, Va., to Seattle, Wash., and Skokie, Ill., to Greenville, Texas and more. The top 30 videos were selected from over 1,000 lip sync videos, and over 11 million votes have been cast to date to determine the top 10 that will be revealed during the broadcast. Once the final two videos are announced, viewers will vote LIVE via Twitter to determine the winner. The winning department will be awarded $100,000, and the runner-up will get $50,000, to take back to their communities.
Realizing that not all the first responders had the time, talent or resources to create a great lip sync video, country music star Luke Bryan comes to the rescue in a special segment. Without the department knowing that he is involved, the show offered the Saratoga County deputy sheriff’s office a “do-over” of their video, sending a top Nashville music video producer to Saratoga County, N.Y. to produce the video, timing the production to occur when Bryan’s concert tour was in town. During the first responders’ final rehearsal, Bryan surprised the deputy sheriffs and invited them to his concert that night. Then, he revealed that not only was the producer sent to help with the lip sync video do-over, but the deputy sheriffs would perform live onstage with him that evening.
Over the course of a career spanning 30 years, Cedric the Entertainer has solidified his status as one of the world’s premier performers. In July 2018, the actor and comedian was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Just months later, in December 2018, Cedric’s hometown of St Louis, Mo., named a street in his honor, Cedric the Entertainer Way, in recognition of his far-reaching career achievements and dedicated philanthropy. In addition to starring in and executive producing THE NEIGHBORHOOD, Cedric currently appears in the hit TV comedy “The Last O.G.” Additional television credits include “The Soul Man,” a comedy Cedric co-created, executive produced and starred in for five seasons; “The Steve Harvey Show,” for which Cedric won four consecutive NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy; the sketch comedy series “Cedric the Entertainer Presents,” nabbing the AFTRA Award of Excellence; and Disney’s animated “The Proud Family,” which earned him an NAACP Image Award. Also, he hosted the 12th season of the syndicated game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” In film, Cedric is perhaps best known for his crowd-pleasing performances in the hit “Barbershop” film franchise, as well as “The Original Kings of Comedy,” the Spike Lee-directed concert feature that chronicled the record-breaking Kings of Comedy Tour. Additionally, his vocal talents are showcased in the top-ranking “Madagascar” and “Disney’s Planes” animated franchises. Recently, Cedric earned critical acclaim for his performance in the Oscar-nominated drama “First Reformed,” starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried.
Luke Bryan is a two-time Academy of Country Music and two-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year; a five-time host of the ACM Awards, on the Network; a two-year celebrity judge on the television show “American Idol”; and a NSAI Artist/Songwriter of the Year; and he was named a CMT Artist of the Year six consecutive years. Bryan has more certified digital singles than any other country artist, with 46 million tracks and 12 million albums with four billion music streams. Bryan has placed 22 singles at #1, 12 of which he co-wrote. In May 2019, Luke kicked off the first weekend of his “Sunset Repeat Tour,” with 50,000 fans followed by a sold-out show in Boston’s Gillette Stadium, bringing his career headline stadium concert tally to 35. Last summer, Bryan opened Nashville’s only six-floor entertainment facility in the heart of Music City, LUKE’S 32 BRIDGE FOOD + DRINK. The name was inspired by Bryan’s childhood home near Route 32 Bridge in Lee County, Ga.
LIP SYNC TO THE RESCUE is produced by JUMA ENTERTAINMENT. Robert Horowitz, Lewis Fenton and Jane Mun are the executive producers. Ryan Polito will direct.
RATING: To Be Announced
