Black in Period Films

The Long Song originally premiered on BBC One on December 18, 2018. This left many Americans without access to BBC One, unable to to watch the adaption. Americans will finally get the chance on January 31, 2021 when the three-part series will premiere on PBS Masterpiece! 'The Long Song' is set in early 19th century colonial Jamaica, focusing on the final years of slavery on the island, and the transition to freedom that took place after its abolition in 1833. It follows the life of July (Tamara Lawrance), a slave on a sugarcane plantation. July (Tamara Lawrance) with Caroline Mortimer (Hayley Atwell) The novel the series is based on was written by Andrea Levy (who was born in London to Jamaican parents) and adds another layer to the way the lives of enslaved people are represented in media.  If you've read the book or seen the series already what did you think of it? 

Good news 'The Wonder Years' fans! Or bad news based on your opinion of reboots. There is a "The Wonder Years" reboots in the works at ABC.  "The Wonder Years" ran from 1988 to 1993 and followed the coming of age story of Kevin Arnold. It tracks Kevin's growth from the explosive late 1960s on through the early 1970s. The series is narrated by Kevin as an adult.  The reboot will focus on a Black family in 1960s Montgomery, Alabama.  Lee Daniels will executive produce the series. Its going to be a comedy with Saladin Patterson ('The Bernie Mac Show', 'Big Bang Theory') as writer. The original Kevin Arnold, Fred Savage is set to direct the pilot episode and original 'The Wonder Years' co-creator Neal Marlens, will be a consultant. The goal is for the show to be developed for the 2012-22 television season. Who do you see as Kevin Arnold? 

The Social Season is upon us.  The Netflix series is an adaption of the Bridgerton novels by best-selling historical romance author Julia Quinn. The popular series has tons of material to work with. Quinn originally meant for the series to be a trilogy, but it eventually ended up being 8 novels! Due to reader questions she wrote a collection of epilogues for the characters and a separate novella about the character Violet.  We posted about the cast here .  If you had the privilege of reading the series what do you think of the trailer?  Bridgerton, from Shondaland, premieres December 25, only on Netflix. 

Tensions rise when trailblazing blues singer Ma Rainey and her band gather at a recording studio in Chicago in 1927.

Checkout this photos from the upcoming adaption of August Wilson's 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'.  Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues". The film features Viola Davis as Ma Rainey and Chadwick Boseman as Levee in his final film. Viola Davis front and center as Ma Rainey. (Credit David Lee/Netflix) Boseman with Michael Potts (Slow Drag) and Colman Domingo (as Cutler). (Credit David Lee/Netflix) The film is directed by George C. Wolfe who also did amazing work with period films 'Lackawanna Blues' (2005) and 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' (2017). I am loving how different Viola Davis is looking here. She looks like Ma Rainey here. (Credit David Lee/Netflix) Boseman with Glynn Turman (Toledo), Michael Potts (Slow Drag), and Colman Domingo (as Cutler). (Credit David Lee/Netflix) 'Ma Rainey's B...

  Jackie Ormes is known as the first Black American woman cartoonist. Jackie Ormes was born Zelda Mavin Jackson on August 1, 1911, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was born to  William Winfield Jackson,  the owner of a printing company and movie theater proprietor and Mary Brown Jackson.  Ormes's first comic strip, Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem, first appeared in the Pittsburgh Courier on May 1, 1937. Although it was not syndicated in the traditional sense, it was read from coast to coast. Her Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger, a single-panel cartoon would run for 11 years and lead to the creation of the Torchy Togs paper doll and the Patty-Jo doll. Both dolls were represented black girls and women as well dressed and in a positive modern light.  Jackie Ormes is a trailblazer and I am happy Google honored her in this way.  I've talked about Ormes before. Take a look!

This morning Leslie Jones presented the nominations o the 2020 Emmy Awards. There are a few nominations that are very exciting to me as they feature talent from period series! Drama Series  “The Crown” (Netflix) “Stranger Things” (Netflix) Comedy Series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon Prime Video) Limited Series “Mrs. America” (Hulu) “Watchmen” (HBO) Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Don Cheadle (“Black Monday”) Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Regina King (“Watchmen”) (Included becasue its Regina (duh!) and because of their flashbacks) Octavia Spencer (“Self Made”) Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld”) Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Thandie Newton (“Westworld”) Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Sterling K. Brown (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”) Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“Watchmen”) Jovan Adepo (“Watchmen”) Louis Gossett Jr. (“Wa...