MP Television and Metropolitan Sound + Vision announced that all six episodes of brand-new comedy series Fairwood will debut on Thursday, April 7, exclusively on Crackle. Fairwood is created by award-winning recording artists Steve Richard and Tim Mauldin, aka The Fairwood Brothers and writer/director Bud Schaetzle, the creative mind behind televised events starring Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Wynonna Judd, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks. The series will also debut this summer on Latin American and European platforms.

Fairwood is a co-production of Richard's Force MP Television and Schaetzle’s Metropolitan Sound + Vision. The quirky single-camera series follows the exploits of Rusty and Clark Fairwood, colorful small-town entertainers with an infectious, upbeat “positivistic” philosophy. Thrust unexpectedly into the limelight as hosts of a talk show on Channel 29 in their rustic hometown of East Plains, the Brothers unite their relatives, friends and neighbors against the all-powerful Pentalode Corporation, whose carpetbagging executives work to overrun the town and take control of its unexploited natural resources.

“We’re thrilled to finally bring the world of Fairwood to Crackle viewers,” said Schaetzle. “Rusty and Clark’s comedic sensibility, coupled with their long-standing musical collaboration that led here, deliver an authentic and uplifting story of an underdog community going head-to-head with big business.”

Richard and Mauldin introduced the happy-go-lucky characters Rusty and Clark on their faith-based rock album Contrary to Popular Belief in 2012. With a funny, charming and moral worldview, The Fairwood Brothers were created to represent the power of the underdog – and to highlight through music and storytelling the value of community, family, and The Golden Rule. The characters appeared in several experimental projects before partnering with Metropolitan.

Fairwood also stars Grammy winner and Grand Ole Opry member Pam Tillis (Nashville, Promised Land), Broadway and primetime vet Robert Stoeckle (TheAmericans, Law and Order), Karen Sternberg (I Only Miss You When I’m Breathing), Jonothon Mitchell (Hillbilly Elegy), Tamiko Robinson Steele (Smoketown), William McKinney (Journey to Royal), Tatiana Zappardino (NCIS: New Orleans), Dean Shortland (Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings), Cali Elizabeth Moore (30 Rock), Rolando Madrigal (Your Worst Nightmare), and Becky Fly (The Help).

The Fairwood Brothers’ musical roots run deep. Steve Richard (“Rusty Fairwood”) has recorded several acclaimed faith-based albums. His Top 40 single “Keep on Rollin’” made its world premiere on CMT, and “Stomp” fueled a line-dance craze and served as the basis for a video game. His second album ‘Up to Something’ produced his first #1, “Eighty Acre Church,” which along with “Love’s Gotta Go Somewhere” made a splash on the Music Row Chart. Musician, actor, and audio engineer Tim Mauldin (“Clark Fairwood”) was the bandleader and guitarist for Pinkeye D’Gekko, a Contemporary Christian band that toured with Craig Morgan, Bryan White, Junior Brown, Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Flynnville Train, Whiskey Falls, Eric Church, and Halfway to Hazard. Mauldin has also opened for Chuck Berry, Ted Nugent, Marshall Tucker, VanZant, and Lonestar.

Over the past three decades, Bud Schaetzle and his creative teams have produced thousands of hours of live, recorded and televised entertainment. Their awards and nominations include Grammys, Emmys, ACMs, CMAs, MTV, CMT, VH1, Ace, Billboard, GMA, Music City News, Golden Europa, U.S. Film Festival and MIFED. He introduced Garth Brooks to American broadcast audiences via NBC’s landmark special This Is Garth Brooks; produced the most successful music pay-per-view in history with The Judds Farewell Concert; wrote and produced Ordinary Miracles for Hallmark; directed the pilot episodes for Iron Chef USA and The Road; and is writing and producing the upcoming dramatic series Black River with Avenue Pictures.

The Crackle Plus streaming services are currently distributed through 60 touch points in the U.S. on platforms including Amazon FireTV, RokuTV, Apple TV, Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio), gaming consoles (PS4 and Xbox One), Plex, iOS and Android mobile devices and on desktops at Crackle.com, with previously announced plans to expand to over 80 touch points.

ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) (the “Company”) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The Company owns Crackle Plus, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The Company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media and 1091 Pictures subsidiaries and produces original video content through the Chicken Soup for the Soul Television Group. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.