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Posts published in “TV”

Denzel Washington to Direct "Fences", Produce 10 August Wilson Plays for HBO

By goodblacknews on September 18, 2015
Denzel Washington to Produce 10 Plays
Denzel Washington (photo via JetMag.com)

It’s safe to say Denzel Washington is a fan of legendary playwright August Wilson. He has starred in the Tony award-winning Broadway production of Fences, he’ll be directing the movie adaptation of the same play, and now he will produce 10 of the writer’s shows for HBO.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, during an event titled An Evening With Denzel Washington & Dr. Todd Boyd in Beverly Hills, CA, the actor revealed that he reached a deal with the cable network.
He stated, “We’re going to do one a year for the next nine years. I’m really excited about that. That they put it in my hands, the estate, and trust me. That’s good enough for me. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Wilson created the Pittsburgh Cycle, which consists of 10 plays – each representing one decade from the 20th century – that documents the African-American experience.
“Families, love, betrayal whatever the theme is. People relate and enjoy listening to or seeing his work. He was just a bright, brilliant shining light who was here and then he was gone, but his work will live forever to be interpreted by actors and directors for as long as we’re here,” the star added.
HBO has yet to confirm, but stay tuned.
Watch the full conversation by clicking here: http://livestream.com/accounts/14322732/events/4299140

article by Najja Parker via JetMag.com

"Roots" TV Movie Adds Forest Whitaker, Anika Noni Rose, Anna Paquin, More to Cast

By goodblacknews on September 17, 2015
Roots Forest Whitaker Anna Paquin
Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin (photo variety.com)

A+E Networks has announced additional casting for “Roots,” its epic miniseries based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel as well as other researched material.
The four-night, eight-hour scripted miniseries has tapped newcomer Malachi Kirby to play lead Kunta Kinte, the Mandinka warrior captured in his homeland of the Gambia and forced into slavery in colonial America. Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Anika Noni Rose have also been added to the cast. Casting descriptions are below. They join Laurence Fishburne, who had already been cast as Haley.
The production, which hails from A+E Studios in association with Marc Toberoff and The Wolper Organization, also announced that Mario Van Peebles and Bruce Beresford will be directing the episodes set to air on nights two and four. Phillip Noyce and Thomas Carter had already signed on to direct the episodes for nights one and three and Grammy winner Questlove will serve as executive music producer.
“Roots” will air in 2016 and be simulcast on A&E, Lifetime and History. Will Packer, Toberoff, Mark Wolper, Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal serve as executive producers. LeVar Burton, who played Kunta Kinte in the 1977 TV movie, and Korin D. Huggins are co-executive producers. Konner, Rosenthal, Alison McDonald, and Charles Murray are writing. Dirk Hoogstra, Arturo Interian and Michael Stiller serve as executives in charge of production for History. “Roots” is distributed internationally by A+E Networks under the A+E Studios International banner.
* Forest Whitaker (“Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “South Paw”) will play Fiddler, a slave who tries to mentor Kunta Kinte and ends up risking his own life to help him escape.
* Anna Paquin (“True Blood”) plays Nancy Holt, the wife of a Confederate officer who happens to have her own agenda when it comes to handling the slaves.
* Jonathan Rhys Meyers (“The Tudors”) plays Tom Lea, an uneducated slave owner who is desperate to claw his way into the elite company of Southern gentility.
* Anika Noni Rose (“Dream Girls,” “The Good Wife,” “The Princess and the Frog”) plays Kizzy, Kunta Kinte’s cherished, smart daughter who maintains her family pride and warrior spirit.
* Chad L. Coleman (“The Walking Dead,” “The Wire”) plays Mingo, the stern no-nonsense slave who really keeps the Lea plantation afloat.
* Regé-Jean Page (“Waterloo Road”) plays Chicken George, Kizzy’s son who is a handsome social magnet. He knows how to transfix a crowd with a story, yet doesn’t appreciate what he has until his luck abandons him.
* Erica Tazel (“Justified”) plays Matilda, a preacher’s daughter and love interest to Chicken George.
* Derek Luke (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Antwone Fisher”) plays Silla Ba Dibba, a military trainer charged with transforming teen boys into powerful Mandinka Warriors.
article by Whitney Frielander via Variety.com

Larry Wilmore’s ‘The Nightly Show’ Renewed for 2nd Season by Comedy Central

By goodblacknews on September 15, 2015
The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore
“Nightly Show” host Larry Wilmore (photo via Variety.com)

Comedy Central has picked up freshman late-night entry “The Nightly Show” for another season, ensuring host Larry Wilmore and crew will be in position through the end of 2016.

