If you read the headline and are asking yourselves, pilots? what pilots? — you are not wrong. It’s been largely a 2024 pilot season without pilots. A grand total of maybe one of them is expected to factor into any fall decisions as the broadcast networks prepare to unveil their schedules, starting with CBS tomorrow, May 2.
Needless to say, the broadcast pilot season is no longer the industry obsession it once was this time of year, with back-to-back disruptions from the pandemic and the dual Hollywood strikes providing the proverbial final nail in the coffin of the decades-old pilot cycle. But for tradition’s sake, here are some insights into the networks’ current development plans.
There is no more stacked lineup for next season than CBS’ with three new drama series, Young Gibbs prequel NCIS: Origins; Matlock, starring Kathy Bates; and Watson, headlined by Morris Chestnut; and two new comedies, Poppa’s House,...
Needless to say, the broadcast pilot season is no longer the industry obsession it once was this time of year, with back-to-back disruptions from the pandemic and the dual Hollywood strikes providing the proverbial final nail in the coffin of the decades-old pilot cycle. But for tradition’s sake, here are some insights into the networks’ current development plans.
There is no more stacked lineup for next season than CBS’ with three new drama series, Young Gibbs prequel NCIS: Origins; Matlock, starring Kathy Bates; and Watson, headlined by Morris Chestnut; and two new comedies, Poppa’s House,...
- 5/1/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
On Thursday, Disney Entertainment Television (Det) announced that it has selected the latest cohorts for the company’s Scripted Directing and Writing Programs, two of the entertainment industry’s most successful talent development initiatives.
After expanding into daytime television just last year, three program participants will direct episodes for ABC’s “General Hospital,” with other individuals positioned across Disney-owned 20th Television, ABC Entertainment and ABC Signature-produced programs as directors or writers.
“General Hospital”
ABC
Joining the “General Hospital” team are Erica Eng, Nina Kramer and Aubrey Smyth, each of whom will be shadowing and directing episodes of the daytime drama series, which recently won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series at “The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” in December. The team was represented by directors Tina Keller, Robert Markham, Allison Reames Smith, Gary Tomlin, Frank Valentini (the show’s executive producer), Denise Van Cleave and Phideaux Xavier,...
After expanding into daytime television just last year, three program participants will direct episodes for ABC’s “General Hospital,” with other individuals positioned across Disney-owned 20th Television, ABC Entertainment and ABC Signature-produced programs as directors or writers.
“General Hospital”
ABC
Joining the “General Hospital” team are Erica Eng, Nina Kramer and Aubrey Smyth, each of whom will be shadowing and directing episodes of the daytime drama series, which recently won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series at “The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” in December. The team was represented by directors Tina Keller, Robert Markham, Allison Reames Smith, Gary Tomlin, Frank Valentini (the show’s executive producer), Denise Van Cleave and Phideaux Xavier,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Errol Lewis
- Soap Opera Network
Disney Entertainment Television has selected its latest cohorts for its Directing and Writing Programs, talent development initiatives which nurture creatives on the cusp of television episode directing and staff writing.
“It’s an honor to welcome these exceptional directors and writers into the Det Directing and Writing Programs,” said Tim McNeal, senior vice president, Creative Talent Development and Inclusion, Det. “It’s clear that this group of talented creatives will have a lasting impact not only on Disney but on the industry at large. We’re proud to be part of their journey to shape the future of storytelling.”
2023-2024 Det Directing Program – Scripted Cohort
The Det Directing Program guarantees participants the opportunity to direct an episode of a Disney scripted series or a segment of a Disney unscripted series, and offers professional and career development through mentorship, on-set shadowing experience, and networking opportunities with the company’s creative executives and program alumni.
“It’s an honor to welcome these exceptional directors and writers into the Det Directing and Writing Programs,” said Tim McNeal, senior vice president, Creative Talent Development and Inclusion, Det. “It’s clear that this group of talented creatives will have a lasting impact not only on Disney but on the industry at large. We’re proud to be part of their journey to shape the future of storytelling.”
2023-2024 Det Directing Program – Scripted Cohort
The Det Directing Program guarantees participants the opportunity to direct an episode of a Disney scripted series or a segment of a Disney unscripted series, and offers professional and career development through mentorship, on-set shadowing experience, and networking opportunities with the company’s creative executives and program alumni.
- 2/29/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Applications are now being accepted for Disney Entertainment Television’s 2024 Writing Program. Now in its 34th year, the one-year writing program helps emerging, diverse writers secure their first staff writer assignment on a Disney series, in addition to offering mentorship and advanced professional development.
Managed by Det’s Creative Talent Development & Inclusion (Ctdi) team, the Det Writing Program has had a 100% annual staffing rate for over a decade, according to organizers. Program writers are contract employees of Disney, with weekly salary and benefits, for one year, or until they staff on a show and are compensated at WGA scale. During the program, writers participate in advanced creative workshops, refine their portfolios, and meet and learn from Det creative executives, producers, showrunners and program alumni, through networking, mixers and professional development sessions.
This year, Ctdi and FX are also launching the FX Singleton Scholars initiative, in honor of the life...
Managed by Det’s Creative Talent Development & Inclusion (Ctdi) team, the Det Writing Program has had a 100% annual staffing rate for over a decade, according to organizers. Program writers are contract employees of Disney, with weekly salary and benefits, for one year, or until they staff on a show and are compensated at WGA scale. During the program, writers participate in advanced creative workshops, refine their portfolios, and meet and learn from Det creative executives, producers, showrunners and program alumni, through networking, mixers and professional development sessions.
This year, Ctdi and FX are also launching the FX Singleton Scholars initiative, in honor of the life...
- 10/24/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Disney General Entertainment has selected 13 participants for its 2023 Writing Program.
The one-year writing initiative, formerly known as the Disney|ABC Writing Program and the Walt Disney Television Writing Program, helps participants secure their first TV staff writer assignments on a Dge series. Participants also are offered mentorship, advanced professional development and access to Dge’s creative executives, producers, showrunners and program alumni.
“The Creative Talent Development & Inclusion team is proud to launch this extremely talented group of writers into the next phase of their career,” said Tim McNeal, senior vice president, Creative Talent Development & Inclusion (Ctdi). “The flagship Writing Program is one of the critical ways Ctdi connects creative talent to opportunities across Disney and continues to fuel our company’s staffing pipeline specifically for emerging, diverse TV writers. We look forward to seeing this cohort shape the next generation of producers and showrunners.”
The program was the starting...
The one-year writing initiative, formerly known as the Disney|ABC Writing Program and the Walt Disney Television Writing Program, helps participants secure their first TV staff writer assignments on a Dge series. Participants also are offered mentorship, advanced professional development and access to Dge’s creative executives, producers, showrunners and program alumni.
“The Creative Talent Development & Inclusion team is proud to launch this extremely talented group of writers into the next phase of their career,” said Tim McNeal, senior vice president, Creative Talent Development & Inclusion (Ctdi). “The flagship Writing Program is one of the critical ways Ctdi connects creative talent to opportunities across Disney and continues to fuel our company’s staffing pipeline specifically for emerging, diverse TV writers. We look forward to seeing this cohort shape the next generation of producers and showrunners.”
