CMT today revealed a new title and premiere date for its upcoming limited eight part scripted series SUN RECORDS formerly known as "Million Dollar Quartet" and based on the Tony Award®-winning musical, on Thursday, February 23 at 10 PM ET/PT. The announcement comes on the heels of the 60th anniversary of the historic Million Dollar Quartet recording sessions featuring Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins on December 4, 1956 at the Sun Records Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. "Sun Records" will join "Nashville" to complete CMT's new Thursday line-up.
Set in Memphis during the tumultuous early days of the civil rights movement, "Sun Records" tells the untold story of nothing less than the birth of rock 'n' roll. Guided by Sam Phillips, young musicians like
Johnny Cash,
Elvis Presley,
Carl Perkins and
Jerry Lee Lewis combined the styles of hillbilly country with the 1950s R&B sound created by artists like Muddy Waters,
B.B. King, Fats Domino and Ike Turner, and changed the course of music forever. The series chronicles these young artists' often jarring and sudden meteoric rise to fame in the face of sweeping political change and social unrest.
The all-star cast includes Chad
Michael Murray (Sun Records founder Sam Phillips),
Billy Gardell (Presley and Arnold's manager, Colonel
Tom Parker), Drake Milligan (
Elvis Presley), Kevin Fonteyne (
Johnny Cash), Christian Lees (
Jerry Lee Lewis), Jonah Lees (Jimmy Swaggart),
Trevor Donovan (Eddy Arnold), Keir O'Donnell (Dewey Phillips), Jennifer Holland (Sam's wife Becky Phillips),
Margaret Anne Florence (Sam's assistant Marion Keisker), and Kerry Holliday (Ike Turner).
"Sun Records" is a part of CMT's growing roster of scripted programming including the highly-anticipated new season of "Nashville" on Thursday, January 5 and the second season premiere of "Still The King" starring
Billy Ray Cyrus this spring. The network also recently announced the pilot "His Wives & Daughters," including
Jane Seymour, Gail O'Grady and
Jeff Kober, will begin production this January. Additional scripted projects in development include a script order for a television adaptation of "Varsity Blues."
"Sun Records" is produced by Thinkfactory Media with Leslie Greif ("Hatfields & McCoys," "Texas Rising") as executive producer, Gil Grant ("24" and "NCIS: Los Angeles") as executive producer and showrunner,
Barry Berg as co-executive producer and Herb Nanas and
Colin Escott as producers. Oscar nominee Roland Joffé directs, with Jayson Dinsmore and Julia Silverton as executive producers for CMT. The series is based on the musical written by
Floyd Mutrux and Escott, with original concept and direction by Mutrux. Casting done by Fern Champion and Sharon Lieblein.
For more information on "Sun Records," visit CMT.com and the
CMT app, like the show's official Facebook page and join the conversation using #SunRecords.
About Thinkfactory Media
Thinkfactory Media is a full-service
Production Company that creates high-quality entertainment content. Renowned for award-winning productions, the company was the driving force behind the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-nominated hit mini-series Hatfields & McCoys (History), starring
Kevin Costner. Recent credits include: the Writers Guild Award-nominated Lifetime biopic, Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le, Million Dollar Matchmaker (WEtv),
TEXAS RISING (History),
MARRIAGE BOOT CAMP (We tv),
MARRIAGE BOOT CAMP: REALITY STARS (We tv),
MARRIED BY MOM AND DAD (TLC), Dead of Winter: The Donner Party (The Weather Channel),
VET SCHOOL (Nat Geo WILD),
PREACHERS' DAUGHTERS (Lifetime), R&B Divas: Atlanta (TV One), R&B Divas: Los Angeles (TV One),
QUEENS OF DRAMA (Pop),
STRANGE LOVE (TLC),
Gene Simmons: Family Jewels (A&E),
Tony Danza: Teach (A&E), among many others. Find out more about Thinkfactory Media and its projects at www.ThinkfactoryMedia.com and follow them on Twitter at @TFactoryMedia.