The Viacom-owned network confirmed details published previously by CNNMoney.com. Wilmore is said to have discussed details of the pickup during a taping of his program on Monday evening.  The move keeps Wilmore, who has stood apart from the wee-hours pack by delving into edgy humor about race, gender and culture, on Comedy Central through the 2016 election for U.S. President.
Wilmore and his team, which includes executive producer Rory Albanese, head writer Robin Thede, and contributor Mike Yard, have taken an experimental approach to late-night comedy, showing a willingness to rip up the show’s playbook and try new things. The program provides a sometimes gritty alternative to the broadcast-network options around midnight by having the host explore everything from the sex scandal surrounding Bill Cosby to gang activity in Baltimore.
“Nightly Show” will get a new lead-in on Monday, September 28, when Trevor Noah takes over as host of “The Daily Show,” which has been on hiatus since Jon Stewart stepped down in August. Comedy Central’s third late-night offering, “@midnight,” has been airing in the 11 p.m. slot normally accorded “The Daily Show”  and will do so for a period of a few weeks.
article by Brian Steinberg via Variety.com

LLCoolJ and "Empire" Stars Taraji P. Henson & Terrence Howard Among Presenters For 67th Emmy Awards

By goodblacknews on September 15, 2015
Empire

The Television Academy has announced the first group of presenters for the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Empire stars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard along with Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Poehler, Maggie Gyllenhaal and LL Cool J have been confirmed to hand out the statuettes at the September 20 ceremony.

Produced by Don Mischer Productions, the Emmys will be hosted by Andy Samberg and air live at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
article by Denise Petski via deadline.com

John Legend, Tyrese Gibson, Wanda Sykes Honored at 2015 Triumph Awards

By goodblacknews on September 14, 2015

Tyrese at the 2015 Trumph Awards in Atlanta
John Legend and Tyrese Gibson were honored for their positive impact on the community at the Triumph Awards, which took place Saturday night in Atlanta and will air Oct. 3 on TV One.
Legend received the Presidential Award for service and humanitarian efforts. The Grammy-winning singer was not in attendance, but accepted his award in a pre-taped video sitting alongside the Rev. Al Sharpton. (The network collaborated with Sharpton and his National Action Network.)
Gibson was presented the entertainer of the year award by Martin Luther King III. After the singer was given the award, he took the stage to perform his single “Shame.”
The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery received the Chairman’s Award for historic and transformative service as a civil rights leader, while comedian Wanda Sykes was given the Activism in the Arts honor for years of service to youth homelessness and engagement within the LGBT community.
Intel chief diversity officer Rosalind Hudnell was presented with the Corporate Executive of the Year.

Tichina Arnold hosts the 2015 Triumph Awards
Tichina Arnold

Actress Tichina Arnold of the Starz series “Survivor’s Remorse” hosted the show.
Rapper T.I. delivered a spoken-word piece titled “United We Stand,” urging youth to not lose focus and the meaning behind the Black Lives Matter movement.
Other performers included Tasha Cobbs, Ledisi, Jazmine Sullivan and Estelle. The Youth Ensemble of Atlanta unveiled “Put Your Guns Up,” a tribute recounting the victims of unfortunate deaths as a result of gun violence.
Grammy-winning jazz artist and producer Robert Glasper was the show’s musical director of the house band. Chante Moore and R&B singer Stokley Williams performed in a duet, singing a rendition of Donny Hathaway’s classic song “Someday We’ll All Be Free.”
article via eurweb.com

Vanessa Williams Receives ‘Unexpected’ Apology at Miss America Pageant

By goodblacknews on September 14, 2015
Vanessa Williams received a public apology from the Miss America organization. (CreditMark Makela/Reuters)

Betty Cantrell of Georgia was crowned Miss America on Sunday, but an apology to Vanessa Williams stole the show.  In 1983, Ms. Williams, now 52, became the first African-American to win the Miss America pageant. She was forced to resign 10 months later after nude photographs of her surfaced.

