Source: Splash News / Splash News
With the advent of T.V., finding a show centered around a group of Black women can be a rare occasion.
Of course, we had shows like 227 in the ’80s, Living Single in the ’90s and Girlfriends in the 2000s, but we’re talking about one or two hallmark shows every several years. Insecure is the current go-to show for depictions of Black women…and maybe Queen Sugar, which arguably isn’t as popular. But now, Starz is making sure these aren’t the only depictions when it comes to an often forgotten group.
Currently, the network has a series called P-Valley in development. It’s based on the play Pussy Valley by celebrated playwright Katori Hall, who’s also the creator of the series. According to Shadow and Act, the show takes place in the Mississippi Delta and is described as an hour-long drama that “tells the kaleidoscopic story of a little-strip-club-that-could and the big characters who come through its doors—the hopeful, the lost, the broken, the ballers, the beautiful, and the damned.”
It’s further described as a show where “trap music meets film noir in this lyrical and atmospheric series that dares to ask what happens when small-town folk dream beyond the boundaries of the Piggly Wiggly and the pawnshop.”
The main cast includes Black actresses like Brandee Evans, Elarica Johnson, Shannon Thornton and on Monday, Loretta Devine was announced as the latest actress in a reoccurring role, according to Deadline.
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Devine will portray the “Granmuva of Uncle Clifford and former proprietress of The Pynk. Though she may be blind, she sees through the tangled mess of inherited injustice and contradictions that have long ruled the South.”
Well okay then!
Along with P-Valley, Starz will also bring On The Run to the screen backed by T.V. veteran Yvette Lee Bowser.
Bowser is mainly known for developing the classic comedy series Living Single and she currently serves as the showrunner and executive producer for the Netflix show Dear White People.
Source: Splash News / Splash News
On The Run “centers on a group of black, vibrant, fiercely loyal best friends who live, work and play in Harlem as they strive for world domination,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s an unapologetically female show about friendship and not just surviving, but thriving together.”
The series was created by Leigh Davenport, who’s currently a writer for BET’s Boomerang. Though the show isn’t casted yet, it’s sure to bring all the Living Single feels with it’s own twist for a new generation.
We ain’t mad at Starz.
There’s no premiere date for either show yet, but we’ll continue to keep you updated as more Black women narratives continue to hit the screen.
It’s definitely a long time coming.
About Time: Black Women Are Front & Center In These Upcoming Starz Shows was originally published on globalgrind.com
