Exclusive: Ryan Seacrest to produce hip hop gameshow

Ryan Seacrest is to produce a new hip hop gameshow – Rhyme, Rap or Reason – in the United States, TBI understands.

Seacrest, through his Ryan Seacrest Productions, is in talks with Content Television-affilated formats firm Small World IFT, to produce the series in the US.

The companies are looking to launch the series via syndication and hope to have all of their deals in place by the end of January.

Rhyme, Rap or Reason, which was originally produced by WTN Productions, is a reboot of 1970s gameshow that was created by Bill Naud and presented by Bob Eubanks.

In the original two contestants had to guess a word that a panel of celebrities was thinking. However, in the new version, the contestants and the celebrities will be encouraged to rap the verse rather than just say the rhyme.

It is the latest deal for Ryan Seacrest Productions. The company, which produces Keeping Up With The Kardashians, recently received an infusion of capital from Clear Channel and is moving into scripted television with series including The Nanny Diaries for ABC Family and an untitled cop drama for FX from The Firm’s Jonathan Shapiro.