The program was the starting...
- 1/10/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Julie Plec is ramping up her development slate and has put a slew of projects into the pipeline including an adaptation of YA novel Running Out of Time at Peacock.
It comes after a number of shows from The Vampire Diaries co-creator were axed earlier this spring including Legacies, Roswell, New Mexico and The Endgame.
Plec and her production banner My So-Called Company signed a mega-multi-year overall deal with Universal Television in 2020. She said that when she signed that deal she told the studio that she believes in “earning my keep” and added that “this slate reflects that promise”.
The first project set is Clifton, based on Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Running Out of Time. The series, which is in the works at NBCU streamer Peacock, follows 17-year-old Jazzie Smith, who was born and raised in the idyllic, island village of Clifton – a sanctuary for runaway slaves and others who...
It comes after a number of shows from The Vampire Diaries co-creator were axed earlier this spring including Legacies, Roswell, New Mexico and The Endgame.
Plec and her production banner My So-Called Company signed a mega-multi-year overall deal with Universal Television in 2020. She said that when she signed that deal she told the studio that she believes in “earning my keep” and added that “this slate reflects that promise”.
The first project set is Clifton, based on Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Running Out of Time. The series, which is in the works at NBCU streamer Peacock, follows 17-year-old Jazzie Smith, who was born and raised in the idyllic, island village of Clifton – a sanctuary for runaway slaves and others who...
- 7/13/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Under her overall deal at Universal Television via her My So-Called Company Banner, Julie Plec has set a new development slate at the studio beginning with “Clifton,” based on Margaret Peterson Haddix’s young adult novel “Running Out of Time.”
“Clifton,” which is now in development at Peacock, will be adapted by Aisha Porter-Christie. The series follows 17-year-old Jazzie Smith, who was born and raised in the idyllic, island village of Clifton, a sanctuary for runaway slaves and others who fled the United States at the height of the Civil War. When a mysterious stranger from the mainland washes up on shore, Jazzie learns a truth about the island’s origins that shatters everything she thought she knew to be true. Plec executive produces alongside My So-Called Company president Emily Cummins as well as Kevin Misher through Misher Films. Misher Films executive Andy Berman will serve as a producer.
Also...
“Clifton,” which is now in development at Peacock, will be adapted by Aisha Porter-Christie. The series follows 17-year-old Jazzie Smith, who was born and raised in the idyllic, island village of Clifton, a sanctuary for runaway slaves and others who fled the United States at the height of the Civil War. When a mysterious stranger from the mainland washes up on shore, Jazzie learns a truth about the island’s origins that shatters everything she thought she knew to be true. Plec executive produces alongside My So-Called Company president Emily Cummins as well as Kevin Misher through Misher Films. Misher Films executive Andy Berman will serve as a producer.
Also...
- 7/13/2022
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Julie Plec, in the wake of the surprising Legacies cancellation, is putting her energy into a sprawling development slate for Universal Television.
The prolific showrunner, who already has Vampire Academy due in September on Peacock, has unveiled five new scripted shows in development at the studio where her My So-Called Company has been based since mid-2020.
The five shows are: Clifton, based on the book Running Out of Time and set up at Peacock; medical drama Douglass Medical; thriller Freeman; romantic dramedy about a transgender teen Stay Gold; and This Savage Song, the horror fantasy that is based on the novel of the same name. (More info on all can be found below.)
Plec also has five more shows in the works, details of which were not immediately available.
“When I first met with Universal Television to discuss an overall deal, I told...
Julie Plec, in the wake of the surprising Legacies cancellation, is putting her energy into a sprawling development slate for Universal Television.
The prolific showrunner, who already has Vampire Academy due in September on Peacock, has unveiled five new scripted shows in development at the studio where her My So-Called Company has been based since mid-2020.
The five shows are: Clifton, based on the book Running Out of Time and set up at Peacock; medical drama Douglass Medical; thriller Freeman; romantic dramedy about a transgender teen Stay Gold; and This Savage Song, the horror fantasy that is based on the novel of the same name. (More info on all can be found below.)
Plec also has five more shows in the works, details of which were not immediately available.
“When I first met with Universal Television to discuss an overall deal, I told...
- 7/13/2022
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Monday, June 29 Robert De Niro’s ‘War With Grandpa’ Sets Opening
101 Studios announced it will domestically distribute Robert De Niro’s comedy “The War With Grandpa” on Sept. 18 in partnership with financier Brookdale Studios.
The film, directed by Tim Hill and produced by Marro Media Company, is based on the children’s fiction novel by Robert Kimmel Smith and centers on a boy being forced to give up his bedroom when his grandfather moves in. The boy, player by Oakes Fegley, schemes with friends to devise a series of pranks to drive him out, and the situation devolves into an all-out war
Marro Media Company financed the production, while Ingenious and Joe Gelchion of Tri-g provided additional financing and serve as the film’s executive producers.
Film Festival Celebrates Moms
The Center for Active Learning is launching its “Making Our Movies” Film Festival, dedicated to filmmakers who are mothers.
101 Studios announced it will domestically distribute Robert De Niro’s comedy “The War With Grandpa” on Sept. 18 in partnership with financier Brookdale Studios.
The film, directed by Tim Hill and produced by Marro Media Company, is based on the children’s fiction novel by Robert Kimmel Smith and centers on a boy being forced to give up his bedroom when his grandfather moves in. The boy, player by Oakes Fegley, schemes with friends to devise a series of pranks to drive him out, and the situation devolves into an all-out war
Marro Media Company financed the production, while Ingenious and Joe Gelchion of Tri-g provided additional financing and serve as the film’s executive producers.
Film Festival Celebrates Moms
The Center for Active Learning is launching its “Making Our Movies” Film Festival, dedicated to filmmakers who are mothers.
- 6/30/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
As Sonya Winton-Odamtten and Jonathan Kidd put the finishing touches on their upcoming adaptation of Matt Ruff’s novel Lovecraft Country, the writing duo saw the coronavirus pandemic unfold and felt they needed to jump into action. They teamed with the non-profit Frontline Foods to launch the #FeedBCHW Challenge, which supports health care workers in underserved Black neighborhoods.
The pair organized over forty Black creators in Hollywood for the challenge including Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, Robine Thede (Black Lady Sketch Show), Ayanna Floyd (The Chi), Anthony Sparks (Queen Sugar), Tracy Oliver (The First Wives Club), JaSheika James and JaNeika James (Empire), Yolanda E. Lawrence (Empire), Erika Green (New Amsterdam), Rashaan Dozier Escalante (Seal Team), Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (S.W.A.T.), Jamie Turner (All American), Maisha Closson (The L Word), Ubah Mohamed (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Erica Butler (Greenleaf), Felicia Pride (Queen Sugar), Ben Watkins, Erika Johnson (Americanah), among many others.