She went on to enjoy a decades-long career in TV, film and music. But it was a particular redemption to return to Sunday’s pageant in Atlantic City as a celebrity judge.

After Ms. Williams sang a song, Sam Haskell, executive chairman of the Miss America pageant, apologized for the way the organization treated her three decades ago.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXOLd3G_AHY&w=560&h=315]

“I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less the Miss America you are and the Miss America you always will be,” Mr. Haskell said in an onstage apology.

Ms. Williams called the apology “so unexpected but so beautiful.”

Ms. Williams, who was 21 at the time, resigned after nude photos of her appeared in “Penthouse” magazine.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwBmoNXrr0w&w=420&h=315]

In her departing speech in 1984, Ms. Williams said that she had never consented to those photos being published; the magazine’s publisher responded by saying that the photos were an “interesting bit of highly newsworthy information and photographs,” and that the publication was carried out as an obligation to the magazine’s readers.

Ms. Williams’s return to the pageant was a happy one, and more than a little triumphant. In the days leading up to it, she shared photos of her Miss America crown and pin with her followers on social media.

article by Katie Rogers via nytimes.com

FEATURE: Debbie Allen Discusses Directing TV & Her Many Roles in "Grey’s Anatomy" Season 12

By goodblacknews on September 11, 2015
Director/Producer/Actor Debbie Allen (TERENCE PATRICK FOR VARIETY)

Debbie Allen rose to fame with “Fame,” serving as a director, producer and choreographer. She was also the first black woman to be Emmy-nominated in the dramatic lead actress category. More than three decades later, she has a recurring role on “Grey’s Anatomy,” and is a frequent director — and now executive producer of the show. “It’s a little crazy, but what a great life,” Allen tells Variety. “I’m like a cat on a hot tin roof that somehow landed on all fours.”
What are your new responsibilities on “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 12, being a director, actor and executive producer?
I’m very involved in every episode, in terms of production design. I’m selecting the directors this season, looking over everything from makeup and hair to the actors’ concerns. I spend a lot of time with the writers, which I love.
How do you balance acting in an episode that you’re also directing and producing?
It’s actually how I started on “Fame.” I trained in acting, literature and theater, so talking to actors is something I’m really used to doing. That gives me a little bit of an edge sometimes. I know how to speak the actor’s language. On “Fame,” I started as Ms. Lydia Grant and I was the choreographer, but I soon became their favorite director because I knew how to shoot the dance and then I understood the acting. Doing it all at the same time is how I came into it.
Have you noticed a big change in your role on “Grey’s,” now that you’re an executive producer?
Very dramatic change. I’ve always been there as a director and somewhat of a den mom — it’s interesting; so many of them grew up on “Fame,” and I’ll never forget the first time I directed, Patrick Dempsey started singing “Fame” and doing jetes, and I’m like, “Stop it already. Stop it!” — so now, there are things that are my responsibility or things that I keep my eye on or things that I can mitigate. I’m responsible for a lot of things, which is a wonderful position to have. I’ve done this once before on “A Different World.” I was the executive producer and director on that show for five years. But this is different. It’s an hour, it’s in its twelfth season, but it feels like it’s brand new.
Speaking of Patrick Dempsey, how is the set different without him?
We had a great relationship. My nickname for him was “Dash” — Dash was the kid in “The Incredibles” that was running fast. He would come through the set like that. He was on the move. Racing cars defines him for real. Patrick is not there so it changes the dynamic of the story for Meredith.
How much will you be featured in this season?
Catherine Avery is still a guest star. She’s not a series regular, but I’m there so when they need me now — last year, they had to go and try to find me — they can take advantage of me, and it’s okay! I’m not mad about it.

Actor/Producer Idris Elba and Director Thomas Ikimi Land Deal with Fox to Develop TV Drama "The Crusaders"

By goodblacknews on September 10, 2015

elbaikimi
Getty Images

Fox has put in development The Crusaders, an hourlong drama series from Legacy writer-director Thomas Ikimi, the 2010 film’s star Idris Elba, Legendary TV and studio-based Di Bonaventura Television.
Written by Ikimi, The Crusaders, which has a script commitment, focuses on an extended family of second-generation Africans living in the U.S. who specialize in locating and returning valuable objects stolen from Africa during colonial occupation. UK-born Ikimi and Elba are both of African descent. Elba executive produces the project through his Green Door Pictures, along with Ikimi through T&T Studios and Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Dan McDermott via Di Bonaventura Television.
Elba previously executive produced Fox’s Luther remake, which went to pilot stage but has had problems casting the lead, played by Elba in the original British series.

