CNN and OWN will air a documentary feature on the life and career of R&B superstar Luther Vandross in 2025, the networks said Wednesday at the Warner Bros. Discovery upfront in New York. 

Also Read: Continuing Coverage of the 2024 Upfronts

The Dawn Porter-produced film, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, explores Vandross’s career as he charted his own course in becoming one of the most decorated and influential artists of all time, according to the networks. The project will feature archival footage of Vandross, who died in 2005, along with interviews with Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson and Roberta Flack. 

Never Too Much will explore the Grammy award-winning artist’s career, as well as his “unrequited love life, health struggles, and lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved,” said CNN.

Never Too Much is executive produced by Porter, Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Tom Mackay, Richard Story, Jon Platt, Brian Monaco and Phil Thornton. 

 The Roku Channel's fantasy series The Spiderwick Chronicles and former late night host Conan O'Brien's return to the small screen leads the list of original shows premiering this week.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on the children's book series of the same name by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, debuts April 19 and follows the Grace Family, whose move into their family's ancestral home unveils hidden mysteries as well as a secret, fantastical world around them, according to Roku. The eight-part series stars Christian Slater, Joy Bryant, Noah Cottrell, Lyon Daniels and Mychala Lee. 

Max's Conan O'Brien Must Go reality series stars the former Conan late-night show as he travels to remote places to visit people who have appeared on his based on his Conan Without Borders travel specials and his Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast. All four episodes of the series debut on April 18.  

Here are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting during the week of April 15-21. For some videos, viewer discretion is advised.

April 15, The Stranger (movie), Hulu

April 16, An American Bombing: The Road to April 19 (documentary), HBO

April 17, Under the Bridge (drama), Hulu

April 18, Dinner With Parents (comedy), Amazon Freevee

April 18, The Upshaws (returning series), Netflix

April 19, The Barnes Bunch (documentary series), WE tv

April 19, Jane (returning series), Apple TV plus

April 19, The Never Ever Mets (reality series), OWN

April 21, The Jinx-Part Two (documentary series), HBO 

April 21, Secrets of the Octopus (documentary), Nat Geo

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has renewed its freshman unscripted series First-Time Buyer's Club for a second season. 

The sophomore season of the series will continue to feature realtor Amina Stevens who helps first-time home buyers through through every stage of the home-buying process, helping to educate and inspire along the way, according to OWN. The first season of the series debuted this past December and became Saturday night’s top-rated original cable series (without sports) in its time period across all key African-American demos with over 4.4 million viewers having tuned in, according to the network.

“This series perfectly embodies OWN’s commitment to serve and empower our audience across many facets of their lives, including the journey towards home ownership,” said OWN president Tina Perry in a statement. “Amina inspires us to see that home ownership is more than just possession of a piece of property, it’s about owning a piece of one’s dream and securing a solid foundation.”  

BET Plus leads the list of networks and streaming services delivering holiday TV movie cheer to viewers during the 12 days before Christmas as programmers tie a bow around a robust lineup of original holiday programming that launched in October. 

BET Plus over the next two weeks will distribute the final three movies of its slate of 12 original holiday films and specials that featured several high-profile celebrities and producers, including Jasmine Guy, Tamar Braxton, Vivica A. Fox, Debbie Allen, Tichina Arnold, Jackee Harry, and Michael Colyar, according to BET Plus officials. 

BET Plus VP of content programming, strategy and original movies Marvin Neil said holiday programming has become a yearly staple for the four-year-old African American-targeted streaming service as it looks to offer more family fare.

“The holiday season is about families and togetherness, and I feel like that’s an opportunity that’s been taken up by major networks for decades,” Neil said. “The problem is major networks weren’t really showcasing the black holiday experience the way we felt we deserved, so we were very intentional about really targeting the holiday season as a moment to tell relatable stories for our viewers and for a broader audience.” 

Neil said the appeal of original holiday content attracted actors, directors and writers of color to the streaming service. On the docket for BET Plus holiday films premiering through Christmas are films starring actress/producer Robin Givens (Christmas Rescue); musicians MC Lyte and Tank (Favorite Son Christmas); and actress/singer Kandi Burruss (Whatever It Takes).

Holiday Movie Sampler

A partial list of remaining holiday-themed movies debuting on linear networks and streaming services, along with their premiere dates:

December 14

• Heaven Down Here (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
• Christmas Rescue (BET Plus)
• Favorite Son Christmas (BET Plus)

December 15

• The Secret Gift of Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

December 16

• Designing Christmas With You (Great American Family)
• Sealed With a List (Hallmark Channel)
• The Holiday Proposal Plan (Lifetime)
• The Christmas Detective (OWN)
• A Christmas Intern (Lifetime)

December 17

• Dial S for Santa (UPtv)
• Merry Magic Christmas (Lifetime)
• 12 Games of Christmas (Great American Family)
• Friends and Family Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

December 21

• Miracle in Bethlehem, PA (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
• Whatever It Takes (BET Plus)
• The Christmas Break (Fox)

December 23

• A Royal Christmas Holiday (Great American Family)
• Mom’s Christmas Boyfriend (Lifetime)
• Christmas Revisited (OWN)

December 24

• A Christmas Letter (UPtv)

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network will take a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming The Color Purple film in a new special set to debut December 8.

The one-hour OWN special, OWN Celebrates The New Color Purple, features network founder Oprah Winfrey as she interviews the movie’s leading actors, including Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, H.E.R. and Fantasia Barrino, regarding their roles in the reimagining of the 1985 Steven Spielberg-produced film, according to the network. 

Winfrey, who serves as executive producer for the film, also talks about her role in the original movie, which earned her a 1985 Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress – one of 11 nominations for The Color Purple.

The Warner Bros.-distributed The Color Purple movie, based on the Alice Walker novel of the same name, debuts in movie theaters on Christmas.

Seeing their docuseries Rebuilding Black Wall Street appear on the Oprah Winfrey Network starting September 29 and stream on Max will validate the “do good” mission of the founders of Sunwise Media, the Black-owned production company behind the show.

Founded by Ri-Karlo Handy and Elverage Allen in 2017, Sunwise’s mission has been to create entertainment that inspires and compels social and cultural change. Getting a series on OWN, especially one about building minority-owned businesses, is an achievement that pays off years of hope and effort.

“We made a conscious choice as a studio and as a company not to chase things. We want to develop things that were not only brand safe, but also that were additive and helpful to the community,” Handy told Broadcasting+Cable.

Also Read: Hearst, Sunwise Media Make Plans To Reimagine Saturday Morning TV

“Sometimes that comes across as earnest and maybe not as exciting. But hey, the most popular things in our world are earnest,” Handy said. “We love superheroes, we love sports heroes and we love people who are doing things that seem impossible, and we want to see how they achieve them.

“That is really the crux of where this fits in. These are local hero stories we’re telling.”

Black Wall Street, the affluent Greenwood business district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, destroyed by racial violence in 1921, has been the subject of numerous television projects, including ones from Spike Lee and LeBron James.

Handy and Allen knew the story but got deeply involved through work it did on a commercial project for the Greenwood Bank in Tulsa that featured actor Jesse Williams.

“I think ours was unique because it was content around a business that was actually trying to give back to the community,” Handy said.

After meeting descendants of the people whose homes and businesses were destroyed and hearing the stories about what was happening now, Handy decided to come up with an idea for a show that would focus on the people trying to rebuild the business district.

“You can’t do that without telling the history, but I just felt like everyone was doing documentaries,“ he said. “I wanted to do something different and something that would be repeatable.” 

Hosted by Morris Chestnut, each episode of Rebuilding Black Wall Street tells the story of another business being created and the people behind it.

The rebuilding projects are led by designers Jon Pierre and Mary Tjon Joe-Pin.

One of the stories revolves around Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star and mayor of Sacramento, California, whose grandparents lived in Tulsa. Johnson opened a branch of his Fixins Soul Kitchen restaurant chain in June and it serves some dishes based on his grandmother’s recipes.

“We have to strike a balance between all those terrible things that happened and the rebirth that’s happening now,” Allen, Sunwise’s sales chief, said. “We want to be true to the history but we also want to make sure that the advertisers feel like they're being part of an aspirational story.”

Handy thinks there are more stories to tell, not only in Tulsa, but in other cities. “There were several Black Wall Streets that all experienced these horrific atrocities over a long span, primarily from the late 1900s through the 1940s and ’50s when things started to shift away from the Jim Crow laws.”

But first things first. Getting the show greenlighted was a long process. Of course, there is a direct connection to Oprah Winfrey herself. Handy was working on a mental health project with Winfrey and met with her the day after the Super Bowl in 2021.

“The meeting was about another project and that project went to a different company,“ Handy recalled. “But the meeting went well and the consensus was, ‘Let’s do something.’ We got a development deal within 24 hours.”

As part of the development deal, Sunwise pitched a number of projects. “This show happens because of [OWN president] Tina Perry,” Handy said. “We’ve known her since before she was president of OWN and she genuinely believed in our company.”

“Inclusion in the media has never been more vital, so having a Black-owned production company tell this story was very important to us,” said Drew Tappon, head of unscripted development, programming and specials at OWN.

“The most authentic, unscripted projects focus on situations that are happening whether cameras are in place or not,” Tappon said. “Sunwise is on the ground, capturing real-life efforts of a heroic community.”

The project also got crucial boosts from GroupM’s Diverse Voices Accelerator, an initiative that supports creators, writers, producers, directors and studios from traditionally underrepresented groups in entertainment, and from Sheereen Russell, executive VP, ad sales and inclusive content partnerships at Warner Bros. Discovery, OWN’s parent company.

Domino’s is one of the GroupM clients sponsoring the series.

In the recent upfront market, there was much more demand for shows that offered diversity, equity and inclusion opportunities, Jon Steinlauf, chief U.S. ad sales officer at Warner Bros. Discovery, said at B+C’s Advanced Advertising Summit this month.

“We were able to work with our channel, Oprah Winfrey Network, and now we're gonna deliver [Rebuilding Black Wall Street] through a minority-owned production company on the OWN linear platform, as well as on other platforms,” Steinlauf said. “I'm very proud of the fact that as a company, we have those values and we work with our advertisers who share those values to try to bring stories like that to life that otherwise may not have been seen.”

Karra Duncan, a television producer who has been a friend of Handy’s for years and is a descendant of Tulsa massacre victims, played another key role.

“Because of her, I was fully tapped into the community,” Handy said. “It’s a very tight-knit community. And to do any show like this, where you’re getting into something that is so important to people, you’ve got to make sure that they know you’re going to handle it with care.”

Handy and Duncan are executive producers of the show, along with Chestnut.

The show could be a turning point for Sunwise.

“I would describe it as our first commissioned project where we were able to genuinely partner with the network on every aspect of our business,” Handy said, from content development and content production to brand integration.” I felt like it was the first time where our model for Sunwise really started to come together.”

While Warner Bros. Discovery sold sponsorships and commercials in the show, Sunwise was able to sell product integrations.

