Justin Timberlake to Produce New Reality Show

MTV has given the green light to Justin Timberlake who will be the executive producer of a new reality TV show. The show is called The Phone, which is based on a Dutch reality show format, beginning each episode with two hidden cell phones ringing at opposite ends of a major city. Contestants who answer the phones will have five seconds to decide if they want to play along for a cash prize, and then a guide on the other end of the line gives them a mission to complete before the time runs out.

As they embark on their adventure, a helicopter tracks their every move. MTV describes the show as a wild and cinematic ride reminiscent of films like The Bourne Identity and The Game.

Tony Disanto, MTV executive vice president of programming and series development, said in a statement:

"Genre-busting and reinvention is at the core of what we do, and The Phone does just that. Each week will be an action-packed mini-movie."

The show will debut this fall, but has no specific launch date yet.

The concept of The Phone reminds me a lot of the 2002 movie Phone Booth starring Colin Farrell. It sounds like it could be a great show as long as there are some creative writers to keep things interesting. Justin hasn’t had a lot of success in front of the camera, so maybe he’ll do better behind the camera.