Roku Inc.
04/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/24/2024 14:31
Tracee Ellis Ross Packs Her (Many) Bags for New Roku Original Travel Doc-Series “Tracee Travels” (wt)
Series produced by Joy Mill Entertainment and Artists First
SAN JOSE, Calif. - April 24, 2024 - Today, Roku, America's #1 TV streaming platform*, announced the greenlight of a new Roku Original doc-series "Tracee Travels" (WT), helmed by award-winning actress and PATTERN CEO and founder Tracee Ellis Ross.
A champion of solo travel, Tracee invites viewers on her journey, as she meticulously, laboriously, and sometimes ridiculously prepares for and travels solo to spectacular locations. Tracee charts her own path, as she explores the intersection of beauty, fashion, design, food, and culture at each stop of her trip. The docu-series will shoot later this year and debut exclusively on The Roku Channel in 2025. The first season's locations will be announced at a later date.
"I took my first solo trip when I was 22 years old. I decided way back then that I wouldn't wait to do the things I wanted to do or for my life to come to me. I've been solo traveling ever since, now there's just a lot more luggage!" said Tracee Ellis Ross. "I hope this show reminds people that they too can courageously live their lives on their own terms, find their happiness, and be their whole selves and their best selves - by themselves. Everyone deserves to be joyous and audaciously free."
"No one travels like Tracee Ellis Ross-when it comes to going solo in style, she's the expert," said Brian Tannenbaum, Head of Originals, Roku Media. "We can't wait to partner with Tracee, Joy Mill Entertainment, and Artists First to take viewers on the trip of a lifetime and witness the delight of self-discovery and independence."
The doc-series is produced by Joy Mill Entertainment and Artists First. Tracee Ellis Ross and E. Brian Dobbins serve as executive producers. Adriana Ambriz and Caroline Soss serve as co-executive producers. The series is overseen by Olivia LaRoche, Head of Alternative Originals, on behalf of Roku Originals.
Ross is the owner, founder, and co-CEO of PATTERN Beauty, the multi-million dollar business she created specifically for the curly, coily and tight-textured community in 2019. PATTERN is the #1 BIPOC brand and #2 curl brand at ULTA Beauty and is also sold at Target and Sephora. Ross is an award-winning actress and was most recently seen in the Academy Award-winning drama "American Fiction" opposite Jeffrey Wright, and for eight seasons, Ross starred in the critically acclaimed ABC series "Black-ish." Ross has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including a Golden Globe Award and nine NAACP Image Awards, and was named a Disney Legend for making an extraordinary contribution to The Walt Disney Company. On the producing front, Ross has a multi-year overall deal with ABC Signature under her production company, Joy Mill Entertainment.
Joy Mill Entertainment is a development and production company committed to telling joyful, fun, and grounded stories exploring how we see ourselves and how we connect to one another. Joy Mill Entertainment was founded by Golden Globe winning, Emmy nominated actor, producer, and entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross. The company has a deal with ABC Signature.
Roku's growing slate of Roku Originals offers bold, fresh entertainment from the biggest names in Hollywood. In addition to "Tracee Travels," viewers get free access to "The Great American Baking Show," "Honest Renovations," "The Spiderwick Chronicles," "Morimoto's Sushi Master," the "Die Hart" franchise, "WWE: Next Gen," "WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story," and more.
*By hours streamed (Hypothesis Group: Q4 2023)
About The Roku Channel
Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free ad-supported streaming television on Roku, and features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 on-demand movies and programs, more than 400 live linear television channels, and premium subscription offerings in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners and features a growing library of Roku Originals.
Roku U.S. Media Contacts
Nicole Wilcox
Sophia Economou
**Photo credit: Erik Melvin, 2024