The timing was off, and by the time Sunwise was able to make its pitch, most advertisers had already spent their upfront budgets, Allen said.

“It's got GroupM behind it and Warner Bros. Discovery behind it,“ Allen said. “We’re very hopeful and optimistic that we can get brands involved if there’s a season two.”

While diversity, equity and inclusion has been a hot topic, the challenging times in the TV business have led some companies to outsource their DEI efforts, Handy said.

“How many checks are being written to companies like Sunwise Media, you know, particularly for this type of content,” he said.

But Sunwise remains optimistic.

“This year showed me that there's a big shift in our industry,“ Handy said. “I think we're on the cusp of shows and content being financed more directly by brands. And I feel like Sunwise is in a position to work with other networks and other brands and other agencies in the same way because we've been working the kinks out of how that could look from a third-party producer studio.

“If brands or networks want to thoughtfully get involved I think our show and the way we went about it could be a good starting point, because the community is behind it and a community hasn't been behind everything that people have done in Tulsa,” Handy said.

Allen is hopeful that Rebuilding Black Wall Street will generate ratings and earn a second season.

“But if it doesn’t, that’s OK, too, because the story needs to be told,” Allen said. “Hopefully we, along with the network and the sponsors, will get recognition for walking the talk, which you don't see a lot of.”

Essence magazine celebrates its 50th anniversary this year by expanding its brand into television programming in an effort to better serve its target audience of Black women.

Essence Ventures, which owns Essence, last month teamed with OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network to launch a five-part documentary series, Time of Essence, which spotlights the magazine’s influence on Black culture over the past five decades. The OWN series, which airs its penultimate episode Friday (September 8), features interviews and perspectives from stars like Winfrey, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Time of Essence comes on the heels of Essence’s partnership with streaming service Hulu in July for live, three-day coverage of the annual Essence Festival of Culture, featuring performances from musicians such as Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion. 

Spearheading Essence’s move into television and streaming is VP of experiential branded content and video Stephanie Dunivan, who joined the brand in 2017 after previous stints at BET and Inside Edition. Dunivan talked about the evolution of Essence’s television strategy with Multichannel News. Here’s a lightly edited version of that conversation. 

MCN: Essence has had a long and successful run as a print magazine. Why was it important for the company to transition to television?

Stephanie Dunivan: Actually, Essence has been in the television space over the years. For Time of Essence, the great partnership Essence has with OWN to tell the story of Essence’s 50-year legacy was just a natural fit. With a brand like Essence, people feel a lot of ownership of the brand because it’s been a companion piece across many of our lives, especially if you’re a black woman. So now, to be able to tell this story in this way and peel back the curtain to let people know all the things that it took to keep the last black-owned magazine standing on stands to this day really makes for great TV.

MCN: What do you hope viewers take away from the series once it’s completed? 

SD: I think that there is going to be a moment or a story of resilience or perseverance — whether personal or about the business — where people will see themselves. I just think that people are going to have even more of an affinity to the brand if they didn't before, just knowing what it took to keep it around. 

MCN: Earlier this summer, you oversaw the production of Essence Fest Primetime on Hulu. How well was that received, and will you look to continue to develop content around the Essence Festival of Culture in the future? 

SD: That was our second year doing the telecast — being able to bring the Essence Festival to the masses with Essence Fest Primetime was really great. We are already brainstorming on how to make that bigger and better for our 30th birthday party next year. I actually came from  BET and I produced a show called 106 & Park, so live television is definitely a passion of mine and something that we do really well here at Essence with our Black Women in Hollywood event as well as Essence Fest Primetime.  We definitely plan to do more of that in the future. 

MCN: Who is the target audience for content like Time of Essence or Essence Fest Primetime: an older female viewer who grew up with Essence magazine or a younger viewer who may not be familiar with the brand? 

SD: The shows are multigenerational. With Time of Essence, there are going to be people who grew up with Essence for the past 50 years that look at it as a tool to reminisce and remember this or that cover. There are also going to be people that are my age who really look at it as a tool for inspiration. I've heard a lot of feedback from Gen Z and younger people who talk about their appreciation for the evolution of what this magazine has been and what it will be for the next 50 years. So just like the Essence Festival and anything that we produce, we are producing it for her, no matter what the demographic is, what the household income is, what her personal style is, what the age is.

OWN will chronicle the history and rebuilding of Tulsa's Greenwood District  in a new documentary debuting on September 29.

Actor Morris Chestnut will host the six-part docuseries, Rebuilding Black Wall Street, which will guide viewers through the history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District -- once known as Black Wall Street -- which was destroyed more than a century ago in the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, one of the most horrific incidents of racial terrorism since slavery, according to the network. The series will look at the personal journeys of the residents featured – many of whom are the descendants of original Black Wall Street residents.

Rebuilding Black Wall Street will showcase the physical and emotional challenges that come with large-scale construction and celebrate the promise of Greenwood’s future as new businesses and projects progress, said OWN.

Rebuilding Black Wall Street is executive produced by Morris Chestnut, Ri-Karlo Handy and Karra Duncan.

The return of Hulu’s animated series Solar Opposites and Peacock’s comedy series Killing It highlight this week’s list of original show premieres.

Season four of Hulu’s animated science-fiction series debuts August 14 and continues to follow the exploits of a family of aliens shipwrecked on Earth. Dan Stevens joins the cast for season four of Solar Opposites, which also includes Thomas Middleditch, Sean Giamborne, and Mary Mack. 

Peacock’s Killing It premieres its second season on August 17, with Craig Robinson returning to star as a rags-to-riches snake hunter along with Claudia O’Doherty and Rell Battle.

Here are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting during the week of August 14-20. For some videos, viewer discretion is advised.

August 14, 90 Day: Last Resort (reality series), TLC

August 16, Depp v. Heard (documentary series), Netflix

August 16, Miguel Wants to Fight (comedy movie), Hulu

August 18, Time of Essence (documentary series), OWN

August 18, Harlan Coben’s Shelter (drama), Prime video

August 18, The Monkey King (Animated movie), Netflix

August 18, The Winter King (drama), MGM Plus

Warner Bros. Discovery’s flagship streaming platform Max rolled out a dedicated OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network hub in the U.S. yesterday. WBD is a joint-venture partner in OWN, which was launched in 2011 by the iconic media mogul.

“Our mission at OWN is to deliver programming that serves the female Black viewer, and this cross-portfolio collaboration presents a terrific opportunity to expand on that mission,” OWN president Tina Perry said. “OWN’s premium content will not only be available to our current fans, but it will also be available to a whole new audience that can easily access our programming with this dedicated hub.”

The OWN hub is featured in the Brand Spotlight carousel of the Max homepage, alongside a variety of other WBD brands, including HBO, Max Originals, and DC. It features over 500 episodes of popular OWN series, including current shows like Love & Marriage, Ready To Love, Belle Collective and Put a Ring On It, as well as a catalog of OWN originals.

OWN’s upcoming five-part docuseries Time of Essence, chronicling the influential Black culture magazine Essence, will be available to stream day-and-date on the platform when it premieres on Aug. 18. The documentary will feature such celebrities as Regina Hall, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Taye Diggs and Sheryl Lee Ralph, as well as longtime Essence editor-in-chief Susan L. Taylor and current Essence magazine editor Mikki Taylor. 

Blacked-owned media company Sunwise Media will produce a documentary series for OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network called Rebuilding Black Wall Street: Greenwood, a project that is being backed by GroupM advertising clients including Domino’’s.

Rebuilding Black Wall Street: Greenwood is the first project resulting from a new strategic partnership between GroupM Motion Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery. 

The partnership supports GroupM’s Diverse Voices Accelerator, an initiative that supports creators, writers, producer, directors and studio from traditionally underrepresented groups in entertainment.

Also Read: Hearst, Sunwise Media Make Plans To Reimagine Saturday Morning TV

Rebuilding Black Wall Street: Greenwood is a six-part series that will premiere on OWN in the fall. It is created by executive producer Ri-Karlo Handy and his company Sunwise Media Inc.  Sunwise creates family-friendly original content for African-American viewers and promotes diversity and cultural relevance as an effective marketing tool.

The series will chronicle the reconstruction of the Greenwood District of Tulsa, which was destroyed in the 1921 massacre. Over the course of six episodes, viewers will be guided through Greenwood's rich history and the personal journeys of the cast, many of whom are the descendants of Black Wall Street residents.

"We have a responsibility to create a more inclusive and equitable industry," said Kirk McDonald, CEO, GroupM North America. "This benefits everyone. It empowers content creators who face barriers, provides brands with access to diverse and engaged audiences, and offers viewers authentic programming that captures the richness of the human experience."

In addition to content development, the Diverse Voices Accelerator provides opportunities for support from brands. Projects created under the DVA will be supported by GroupM agencies including Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom, with participating clients like Domino’s (a Mindshare client) and other brand partners, who are committed to diversity and inclusion. 

“At Domino’s, it’s important that both our media and advertising reflect the diversity of our customers, our team members and the communities we serve,” said Kate Trumbull, Domino’s senior VP, Brand and Product Innovation. “Through our partnership with GroupM’s DVA program, we are proud to support the creation of original programming developed by a variety of diverse voices in media and entertainment.” ■

Issa Rae comedy Insecure debuts on OWN Tuesday, February 7. The show had five seasons on HBO.

Two episodes run on premiere night at OWN, starting at 9 p.m. ET/ PT. Their titles are “Insecure as F**k” and “Messy as F**k”. 

Insecure explores the Black female experience through best friends Issa (Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji), who must deal with their own flaws as they attempt to navigate different worlds and cope with an endless series of uncomfortable everyday experiences. Season one sees Issa try to figure out what she wants out of life and how to take control of it, while fumbling her way through this journey. 

Jay Ellis, Natasha Rothwell and Amanda Seales are also in the cast. 

The show debuted in 2016. 

Insecure was created by Issa Rae & Larry Wilmore. Rae executive produced with Prentice Penny, Melina Matsoukas, Michael Rotenberg, Dave Becky, Jonathan Berry, Amy Aniobi and Jim Klever-Weis. 

The series earned 14 Emmy Awards nominations during its run, including two Outstanding Lead Comedy Actress nods for Rae. ■

OWN will re-run HBO’s Emmy-winning comedy series Insecure beginning February 7.

The Issa Rae-created series, which aired for five seasons on HBO from 2016 to 2021, will debut on OWN with back-to-back episodes starting with the season one pilot, according to the network.

Insecure explores the Black female experience through the lens of two best friends as they deal with their own flaws while navigating different worlds and coping with a series of uncomfortable everyday experiences, said OWN. Along with Rae, the series stars Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, Natasha Rothwell and Amanda Seales.

The series earned 14 Emmy Awards nominations during its run, including two Outstanding Lead Comedy Actress nods for Rae. Insecure won a 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series.

Insecure is executive produced by Rae, Prentice Penny, Melina Matsoukas, Michael Rothenberg, Dave Becky, Jonathan Berry, Amy Aniobi and Jim Klever-Weis. ■

Netflix’s sequel to the classic comedy sitcom That ‘70s Show and the return of Apple TV Plus’s drama series Truth Be Told top the list of shows debuting this week.