Winton-Odamtten said that the roster of Black creatives have helped feed hospitals all across the country from L.A. to Kansas City. “We’re just going to continue every week,” she said. “In addition to the 40 writers, we have a total of 31 donors who donated to the cause. We’ve had massive support around this.”
As co-executive producers of Lovecraft Country, which debuts in August, the two signed a two-year overall deal with HBO and have a resume of impressive TV credits, but as former Columbia University and UCLA college professors and with PhDs in African American Studies from Yale, the two bring insight to the current pandemic. In addition to talking to Deadline about what inspired them to start the #FeedBCHW Challenge, Winton-Odamtten and Kidd unpacked how the pandemic is a repeat of history when it comes to the disproportionate impact on communities of color and how this will affect inclusive storytelling in Hollywood.
Deadline: When the pandemic start to become more present in the United States, what was your initial reaction and did you see the disproportionate impact against people of color on the horizon?
Sonya Winton-Odamtten: I started tracking the stories about Covid-19 in Wuhan in January. And, the reality is that we live in a global society. So, this notion that somehow it’s happening over there and not in my backyard, that doesn’t really exist. [Jonathan] and I are students of African-American history, so we’d get looked at the impact on health disparities historically in African-American communities. And so, the question of whether or not an actual pandemic was to emerge and arrive on our shores, we already knew what the narrative was going to become as related to African-American communities, particularly those that are disenfranchised and underserved because you have higher rates of certain chronic diseases in those communities and, coupled with that, you have also health disparities in terms of resources that hospitals in those communities possess. You also have a history of systemic racism where an individual who is a black or brown person is not being served on the same level by the healthcare officials. All of those things have been historically proven and adequately researched.
Deadline: What can we learn from history when it comes to health crises?
Winton-odamtten: We’ve lived through eight public health crises, to some extent, which is HIV and AIDS. People forget that that initially was called a white, gay man’s disease. But, if one was a student of history, they could have projected exactly where we ended up, which are, the numbers have paled out, unfortunately, that poor, African-American communities and Latinos are both communities who are disproportionately impacted by that disease.
If you’re a student of history, you can also forecast. We knew it was going to happen. A lot of the ridiculous conversations that Black people couldn’t actually contract it initially was just so mind-boggling. I was like, why are we even engaging in that conversation when, in fact, we should be preparing and hunkering down?
Deadline: What made both you jump into action and start #FeedBCHW?
Winton-odamtten: [Jonathan] and I were on a call and we said, “well, we should be feeding, providing resources to those hospitals that are in underserved Black communities because there we can have an impact.” We want them to know that we have their backs and that they’re supported, but we also want to give them one less thing to worry about. The throes of the day when they’re surrounded by grieving families and failing health. That is my perspective of how we’ve gotten here.
Deadline: How do you think this pandemic speaks to the bigger picture and how events like these impact communities of color?
Jonathan Kidd: To me, people talk about Covid and the way in which it’s ravaging a community, but I feel like it speaks to a broader conversation. In terms of the core-morbidities that people have, in particular, issues around the Department of Justice. We talk about the Flint Water Crisis, but we don’t talk about the new garbage dump they’re building and there’s going to be particulates in the air that cause asthma. Where do they put that? They put that in poor communities of color, for the most part. Look at how highways have been built. There’s a highway here in L.A. right next to a high school. That’s not in Beverly Hills. That’s not in Calabasas. Again, impacting people of color.
If you look at food deserts in urban areas, food deserts cause diabetes because all you’re eating are Cheetos and drinking Fanta. You know what I mean? We were just talking yesterday… being a vegan is expensive. Healthy food is expensive. And so, if you don’t have access to these things, then it’s like, “Oh, I have diabetes. I have asthma, hypertension.” Then I’m more susceptible to Covid. So, I feel like it’s also part of a broader conversation we want to have about health and wellness and how we as a society can treat people better in terms of better access to healthy food. In terms of not putting waste dumps in the middle of communities. Not having lead paint so kids have brain damage because they’re eating lead paint that should have been banned in 1973.
Deadline: It is clear that all communities of color are being impacted on all fronts. As you pointed out, Black and Latinx communities are being disproportionately affected but we have seen the increase in harassment against Asian Americans. How important do you think allyship is in this pandemic and, not only within marginalized communities but with white communities?
Winton-odamtten: Our former agent is a Chinese-American brother… we called him and said be careful out there. He got a little quiet and I said, “Dude, the pendulum has swung.” The president of the United States, presidential aides are calling it “Kung-Flu” in the White House. It’s unapologetically white-supremacy at its finest. The “model minority” is thrown out the window. It’s forever changed. It’s gone. I told him to check on his family and to make sure that they understand that, if they step out of the house, that they are aware of their surroundings and if they’re being followed.
I called [Nancy Drew showrunner] Melinda Hsu-Taylor — she’s like our big sister — and told be careful out there. She lives on the west side [of L.A.] and she said there hasn’t been any verbal statements made, but she could feel the shift.
As historians, it’s very hard to not live also in the future. I’m having a conversation with you about alliance-building, but I’m also living 10 years ahead, because, again, we can see where this is going. [Jonathan] and I have always warned people about the pendulum swing. You can look at it historically. One moment, you are the “model minority” and then they’re calling it “Kung-Flu” and they don’t give a fuck about that “model minority” status.
Everybody always falls out of favor. With the exception of white, straight, rich masculinity — we’re talking about our president — rarely does anyone else get a pass to make a mistake, to be of error, to be part of a group where an individual has digressed. Rarely does that happen. We don’t call all white men serial killers. We don’t….although, they make up the majority of serial killers.
In terms of your specific question about alliance-building, I haven’t seen it. But, part of that is because, again, our living in a bubble right now. We’re launching and developing our other shows. My alliances have come in my personal relationships.
Kidd: Looking forward, it’s about not forgetting this moment. I think that’s what’s important. The initial title of my dissertation was “Nation in Contagion” and it was basically how religion, disease, otherness all contribute to the power gangs. So, if you look at Jews, Catholics, and White Women in 1600s, they were seen as witches. In Shakespeare they were seen as witches. The same conversation happened about captive Africans — they’re pagans. People said “They’re going to fuck all our women! They’re going to steal all our shit!” Same thing said about Native Americans. If you look at 9/11, or actually HIV-aids in the 80s, hemophiliacs, homosexuals, hypodermic drug users, and Haitians — it’s the same conversation. There was an assumption that Haitian boat people were bringing their disease and that AIDS because they practice voodoo. With 9/11 and Muslims, it’s the same thing. We got to ban the Muslims from coming into this country. Same story with immigrants from the American South.
These immigrants are coming in are stereotypically against abortion and against gay marriage and republicans are saying they don’t when them to come over? Why? That’s your base!
It doesn’t make sense. For me the thing that’s fascinating is in every single conversation, it’s the same language being used. So, for those in the Asian-American community, there was a time when people got beat up because they were mad because there were Chinese workers working on the railroads. Then there’s the stereotype of the Chinese laundromat. They got burnt out of laundromats, right? People also forget about Japanese internment camps during WWII. Asian American identity itself is based on a hate crime.
