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Manifest Media, the award-winning creative studio behind acclaimed podcasts such as “Table Read” and Ryan Kavanaugh’s “Failure,” is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Realm, an industry-leading podcast studio and one of the world's fastest-growing independent podcast networks.

Led by former book publishing executive Molly Barton and team members from CAA, Disney, Warner Brothers, Spotify, and NBC Universal, Realm brings a wealth of experience and creativity to the partnership.

Manifest Media is gearing up for the second season of its flagship podcast "Table Read," with partnerships featuring notable figures like Tom Holland, Scooter Braun, Sonny Postiglione, and other rising stars. Among the other upcoming podcasts is "Hot Love," a collaboration with Brenda Jackson, the New York Times and USA Today's best-selling author, bringing her distinctive narration and audio drama style to real-world love stories. In the horror genre, the team is partnering with Tom Holland, the mastermind...

Exclusive: Production and management company The Cartel has entered into an agreement with New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson and writer-producer Bobby Smith Jr to option and acquire over 25 of the author’s novels. Jackson’s canon will be adapted for film and TV.

Among Jackson’s best-known works included in the deal are The Catalina Cove series of books, The Perfect series, The Playa’s series, The Big Girl series, The Madaris’ Family, as well as Men of Action books.

Stan Spry, Eric Woods, Jeff Holland and Ryan Saul will produce for Cartel, along with Jackson and Smith’s Bobby Smith Jr Productions.

“I am incredibly excited to be embarking on this magnificent journey with Stan, Ryan, The Cartel, and the incomparable Brenda Jackson of course,” said Smith.

Said Jackson: “It is with great pleasure that I look forward to working with The Cartel and the accomplished Bobby Smith Jr.,...

Exclusive: Bobby Smith Jr and his production company, Bobby Smith Jr. Productions, have signed with management and production outfit The Cartel for representation in all areas.

Smith Jr recently sold Disney+ a pitch for Inner City Symphony, a live-action movie on the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles and its founder, artistic director, and longtime conductor Charles Dickerson III.

He launched Bobby Smith Jr. Productions earlier this month, teaming with bestselling Black romance author Brenda Jackson to run the film and television company.

Smith Jr is also currently writing Burst, a sci-fi thriller that has secured finance from Acj Films and Sobini Films. The script sees a military transport aircraft carrying seven soldiers caught in a massive gamma-ray burst which sends the plane and the soldiers careening simultaneously into the future and the past.

Literary manager Ryan Saul said: “Bobby transcends just being a writer and comes armed with...

Bobby Smith Jr. and his Ashore Entertainment and author Brenda Jackson have partnered to launch a film and television company to develop and produce titles from Jackson’s collection of romance novels.

Smith Jr. will oversee and write the film and TV adaptations, which will include Jackson’s Bestselling Catalina Cove Series, Madaris Series, Playas Series, Bennett Series, as well as others from her vast collection of over 130 novels and novellas.

Jackson began her professional writing career in 1995 with the release of her first book, “Tonight and Forever.” Since then she has written over 130 titles, which includes a made-for-television movie by BET, “One Special Moment,” as well as movies like “Truly Everlasting” and “A Brother’s Honor.”

She is repped by attorney Garrett Johnson.

“As a romance author, it’s wonderful to write love stories and then see them adapted as movies,” said Jackson. “I appreciate Bobby for believing in my...

In a move to expand diverse voices in the romance novel industry, writer Bobby Smith Jr. (Jason’s Lyric) and bestselling Black romance author Brenda Jackson have teamed to launch a film and television company to develop and produce titles from Jackson’s works.

The endeavor will include Jackson’s bestselling titles from her Catalina Cove Series, Madaris Series, Playas Series, Bennett Series, as well as others from her collection of over 130 novels and novellas.

Smith Jr. and Jackson will work together to adapt the novels for the big screen, with Smith Jr. overseeing and writing the film and TV adaptations.

“I am so excited to be joining forces with the great Brenda Jackson to celebrate and bring Black romance and Black love stories to the television screens of the world through the launching of this endeavor. It’s about time that Black love and Black romance truly received the...

TV and film producer Bobby Smith Jr. and romance novelist Brenda Jackson are teaming up.

The two have formed a production company that will develop and produce projects based on Jackson’s large catalog of romance titles. Smith (Jason’s Lyric, Their Eyes Were Watching God) will overseeing and writing adaptations of the books.

“I am so excited to be joining forces with the great Brenda Jackson to celebrate and bring black romance and black love stories to the television screens of the world through the launching of this endeavor,” said Smith. “It’s about time that black love and black romance truly received the ...

TV and film producer Bobby Smith Jr. and romance novelist Brenda Jackson are teaming up.

The two have formed a production company that will develop and produce projects based on Jackson’s large catalog of romance titles. Smith (Jason’s Lyric, Their Eyes Were Watching God) will overseeing and writing adaptations of the books.

“I am so excited to be joining forces with the great Brenda Jackson to celebrate and bring black romance and black love stories to the television screens of the world through the launching of this endeavor,” said Smith. “It’s about time that black love and black romance truly received the ...

In The Closer, a crime drama created by James Duff, Kyra Sedgwich stars as Los Angeles Deputy Chief Brenda Jackson, a woman in charge.

Episodes of the TV show feature a large ensemble cast and highlight the way that law enforcement agencies interact with the unique culture of Los Angeles. Characters often grapple with ethical and moral concerns, and explore the way that personal beliefs and circumstances affect their work and personal lives.

The fifth season of The Closer has just been released on DVD and the four-disc set includes all 15 episodes as well as unaired scenes, a gag reel, and a crime location map feature. Series regulars in season five include Sedgwick, J.K. Simmons, Corey Reynolds, Robert Gossett, G.W. Bailey, Tony Denison, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Phillip P. Keene, and Jon Tenney.

You can purchase The...