Netflix’s That ‘90’s Show premieres on January 19, picking up two decades after the classic Fox series, with Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp reprising their roles as Red and Kitty Forman from the That ‘70s Show. The two will look after their granddaughter Leia Forman, played by Callie Haverda.

Apple TV Plus brings back Truth Be Told for a third season on January 20. The series stars Octavia Spencer as a true-crime podcaster trying to uncover the mystery of Black girls who have gone missing in the Oakland area. Gabrielle Union and Mekhi Phifer also star in the 10-episode series.

Here are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting January 17-22 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

January 18: Are You The One? (returning series), Paramount Plus

January 18: Dirty Old Cars (reality), History

January 18: Grown-ish (returning series), Freeform 

January 19: Sorry About the Demon (horror), Shudder

January 21: Love & Marriage: D.C. (returning series), OWN

Abbott Elementary looks to extend its awards season success at next month’s NAACP Image Awards, securing the most nominations in the television category.

The ABC comedy, which won four Golden Globes Awards Tuesday leading all television shows, drew a category-high nine nominations, including nods for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Quinta Brunson.

ABC’s Black-ish, which ended its eight-season run in 2022, drew seven nominations. Other shows drawing five or more nominations include Starz’s P-Valley, OWN’s Queen Sugar, Peacock's The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Apple TV Plus’ The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, ABC’s Women of the Movement and Netflix’s From Scratch.

BET will air live coverage of the 54th annual NAACP Image Awards from Pasadena, Calif. The show will take place in front of a live audience for the first time since 2020.

“We take pride in recognizing the trailblazing achievements and artistry of the year’s esteemed nominees and celebrating the powerful legacy of the NAACP,” BET Executive VP of Specials, Music Programming and Music Strategy Connie Orlando said in a statement. “We look forward to bringing the Image Awards back to Pasadena in front of a live audience and delivering unforgettable moments that epitomize the brilliance of the Black community.”

NAACP President Derrick Johnson added: “This year’s nominees have conveyed a wide range of authentic stories and diverse experiences that have resonated with many in our community, and we’re proud to recognize their outstanding achievements and performances.” 

The list of NAACP Image Awards nominees in the television category are as follows:

 Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Atlanta (FX)

black-ish (ABC)

Rap Sh!t (HBO Max)

The Wonder Years (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson – black-ish (ABC)

Cedric The Entertainer – The Neighborhood (CBS)

Donald Glover – Atlanta (FX)

Dulé Hill – The Wonder Years (ABC)

Mike Epps – The Upshaws (Netflix)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series

Loretta Devine – Family Reunion (Netflix)

Maya Rudolph – Loot (Apple TV Plus)

Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Tichina Arnold – The Neighborhood (CBS)

Tracee Ellis Ross – black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Brian Tyree Henry – Atlanta (FX)

Deon Cole – black-ish (ABC)

Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

William Stanford Davis – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Jenifer Lewis – black-ish (ABC)

Marsai Martin – black-ish (ABC)

Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Wanda Sykes – The Upshaws (Netflix)

Outstanding Drama Series

Bel-Air (Peacock)

Bridgerton (Netflix)

Euphoria (HBO Max)

P-Valley (Starz)

Queen Sugar (OWN)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

Damson Idris – Snowfall (FX)

Jabari Banks – Bel-Air (Peacock)

Kofi Siriboe – Queen Sugar (OWN)

Nicco Annan – P-Valley (Starz)

Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (FOX)

Brandee Evans – P-Valley (Starz)

Queen Latifah – The Equalizer (CBS)

Rutina Wesley – Queen Sugar (OWN)

Zendaya – Euphoria (HBO Max)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Adrian Holmes – Bel-Air (Peacock)

Amin Joseph – Snowfall (FX)

Caleb McLaughlin – Stranger Things (Netflix)

Cliff “Method Man” Smith – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)

J. Alphonse Nicholson – P-Valley (Starz)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Adjoa Andoh – Bridgerton (Netflix)

Bianca Lawson – Queen Sugar (OWN)

Loretta Devine – P-Valley (Starz)

Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us (NBC)

Tina Lifford – Queen Sugar (OWN)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

Carl Weber’s The Black Hamptons (BET Networks)

From Scratch (Netflix)

The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Apple TV Plus)

Women of the Movement (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

Morris Chestnut – The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)

Samuel L. Jackson – The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Apple TV Plus)

Terrence Howard – The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)

Trevante Rhodes – Mike (Hulu)

Wendell Pierce – Don’t Hang Up (Bounce TV)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

Niecy Nash-Betts – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)

Regina Hall – The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)

Sanaa Lathan – The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)

Viola Davis – The First Lady (Showtime)

Zoe Saldaña – From Scratch (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

Glynn Turman – Women of the Movement (ABC)

Keith David – From Scratch (Netflix)

Omar Benson Miller – The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Apple TV Plus)

Russell Hornsby – Mike (Hulu)

Terrence “TC” Carson – A Wesley Christmas (AMC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

Alexis Floyd – Inventing Anna (Netflix)

Danielle Deadwyler – From Scratch (Netflix)

Melissa De Sousa – The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)

Nia Long – The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)

Phylicia Rashad – Little America (Apple TV Plus)

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)

Roland Martin Unfiltered: Black Votes Matter Election Night 2022 Coverage (Black Star Network/YouTube)

ABC News 20/20 Michelle Obama: The Light We Carry, A Conversation with Robin Roberts (ABC)

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (PBS)

OWN Spotlight: Viola Davis – The Woman King (OWN)

The Hair Tales (Hulu)

Outstanding Talk Series

Hart to Heart (Peacock)

Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)

Sherri (Syndicated)

Tamron Hall (ABC)

Uninterrupted: The Shop (YouTube)

Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)

Legendary (HBO Max)

Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Amazon Studios)

Shark Tank (ABC)

Sweet Life: Los Angeles (HBO Max)

The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Bravo)

Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)

A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO Max)

BET Awards 2022 (BET Networks)

Deon Cole: Charleen’s Boy (Netflix)

Martin: The Reunion (BET Networks)

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Children’s Program

Family Reunion (Netflix)

Raising Dion (Netflix)

Raven’s Home (Disney Plus)

Tab Time (YouTube Originals)

Waffles + Mochi’s Restaurant (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)

Alaya “That Girl Lay Lay” High – That Girl Lay Lay (Nickelodeon)

Cameron J. Wright – Family Reunion (Netflix)

Elisha Williams – The Wonder Years (ABC)

Khali Spraggins – The Upshaws (Netflix)

Ja’Siah Young – Raising Dion (Netflix)

Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble

Jada Pinkett-Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, Willow Smith – Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)

Jennifer Hudson – The Jennifer Hudson Show (Syndicated)

Kevin Hart – Hart to Heart (Peacock)

Lester Holt – NBC Nightly News (NBC)

Tracee Ellis Ross – The Hair Tales (Hulu)

Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble

Keke Palmer – Password (NBC)

Lizzo – Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Amazon Studios)

Tabitha Brown – Tab Time (YouTube Originals)

Taraji P. Henson – BET Awards 2022 (BET Networks)

Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Guest Performance

Amanda Gorman – Sesame Street (HBO Max)

Chance the Rapper – South Side (HBO Max)

Colman Domingo – Euphoria (HBO Max)

Glynn Turman – Queen Sugar (OWN)

Gabourey Sidibe – American Horror Stories (FX)

Outstanding Animated Series

Central Park (Apple TV Plus)

Eureka! (Disney Junior)

Gracie’s Corner TV (YouTube)

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney Plus)

Zootopia+ (Disney Plus)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)

Billy Porter – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney Plus)

Cedric the Entertainer – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney Plus)

Chris Bridges – Karma’s World (Netflix)

Cree Summer – Rugrats (Nickelodeon)

Kyla Pratt – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney Plus)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama

Between The Scenes – The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans (Facebook Watch)

Rise Up, Sing Out (Disney Plus)

Sunday Dinner (Youtube)

Zootopia+ (Disney Plus)

Outstanding Short Form Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction

Black Independent Films: A Brief History (Turner Classic Movies)

Daring Simone Biles (Snap)

Historian’s Take (PBS)

NFL 360 (NFL Network)

Omitted: The Black Cowboy (ESPN)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)

Amy Wang – From Scratch (Netflix)

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins – Kindred (FX)

Hannah Cope – Karma’s World (Netflix)

Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Syreeta Singleton – Rap Sh!t (HBO Max)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)

Black Love (OWN)

Everything’s Gonna be All White (Showtime)

Frontline (PBS)

Race:Bubba Wallace (Netflix)

Shaq (HBO Max)

Outstanding Writing in A Comedy Series

Aisha Muharrar -- Hacks (HBO Max)

Ayo Edebiri -- What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Brittani Nichols -- Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Karen Joseph Adcock -- The Bear (FX)

Quinta Brunson -- Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

Aurin Squire -- The Good Fight (Paramount Plus)

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins -- Kindred (FX)

Davita Scarlett -- The Good Fight (Paramount Plus)

Joshua Allen -- From Scratch (Netflix)

Marissa Jo Cerar -- Women of the Movement (ABC)

Outstanding Writing Television Movie or Special

Bree West -- A Wesley Christmas (BET Networks)

Ian Edelman, Maurice Williams -- Entergalactic (Netflix)

Jerrod Carmichael -- Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel (HBO Max)

Lil Rel Howery -- Lil Rel Howery: I Said It. Y'all Thinking it (HBO Max)

Matt Lopez -- Father of the Bride (HBO Max)

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

Angela Barnes -- Atlanta (FX)

Bridget Stokes -- A Black Lady Sketch Sow (HBO Max)

Dee Rees -- Upload (Amazon Studios)

Iona Morris Jackson -- black-ish (ABC)

Peter Chatmon -- The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series

Debbie Allen -- The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey -- Robyn (Apple TV Plus)

Giancarlo Esposito -- Better Call Saul (AMC)

Gina Prince-Blythwood -- Women of the Movement (ABC)

Hanelle Culpepper -- The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Apple TV Plus)

Kasi Lemmons -- Women of The Movement (ABC)

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie Or Special

Anton Cropper -- Fantasy Football (Paramount Plus)

Marta Cunningham -- 61st Street (AMC)

Sujata Day -- Definition Please (Netflix)

Tailiah Breon -- Kirk Franklin's The Night Before Christmas (Lifetime)

Tina Fields -- Soul of a Nation: Screen Queen Rising (ABC)

OWN will telecast a November 26 interview special featuring Oprah Winfrey and Emmy-Award winner Quinta Brunson.

The Oprah and Quinta Brunson Abbott Elementary special will feature Winfrey interviewing Brunson, who in September won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for A Comedy Series for ABC’s comedy series Abbott Elementary.

According to OWN, Brunson “shares reflections about her childhood, her greatest mentors and the pivotal moments of her career. She also discusses the inspiration behind Abbott Elementary and why the world was ready for this Emmy Award-winning show.”

