Desmond Scott, the chef and culinary creator with 1.9 million followers on Instagram, is partnering with BET and Paramount, TheWrap has learned. The digital cooking show “Let’s Get It Started with Desmond Scott” will premiere on Nov. 3.
The 12-episode series will be hosted and executive produced by Scott. It will be available to watch on BET’s platforms, as well as on social media and YouTube.
Whereas most other cooking shows focus solely on main courses or desserts, Scott will be zeroing in on one of the most under-appreciated parts of the meal, the appetizer. During each 20-minute episode, Scott will take viewers from start to finish on a single dish as he infuses his cooking lessons with his approachable personality. Instead of just showing off his skills, Scott treats the audience as his “sous chefs,” showing them how they can implement even advanced techniques at home.
Scott has a combined social reach of approximately 3.5 million followers and more than 10 million likes on his culinary TikTok alone. “Let’s Get It Started” marks an evolution from Scott as the creator expands the culinary community he’s built digitally and transforms it into a larger entertainment format. Scott will also serve as an executive producer of the show.
It’s also a move in the right direction for Paramount and BET. Out of all the major media companies, Paramount has been investing in the creator ecosystem the least. The movie and show sides of the company work closely with creators and influencers to promote new projects, but there aren’t many creator-led projects, with a few exceptions. For example, “The Daily Show” has done a great job of capitalizing on Josh Johnson’s viral fame, promoting him to be one of the rotating hosts of the late night show. Paramount Primal also has “Boys for Life,” a movie that is directed by Tyler Falbo and co-written by Falbo and Max Barrett from Almost Friday (1.1 million YouTube subscribers) fame.
This partnership with Scott is another step in a creator-focused direction as the battle around creators heats up.
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