Roku to Develop Original Series With Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Christopher Kimball

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorRoku is super-sizing its cooking entertainment lineup.The streaming platform announced co-production deals with Marquee Brands and Milk Street Studios to develop seven original series starring lifestyle and culinary personalities Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse and Christopher Kimball.The new programming was unveiled as part of Roku’s 2022 NewFronts presentation for marketers.

The shows, to premiere exclusively on the Roku Channel, are “Martha Cooks,” “Martha Holidays” (working title), and “Martha Gardens” from Martha Stewart; “Emeril Cooks,” “Emeril Tailgates” from Lagasse: and “Milk Street’s Cooking School” and “Milk Street’s My Family Recipe” from Christopher Kimball.In addition to the all-new original series, the deals will bring complete past seasons of Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse and Christopher Kimball series to the Roku Channel — comprising more than 3,000 episodes from the vault for free.

Roku said it also plans to create linear channels featuring the programming for its live TV guide. “We are thrilled to bring our viewers this standout content from culinary and cultural powerhouses Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse and Chris Kimball — for free,” Rob Holmes, Roku’s VP of programming, said in announcing the deals. “These exciting first-of-their-kind partnerships for Roku with Marquee Brands and Milk Street Studios, showcase our unique ability to drive value across the streaming ecosystem.”“We’re thrilled to be working with a great partner like The Roku Channel to make several of our celebrated series led by world renowned personalities Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse accessible to audiences for free,” Neil Fiske, CEO of Marquee Brands, said in a statement. “Martha and Emeril are.