The interview will also be available starting Sunday, November 27 on both HBO Max and Discovery Plus, said OWN. ■ 

The television industry kicks off October and the Halloween season with several scary series and movie debuts this week, while a DC Comics-themed series returns on a streaming service. 

Showtime will look to thrill audiences with the October 9 premiere of original vampire-themed series Let The Right One In. The series, which stars Demian Bichir, Madison Taylor Baez and Anika Noni Rose, follows a father’s efforts to keep her 12-year old vampire daughter alive by any means necessary. 

Netflix on October 5 will debut the horror film Mr. Harrigan’s Phone. The movie, based on a Stephen King story, stars Donald Sutherland as Mr. Harrigan, a reclusive billionaire who, from the grave, communicates with a young boy who befriends Harrigan and continues to call Harrigan’s phone after the billionaire's death.

HBO Max on October 6 will launch the third season of DC Comics-based series Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler. The series, which follows the exploits of Bruce Wayne’s butler prior to him meeting Wayne’s parents, moves to the streaming service after its first two seasons aired on Epix.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of October 3 to October 9 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

October 4 – Cherish the Day (returning series) – OWN

October 4 – Sherwood (drama) – BritBox

October 5 – Chucky (returning series) – Syfy

Also: TV Scares Up New Original Programming for Halloween

October 5 – Reginald the Vampire (dramedy/horror) – Syfy

October 6 – A Friend of the Family (drama) – Peacock

October 6 – Monster High: The Movie (movie) – Nickelodeon

October 7 – Hellraiser (movie) – Hulu

October 7 – Luckiest Girl Alive (drama) – Netflix

October 7 – The Midnight Club (drama) – Netflix

October 7 – The Redeem Team (documentary) – Netflix

Two long-running series launch their final seasons while a movie reboot hits the small screen during the first full week of September. 

OWN's drama Queen Sugar debuts its seventh and final season on September 6. The Ava DuVernay-created series will conclude the exploits of a Louisiana family who come together to run their father's sugarcane farm after his untimely death.

Paramount Plus on September 8 will debut the sixth and final season of the legal drama The Good Fight. The series, a spinoff of CBS' The Good Wife, stars Christine Baranski.

Showtime on September 11 will premiere American Gigolo, based on the 1980's film of the same name starring Richard Gere. Julian Kaye takes over the lead role in the eight-episode series. 

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of  September 6 to September 11 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

September 7 – Tell Me Lies (drama ) – Hulu

September 7 – Ink Master (returning series) -- Paramount Plus

September 8 – The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow (documentary) – Netflix

September 8 – Cars on The Road (animation) – Disney Plus

September 8 – Pinocchio (movie) – Disney Plus

September 9 – Cobra Kai (returning series) – Netflix

September 9 – Gutsy (documentary series) – Apple TV Plus

September 11 – The Serpent Queen (drama) – Starz

OWN tonight (September 6) will debut the seventh and final season of its Ava DuVernay-created original drama series Queen Sugar.

The series, which initially debuted on OWN in 2016, follows the lives of three Bordelon family siblings initially brought together by the death of their father and the future of the family's Louisiana-based farm.

DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey served as executive producers for the series, which was based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Natalie Baszile. Throughout its seven-seasons, Queen Sugar featured an all female directing staff, with more than three dozen women directors working on the series during its entire 88-episode run, according to the network.

During the Television Critics Association press tour last month, DuVernay -- who directed the show's final episode -- said that she accomplished her goals in bringing Queen Sugar to television.

Also: Execs, Talent Talk Diversity at CTAM TCA 

“As I walked off the set that final day directing the final episode of the final season, I felt deeply satisfied,” DuVernay said. “I did not feel sad … I didn’t feel like something was being lost. I felt the whole story was gained and it was a beautiful end.”

Queen Sugar stars Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Bianca Lawson and Kofi Siriboe, with Glynn Turman and Sharon Lawrence appearing as guest stars in season seven. Along with DuVernay and Winfrey, the series is executive produced by Paul Garnes and Anthony Sparks. ■ 

OWN’s original documentary series Black Love on Saturday (August 27) will end its sixth and final season of chronicling the relationships and lives of celebrity and everyday couples. 

Created by married filmmakers Codie and Tommy Oliver, The NAACP Image Awards-nominated series over its run has featured the intimate stories of marriage and love from some of America’s favorite Black couples, including Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathe, Grant Hill and Tamia, and Viola Davis and Julius Tennon.

Codie Oliver recently talked to Multichannel News about the series’ final season as well as the impact Black Love has had on the culture as well as her own relationship. Oliver also talks about future plans for the Black Love franchise in an edited version of the interview that appears below. 

MCN: Is the final season of Black Love a bitter/sweet experience for the two of you?

Codie Oliver: Definitely. For seven years, we have filmed couples, just the two of us and them in the room, with the intention of making it as intimate as possible and for the conversations to be as transparent as possible. It has been logistically challenging as our family has grown and our businesses have grown but we’re excited about ending the series on a high note. It is bitter sweet especially for me because I love meeting incredible couples and sharing their stories through the docuseries, but I look forward to channeling that energy through the rest of our Black Love platforms. 

MCN: What should viewers expect to see in the final season of "Black Love?

CO: We have some new love and parenting journeys that we’re very excited to share, that will create conversation and hopefully expand people’s view of unconditional love. We always do an homage to the couples in season during the finale, but we have some special moments celebrating the legacy couples as well. We aren’t going to lie, there were some tears while editing.

MCN: Do you feel that you've accomplished the goals that you set for the series?

CO: Absolutely. We set out to make sure that our community knows that we are worthy and deserving of love, but it is not without hard work and understanding the meaning of commitment. We have been touched countless times by people sharing the impact that Black Love has had on them, whether they are single, engaged, married, married for decades, our show has been able to open their eyes to their relationship and its possibilities in new ways. 

MCN: What did you as a couple take away from having produced the series? Were there any major revelations and/or disappointments that you experienced in doing the show?

CO: We made a couple of observations having interviewed around 250 couples. One is that the commitment to being committed is what will see you through. It’s not revolutionary, but it is easy to get swallowed up by the ebbs and flows of a relationship when you don’t look at commitment in that way. Another thing is to always consider the 'why.' Your partner isn't perfect. You and they will make mistakes. But getting to the root of why something happened is the most worthwhile effort over thinking any one thing is insurmountable. Understanding why something happened helps diagnose and treat the underlying issues. We are the sum of all of our experiences, our past traumas, our baggage, our unexpressed expectations and sometimes that’s what's showing up in our relationship and course correction is needed.

MCN: What's next for the two of you?

CO: Tommy is running the production company he founded, called Confluential Films, and is a full-time producer, writer, director (and more). For me, Black Love is 365 days a year. We both run Black Love, Inc., but lead the team and oversee countless live and virtual events, custom video campaigns with brand partners, Black Love’s Podcast Network – I even host some of the podcasts, and I manage content for Black Love’s streaming platform, the Black Love+ App. We are committed to celebrating and affirming the Black community through the lens of love day in and day out.■

Inclusivity both in front of and behind the camera was a recurring theme during the August 8 to August 12 CTAM-produced portion of the Television Critics Association virtual summer tour as cable and streaming services showcased a bevy of BIPOC-themed scripted series and movies while addressing diversity issues within the TV industry.

The newly rebranded Hallmark Media (formerly Crown Media Family Networks) unveiled details regarding its African-American targeted Mahogany movie franchise, which includes the August 28 launch of its first original movie, Unthinkably Good Things. Mahogany senior VP of programming Toni Judkins said the franchise  – based on Hallmark’s 34 year-old Mahogany greetings card brand targeting African-Americans – will continue to follow the earmarks of traditional Hallmark movies, but will be told from the authentic, unique lens of Black women.

Hallmark will launch two additional Mahogany movies in 2022, including one holiday film, according to Hallmark executive VP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly. 

“What was important was to fuse essential elements of the Hallmark brand with the Mahogany brand,” Judkins said. “The pillars of what Mahogany is … are sisterhood, friendship, connection and community.” 

The Mahogany films will also feature diverse talent both in front of and behind the camera, a combination which industry executives speaking at TCA say is still too rare. 

That dynamic however, can be seen in OWN’s original series Queen Sugar, which will launch its seventh and final season on September 6. The Ava DuVernay-produced series has featured more than three dozen female directors over its seven-season run, according to the network. 

DuVernay said when she started the series few television shows featured female directors, but after seven successful seasons of going against the grain and constantly pushing to have a female-exclusive directing team, it has now become more commonplace for women of color to prominently sit in the director’s chair.

“No one would ever need to do that now because you will be looked at sideways if you don’t have any women directing,” she said. “To have been there … when it was scorned and ridiculed, to the time now where it’s pretty much, ‘yeah, you got to include a lady somewhere in there,’ is a remarkable thing.” 

Starz has also announced a continued commitment to work with directors and writers of color for several upcoming series. On the heels of renewing its original series Raising Kanan – the third series in the Courtney Kemp-created Power franchise – for a third season, the premium network announced it will team with producers DuVernay and Tanya Saracho on new original series as well as musical artists Ne-Yo and Christina Milian on a new “premium take” on the Step Up movie franchise, according to network President of Original Programming Kathryn Busby. 

The shows follow earlier Starz announcements regarding new series from Marlon Wayans (Book of Marlon) and Dear White People producers Steven J. Kung and Justen Simien. 

Several streaming services also showcased new and diverse programming. Amazon Prime Video offered a look at a British-based series Jungle, which follows the  struggles and perspectives of several connected strangers uniquely told through hip hop and drill music. Executive produced by Junior Okoli and Chas Appeti, Jungle debuts September 30 on the service.

During BET Plus’s presentation for the second season of its Emmy-nominated comedy series The Ms. Pat Show, series co-creator Jordan Cooper said that services like BET Plus have opened up new avenues for diverse content to make it to the screen, offering greater editorial freedom and control to tell stories in a manner that might not be acceptable on traditional linear channels.

“I think that more is going to come from other artists who are going to come in and shake the table up a bit because we don’t want to see the same old stuff that we’ve seen for the past 50 years,” he said. 

Recently launched Spanish-language subscription streaming service ViX Plus showcased during TCA two of its new original shows – drama series Marea Alta and the Salma Hayek-produced film Quiero Tu Vida – as part of the TelevisaUnivision-owned service’s 10,000 hours of novelas, sports and other entertainment  offerings and 70 original series and movies it plans to offer during its first operating year. 

“There are almost 600 million people in the world who speak Spanish, and yet only a fraction of the global streamers’ content is originally produced in Spanish,” Vix Plus Executive Vice President and general manager Rodrico Mazon said. “We know Hispanic audiences everywhere are hungry to stream more native Spanish language content – this is why we are investing a massive amount of incremental dollars in original content and sports rights, above and beyond our existing linear businesses.” 