Deadline: How do you think the pandemic will affect the movement toward diversity and equity in Hollywood? Do you think it will hinder or help?
Kidd: Maybe I sound optimistic and I’m delusional, but I feel like Covid, in terms of work, is kind of an equalizer. You still have to go through insurance. You still have to secure your location in terms of health and wellness. You still have to make sure your cast is comfortable getting on set. You still have to have content. You still have to have people writing stuff. You still have to have directors who direct with a vision. I feel like it shifts and adds a lot of complications in terms of prep and in terms of being in production, but I feel like the great equalizer that is cable TV, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max — we’re going to need a lot of content.
I don’t fear… Sonya and I have an obsession with TV shows set in Africa. That’s part of our long-term plan. We just love storytelling. I think that, again, there’s always the opportunity for disparate treatment where sexism, racism, homophobia can come into play and in terms of people making money or not making money, but I feel like the upswing that we’ve seen in terms of access is going to remain because it’s money-driven. Crazy Rich Asians was a hit. People are like, “Shit, let’s make another one!” It’s like The Game — when it went to Bet, it was a game-changer. They got eight million eyeballs on Bet and people were like, “Oh my gosh, what?!” Then you have Being Mary Jane, Scandal — now, all of a sudden, we’re in the middle of a Black Renaissance.
Winton-odamtten: I’m also optimistic. For me, the broader conversation is how do creators address or directly speak to this pandemic that we’re having? How does one do it and make it nuanced? Because who wants a spot-on version of the one we’ve been living? It gives people popcorn ideas to chew on in the form of comedy and procedurals. I do think that it’s going to be a challenge for drama writers who are from historically marginalized communities to then take the question around identity politics and put it within the construct of the conversation of what a pandemic looks like. I think that this is an opportunity for us to sit for a second, self-reflect, and then figure out, how do we elevate it by putting ourselves at the center of it.
For more information on how to donate to #FeedBCHW click here.
The pair organized over forty Black creators in Hollywood for the challenge including Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, Robine Thede (Black Lady Sketch Show), Ayanna Floyd (The Chi), Anthony Sparks (Queen Sugar), Tracy Oliver (The First Wives Club), JaSheika James and JaNeika James (Empire), Yolanda E. Lawrence (Empire), Erika Green (New Amsterdam), Rashaan Dozier Escalante (Seal Team), Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (S.W.A.T.), Jamie Turner (All American), Maisha Closson (The L Word), Ubah Mohamed (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Erica Butler (Greenleaf), Felicia Pride (Queen Sugar), Ben Watkins, Erika Johnson (Americanah), among many others.
Winton-Odamtten said that the roster of Black creatives have helped feed hospitals all across the country from L.A. to Kansas City. “We’re just going to continue every week,” she said. “In addition to the 40 writers, we have a total of 31 donors who donated to the cause. We’ve had massive support around this.”
As co-executive producers of Lovecraft Country, which debuts in August, the two signed a two-year overall deal with HBO and have a resume of impressive TV credits, but as former Columbia University and UCLA college professors and with PhDs in African American Studies from Yale, the two bring insight to the current pandemic. In addition to talking to Deadline about what inspired them to start the #FeedBCHW Challenge, Winton-Odamtten and Kidd unpacked how the pandemic is a repeat of history when it comes to the disproportionate impact on communities of color and how this will affect inclusive storytelling in Hollywood.
Deadline: When the pandemic start to become more present in the United States, what was your initial reaction and did you see the disproportionate impact against people of color on the horizon?
Sonya Winton-Odamtten: I started tracking the stories about Covid-19 in Wuhan in January. And, the reality is that we live in a global society. So, this notion that somehow it’s happening over there and not in my backyard, that doesn’t really exist. [Jonathan] and I are students of African-American history, so we’d get looked at the impact on health disparities historically in African-American communities. And so, the question of whether or not an actual pandemic was to emerge and arrive on our shores, we already knew what the narrative was going to become as related to African-American communities, particularly those that are disenfranchised and underserved because you have higher rates of certain chronic diseases in those communities and, coupled with that, you have also health disparities in terms of resources that hospitals in those communities possess. You also have a history of systemic racism where an individual who is a black or brown person is not being served on the same level by the healthcare officials. All of those things have been historically proven and adequately researched.
Deadline: What can we learn from history when it comes to health crises?
Winton-odamtten: We’ve lived through eight public health crises, to some extent, which is HIV and AIDS. People forget that that initially was called a white, gay man’s disease. But, if one was a student of history, they could have projected exactly where we ended up, which are, the numbers have paled out, unfortunately, that poor, African-American communities and Latinos are both communities who are disproportionately impacted by that disease.
If you’re a student of history, you can also forecast. We knew it was going to happen. A lot of the ridiculous conversations that Black people couldn’t actually contract it initially was just so mind-boggling. I was like, why are we even engaging in that conversation when, in fact, we should be preparing and hunkering down?
Deadline: What made both you jump into action and start #FeedBCHW?
Winton-odamtten: [Jonathan] and I were on a call and we said, “well, we should be feeding, providing resources to those hospitals that are in underserved Black communities because there we can have an impact.” We want them to know that we have their backs and that they’re supported, but we also want to give them one less thing to worry about. The throes of the day when they’re surrounded by grieving families and failing health. That is my perspective of how we’ve gotten here.
Deadline: How do you think this pandemic speaks to the bigger picture and how events like these impact communities of color?
Jonathan Kidd: To me, people talk about Covid and the way in which it’s ravaging a community, but I feel like it speaks to a broader conversation. In terms of the core-morbidities that people have, in particular, issues around the Department of Justice. We talk about the Flint Water Crisis, but we don’t talk about the new garbage dump they’re building and there’s going to be particulates in the air that cause asthma. Where do they put that? They put that in poor communities of color, for the most part. Look at how highways have been built. There’s a highway here in L.A. right next to a high school. That’s not in Beverly Hills. That’s not in Calabasas. Again, impacting people of color.
If you look at food deserts in urban areas, food deserts cause diabetes because all you’re eating are Cheetos and drinking Fanta. You know what I mean? We were just talking yesterday… being a vegan is expensive. Healthy food is expensive. And so, if you don’t have access to these things, then it’s like, “Oh, I have diabetes. I have asthma, hypertension.” Then I’m more susceptible to Covid. So, I feel like it’s also part of a broader conversation we want to have about health and wellness and how we as a society can treat people better in terms of better access to healthy food. In terms of not putting waste dumps in the middle of communities. Not having lead paint so kids have brain damage because they’re eating lead paint that should have been banned in 1973.
Deadline: It is clear that all communities of color are being impacted on all fronts. As you pointed out, Black and Latinx communities are being disproportionately affected but we have seen the increase in harassment against Asian Americans. How important do you think allyship is in this pandemic and, not only within marginalized communities but with white communities?
