Archie Comic Publications has teamed with Nick Cannon's NCredible Entertainment to develop a non-scripted TV series based on "Josie and the Pussycats".
The show will coincide with a worldwide search for the new 'Josie', 'Melody' and 'Valerie', to be chronicled in a reality competition series.
Archie Comics will launch fresh "Josie" titles to coincide with the project.
"Josie" was created in 1958 by illustrator Dan DeCarlo, basing the character on his wife Josie. DeCarlo sold the property to Archie Comics, developing the charcters into a bi-monthly comic book series. After being introduced in "Archie's Pals 'n' Gals" #23, the first issue of "She's Josie" appeared February 1963, featuring sweet-natured 'Josie', blonde bombshell 'Melody' and studious 'Pepper'.
In 1968, "The Archie Show" debuted on CBS, produced by Filmation Studios, with the show's song "Sugar, Sugar" hitting the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, September 1969.
Hanna-Barbera Productions contacted Archie Comics to get in on the action, acquiring rights to "Josie", producing a music-based, animated Saturday morning TV series.
In 1969, 'Josie" comics became "Josie And The Pussycats", with Josie and Melody starting a band with bassist 'Valerie', designing leopard print costumes with cat ear headbands/long tails and performing their first gig at a school dance. In 2001, a "Josie And The Pussycats" feature was released.
"We are thrilled to be working with Nick Cannon and the NCredible Entertainment team," said Archie Comics Co-CEO Jon Goldwater.
"Through this partnership we envision endless possibilities with Archie's vast library of intellectual properties."
"'Archie Comics' and 'Josie and the Pussycats' are both iconic brands that I am excited to be working with, " said Cannon. "It is my vision to create a multi-platform campaign to bring the Josie and the Pussycats brand to life."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Josie And The Pussycats" plus 'The Archies' doing "Sugar Sugar"...