Allen Media Group and The Weather Channel chairman and CEO Byron Allen took the issue of onscreen inclusion a step further during AMG’s Thursday panel session by saying diversity in ownership is key to greater, inclusive representation on the small screen. Allen said it’s imperative for the industry to push for an environment that welcomes unfiltered voices and perspectives. 

“I think we have a situation where we do not have enough diversity and ownership – [women and people of color] do not own enough of the media outlets to control their image and how they are produced and depicted,” Allen said. “Until we have a stronger representation of diversity and ownership, we don’t have a true democracy.”■

Docuseries The Hair Tales, from Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela Angela Davis, premieres on Hulu and OWN October  22. The first two episodes are on both networks that day, and Hulu then premieres two a week, while OWN debuts one per week. 

The series “leads the audience through a revelatory journey of connecting the personal tales of phenomenal Black women to broader societal and historic themes,” said producer Onyx Collective. “The stories shared in the series offer an honest and layered look into the complex culture of Black hair and, ultimately, Black women’s identity, beauty, cultural and social contributions and humanity.”

Winfrey, Issa Rae, Chloe Bailey and Chika, Marsai Martin and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley are among the women featured. 

Along with Onyx, The Hair Tales is produced by Culture House, Joy Mill Entertainment, Tetravision and Harpo Films. Raeshem Nijhon, Carri Twigg and Kisha Imani Cameron executive produce with Winfrey, Ross and Davis. 

Onyx is a Disney content brand featuring creators of color and underrepresented voices. Onyx also shared, as part of its TCA press tour presentation, that ABC Signature has extended its deal with Yara Shahidi and her 7th Sun Production company to include a partnership with Onyx. Shahidi played Zoey in Black-ish, and stars in spinoff Grown-ish. With her partner, and mother, Keri Shahidi, she will continue to develop and produce scripted and alternative television projects for cable, streaming and broadcast. 

“It is every creative’s dream to be seen and heard and to do so with colleagues who align with your vision and your soul,” said Yara and Keri. “We are so grateful to have the opportunity to continue to create with our Disney family and be grounded in the work that Onyx Collective is doing to meet the moment.”

Tara Duncan is president of Onyx and Freeform. 

Onyx revealed three unscripted projects in the works. True-crime docuseries Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash (working title) is directed by Yvonne Russo. The project unravels the decades-old mystery behind the murder of Annie Mae Aquash, a Mi’kmaq woman from Nova Scotia. 

The Untitled Swizz Beatz Project features hip-hop figure (and car collector) Swizz Beatz visiting car-loving destinations. 

Searching for Soul Food showcases celeb chef Alisa Reynolds examining soul food around the world. 

“It is an exciting time to be leading Onyx Collective,” Duncan said. “When we opened our doors just over a year ago, we set out to nurture imaginative storytelling, creating disruptive, inclusive and wildly entertaining narratives that would spark conversation and forward the culture. That vision is materializing in ways we could have only dreamed of, and we remain grateful to have a clear lane at Disney General Entertainment, a company that has empowered our work from day one.” ■

The return of spinoff shows from ABC's black-ish and FX’s American Horror Story lead a list of new and returning series debuting this week.

Freeform’s black-ish spinoff grown-ish stars Yara Shahidi as now college graduate Zoey Johnson and Marcus Scribner as her younger brother Junior, who will take center stage as a freshman college student in the show’s upcoming fifth season debuting July 20.

Returning July 21 for its second season is Hulu’s American Horror Stories. The anthology series spun from the Emmy-winning series American Horror Story, will continue to showcase a different horror story in each episode, according to the streaming service. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Alexis Martin Woodall, John J. Gray and Manny Coto serve as executive producers of the series.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of July 18-24 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

July 18 – The Captain (sports documentary) – ESPN

July 19 – Aftershock (documentary) – Hulu

July 19 – The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ (documentary) – Paramount Plus

July 19 -- Love Island (returning series) -- Peacock

July 20 – Virgin River (drama) – Netflix

June 20 -- Dickie V (documentary/sports) -- ESPN Plus

July 21 – Rap Sh!t (comedy) – HBO Max

July 21 -- The Last Movie Stars (documentary) -- HBO Max

July 22 – Anything’s Possible (drama) – Prime Video

July 22 – The Gray Man (action movie) – Netflix

July 22 – Trying (returning series) – Apple TV Plus

July 23 – Black Love (returning series) – OWN

Production on the final episode of Queen Sugar has begun in and around New Orleans. Ava DuVernay created Queen Sugar. She directed the pilot, and is directing the series finale too. 

The seventh and final season is on OWN this fall.

Over the course of its seven seasons, Queen Sugar has employed 42 women to direct episodes of the show, a DuVernay objective, with 39 of those being first-time scripted television directors in the United States. The final season welcomes seven directors from previous seasons, including DuVernay, Kat Candler, Stacey Muhammad, showrunner Shaz Bennett, Patricia Cardoso, Aurora Guerrero and DeMane Davis. 

The series is based on the book by Natalie Baszile and is about three siblings in rural Louisiana dealing with their father’s sudden death and the fate of his sugarcane farm. 

Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner and Kofi Siriboe are in the cast. Guest stars for season seven include Glynn Turman, Tracie Thoms, Greg Vaughan and Sharon Lawrence. 

Queen Sugar is produced by DuVernay’s ARRAY Filmworks and Harpo Films in association with Warner Bros. Television. Executive producers are DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, Paul Garnes and Shaz Bennett. 

All previous seasons of Queen Sugar are on Hulu. ■

OWN will debut the sixth and final season of its documentary series Black Love on July 23, the network said Thursday.

The series will continue to showcase authentic, honest, emotional and transparent love stories from known couples in entertainment and business, as well as everyday couples, according to the network. 

Among the couples featured in the series' final season are JB Smoove and Shahidah Omar, DJ Envy and Gia Casey, Mike Hill and Cynthia Bailey, and Adrienne Banfield Norris and Rodney Norris, according to OWN.

Black Love creators Codie & Tommy Oliver also serve as executive producers for the series, which is produced by Confluential Films.■ 

Disney Plus’s launch of its latest Marvel Studio series along with Peacock's reimagining of a former Showtime LGBTQ-themed drama show lead the list of shows premiering during the second week of June.

Disney Plus on June 8 will debut Ms. Marvel, which stars Iman Vellani as a Muslim American and avid superhero fan who discovers she has superpowers of her own, according to the streaming service. Ms. Marvel is the seventh Marvel Studios-produced series to debut on Disney Plus, following WandaVision, Hawkeye, Loki, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Moon Knight and What If …

Also: Programmers Rev Up Female Superpower

Peacock on June 9 will debut Queer as Folk, a reboot of the iconic British and Showtime series. The series follows a group of friends in New Orleans whose lives are transformed in the aftermath of a tragedy, according to the streaming service. Kim Cattrall and Juliette Lewis appear as guest stars in the series.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of June 6 to June 12 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

June 6 – Irma Vep (dramedy) – HBO

June 7 – All Rise (returning series) – OWN

June 8 – Hustle (movie) – Netflix

June 8 – The Janes (documentary) – HBO

June 10 – For All Mankind (returning series) – Apple TV Plus

June 10 – Fairfax (returning series) – Prime Video

June 10 – First Kill (drama) – Netflix

June 12 – Becoming Elizabeth (drama) – Starz

June 12 -- Dark Winds (drama) -- AMC

June 12 – Evil (returning series) – Paramount Plus

June 12 – The Booze, Bets and Sex That Built America (documentary) – History

OWN will continue the courtroom drama series All Rise series with the June 7 third season premiere of the former CBS show, according to the series' new trailer.

The series, which was cancelled by CBS in 2021 after two seasons, stars Simone Missick and follows the chaotic, hopeful, and sometimes absurd lives of Los Angeles judges, prosecutors, and public defenders. They all work together with bailiffs, clerks, and police to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal system, according to the network.

Dee Harris-Lawrence (OWN’s David Makes Man) returns as executive producer and showrunner for the third season of the Warner Bros. Television-produced series. Missick, Michael M. Robin and Len Goldstein also serve as All Rise executive producers.

A new Paramount Plus Star Trek prequel and Emmy Award winner Glenn Close's return to TV in Apple TV Plus's Tehran kicks off the list of original shows debuting during the first week of May. 

Paramount Plus's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts May 5 and follows the adventures onboard the U.S.S. Enterprise in the decade before the original Star Trek series. The series stars Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, and Rebecca Romijn as Number One.

Returning for its second season on May 6 is Apple TV Plus' s drama series Tehran, starring Niv Sultan as a Mossad spy who infiltrates the inner workings of Iran. Close, whose last regular TV series role was in Damages in 2012, joins the cast for the show's sophomore campaign.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of May 2 to May 8 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

May 4 – The Circle (returning series) – Netflix

May 4 – Meltdown: Three Mile Island (documentary) – Netflix 

May 5 – The Porter (drama) – BET Plus 

May 5 – Girls5eva (returning series) – Peacock

May 5 – Wild babies (documentary) – Netflix

May 5 – The Pentaverate (comedy) – Netflix

May 5 – The Staircase (drama) – HBO Max 

May 6 – The Big Conn (documentary) – Apple TV Plus 

May 6 – The Great Soul Food Cook-off (reality) – OWN

May 6 – Sheryl (music documentary) – Showtime

May 6 – The Wilds (returning series) – Prime Video

OWN will tap reality TV series producer Carlos King to host a new weekly talk show series debuting May 14.

The series, The Nightcap with Carlos King, will premiere after the debut of the Love & Marriage: D.C. spinoff series and will feature the Love & Marriage executive producer as he talks to guests from OWN’s most popular shows, said the network. 

The series, which King also executive produces, will also feature celebrity guests who will dish on pop culture headlines and participate in fun games and revealing challenges. 

The Love & Marriage: D.C. series will feature The Real Housewives of Potomac alumni Monique and Cris Samuels and their friends, said the network. The show is executive produced by King, Angela Dugan, Scott Shatsky, Brent Nisbett and Tarin Laughlin. 

Two comedy shows ending their runs this season, HBO’s Insecure and ABC’s Black-ish, highlighted the list of NAACP Image Awards winners in the television and streaming category Saturday night during the organization’s live ceremony on BET.

Insecure, which ended its fifth and final season in December, won three NAACP Image awards, including best comedy series. Black-ish – which will complete its eighth and final season in May – also took home three awards in the comedy category, including a seventh award for Anthony Anderson in the best actor in a comedy series category. OWN’s Queen Sugar, which will air its seventh and final season later this year, took top honors in the best drama category. 

The NAACP Image Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color.

Netflix earned the most wins in the television category with six, led by its documentary series Colin in Black and White, which won two Image Awards. The streaming service also took home six Image Awards in the motion picture category, including a best movie statuette for its western-theme drama The Harder They Fall.

HBO, ABC, NBC, Starz, Facebook Watch, Comedy Central and Paramount Plus were among the networks and streaming services generating multiple NAACP Image Awards wins. 