Winton-odamtten: Our former agent is a Chinese-American brother… we called him and said be careful out there. He got a little quiet and I said, “Dude, the pendulum has swung.” The president of the United States, presidential aides are calling it “Kung-Flu” in the White House. It’s unapologetically white-supremacy at its finest. The “model minority” is thrown out the window. It’s forever changed. It’s gone. I told him to check on his family and to make sure that they understand that, if they step out of the house, that they are aware of their surroundings and if they’re being followed.
I called [Nancy Drew showrunner] Melinda Hsu-Taylor — she’s like our big sister — and told be careful out there. She lives on the west side [of L.A.] and she said there hasn’t been any verbal statements made, but she could feel the shift.
As historians, it’s very hard to not live also in the future. I’m having a conversation with you about alliance-building, but I’m also living 10 years ahead, because, again, we can see where this is going. [Jonathan] and I have always warned people about the pendulum swing. You can look at it historically. One moment, you are the “model minority” and then they’re calling it “Kung-Flu” and they don’t give a fuck about that “model minority” status.
Everybody always falls out of favor. With the exception of white, straight, rich masculinity — we’re talking about our president — rarely does anyone else get a pass to make a mistake, to be of error, to be part of a group where an individual has digressed. Rarely does that happen. We don’t call all white men serial killers. We don’t….although, they make up the majority of serial killers.
In terms of your specific question about alliance-building, I haven’t seen it. But, part of that is because, again, our living in a bubble right now. We’re launching and developing our other shows. My alliances have come in my personal relationships.
Kidd: Looking forward, it’s about not forgetting this moment. I think that’s what’s important. The initial title of my dissertation was “Nation in Contagion” and it was basically how religion, disease, otherness all contribute to the power gangs. So, if you look at Jews, Catholics, and White Women in 1600s, they were seen as witches. In Shakespeare they were seen as witches. The same conversation happened about captive Africans — they’re pagans. People said “They’re going to fuck all our women! They’re going to steal all our shit!” Same thing said about Native Americans. If you look at 9/11, or actually HIV-aids in the 80s, hemophiliacs, homosexuals, hypodermic drug users, and Haitians — it’s the same conversation. There was an assumption that Haitian boat people were bringing their disease and that AIDS because they practice voodoo. With 9/11 and Muslims, it’s the same thing. We got to ban the Muslims from coming into this country. Same story with immigrants from the American South.
These immigrants are coming in are stereotypically against abortion and against gay marriage and republicans are saying they don’t when them to come over? Why? That’s your base!
It doesn’t make sense. For me the thing that’s fascinating is in every single conversation, it’s the same language being used. So, for those in the Asian-American community, there was a time when people got beat up because they were mad because there were Chinese workers working on the railroads. Then there’s the stereotype of the Chinese laundromat. They got burnt out of laundromats, right? People also forget about Japanese internment camps during WWII. Asian American identity itself is based on a hate crime.
Deadline: How do you think the pandemic will affect the movement toward diversity and equity in Hollywood? Do you think it will hinder or help?
Kidd: Maybe I sound optimistic and I’m delusional, but I feel like Covid, in terms of work, is kind of an equalizer. You still have to go through insurance. You still have to secure your location in terms of health and wellness. You still have to make sure your cast is comfortable getting on set. You still have to have content. You still have to have people writing stuff. You still have to have directors who direct with a vision. I feel like it shifts and adds a lot of complications in terms of prep and in terms of being in production, but I feel like the great equalizer that is cable TV, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max — we’re going to need a lot of content.
I don’t fear… Sonya and I have an obsession with TV shows set in Africa. That’s part of our long-term plan. We just love storytelling. I think that, again, there’s always the opportunity for disparate treatment where sexism, racism, homophobia can come into play and in terms of people making money or not making money, but I feel like the upswing that we’ve seen in terms of access is going to remain because it’s money-driven. Crazy Rich Asians was a hit. People are like, “Shit, let’s make another one!” It’s like The Game — when it went to Bet, it was a game-changer. They got eight million eyeballs on Bet and people were like, “Oh my gosh, what?!” Then you have Being Mary Jane, Scandal — now, all of a sudden, we’re in the middle of a Black Renaissance.
Winton-odamtten: I’m also optimistic. For me, the broader conversation is how do creators address or directly speak to this pandemic that we’re having? How does one do it and make it nuanced? Because who wants a spot-on version of the one we’ve been living? It gives people popcorn ideas to chew on in the form of comedy and procedurals. I do think that it’s going to be a challenge for drama writers who are from historically marginalized communities to then take the question around identity politics and put it within the construct of the conversation of what a pandemic looks like. I think that this is an opportunity for us to sit for a second, self-reflect, and then figure out, how do we elevate it by putting ourselves at the center of it.
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- 6/8/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Production is underway on Season 3 of Showtime’s The Chi with a new showrunner and executive producer. Writer Justin Hillian (Snowfall) will run the upcoming third season, replacing Ayanna Floyd Davis, Showtime said today. Additionally Birgundi Baker, who plays Kiesha, has been promoted to series regular, and Luke James, La La Anthony (Power) and Lil Rel Howery have signed on to recurring roles.
The showrunner change follows the exit last season of Jason Mitchell, one of the series’ leads, who was let go in May over allegations of inappropriate behavior. Floyd previously issued a statement that producer and creator Lena Waithe was made aware of complaints against Mitchell during the show’s first season, but he was still written in to return for the show’s third season. Mitchell was cut after Season 2 had wrapped.
“When I took the helm in season two,...
The showrunner change follows the exit last season of Jason Mitchell, one of the series’ leads, who was let go in May over allegations of inappropriate behavior. Floyd previously issued a statement that producer and creator Lena Waithe was made aware of complaints against Mitchell during the show’s first season, but he was still written in to return for the show’s third season. Mitchell was cut after Season 2 had wrapped.
“When I took the helm in season two,...
- 9/16/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
We now have confirmation about exactly how “The Chi” will deal with the exit of the Showtime drama’s former star Jason Mitchell: they’re going to kill his character.
“There is a lot of great life in ‘The Chi’ and there’s also death in ‘The Chi’ and that’s how we’ll be dealing with it,” Showtime Networks co-president of entertainment Gary Levine told reporters during the Television Critics Association press tour on Friday.
When a reporter followed up with the question, “So he’ll be killed off?” — referring to Mitchell’s character, Brandon Johnson — Levine responded with a nod.
Also Read: Lena Waithe to Appear on 'The Chi' Season 3
Mitchell was fired from the Lena Waithe-created Showtime drama back in May — in addition to being dropped from the Netflix film “Desperados” — following complaints about his behavior from his co-stars, including “The Chi” actress Tiffany Boone,...
“There is a lot of great life in ‘The Chi’ and there’s also death in ‘The Chi’ and that’s how we’ll be dealing with it,” Showtime Networks co-president of entertainment Gary Levine told reporters during the Television Critics Association press tour on Friday.
When a reporter followed up with the question, “So he’ll be killed off?” — referring to Mitchell’s character, Brandon Johnson — Levine responded with a nod.