Ikimi’s short film Nostradamus premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
article by Denise Petski via deadline.com

Octavia Butler’s Science Fiction Novel "Dawn" Being Developed into TV Series

By goodblacknews on September 8, 2015
Octavia E. Butler Discusses Her New Book 'Fledgling'
Author Octavia Butler (Source: Malcolm Ali / Getty)

One of Octavia Butler’s books will finally see the light of film. Butler’s Dawn, which is the first book of the late sci-fi novelist’s Lilith’s Brood collection, is being developed into a TV series. According to Deadline, Allen Bain has made the novel his first acquisition under his company.
Dawn tells the story of humanity’s last survivors who are saved by an ancient alien race right before the destruction of Earth. Humans are given the choice of either mating with the aliens to create a new mixed species or go extinct.
“The Lilith’s Brood trilogy is both timely and poignantly accessible as we continually grapple with questions of racial identity in our country, as well as our own place in an increasingly globalized world.”
Butler was a pioneering sci-fi novelist, and became the first science fiction writer to win the MacArthur Fellowship, aka the “Genius Grant.” She died in 2006 and was posthumously inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2010.
article by Starr Rhett Roque via hellobeautiful.com

Vanessa Williams to Return to Miss America Pageant as Judge

By goodblacknews on September 8, 2015

Vanessa Williams (photo via deadline.com)
Vanessa Williams (photo via deadline.com)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Three decades after she gave up the crown amid a nude photo scandal, Vanessa Williams is returning to the Miss America pageant.
The Miss America Organization, Dick Clark Productions and the ABC television network announced Tuesday they are bringing back the award-winning actress and singer to serve as head judge for the 2016 competition. It begins Tuesday and culminates in the crowning of the next Miss America on Sunday.
Williams, the first African-American Miss America, won the title in 1984 but resigned after Penthouse magazine published sexually explicit photographs of her taken several years earlier.
She went on to have a successful career in film, television, music and Broadway.
“It was two drastically different images — that was the issue. It was Miss America, who is really kind of untouched and not reality, and then there was this woman in the picture that was the polar opposite of purity, and I was a normal kid in the middle,” Williams said in an interview broadcast Tuesday on “Good Morning America.” ”That’s one of the problems I’ve had to deal with in my career, not only being a Miss America, but being a scandalous Miss America.”
Sam Haskell, executive chairman and CEO of the Miss America Organization, said his friendship with Williams predated the turmoil caused by the release of the photos.
“I have been friends with Vanessa for 32 years,” he told The Associated Press. “When the photos were published, there were people urging her to fight, but close supporters knew if she lost that fight that she would be completely removed from the history books.”
Haskell has been trying for a decade to bring Williams back to the Miss America stage, but this was the first year the logistics could be arranged.
“Vanessa’s career speaks for itself, with all the success that she has had,” Haskell said. “Her return as a huge success is a way for us all to move forward and put the past behind us. It’s truly an honor to welcome her back to the Miss America Pageant.”
Since her 1988 debut album, “The Right Stuff,” Williams has sold more than 7 million records worldwide and has scored No. 1 and Top 10 hits on various Billboard album and singles charts, including pop, dance, R&B, adult contemporary, holiday, Latin, Gospel and jazz.
Her work has been honored by 4 Emmy nominations; 17 Grammy nominations (of which 11 were for her individually); a Tony nomination, 3 Screen Actors Guild award nominations; 7 NAACP Image Awards; and a Golden Globe, Grammy and an Oscar for Best Original Song for her platinum single “Colors of the Wind,” from the Disney film “Pocahontas.”
She also starred on the TV shows “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives.”
Williams co-starred with Cicely Tyson and Cuba Gooding Jr. in Broadway’s “The Trip To Bountiful” in 2013. She returned to the Great White Way the next year in the musical “After Midnight.”
She joins pageant hosts Chris Harrison and Brooke Burke-Charvet, music curator Nick Jonas and celebrity judges Brett Eldredge, Taya Kyle, Danica McKellar, Kevin O’Leary, Amy Purdy and Zendaya.
article by Wayne Parry via bigstory.ap.org