Also: 'Succession,' 'Ted Lasso' Win Top TV SAG Awards 

The 53rd annual NAACP Image Awards winners in the television and streaming categories are as follows:  

Outstanding Comedy Series

“Insecure” (HBO)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson, “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series

Issa Rae, “Insecure” (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Deon Cole, “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Natasha Rothwell, “Insecure” (HBO)

Outstanding Drama Series

“Queen Sugar” (OWN)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us” (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

Angela Bassett, “9-1-1” (Fox)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Cliff “Method Man” Smith, “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Mary J. Blige, “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special

“Colin in Black & White” (Netflix)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special

Kevin Hart, “True Story” (Netflix)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special

Taraji P. Henson, “Annie Live!” (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special

Courtney B. Vance, “Genius: Aretha” (National Geographic)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special

Regina Hall, “Nine Perfect Strangers” (Hulu)

Outstanding News/Information (series or special)

“The Reidout” (MSNBC)

Outstanding Talk Series

“Red Table Talk” (Facebook Watch)

Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)

“Wild n’ Out” (VH1)

Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)

“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Children’s Program

“Family Reunion” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series)

Miles Brown, “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble

Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, Willow Smith, “Red Table Talk” (Facebook Watch)

Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble

Trevor Noah, “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Guest Performance

Maya Rudolph, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Outstanding Animated Series

“We the People” (Netflix)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)

Cree Summer, “Rugrats” (Paramount Plus)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama

“Between the Scenes – The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Short-Form Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction

“Lynching Postcards: “Token of a Great Day” (MTV Documentary Films/Paramount Plus)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)

Angel Kristi Williams, “Colin in Black & White” (Netflix)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)

“High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” (Netflix) ■ 

HBO Max's superhero-themed series Peacemaker debuts during a busy week of cable and streaming show premieres.

The DC Comics-based series debuts on HBO Max on January 13 and stars John Cena reprising his role from the 2021 The Suicide Squad film.

Premiering January 14 is Showtime's Ray Donovan: The Movie, based on the premium channel's Ray Donovan series that ran seven seasons. Series regulars Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight reprise their roles for the film. 

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of January 10 to January 16 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

January 11– The Kings of Napa (drama) – OWN

January 12 – Cheer (returning series) – Netflix

January 13 – Brazen (drama) – Netflix

January 13 – Madagascar: A Little Wild (returning series) -- Hulu/Peacock

January 13 – My mom, Your Dad (documentary series) – HBO Max

January 13 – Wolf Like Me (dramedy) – Peacock

January 14 – After Life (returning series) – Netflix

January 14 – Archive 81 (drama) – Netflix

January 14 – Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (animation movie) – Prime Video

January 14 – The House (animation/anthology) – Netflix

January 14 – Secrets of Sulphur Springs (returning series) – Disney Channel

January 14 – The Tragedy of Macbeth (drama) – Apple TV Plus

January 16 – Britannia (returning series) – Epix

January 16 – Somebody Somewhere (comedy) – HBO

OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network controlled by Discovery, is available to Hulu Plus Live TV subscribers, effective Thursday (January 6).

Discovery’s major networks -- Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Motor Trend -- have been available on Hulu Plus Live TV since 2018.  

Another group of Discovery Channels, including American Heroes Channel, Cooking Channel, Destination America, Discovery Life, Discovery Family, Magnolia Network and Science Channel are available to Hulu Plus subscribers through Hulu’s add-on entertainment package, which costs $7.99 a month.

The OWN carriage comes in time for Hulu Plus Live TV subscribers to catch the premieres of Ladies Who List: Atlanta on Friday and The Kings of Napa on January 11.

“We are excited to partner with Hulu on this opportunity to connect with new audiences and expand viewership for our hit OWN programming across multiple platforms,” said Tina Perry, president, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. “Hulu Plus Live TV is a great fit for OWN as a top destination for viewers and brands, providing world-class content and unique live entertainment events.”

OWN is also working with Hulu and Disney’s Onyx Collective on a docuseries, The Hair Tales, from executive producers Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela Angela Davis. Oprah Winfrey is also among the executive producers. The series is expected to premiere later this year. ■

The return of HBO’s Emmy-winning series Euphoria highlights an otherwise light schedule of new and returning scripted series debuting on cable and streaming services during the first week of 2021.

The eight-episode, second season of Euphoria debuts on January 9, with actress Zendaya returning in her Emmy-winning role as troubled teenager Rue. Euphoria also stars Hunter Schafer, Nika King, Eric Dane and Angus Cloud.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of January 3 to January 9 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

January 6 – BattleBots (returning series) – Discovery

January 6 – Go-Big Show (returning series) – TBS

January 6 – Joe Montana: Cool Under Pressure (sports documentary) – Peacock

January 7 – Johnny Test (returning series) – Netflix

January 7 – Ladies Who List: Atlanta (reality) – OWN

January 7 – Love During Lockup (reality series) – WeETV

January 7 – Search Party (returning series) – HBO Max

January 7 – The Tender Bar (drama) – Prime Video

January 8 – A Discovery of Witches (returning series) – Sundance Now

January 9 – The Righteous Gemstones (returning series) – HBO

With 12 days left before Christmas, cable networks are rolling out the last of this season's long list of holiday-themed films. Networks such as Lifetime, Hallmark Channel and OWN, along with streaming service Paramount Plus, continue to offer original movies through Christmas Day.

Below is a partial list of remaining holiday-themed movies debuting on cable and streaming services, and their premiere dates: 

Dec. 13 

Let’s Get Merried (VH1)

Maps and Mistletoe (Lifetime)

Dec. 14

Ghosts of Christmas Past (Lifetime)

A Christmas Stray (OWN)

Dec. 15

The Enchanted Christmas Cake (Lifetime)

Dec. 16

Christmas by Chance (Lifetime)

A Christmas Wish (BET Plus) 

Dec. 15

The Enchanted Christmas Cake (Lifetime)

Mistletoe in Montana (Lifetime)

Dec. 18

Toying With the Holidays (Lifetime)

The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls (Hallmark Channel)

Christmas for Keeps (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)

Dec. 19

Under The Christmas Tree (Lifetime)

‘Tis the Season to be Merry (Hallmark Channel)

Joy for Christmas (GAC Family)

Christmas Takes Flight (Paramount Plus)

Dec. 20

Miracles Across 125th Street (VH1)

Candy Cane Candidate (Lifetime)

Dec. 21

The Christmas Ball (Lifetime)

Song & Story: Amazing Grace (OWN)

Dec. 22

It Takes a Christmas Village (Lifetime)

Dec. 23

Rebuilding a Dream Christmas (Lifetime)

Dec. 24

Hot Chocolate Holiday (Lifetime)

Dec. 25

Writing Around the Christmas Tree (Lifetime)

Also: 'A Christmas Proposal' Sees CBS Back in Holiday Movie Game

OWN’s Ava DuVernay-produced drama series Queen Sugar will end in 2022 with its seventh season, the network said on the eve of the show’s sixth season finale.

The series, created by DuVernay and launched in 2016, follow the exploits of the Bordelons, an African-American family with ties to the Deep South. The finale of the 10-episode sixth season of Queen Sugar airs tonight (Nov. 16).

“To everything, there is a season. And my producing partner Paul Garnes and I have had seven gorgeous seasons making Queen Sugar with a remarkable cast and crew, alongside our partners at OWN and Warner Bros. Television,” DuVernay said in a statement. “To write and produce seven seasons of a modern drama centered on a Black family is a radical act in our industry and a triumph that has far exceeded every hope I held. Now I feel strongly that the story, which began as a sunrise of a suggestion from Oprah [Winfrey] is ready for its sunset as a dream fully realized. Queen Sugar has been one of the true joys of my career and my gratitude is buoyant and boundless.” 

Also: Review -- Ava DuVernay's 'Colin In Black and White'

OWN CEO Tina Perry added: Queen Sugar is a truly extraordinary series brought to life by Ava’s leadership, her brilliant creative team, and the incredible cast and crew. Our audience has seen themselves reflected with nuance and care through the story of the Bordelon family, including their triumphs and challenges, and most importantly, the love they have for each other through it all. Queen Sugar has been an unparalleled success for OWN, garnering critical acclaim, awards recognition, and a loyal and dedicated audience. We are so grateful for Ava’s partnership and are looking forward to a fantastic final season.”

Queen Sugar stars Kofi Siriboe, Bianca Lawson, Rutina Wesley, McKinley Freeman, and Dawn-Lyen Gardner. The series is executive produced by DuVernay, Garnes, Winfrey and Anthony Sparks. ■

Discovery Plus and OWN will develop a new cooking competition series that will focus on soul food cuisine, the companies said Wednesday.

The six-episode series, The Great Soul Food Cook-Off, will celebrate Black chefs and Black culinary traditions with challenges designed to highlight soul food dishes, said OWN. Eight chefs will go head-to-head throughout the show in this high-stakes, spiritual, and emotional competition, but only one competitor can take home the grand prize of $50,000.

The Great Soul Food Cook-Off is hosted by Kardea Brown, Eric Adjepong and Melba Wilson, said OWN.  The series is produced by Good Egg Entertainment (Chopped)

“Soul food originated in the earliest African American communities and describes a style of cuisine that represents the creativity and skill of Black cooks from many cultures within the African diaspora,” said OWN president Tina Perry in a statement. “Our audience cherishes time together as a family around the table and many have passed down favorite family recipes for generations. This series is a celebration of long-standing traditions we hope to introduce and spotlight for new and existing viewers as we shine a light on a few of today’s most talented Black chefs and culinary curators.”

OWN:Oprah Winfrey Network will develop a third season of the courtroom drama All Rise, the network said Wednesday.

The series, which was cancelled by CBS earlier this year after two seasons, will return to OWN for its third season in 2022. All Rise, which stars Simone Missick, follows the chaotic, hopeful, and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors, and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks, and police to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal system, said the network. 

Dee Harris-Lawrence (OWN’s David Makes Man) will return as executive producer and showrunner for the third season of the Warner Bros. Television-produced series.

“All Rise has been a great performer, achieving strong ratings and growing its share from season one to two. Featuring a strong character front and center, Judge Lola Carmichael's story reflects our audience with powerful affirmation,” said Tina Perry, president, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in a statement.. “A special thanks to Warner Bros. Television and our incredible showrunner and longtime partner Dee Harris-Lawrence. We can’t wait to get started on season three and bring this show back for long-standing and new fans alike.”

HBO Max and Hulu have acquired subscription streaming rights to all episodes of All Rise, with the first two season of the series launching on both services beginning Dec. 1, according to Warner Bros. Television.

“We are incredibly thrilled that All Rise will be back in court, and we are so thankful to our great partners at OWN for ruling in favor of another season of this powerful drama,” said Warner Bros. Television President Brett Paul in a statement. “Dee Harris-Lawrence and the creative team have done an incredible job of telling important stories about timely subjects which have been brought to life by Simone Missick and the show’s outstanding ensemble cast. We can’t wait for audiences to see what the All Rise team has in store for season three. And we are also grateful to our partners at HBO Max and Hulu, without whose support this would not be possible.”