Also Read: Lena Waithe to Appear on 'The Chi' Season 3
Mitchell was fired from the Lena Waithe-created Showtime drama back in May — in addition to being dropped from the Netflix film “Desperados” — following complaints about his behavior from his co-stars, including “The Chi” actress Tiffany Boone,...
- 8/2/2019
- by Jennifer Maas and Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Lena Waithe is moving over to Amazon, signing an overall deal with the streamer, the studio announced Saturday during the Television Critics Association press tour.
Waithe, who will produce Amazon’s upcoming horror anthology “Them,” will create and produce original series for Amazon Studios under her production company Hillman Grad.
“Lena is a powerhouse writer and producer who also has a gift for identifying exciting and authentic voices,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said. “Our upcoming series ‘Them’ is the result of her rare ability to cultivate brilliant voices like Little Marvin and bring his wholly original and compelling vision to Amazon. We look forward to collaborating with Lena and her team for years to come.”
Also Read: 'Jack Ryan' Star John Krasinski Signs First-Look TV Deal With Amazon Studios
Waithe founded her production company, Hillman Grad, alongside her creative partner, Rishi Rajani. The company’s slate includes Waithe...
Waithe, who will produce Amazon’s upcoming horror anthology “Them,” will create and produce original series for Amazon Studios under her production company Hillman Grad.
“Lena is a powerhouse writer and producer who also has a gift for identifying exciting and authentic voices,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said. “Our upcoming series ‘Them’ is the result of her rare ability to cultivate brilliant voices like Little Marvin and bring his wholly original and compelling vision to Amazon. We look forward to collaborating with Lena and her team for years to come.”
Also Read: 'Jack Ryan' Star John Krasinski Signs First-Look TV Deal With Amazon Studios
Waithe founded her production company, Hillman Grad, alongside her creative partner, Rishi Rajani. The company’s slate includes Waithe...
- 7/27/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Spencer Mullen May 30, 2019
Uber Ratings, Jason Mitchell, San Diego, and more in today's daily Link Tank!
Game of Thrones documentary "The Last Watch" reveals motivations of the Night King.
"Game of Thrones fans spent years wondering why the Night King seemed determined to turn all of Westeros into a frozen wasteland, but in the HBO show’s final season, we barely got an explanation for the character’s motives before he was killed halfway through Season 8. Sure, Bran Stark offered up a few cryptic lines of dialogue about the Night King’s desire to wipe out human memory, but that’s not exactly a satisfactory explanation for the villain Game of Thrones spent seven seasons hyping up as the ultimate big bad."
Read more at Inverse.
The Chi star Jason Mitchell has been accused of sexual harassment by current showrunner.
"Jason Mitchell, who’s best known for playing Eazy-e in...
Uber Ratings, Jason Mitchell, San Diego, and more in today's daily Link Tank!
Game of Thrones documentary "The Last Watch" reveals motivations of the Night King.
"Game of Thrones fans spent years wondering why the Night King seemed determined to turn all of Westeros into a frozen wasteland, but in the HBO show’s final season, we barely got an explanation for the character’s motives before he was killed halfway through Season 8. Sure, Bran Stark offered up a few cryptic lines of dialogue about the Night King’s desire to wipe out human memory, but that’s not exactly a satisfactory explanation for the villain Game of Thrones spent seven seasons hyping up as the ultimate big bad."
Read more at Inverse.
The Chi star Jason Mitchell has been accused of sexual harassment by current showrunner.
"Jason Mitchell, who’s best known for playing Eazy-e in...
- 5/30/2019
- Den of Geek
MTV Movie and TV Awards un-nominate Jason Mitchell (‘The Chi’) in response to misconduct allegations
Gold Derby’s sister site Variety exclusively reported that the MTV Movie and TV Awards are the latest to drop Jason Mitchell following misconduct allegations against the actor. He had been nominated for Best Performance in a Show for his starring role in the Showtime drama “The Chi,” but now he’s out of the running, which leaves four contenders for the fan-voted prize: Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones“), Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”), Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) and Kiernan Shipka (“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”). You can update your predictions here.
“In light of recent developments, we have removed Jason Mitchell as a nominee,” an MTV spokesperson told Variety. Mitchell was recently fired from “The Chi” due to allegations of harassment; the Showtime series will return for a third season without him. He was also fired from the Netflix movie “Desperados” and dropped by his agency UTA and...
“In light of recent developments, we have removed Jason Mitchell as a nominee,” an MTV spokesperson told Variety. Mitchell was recently fired from “The Chi” due to allegations of harassment; the Showtime series will return for a third season without him. He was also fired from the Netflix movie “Desperados” and dropped by his agency UTA and...
- 5/30/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
"The Chi" Showrunner Says ‘Everyone Was Well Aware’ of Jason Mitchell’s Behavior Before He Was Fired
Ayanna Floyd, showrunner on Season 2 of “The Chi,” has spoken out about the departure of series star Jason Mitchell, who was fired last week amid reports of inappropriate behavior.
Details about Mitchell’s alleged behavior have not been made public, but Floyd said in a statement on Tuesday that the issue of Mitchell’s behavior had been brought to the attention of creator Lena Waithe and the studio behind the show, Fox 21, even before production on the second season began.
“When I took the helm in Season 2, it was Lena who informed me of the issues between Jason Mitchell and Tiffany Boone from Season 1, and that Tiffany was thinking of leaving the show because of it,” Floyd said in a statement provided to TheWrap. “As a result of this information, I discussed Tiffany’s claims with the studio’s Hr department and set up Hr presentations for the writers, cast and crew.
Details about Mitchell’s alleged behavior have not been made public, but Floyd said in a statement on Tuesday that the issue of Mitchell’s behavior had been brought to the attention of creator Lena Waithe and the studio behind the show, Fox 21, even before production on the second season began.
“When I took the helm in Season 2, it was Lena who informed me of the issues between Jason Mitchell and Tiffany Boone from Season 1, and that Tiffany was thinking of leaving the show because of it,” Floyd said in a statement provided to TheWrap. “As a result of this information, I discussed Tiffany’s claims with the studio’s Hr department and set up Hr presentations for the writers, cast and crew.
- 5/29/2019
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Dominique Deveraux is returning to Dynasty. ER alumna Michael Michele has been tapped to play the role in the CW reboot. The Devereaux character, portrayed by Diahann Carroll in the original series, will be introduced at the end of the current season 2 as a recurring, with the possibility of becoming a series regular in season 3.
Dominique Deveraux is the matriarch of the Colby family and half-sister of Blake Carrington, a fabulously elegant, self-made woman, known for her outrageous fashion sense and penchant for drama. Dominique will return to Atlanta after a long stint in New York City where she spent the past several years seeking fame and adulation… to no avail. Now Dominique is home to reconnect with her estranged children, but does she really want to be part of their lives, or will she just disappoint them all over again? And what will the Carringtons have to say about her sudden,...
