Small Screen: Lilly Singh Gets A Sketch Series While ‘The Henna Artist’ Gets A Series Adaptation, Plus New Streaming Options And Series Coming This Fall
Ade Rawcliffe - ITV
Broadcast: Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood have signed a multiyear first-look deal with Touchstone Television- a division of Disney Television Studios- in which the two will develop television projects for broadcast and streaming through their production company, Undisputed Cinema. In a statement, Touchstone praised Undisputed Cinema for featuring stories that “show humanity on-screen and create deep connections driven to build empathy between their characters and their viewers,” and celebrated the duo for their work as “longtime advocates for equal representation in film and television on-screen and behind-the-scenes.” The two previously worked with Touchstone’s sister studio, 20th Television, on Shots Fired for Fox in 2017. Their most recent projects include The Old Guard (Netflix), which is directed by Prince-Bythewood, and the upcoming series Swagger, created by Bythewood for Apple TV+.
Lilly Singh will star in Sketchy Times with Lilly Singh, an upcoming two-episode sketch series for NBC. Singh will play every character in multiple sketches focused on adapting to the new normal brought upon by the current pandemic, with each episode centering around a specific theme and including musical parodies. Written by Singh, Keisha Zollar and Sean O’Connor- who will also executive produce alongside Polly Auritt- Sketchy Times with Lilly Singh will be produced by Universal Television and Unicorn Island Productions. The series will be shot in Singh’s home with a limited crew, with air dates still to be announced.
ITV has appointed Ade Rawcliffe- the broadcaster’s Director of Creative Diversity- as its Group Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Her new role will see her leading, developing and growing strategies for increased diversity and inclusion within the broadcasting company as part of its recently announced ITV Diversity Acceleration Plan. Rawcliffe praised “the commitment of the management board towards accelerating diversity and inclusion at ITV,” noting that not only should “opportunities…be equally accessible to all,” but also that “there is…a proven business case for greater diversity and better representation,” both behind and in front of the camera.
Sonay Hoffman, writer and producer of ABC’s For Life, has signed a multiyear deal with Sony Pictures TV, promoting her to executive producer of the legal drama. In addition to Hoffman’s promotion, the new deal will see her developing new series across all platforms for Sony. In a statement, Hoffman called her experience working on For Life “incredibly fulfilling,” and expressed her excitement at continuing her relationship with Sony Pictures TV as the two sides will move forward together in “telling contemporary stories in the near future.”
Cable: The first cast members for the upcoming HBO adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me have been announced, including Angela Bassett, Alicia Garza, Joe Morton, Phylicia Rashad, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Courtney B. Vance, Pauletta Washington, Susan Kelechi Watson and Oprah Winfrey. Adapted from a 2018 stage production of Coates’ 2015 bestseller, Between the World and Me is a letter from Coates to his teenage son on his experiences growing up in inner-city Baltimore and his growing fear of violence against the Black community, premised on the notion that America is structurally built upon white supremacy. Executive produced by Coates, Watson, Kamilah Forbes and Roger Ross Williams, the special is currently in production and is slated to air on HBO in the fall, with later streaming availability on HBO Max.
Starz recently released the trailer for its upcoming Power spinoff, Power Book II: Ghost. The spinoff series follows teen drug dealer Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.) as he reckons with his past while adjusting to a new life as he enters college, splitting his focus between getting an education and getting his mother (Naturi Naughton) out of jail. Starring alongside Rainey Jr. and Naughton are Mary J. Blige, Shane Johnson, Gianni Paolo, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Daniel Bellomy and Paige Hurd, with a team of executive producers that includes End of Episode’s Courtney A. Kemp- who also acts as showrunner for the series- and Chris Selak; Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (via G-Unit Film and Television); Mark Canton (via Atmosphere Entertainment MM); Danielle De Jesus; Shana Stein and Bart Wenrich. Power Book II: Ghost, premiers September 6 on Starz.
Freida Pinto is set to star in an upcoming television adaptation of Alka Joshi’s bestselling novel, The Henna Artist. The series will be executive produced by Michael Edelstein as part of his first-look deal with Miramax TV, which acquired and recently optioned the rights to Joshi’s novel, with plans already in place to develop a follow-up that will allow for multiple seasons. The Henna Artist follows the story of 17-year old henna artist Lakshmi, who escapes from an abusive marriage and goes on to become not only the most highly requested henna artist of the wealthy, upper class women of 1950s Jaipur, but also their closest confidante. The series has yet to settle on a writer and is looking into both established Hollywood writers as well as up-and-coming writers from India, many of whom have been selected for consideration by Pinto, who is also producing through her Freebird Films.
Awkwafina and Lori Tan Chinn - Comedy Central
Streaming: HBO Max and Comedy Central Productions have agreed to a deal that will see Comedy Central’s The Other Two and South Side become exclusive to HBO Max starting in 2021, as well as the exclusive streaming rights to Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. As part of the deal, future seasons of The Other Two and South Side will premier on HBO Max instead of Comedy Central, while season two of Awkwafina is Nora from Queens will still air its second season on Comedy Central before becoming available to stream on HBO Max.
Netflix has picked up Complex Networks’ Sneakerheads to debut on the streaming platform as a Netflix original series. Created by Jay Longino, the six-episode comedy follows former sneakerhead and current stay-at-home dad Devin (Allen Maldonado), who loses $5000 after getting involved in a get-rich-quick scheme with his friend Bobby (Andrew Bachelor). Attempting to make up for his losses before his wife finds out, he puts together a group of passionate sneakerheads in a search for the “Zeroes,” one of the rarest and most sought-after pairs in the world. Jearnest Corchado, Matthew Josten, Yaani King Mondschein, Justin Lee and Aja Evans also star. Sneakerheads features an executive production team composed of Longino, Inny Clemons, Justin Killion of Complex Networks; Will Gluck and Richard Schwartz of Olive Bridge Entertainment; Kevin Mann and Brendan Bragg from Haven; Jason Belleville; Rod Grable and Dave Meyers (who also directs). The upcoming comedy will be available to stream starting September 25.
Nearly a year after its initial launch, it was recently announced that Disney+ will become available for viewers in Latin America and the Caribbean starting November 17. The streaming platform’s already-existing catalogue will become available alongside original productions from the region, with the new Marvel series (Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Wandavision and Loki) and season two of The Mandalorian set to become available for Latin American and Caribbean streaming audiences at the same time as their respective release dates in the United States.
A limited drama series about Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest student of the Little Rock Nine, is coming to UCP from executive producers Seth MacFarlane and Chadwick Boseman. Based on Walls LaNier’s memoir, A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High, the untitled series comes from MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door as part of his overall deal with NBCUniversal and is the first television production for Boseman’s X•ception Content. Eisa Davis writes for the series and will executive produce alongside MacFarlane, Boseman, Erica Huggins of Fuzzy Door, Logan Coles of X•ception, Nick Marell, Coby Greenberg and Joe Miucci, with Walls LaNier serving as a consultant.
