Small Screen: Sister, Sister Reunion
MICHELE THOMAS
Network: Yesterday, U.S. Supreme court justices weighed in on the Comcast appeal in Byron Allen’s racial bias lawsuit. Allen’s case accuses Comcast Corp of discriminating against black channels and whatever the ruling is, it could possibly impact how plaintiffs can enforce claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which forbids discrimination on the bases of race in business contracts. The justices toggled with understanding if the lower court that advanced Allen’s original lawsuit did so “under the proper legal standard.” Reports say both conservative and democratic justices raised questions that suggest that the decision made from the appeals court siding with Allen may need to be reconsidered.
USA Network
Cable: Fresh off the success of When They See Us, Ava DuVernay is gearing up for a new drama series for TNT. Kat Candler, showrunner of season three of Queen Sugar, will also be teaming up with DuVernay for the show and both with act as executive producers and writers. According to reports, the currently untitled drama will be about a “struggling wife and mother” who becomes the leader of a labor union strike in Texas after an oil explosion kills an old friend.
The Suits spinoff centered around Gina Torres, Pearson will not be renewed for a second season with its last episode airing over a month ago. After ten episodes, the show failed in drawing in ratings like that of its parent series. Reports say Pearson averaged about half the viewers as Suits, bringing in approximately 513,000 average viewers. It’s reported as USA’s least-watched scripted series of 2019.
Streaming: Selena is coming to the small screen as the teaser for the upcoming Netflix drama, Selena: The Series has been released. Christian Serratos will play Selena Quintanilla, and the show will be a serialized account of her life and ultimate death in 1995. Selena: The Series will be broken up into two parts with the first premiering in 2020. The Quintanilla family will also be a part of the project, behind the scenes as executive producers. You might recognize Serratos from The Walking Dead as Rosita Espinosa, though it is unclear whether the actress will continue on with her role.
Everywhere you look, popular television shows of the past are being rebooted to the delight of nostalgic fans. Though the show isn’t getting a reboot, Jackée Harry joined Tia Mowry for a Sister, Sister reunion on the holiday special of Family Reunion on Netflix. Harry along with iconic Black actress, Telma Hopkins played the sisters of M’Dear, played by Loretta Devine. Family Reunion follows the McKellan family as they move from Seattle to Georgia and try to adjust to their new life closer to family.