Dominique Deveraux is the matriarch of the Colby family and half-sister of Blake Carrington, a fabulously elegant, self-made woman, known for her outrageous fashion sense and penchant for drama. Dominique will return to Atlanta after a long stint in New York City where she spent the past several years seeking fame and adulation… to no avail. Now Dominique is home to reconnect with her estranged children, but does she really want to be part of their lives, or will she just disappoint them all over again? And what will the Carringtons have to say about her sudden,...
- 3/22/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Fox has given a third-season renewal to Star, its music-themed drama co-created and executive produced by Lee Daniels and Tom Donaghy.
The series is produced by 20th Century Fox TV in association with Lee Daniels Entertainment. All series renewals and new series pickups at Fox so far this season have gone to shows from the network’s current studio sibling.
Boosted by having Empire as a lead-in, Star has averaged a 1.9 adults 18-49 Live+7 rating to rank just behind 9-1-1 and Empire on the list of Fox’s highest rated series in the demo; its multi-platform audience of 7.2 million, up +71% versus its Live + Same Day delivery. While these are solid numbers, Star also is expensive to produce, and its international sales have been challenging, which made the renewal decision a bit more complex.
Star follows three talented singers – running from their pasts and desperate for a new start – with ambitions of stardom,...
The series is produced by 20th Century Fox TV in association with Lee Daniels Entertainment. All series renewals and new series pickups at Fox so far this season have gone to shows from the network’s current studio sibling.
Boosted by having Empire as a lead-in, Star has averaged a 1.9 adults 18-49 Live+7 rating to rank just behind 9-1-1 and Empire on the list of Fox’s highest rated series in the demo; its multi-platform audience of 7.2 million, up +71% versus its Live + Same Day delivery. While these are solid numbers, Star also is expensive to produce, and its international sales have been challenging, which made the renewal decision a bit more complex.
Star follows three talented singers – running from their pasts and desperate for a new start – with ambitions of stardom,...
- 5/10/2018
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Showtime has ordered a second season of hit drama series The Chi, created and executive produced by Lena Waithe (Master of None), and executive produced by Common (Selma). In addition, Ayanna Floyd Davis (Empire, Hannibal) has signed on for Season 2 as executive producer and showrunner. The series, produced by Fox 21 Television Studios, will go back into production in Chicago later this year. The January 7 premiere of The Chi was the strongest series for Showtime since Bil…...
- 1/30/2018
- Deadline TV
Elijah Kelley (The New Edition Story) is set for a recurring role on Season 2 of Fox's hit music drama series Star. Kelley will play Andy, a Harvard graduate who has worked all his life to pursue his dreams in the music industry. He's knowledgeable and driven, but his charisma is what Ayanna Floyd (Michael Michele), the CEO of Midtown Sound, relies on to help her put her new label on the map. What she doesn't know is that Andy's impressive vocal talents may play a part in…...
- 9/27/2017
- Deadline TV
Fox is developing a musical limited series from Craig Zadan and Neil Meron caled “Cotton Club,” TheWrap has learned. Described as a sexy, soapy, music series based in the hottest club in Harlem in the Roaring ’20s, the show will be about the interconnected lives of the black entertainers who performed there and the white gangsters who ran it. Also Read: Dylan McDermott to Star in Fox Pilot 'La > Vegas' Ayanna Floyd will write, executive produce and serve as showrunner, while Meron and Zadan will also serve as EPs along with La Reid, who will also serve as executive music producer,...
- 2/28/2017
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
Fox is developing Cotton Club, a soapy music series based in the hottest club in Harlem in the Roaring ’20s. It comes from former Empire co-executive producer Ayanna Floyd, who serves as showrunner; Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, producers of NBC’s live musical franchise; Broadway director Kenny Leon; and music executive La Reid. Sony Pictures TV, where Zadan and Meron’s Storyline Entertainment has a deal for longform projects, is producing. Written by Floyd and to be…...
- 2/28/2017
- Deadline TV
I hear TNT is developing Conviction, a legal drama inspired by the life of Kym Worthy, the chief prosecutor of Wayne County, Mi, known as the toughest woman in Detroit. How To Get Away With Murder star Viola Davis is executive producing the project with Debra Martin Chase (Sparkle). Empire co-executive producer Ayanna Floyd is writing the script and executive producing. The project was originally developed at ABC during the 2014-2015 season with another writer. ABC has a…...
- 3/23/2016
- Deadline TV
Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, in the video below, go behind the scenes with 3 writers from Fox's mega-hit TV soap, "Empire," which returns for a much-anticipated second season, kicking off on September 23 - less than a week from today! THR has a full piece on the entire writing team, which consists of some names you might be familiar with, given that we've featured their past work on this blog: Radha Blank, Eric Haywood, Malcolm Spellman, Jamie Rosengard, Ilene Chaiken, Attica Locke, JaNeika James, Joshua Allen, Carlito Rodriguez, Danny strong, JaSheika James, Ayanna Floyd, Ingrid Escajeda, Wendy Calhoun, Robert Munic. The piece includes some...
- 9/17/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Frustratingly, Falling Skies seems to be in no hurry to get to its rapidly approaching grand finale...
This review contains spoilers.
5.6 Respite
There are only four episodes left in Falling Skies after this one. Only four episodes left, and the straining, struggling Revolutionary War parable will limp to an end in its fifth season, no doubt in a blaze of Mason-based glory and a pile of dead aliens torn to shreds by automatic weapons or some sort of improvised explosive yielded by great sacrifice to the cause. However, for a show in its final season, building up to some sort of big event, Falling Skies is in no hurry to get anywhere and in the process, it's trying my patience.
Tuning into Falling Skies is getting to be a tedious affair. I don't enjoy the show as I once did, and sitting down to write about it is getting to be tiresome,...
This review contains spoilers.
5.6 Respite
There are only four episodes left in Falling Skies after this one. Only four episodes left, and the straining, struggling Revolutionary War parable will limp to an end in its fifth season, no doubt in a blaze of Mason-based glory and a pile of dead aliens torn to shreds by automatic weapons or some sort of improvised explosive yielded by great sacrifice to the cause. However, for a show in its final season, building up to some sort of big event, Falling Skies is in no hurry to get anywhere and in the process, it's trying my patience.
Tuning into Falling Skies is getting to be a tedious affair. I don't enjoy the show as I once did, and sitting down to write about it is getting to be tiresome,...
- 8/4/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Recently, TNT served up the new, official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Falling Skies" episode 6 of season 5. The episode is entitled, "Respite," and it turns out that we're going to see some pretty interesting stuff go down as Isabella and Hal get closer. The 2nd mass discovers a possible war-winning Espheni device, and more! In the new, 6th episode press release: Injured, Tom will take refuge with a unique family who has distanced themselves from the fight, giving him a glimpse of life without war. Hal and Isabella's romance will grow as they search for a missing Tom. Meanwhile, The 2nd Mass is going to locate an Espheni device that could be a linchpin to winning the war... if they can figure out how to use it. And Maggie is going to make a decision that has consequences for her and the entire 2nd Mass. The episode was directed by Jonathan Frakes,...
- 7/26/2015
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
Review Laura Akers 2 Apr 2014 - 07:30
Hannibal's creators deserve to be showered in Emmys for this week's spellbinding episode...