FX's latest edition of its American Crime Story anthology series headlines a busy week of series premieres.

Impeachment: American Crime Story launches Sept. 7 and chronicles the events leading up to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton amid the Monica Lewinsky scandal, said the network. The series stars Clive Owen, Sarah Paulson, Edie Falco and Beanie Feldstein.  

Returning series premiering this week include Netflix's Lucifer, which debuts its sixth and final season on Sept. 10, and OWN's Queen Sugar, which returns for its sixth season on Sept. 7.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Sept. 7 to Sept. 12 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Sept. 7 -- On The Verge (drama) -- Netflix

Sept. 8 -- Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. (drama) -- Disney Plus

Sept. 8 -- Wu-Tang: An American Saga (drama) -- Hulu

Sept. 9 -- All the Queen’s Men (drama) -- BET Plus

Sept. 9 -- Frogger (game show) -- Peacock

Sept. 9 -- Kin (drama) -- AMC Plus

Sept. 10 -- Come From Away (musical) -- Apple TV Plus

Sept. 10 -- The Smurfs (animation) -- Nickelodeon

Sept. 10 -- The Voyeurs (thriller) -- Prime Video

Sept. 10 -- Malignant (horror movie) -- HBO Max

Sept. 12 -- American Rust (drama) -- Showtime

Sept. 12 -- Scenes From a Marriage (drama) -- HBO

Discovery Plus and HGTV will co-produce a series featuring Broadway star Robert Hartwell as part of a slate of OWN shows set to stream on the Discovery Plus service.

The OWN/HGTV co-production, Take Back The House, follows Hartwell’s room-by-room renovation of a recently purchased 1820 colonial house, according to the network. The series will be executive produced by Hartwell, as well as HGTV's Drew and Jonathan Scott (the Property Brothers).

Other OWN shows to stream on Discovery Plus include The Great Soul Food Cookoff, in which eight chefs competing in challenges designed to highlight the past and present of Black food in America; Burger Truck Brawl, a food truck-themed competition series produced by Guy Fieri’s Knuckle Sandwich Productions and Lando Entertainment debuting Saturday, Aug. 21; Like Mother, Like Daughter, following six mother-daughter pairs forced to work out serious issues between them; and Breaking Black, which sets out to challenge and debunk the negative stereotypes that have surrounded Black men.

Read Also: OWN's 'Queen Sugar' Returns in September

"Our young and diverse Discovery Plus streaming audience places a premium on content from innovative storytellers across a wide range of voices, and OWN possesses an unparalleled track record in developing successful projects fitting that same criteria," said Lisa Holme, Group SVP of Content and Commercial Strategy for Discovery, in a statement. "Discovery Plus provides the perfect platform for the OWN team and our creative partners to go even deeper in genres which all of our Discovery brands are known for, from food and home to lifestyle, docu-series and more." 

Added OWN president Tina Perry: “OWN has built its loyal audience through programming that connects with viewers very deeply, and it is that intention that drives the programming we are bringing to Discovery Plus. This slate of new series will incorporate OWN’s unique style in genres that include relationship, docu-series, cooking, and the revelatory home renovation series Taking Back The House, which we are producing in an exciting first-time partnership with HGTV and will appeal to Discovery Plus subscribers who are as varied and diverse as the programs themselves.”

OWN will debut the sixth season of its original drama series Queen Sugar on Sept. 7, the network said Tuesday. 

The series, executive produced by Ava DuVernay, continues to follow the exploits of the Bordelons, an African-American family in the Deep South who in the upcoming season will look to reclaim their lives coming out of the pandemic, according to the network. 

Read Also: Warner Bros. Discovery Sets Sights on 200 Million Sub Mark 

Queen Sugar stars Kofi Siriboe, Bianca Lawson, Rutina Wesley, McKinley Freeman, and Dawn-Lyen Gardner. Along with DuVernay, the series is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Paul Garnes and Anthony Sparks.

OWN has partnered with streaming service Hulu to simultaneously broadcast a new series in 2022 that will explore the connection between Black women, beauty and identity through the distinctive lens of Black hair.

The Hair Tales, executive produced by Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela Angela Davis, will air both on OWN and Hulu as part of the recently announced Onyx Collective that will feature original content from creators of color and underrepresented voices. 

Read Also: Freeform's Tara Duncan to Spearhead Disney's Onyx Collective 

The series will take an honest and layered look into the complex culture of Black hair and ultimately Black women’s identity, creativity and contributions to society, said OWN.

Onyx Collective head Tara Duncan will serve as an executive producer for The Hair Tales along with Raeshem Nijhon, Carri Twigg, and Oprah Winfrey.

“Hair has been part of every Black woman’s identity and personal expression throughout history, and this series celebrates and fully embraces a woman’s power to be herself,” said OWN president Tina Perry in a statement. “We are especially happy to be partnering with Hulu to ensure that this impactful new series that Tracee and Michaela created reaches the widest audience possible.”

Added Duncan: “Every Black woman has a personal and defining story that involves her hair. From the moment Tracee and Michaela shared the idea for this series, I knew it would strike a chord with Black women and anyone who has ever been curious about the singular connection between our hair, our agency, our beauty and our identity. It’s incredibly exciting for Onyx Collective to bring this project, that is entirely produced by women of color, to Hulu and OWN.”

Read also: Tarell Alvin McCraney on Making David a Man in Second Season of OWN Series

OWN tonight (June 22) returns its drama series David Makes Man for a new season in which the series’ teenage prodigy returns as a 30-year old man, played by Kwame Patterson (Snowfall).

The series’ sophomore season -- executive produced by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Michael B. Jordan and showrunner Dee Harris-Lawrence -- picks up with the now adult David as a rising businessman facing an opportunity that will change him and his community forever. The mounting pressure forces David to choose between the instincts that helped him survive or finding a new way to live, according to OWN. 

During its first season run, David Makes Man ranked second in its time period across all cable with African-American women and reached over 4.1 million unique viewers on OWN, according to Nielsen.  

Academy Award winner McCraney (Moonlight) spoke to me about David’s transition from teenager to adult in the series' sophomore season as well as the success of the show’s first season. An edited version of the interview appears below.

Picture This: Was it difficult for you to make the main character’s transition from a teen in season one to an adult in season two?

Tarell Alvin McCraney: When we first approached [Oprah] Winfrey about the show, we knew that we always wanted to talk about the ways in which acute childhood trauma shows up in our adult life. So the first season was laying the groundwork for showing how David, with all of his resiliency, survival skills, defense mechanisms, and his amazing imagination matures to a place where he can handle the adult situations that he's in, even though he's a 13-year-old kid. In season two, we'd always planned to show how those defense mechanisms and survival skills were hindering him from clearly living in the present. It shows an older David who has reached maturation and a place of respect from where he quote-unquote comes from, but is he actually living in his present? Is he having relationships that are bountiful and nourishing? It’s an exciting place to be because we knew where we were going -- whether or not we were going to get here was the question. You always have to wait and hope that the show will be picked up for another season, but we’re really excited to bring this to the home viewers and to the world.

Picture This: Following up on that, were you surprised by the success of season one, both from an audience perspective and from the critical acclaim that the show received? 

TAM: I'm always surprised … you never can count those things. As an artist, there's always a chance that someone is thinking about their taxes at the same time that they're looking at your show and they could absolutely miss all of the things that you're hoping to engage them in. I think for me, it has been exciting to see people engaged in a deep way. For example, there's a college course that's been created by multiple institutions -- one at Morehouse College, one at UConn Health Disparities Institute -- that look at the show on a scholastic level, and then there’s all of these groups on Facebook who have conversations about the work we’re doing. That's always really exciting and I certainly didn't expect it.

Picture This: We see David’s maturation in season two, but what else should viewers expect to see in the upcoming season? 

TAM: When we were in season one, we focused on the narrow path of a 15 year-old kid who was trying to get into a school. What came with that were certainly some side roads, but when we get into adulthood, there's a lot more chaos. It offers a 360 degree panorama of David’s life as an adult and how he's trying to handle that with the same amazing tools of a 15 year old in the 30 year old body. And I think that you can expect some of that to be really funny, sexy, and heartbreaking, but all of it with intention and love. 

Several new and returning non-fiction shows dominate the lineup of shows debuting during the last full week of June.

Paramount Plus on June 24 debuts a new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars after VH1 aired the reality competition show for its first five seasons, while Prime Video on June 25 premieres the Mary J Blige’s My Life musical documentary revolving around the R&B singer’s classic “My Life” album.   

On the documentary front, HBO on June 21 will debut a new episode of its true-crime series I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, chronicling events surrounding the infamous Golden State Killer.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of June 21 to June 26 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

June 22-- David Makes Man (returning series) -- OWN

June 22 -- Motherland: Fort Salem (returning series) -- Freeform

June 23 -- Too Hot To Handle (returning series) -- Netflix

June 24 -- Fear of a Black Quarterback (documentary) -- Vice

June 24 -- The Good Fight (returning series) -- Paramount Plus

June 24 -- Jiva! (drama) -- Netflix

June 25 -- Bosch (returning series) -- Prime Video

June 25 -- Central Park (returning series) -- Apple TV Plus

June 25 -- False Positive (horror) -- Hulu

June 25 -- Sex/Life (drama) -- Netflix

June 25 -- Wolfgang (documentary) -- Disney Plus

June 25 -- the Mysterious Benedict Society (drama) -- Disney Plus

June 27 -- A Discovery of Witches (returning series) -- AMC

OWN is observing Juneteenth with a series of profiles highlighting Black artists called “OWN Your Shine: Juneteenth Artist Showcase.” The campaign began June 14 with a five-minute short introducing several of the artists, and continues for a week, as 60-second pieces spotlight a range of artists. 

President Biden signed legislation June 17 that makes Juneteenth a federal holiday. June 19 is the day for commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

OWN calls the event “a short-form profile series highlighting celebrated Black artists who powerfully reflect Black joy and the diversity and beauty of the Black experience. ‘OWN Your Shine: Juneteenth Artist Showcase’ aims to empower and uplift the OWN audience on this historic day with these stories of inspired, boundary-pushing Black creators.” 

The profiles have been running throughout the week, and run all day June 19 on OWN and its social platforms. 

The Oprah Winfrey Network aired special Honoring Our Kings June 15 as part of “OWN Your Shine.” Original series Ready to Love and Black Love air June 18. 

Artists featured in “OWN Your Shine” include mixed media artist Tiffany Alfonseca, quilting artist Bisa Butler and textile artist Gio Swaby. Jac Benson II produced Own Your Shine. 

Cable networks and streaming services are gearing up this weekend to celebrate Father’s Day as well as Juneteenth -- the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States -- with original programming specials and events. 

In celebration of Father’s Day (June 20) , OWN on June 19 will feature a special, Honoring Our Kings: A Black Dad Conversation, hosted by Sterling K. Brown who discusses the joys and challenges of Black fatherhood with such celebrities as John Legend, D.L. Hughley, Tony Gonzalez and Deon Cole. The special follows a June 15 OWN original show, Honor Our Kings: Celebrating Black Fatherhood, that is currently streaming on Discovery Plus. 

