Roku partners with Reese Witherspoon & Charlie Puth for unscripted originals expansion

The Great American Baking Show

Roku has commissioned and returned a slew of new original unscripted series, including projects from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.

New titles announced at the 2023 IAB NewFronts include Charlie Makes A Record (working title), a six-episode unscripted comedy starring US singer-songwriter Charlie Puth, which takes stories from his real life and turns them into borderline-surreal scenarios. He’ll write new music, take his career to new heights, and attempt to balance super-stardom with a regular life – all while trying to silence the oppressive sense of crippling solitude racing through his head.

David Collins, Rob Eric, Renata Lombardo, and Michael Wiliams serve as executive producers for Scout Productions. Charlie Puth, Ty Stiklorius and Mikaela Puth also executive produce.

Celebrity Family Cook Off (working title), meanwhile, follows food-loving celebrities and their families as they face off against other famous faces in a two-round battle – dinner followed by dessert. Each round of the competition will feature a culinary challenge inspired by a hit movie or television series. The winning celeb-family duo will receive a cash prize to donate to a charity of their choice. The series is hosted by Manolo Gonzalez Vergara.

The six-episode series is produced by Butternut, a Wheelhouse company, and Latin World Entertainment. Courtney White, Brent Montgomery, and Teri Weideman serve as executive producers for Butternut, with Sofia Vergara, Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, Kate Presutti, and Luis Balaguer executive producing for Latin World Entertainment.

Carpe DM With Juanpa follows Mexican adventurer, social media star, and actor Juanpa Zurita as he faces challenges that push his body and mind to the limit all across the United States. Along the way, Juanpa aims to demonstrate the transformative power of stepping outside your comfort zone and bringing your inner adventurer to life.

The six-episode series is produced by INE Entertainment and ARCO. Eric Day, Mark Koops, and Sarah Davies executive produce for INE, while Juanpa Zurita and Brenda Tubilla executive produce for ARCO. Dave Lingwood will also executive produce.

Also newly ordered by Roku is Side Hustlers, a docuseries in which two savvy investors each mentor three aspiring entrepreneurs. The investors guide the side hustlers through a high-stakes boot camp aimed at transforming their side hustles into sustainable main hustles that could potentially make millions.

In the end, the investors and the side hustlers have a big decision to make – the investor decides if they want to put a large amount of cash into the business and the side hustlers decide if they are going to finally quit their day job.

The five-episode series is produced by Hello Sunshine in association with Ally. Reese Witherspoon and Sara Rea executive produce for Hello Sunshine. Emma Grede, co-founder and CEO of Good American and founding partner of Skims, executive produces and will also appear in the series as an investor.

Meanwhile, Special Delivery is a food competition show that tests chefs on how well they can craft dishes for at-home delivery. Chefs will not only be judged on how well their meals turn out, but on overall branding, packaging, and pricing of the meal specifically designed for home delivery.

Each episode will feature a themed challenge, the results of which will be determined by both a panel of experts and an on-screen group of everyday Americans. Viewers can then get a literal taste of the action by immediately enjoying winning dishes from the show.

The six-episode series is produced by ITV America’s High Noon Entertainment and Ready Set Go. Scott Feeley and Adam Sher are the executive producers for High Noon. Donray Von and Meredith Sandland serve as executive producers for Ready Set Go.

Meet Me In Paris

Returning titles

Roku has also renewed shows for new seasons, including Honest Renovations, hosted and executive produced by Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis, which will return for a second run. The series is produced by Summit House and 3 Arts Entertainment, whose Oly Obst and Dunia McNeily also exec produce.

The Great American Baking Show is also back for a second season, alongside a special The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday.

Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will return for the new season of the US series based on the The Great British Bake Off format. Nine of the best amateur bakers in America enter the iconic baking show tent to tackle the most unique signature challenges to date. The special will meanwhile feature all-new celebrity bakers.

The Great American Baking Show is produced by Love Productions, with Richard McKerrow and Jeremy Finn serving as executive producers.

As well as returning shows, feature film Meet Me in Rome will follow up rom-com Meet Me In Paris, with a new group of young women looking for a “love like in the movies.”

Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Zoë Saldaña’s Cinestar Pictures will return to co-produce, with Witherspoon, Saldaña, Sara Rea, Sue Kinkead, Cisely Saldaña, Mariel Saldaña, and Angela Rae Berg serving as executive producers.