Mark Burnett tapped for MTV and Sean Combs' "StarMaker"

MTV teams up with entertainment powerhouse Sean Combs and revolutionary, Emmy Award winning producer Mark Burnett for the brand new reality series “StarMaker.” The new series will set out to find the next history making superstars. MTV and Sean Combs have been developing “StarMaker” since fall of ’07 and made the decision to bring Mark Burnett on board this spring. “StarMaker” is greenlit for January 2009.

“StarMaker” will showcase aspiring solo artists who will compete with the added pressure of living together. In the new series, Sean Combs will continue to do what he does best on the hit series “Making The Band,” spot the best talent while pushing them to their limits. But in this new format both men and women will be competing as individuals for the top spot.

Sean Combs’ hand picked team of star makers will put them through the rigors of “StarMaker” boot camp which extends well beyond just a contestant’s ability to sing. In addition to having to perform in front of an audience each week the contestants will be tested on how well they handle photo shoots, deal with paparazzi, physically perform on stage and more.

“It’s a privilege to partner with Mark Burnett on my latest television venture. He is one of the industry’s best. I am confident that we will do great things together with “StarMaker” and beyond,” remarks Sean Combs.

“I’m looking forward to collaborating with MTV and Sean Combs on this new project” said Mark Burnett. “StarMaker will open the door to the tremendous amount of talent out there just waiting to be discovered. We've created a platform that will allow new and emerging artists a chance to showcase their talents to some of the industry’s best.”

“Sean Combs and Mark Burnett are leaders in the entertainment industry and have both been an integral part of MTV’s success throughout the years,” said Tony DiSanto, EVP Series Development & Programming, MTV. “Getting these two titans of media together, with their long history of hits across platforms but especially in TV and music is a formula for spectacle, drama and the unexpected.”

Emmy nominated executive producer for “Raisin in the Sun,” Sean Combs is the ultimate American entertainer and entrepreneur, while wearing many different hats as record producer, CEO, clothing designer, actor, rapper and much, much more. He’s made hit records, huge business deals, designer clothing and founded the chart-topping artists Danity Kane and Day26.

“StarMaker” will join an already impressive roster of television shows that Sean Combs has executive produced including the hit MTV series “Making The Band,” “Run’s House” and the most recent VH1 show that he created “I Want to Work For Diddy.”

One of the driving forces behind reality television and a true visionary, Mark Burnett has enjoyed a long history of executive producing Emmy Award-winning television, with “Survivor” (CBS) “The Apprentice” (NBC), “Rock Star” (CBS), “Contender” (ESPN) and “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” (FOX). In 2007 and 2008, Burnett produced the MTV Movie Awards and will again in 2009. Burnett’s entrepreneurial spirit pioneered the success of the reality “unscripted” drama series, garnered skyrocketing ratings and introduced millions worldwide to an entirely new television genre.

“StarMaker” is executive produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs, Mark Burnett and Audrey Morrissey. Co-executive producers are Jim Roush and Lee Metzger and Jane Mun is supervising producer. Tony DiSanto, Liz Gateley and Jacquelyn French serve as Executive Producers for MTV.