MTV, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Reunite for ‘Making the Band’ Return

By Variety Staff

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – MTV and Sean “Diddy” Combs are reuniting to reboot the reality competition series “Making the Band.” The show is slated to premiere in 2020. Its return was prompted by a tweet Diddy recently posted suggesting it was time for a comeback.

Originally featuring the creation of early 2000s boy band O-Town (the show was conceived by Lou Pearlman, the troubled Svengali and convicted Ponzi schemer who died in prison in 2016), Diddy took over the franchise in 2002. The concept was true to the original: to put together a singing group via an audition process while simultaneously filming the finalists’ lives. The 2.0 version resulted in forming Danity Kane, Day26, Da Band and Donnie Klang.

Said Diddy: “ and I are back together again!! ‘Making the Band’ is coming back bigger, bolder and more cutting edge. MTB on MTV was the pioneer of reality TV. We’re going to bring that supernatural energy back to the format and bring the world it’s next global superstars.”

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome back the incomparable Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to his rightful home at MTV,” added Nina L. Diaz, the network’s president of entertainment. “’Making the Band’ was ahead of its time and the ultimate disruptor – fans everywhere have been clamoring for a return and they are in for the biggest, most iconic season yet.”

Casting opportunities wil be announced in the coming weeks.

Diddy has stayed plugged into the singing competition world, participating in “The Four,” which aired for two seasons on Fox. Other screen credits include starring in 2008’s “A Raisin in the Sun” and executive-producing the Oscar-winning documentary “Undefeated” as well as the Academy Award-nominated “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”

Combs was named Variety‘s Music Mogul of the Year in July 2018 .