I have to admit, I wasn’t planning on watching it, mainly because these days I don’t have the opportunity to view much television outside of what my 9 and 6 year-olds are viewing. If you want to ask me what’s happening on the Disney Channel or PBS Kids – I’m your woman. BET and Centric, not so much. But when I got an email from former colleague and uber-producer Debra Martin Chase announcing the premiere of her new sitcom “Zoe Ever After”, I made a point of setting my DVR to record it so I could carve out a moment to watch and support.
That moment came this morning, and I am so glad it did. “Zoe Ever After,” created and executive produced by Chase, Erica Montolfo-Bura and former “Moesha” lead Brandy Norwood (who stars in the titular role), is a delightful, smartly-written, acted and executed half-hour comedy about Zoe Moon, a woman restarting her life with a new cosmetics business, new love interests and a new parenting arrangement after filing for divorce from her famous boxer husband Gemini Moon (Dorian Missick).
Set in Manhattan,”Zoe Ever After” is actually filmed in Atlanta, but unlike some other half-hours shot there, its look and feel don’t come off as claustrophobic or cheap. The sets and visuals, though limited, are beautifully styled and on point. The costume design is equally striking, and if the show keeps it up, Brandy could add “fashion maven” to her actor/singer calling card.
But even more important than the look or basic premise is how well “Zoe” deals with its themes – the difficulty of dating after a break-up, co-parenting with an ex, the struggles of running a new business (the air conditioning breaks down in Zoe’s office and she is stubbornly against taking her ex’s help to fix it, even though the contractor he sends (Ignacio Serricchio) generates more heat than the system he’s repairing), and the internal tug-of-war that occurs when you still have feelings for the person who broke your heart.
All of the actors, including intended comic relief characters, on-a-mission-to-get-married best friend and publicist Pearl (Haneefah Wood), fashionable, openly gay assistant Valence (Tory Devon Smith) and bright, adorable son Xavier (Jaylon Gordon), make strong impressions, but Brandy in particular shines as she charmingly and believably navigates dramatic moments like where she tells her ex how he always made her feel invisible, or sillier ones where she gets pooped on by a dove (which is a clever metaphor tied to a story point, believe it or not).
The preliminary ratings and social media on “Zoe’s” debut are also strong, so BET looks to have a good compliment/counterpoint to “Real Husbands of Hollywood” on its slate, and I am personally looking forward to finding more time away from “Lab Rats” and “Arthur” to see if Zoe does indeed get her “ever after.”
“Zoe Ever After” airs Tuesdays on BET. To view the premiere episode, check your local listings or access clips via BET.com.
Posts tagged as “Haneefah Wood”
CBS Entertainment and CBS Television Studios have signed talent holding deals with three performers featured in the network’s annual Diversity Comedy Showcase event held in January. Drew Tarver has been cast in CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother” spinoff “How I Met Your Dad.” Tarver has appeared on “Animal Practice,” “Newreaders” and has created and starred in several “Funny or Die” videos.
Nico Santos and Haneefah Wood have also landed holding deals.
CBS’ annual talent showcase aims to open doors for actors and writers from a range of backgrounds, not only at CBS but with casting directors and executives in the business. This year’s event, held Jan. 22-23 at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood, featured 22 actors and writers selected from more than 2,500 audiences. Santos has appeared as a recurring panelist on “Chelsea Lately’s” round table and as a co-star on “Ground Floor.” He is also known in the stand-up comedy circuit having performed at the Improv, Laugh Factory and Comedy Store in Hollywood.
Wood comes from a theater background and has had roles in the Broadway productions of “Rent,” “Avenue Q,” and “Brooklyn.”
article by Nikara Johns via Variety.com
Nico Santos and Haneefah Wood have also landed holding deals.
CBS’ annual talent showcase aims to open doors for actors and writers from a range of backgrounds, not only at CBS but with casting directors and executives in the business. This year’s event, held Jan. 22-23 at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood, featured 22 actors and writers selected from more than 2,500 audiences. Santos has appeared as a recurring panelist on “Chelsea Lately’s” round table and as a co-star on “Ground Floor.” He is also known in the stand-up comedy circuit having performed at the Improv, Laugh Factory and Comedy Store in Hollywood.
Wood comes from a theater background and has had roles in the Broadway productions of “Rent,” “Avenue Q,” and “Brooklyn.”
article by Nikara Johns via Variety.com