This review contains spoilers.
2.5 Mukozuke
It is not difficult to entertain people, really. As human beings, we hate boredom so much that even the smallest distraction can be welcome, especially if it caters to the baser parts of ourselves. Reality television is palpable proof of that. What is more difficult is to create a thing of great beauty that can strike us silent with awe yet entertain us at the same time. But what Bryan Fuller has been doing in Hannibal is even more impressive than that. He manages to take something that we think of as base—our morbid fascination with death and mayhem—and elevate it to an art form. All while creating such spellbinding entertainment that it’s not that we cannot get away from it; it...
Hannibal's creators deserve to be showered in Emmys for this week's spellbinding episode...
This review contains spoilers.
2.5 Mukozuke
It is not difficult to entertain people, really. As human beings, we hate boredom so much that even the smallest distraction can be welcome, especially if it caters to the baser parts of ourselves. Reality television is palpable proof of that. What is more difficult is to create a thing of great beauty that can strike us silent with awe yet entertain us at the same time. But what Bryan Fuller has been doing in Hannibal is even more impressive than that. He manages to take something that we think of as base—our morbid fascination with death and mayhem—and elevate it to an art form. All while creating such spellbinding entertainment that it’s not that we cannot get away from it; it...
- 4/2/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Hannibal Episode 205
“Mukozuke”
Written By: Ayanna A. Floyd and Steve Lightfoot & Bryan Fuller
Directed By: Michael Rymer
Original Airdate: 28 March 2014
In This Episode…
Freddie responds to an anonymous tip, sending her to the observatory. She enters with a gun, but soon exchanges it for a camera. She snaps away before calling the authorities. When Jack arrives, she suggests someone else enter - it’s one of his own. (Yes, we all know where this is going.) Jack goes in and breaks down when he sees Beverly. Sliced into Beverly-sashimi, sealed between sheets of plexiglass like forensic slides. He and Alana deliver the news to Will, who looks numb upon hearing the news. “I want to see her.”
This is not just a typical field trip. Much like Hannibal in Silence of the Lambs, Will Graham is strapped into several straightjackets, with a plastic mask placed over his mouth so he can’t bite.
“Mukozuke”
Written By: Ayanna A. Floyd and Steve Lightfoot & Bryan Fuller
Directed By: Michael Rymer
Original Airdate: 28 March 2014
In This Episode…
Freddie responds to an anonymous tip, sending her to the observatory. She enters with a gun, but soon exchanges it for a camera. She snaps away before calling the authorities. When Jack arrives, she suggests someone else enter - it’s one of his own. (Yes, we all know where this is going.) Jack goes in and breaks down when he sees Beverly. Sliced into Beverly-sashimi, sealed between sheets of plexiglass like forensic slides. He and Alana deliver the news to Will, who looks numb upon hearing the news. “I want to see her.”
This is not just a typical field trip. Much like Hannibal in Silence of the Lambs, Will Graham is strapped into several straightjackets, with a plastic mask placed over his mouth so he can’t bite.
- 3/30/2014
- by Alyse Wax
- FEARnet
Hannibal Season 2, Episode 5 “Mukozuke”
Directed by Michael Rymer
Written by Ayanna A. Floyd and Steve Lightfoot & Bryan Fuller
Airs Thursdays at 10pm Et on NBC
After her encounter with Hannibal in last weeks cliffhanger, the chances of Beverly coming out alive were extremely slim. But while her death doesn’t come with much of a surprise, the reveal of her fate is shocking, to say the least. Kudos to showrunner Bryan Fuller and Battlestar Galactica’s Michael Rymer, who directed “Mukozuke,” an episode crammed with stunning and unsettling images, and a tour-de-force performance from Hugh Dancy and Laurence Fishburne.
Each and every week, Fuller and co. outdo themselves. Hannibal didn’t just kill Beverly Katz, he’s taken her kidneys, sliced her up in several pieces, and preserved her body in a grotesque tableau - a tableau which mirrors her clinical and scientific persona and that takes inspiration from the work of artist Damien Hirst.
Directed by Michael Rymer
Written by Ayanna A. Floyd and Steve Lightfoot & Bryan Fuller
Airs Thursdays at 10pm Et on NBC
After her encounter with Hannibal in last weeks cliffhanger, the chances of Beverly coming out alive were extremely slim. But while her death doesn’t come with much of a surprise, the reveal of her fate is shocking, to say the least. Kudos to showrunner Bryan Fuller and Battlestar Galactica’s Michael Rymer, who directed “Mukozuke,” an episode crammed with stunning and unsettling images, and a tour-de-force performance from Hugh Dancy and Laurence Fishburne.
Each and every week, Fuller and co. outdo themselves. Hannibal didn’t just kill Beverly Katz, he’s taken her kidneys, sliced her up in several pieces, and preserved her body in a grotesque tableau - a tableau which mirrors her clinical and scientific persona and that takes inspiration from the work of artist Damien Hirst.
- 3/30/2014
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Veteran entertainment executive Anne Damato has joined Rain Management Group as a TV-focused manager.In addition to having a production arm, Jonathan Baruch's firm represents a variety of actors, directors, writers, and producers. Damato was previously a partner at Rabiner Damato Entertainment. There her clients included writers Marc Halsey of ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" and Lifetime's "The Client List" and Ayanna Floyd of ABC's "Private Practice," as well as directors Ron Lagomarsino of ABC Family’s "Pretty Little Liars" and Nick Copus of CW's "Nikita." Her client list is expected to migrate to join her at Rmg, according to Deadline. Damato's long career has included stints at as a VP of production at FourBoys Films and an executive at Al Pacino's Chal Prods. Her other feature experience was with Threshold Entertainment working on "Mortal Kombat" and its sequel. Moreover, she produced the "Mortal Kombat" series for USA Networks, according to Variety.
- 7/3/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Sean J. Miller)
- backstage.com
Exclusive: Rain Management Group has hired Anne Damato as a manager to focus primarily on TV. She worked for James Cameron at Lightstorm Entertainment and as a VP Motion Pictures at Brillstein Grey before segueing to the TV side with a stint at Patricia Heaton’s 4 Boys Films before her most recent gig at Rabiner/Damato Entertainment. Her clients are writers and directors expected to follow her from her previous post at Rabiner/Damato: writers Dee Harris Lawrence (Zero Hour), Marc Halsey (Brothers & Sisters, The Carrie Diaries), Robert Chiappetta & Glen Whitman (Fringe), Sandy Isaac (Franklin & Bash), Ayanna Floyd (Private Practice), Keto Shimizu (Being Human), Ali Laventhol & Tawnya Bhattacharya (Fairly Legal), Tom Donaghy (The Whole Truth), Eric Haywood (Private Practice), and Monica Macer (Infamous); and directors Wendey Stanzler (The Client List, Nine Lives Of Chloe King pilots) J Miller Tobin (Revenge, Covert Affairs, The Vampire Diaries), Ron Lagmarsino (Pretty Little Liars,...
- 7/2/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
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