GRADEN VH1’S FALL SLATE

Liza Minnelli and David Gest, prison bands, one-hit wonders and a satirical website are among the subjects of the programming slate put together for VH1 by new President of Entertainment Brian Graden and GM Christina Norman.

"VH1 is one of the strongest brands on TV and music, and our next generation of programs will move the brand forward by expanding our voice," said Graden.

"We’re expanding the VH1 filter to connect people and their music," added Norman. "We’ve created the kind of programming that celebrates pop culture right now in the moment while bonding us to our past as well."

Among the new series are:

* Liza and David: The latest reality series, set to premiere in October, offers a "personal and private look" at celebrities, following the newlyweds as they host intimate weekly dinner parties with an eclectic mix of celebrity friends, not necessarily including Mark Harris, Richard Simmons and Nathan Lane.

* I Love the ’80s: Get out your Rubik’s Cube and Members Only jackets. Based on the hugely popular BBC series, this show looks back at the decade year-by-year. Set to premiere Dec. 9-13 during VH1 ’80s Week.

* Music Behind Bars: Pass the soap, Bubba. Documentary series featuring true stories of bands formed in prison, from Oscar-winning producer Arnold Shapiro (Scared Straight). Debuts Nov. 1.

* Rock the House: "Geez, and I thought it was the guy from the Publishers’ Clearinghouse Sweepstakes." A half-hour weekly reality series from Immortal’s Happy Walters and video director Marcos Siega showcasing rock artists paying surprise visits to fans. Premieres in October.

* One Hit Wonders: Beam down Napoleon XIV. A weekly half-hour series that looks at four ephemeral pop hits, hosted by Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner, who promises not to perform his version of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." Debuts with "Disco Divas" July 29.

* Camp Chaos: Based on the website CampChaos.com, this weekly half-hour animated sketch-comedy series skewers pop musicians, pop icons, divas, music TV networks and personalities, events in music industry lore and more. Premiere date TBD.

Among the specials planned are Bubblegum Babylon, exploring the world of teenpop (Nov. 2002); 100 Sexiest Artists, a five-hour, five-night countdown (Sept. 23-27); 100 Greatest Love Songs (Nov. 11-15); 100 Greatest Moments That Rocked the Tube (Jan. 2003); Karaoke Dreams, a cinema verite documentary about six American dreamers "chasing 15 minutes of fame, three minutes at a time."

The channel has also acquired the TV rights for the theatrical films Moulin Rouge, Glitter and Rock Star, all premiering in 2004. VH1 will also have the exclusive cable airing of NBC’s The Rerun Show, which premieres on the cable network Aug. 11, 10 days after its broadcast premiere. The program presents classic TV sitcom scenes brought to life by a celebrity ensemble which reenacts favorite scenes from The Facts of Life, The Jeffersons, Married…With Children and The Partridge Family.