Netflix on June 18 will premiere a Father’s Day-themed original movie Fatherhood, starring Kevin Hart as a widower taking on one of the toughest jobs in the world, according to the streaming service.

In honor of the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy on June 19, 1865, the industry’s Juneteenth focus begins tonight (June 17) with Peacock’s Civil War (or Who Do We Think We Are), a documentary exploring how Americans tell the story of their Civil War through interviews and scenes filmed North and South from President Obama’s final year in office through the present, according to the streaming service. 

On Saturday, History will premiere the documentary Fight The Power: The Movements That Changed America. Hosted by NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the documentary will look at the impact key movements throughout US History have had in shaping our society, laws, and culture.

Read Also: Q&A: NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Champions U.S. Social Justice Movements in History Doc

Also on Saturday, Revolt, in partnership with Vice Media Group, will premiere a special episode of Revolt Black News that will feature influential conversations and musical performances set to explore political topics relevant to the Black youth and leaders of today to encourage young changemakers to exercise their political rights and benefit future generations. 

In addition, The Smithsonian Channel will air throughout the day original video essays from prominent and emerging writers, artists, activists, community leaders and teachers reflecting on Juneteenth and how this consequential moment in American history deeply resonates today.

Tina Perry, president of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, will get the 2021 Frank Stanton Award for Excellence in Communication from the Center for Communication. The event happens Oct. 27. 

“Tina is extraordinarily accomplished and her tenure at OWN has been transformative,” said Center for Communication Chairman David J. Barrett. “Our Stanton Award seeks to honor those individuals who not only achieve great success in the business, but who are also tireless advocates for a more equitable and representative industry. Tina Perry is such a leader.”

The award is named after the Center’s founder, longtime CBS president Dr. Frank Stanton. Past recipients include Katharine Graham, Ted Turner, Debra Lee, Richard Parsons, John Landgraf, David Nevins, Cesar Conde, Rita Ferro and Soledad O’Brien.

Named president of OWN in 2019, Perry oversees all operations and creative areas of the network. She was instrumental in OWN’s launch into scripted programming with series such as Queen Sugar, Cherish the Day, Greenleaf, The Haves and the Have Nots and David Makes Man. Perry also oversees the network’s lineup of unscripted hits, including Iyanla: Fix My Life, Love & Marriage: Huntsville and Black Love. 

“I'm honored to be recognized by the Center for Communication with this award and humbled to be in the company of innovative media leaders who have created meaningful, visionary change in our industry," said Perry. "Representation on screen, behind the camera, and inside of OWN's offices has never been more important and we are working to ensure the best possible opportunities and access for the next generation."

The Center for Communication educates and inspires students seeking careers in media, with the goal to increase diversity throughout the industry. 

“Tina Perry was the keynote interview at our third annual Women + Media Career Summit, and after her session was over, she was surrounded by young women eager to meet her,” said J. Max Robins, the Center’s president and executive director. “She undoubtedly had a busy day ahead of her, still she stayed for a long time to speak with them. That was an incredibly valuable and meaningful moment for those students. We are ever grateful for her dedication to our mission, and thrilled to present her with our 2021 Stanton Award.”

Last year’s event, saluting Soledad O’Brien, was a virtual one amid the pandemic. The Center will continue to monitor CDC, state and local guidance to assess the viability of returning to an in-person format in the fall. 

Dee Harris-Lawrence proved she was a Wonder Woman when she took on the Amazonian task of running two shows at the same time — OWN’s David Makes Man and CBS’s All Rise. She agreed to do both before the pandemic hit, and it wasn’t long before she found herself spending hours on Zoom with the casts and crews of both shows. 

“I did say to people after that, ‘If I ever say I’m going to run two shows at the same time, pull me off somewhere and slap me across the face,” Harris-Lawrence joked.

Joking aside, for Tarell Alvin McCraney, David Makes Man’s writer and creator, Harris-Lawrence was the reason his show about a 14-year-old boy fighting to make his way out of the projects was able to go forward. 

“We needed her,” said McCraney, who wrote the play on which the Oscar-winning movie Moonlight was based. “She has a strong voice as a writer. She has a fascinating ability with systems and structure and I had never created a show for TV before.

Wonder Women Los Angeles: Shining Bright in the Hollywood Spotlight

“But what finally made us understand that this was the person who was going to guide our ship was that she had grown up in a very similar way to the show’s main character,” he added. “She just brought so much together in a way we desperately needed.”

Harris-Lawrence, with her writer’s ear for character, brought that same talent to All Rise, which starred Simone Missick as Los Angeles County Judge Lola Carmichael.

“Dee was such a breath of fresh air coming into the first season of All Rise,” Missick said. “She immediately had a goal and a vision for my character that was innovative and specific to her being a Black woman in a position of power. That attention to detail was what I think allowed the audience to continue to fall in love with these people on a human level.” (CBS canceled All Rise in May.)

Harris-Lawrence has been working in television for several years, starting as Quincy Jones’s assistant and then working for Suzanne de Passe before briefly going out on her own to try her hand at writing screenplays. She was quickly called back to work as a writer’s assistant on Sister, Sister, but she kept writing on her own. After producer Josh Goldstein happened to read a spec script she left out on her desk, he gave her a shot on teen series Sweet Valley High that helped get her going.

But first, she took a detour to get her MBA. After the first year, she scored a job as a writer on Fox’s New York Undercover but, again juggling several things at once, finished the program.

“Having my MBA definitely helped in managing people,” Harris-Lawrence said. “I’m very systems-oriented, but I also have always been obsessed with television, books and movies. I kind of toggle between my left brain and my right.”

“She’s just great at what she does,” said Susan Rovner, chairman, entertainment content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, who hired her for both shows when she was president of Warner Bros. Television. “You know she’s good because of the distinct quality of the product she puts out — the consistency of how good those episodes are, the fact that they are on budget, on time and creatively excellent.”

Sought-After Skill Set

Having all of those skills in one person makes Harris-Lawrence a rare commodity in Hollywood, and with the current content explosion, ever more in demand.

Next up, she’s heading into production on Josephine, a limited series she wrote about chanteuse Josephine Baker starring Ruth Negga. Harris-Lawrence is executive producing the series along with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Springhill Productions, with Millicent Shelton directing. All three women — Harris-Lawrence, Negga and Shelton — are executive producing the series, which is in development at ABC Signature.

Said Harris-Lawrence: “It’s a great blessing and a really nice position to be in, especially as we’re all coming out of this pandemic. It’s exciting to be able to really dig into all these other stories I want to tell.”  

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has hired former A&E and MTV programming executive Drew Tappon as its head of unscripted development, program & specials, the network said Wednesday.

Tappon will be responsible for leading the Black female targeted network’s efforts in developing and producing a variety of unscripted programming, according to OWN. Tappon replaces Robyn Lattaker-Johnson, who left the company in April. 

Previously Tappon served as chief creative officer for 495 Productions, overseeing such diverse reality programming as Peace of Mind with Taraji P. Henson, Jersey Shore, Floribama Shore, and A Double Shot at Love. Prior to that, he held various senior programming positions at A&E, Warner Horizon Television and MTV.

“Drew is one of the most talented creatives in the industry having developed and produced some of the biggest unscripted hits on television,” said OWN president Tina Perry in a statement. “I am beyond excited to have him join OWN to bring his expertise to our growing lineup of dynamic series.”

Added Tappon: “I can’t wait to join the team at OWN and help continue its growth. Working with the unscripted community to forge new programming for the network is the chance of a lifetime.”

Discovery Communications' cable networks outlined a number of new original series and specials as part of the company’s upfront presentation Tuesday.

Read also: AT&T and discovery Merge Media Assets Forming TV Giant 

Discovery chief U.S. Advertising sales officer Jon Steinlauf declared during the virtual  presentation that this year the company's linear brands will produce more than 5,000 new hours of original programming, or about 15 new episodes a night.

Discovery chief lifestyle brands officer Kathleen Finch announced new shows for  HGTV, TLC, Food Network, including HGTV’s Battle on the Beach, Breaking Bland and Curb Appeal Xtreme; Food Network’s Grill of Victory, Chopped: Alton’s Maniacal Baskets; Buddy vs Duff: Bakers Battle; and TLC’s You, Me & My Ex, So Freakin Cheap and Addicted to Marriage.

Discovery and Factual chief brand officer Nancy Daniels announced Discovery Channel's Simon Fuller-produced documentary series Serengeti II, narrated by Lupita Nyong'o.

Also, Animal Planet will offer such shows as Otter Dynasty and The Mighty Underdogs, while MotorTrend will tap actor Kevin Hart for a new series Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew and will debunk automotive myths with Motor Mythbusters.

A list of new series along with network-created descriptions appears below:

Discovery Channel 

Getaway Driver

An event like no other, Michelle Rodriguez brings the ultimate driving fantasy to life in Getaway Driver. This eight-episode competition series features 24 elite drivers from drift champions to street racers to hotshot YouTubers who compete to prove they have the skill behind the wheel and the mental toughness to outrun and out-drive the competition in a massive nearly 60-acre compound filled with obstacles. Part Baby Driver, part Grand Theft Auto, the Getaway Drivers will put it all on the line – sacrificing their own cars for the opportunity to be the wheelman in a real-life car chase. The rules are simple... evade the pursuers and escape the compound to score some cold hard cash. 

 Serengeti II 

Discovery journeys back to the vast, nearly untouched plains of Tanzania revisiting some of our favorite faces and meeting new ones along the way in Serengeti II. The ground-breaking series highlights the majestic animals who call the Serengeti their home and their day-to-day lives living together. Created and produced by Emmy®-winner Simon Fuller (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance) and directed and produced by Emmy®-winning wildlife filmmaker John Downer (Penguin: Spy in The Huddle), the continuation of the six-part series gives unrivaled access to one of the most pristine and unspoiled corners of Africa. Narrated by Academy Award®-winning and Emmy®-nominated actress Lupita Nyong’o, the revolutionary series follows the heartwarming stories of a cast of African wildlife showcasing the dramatic moments that make each day of survival on the Serengeti a feat.

 The Hop (w/t)

The Hop will follow a loud and diverse set of builders and mechanics from four elite custom lowrider garages in the country as they devote their lives to making their lowrider builds dominate the world of lowrider building and car hopping. This team will add in super-sized hydraulics, so their custom lowriders launch eight or ten feet in the air. Viewers will watch their custom cars, from building all the way to their trash-talking hop competitions, that can happen at huge car shows—or at a downtown LA street corner at midnight. These garages must juggle the everyday business of running their shops - building lowriders for customers while also crafting vehicles to face off against rivals in hop contests. Because in the lowriding game, winning equals business with tens of thousands of dollars at stake in each vehicle.

HGTV

 Two Steps Home

Home renovation experts Jon Pierre and Mary Tjon-Joe-Pin will take a two-step approach to guide clients through the oftentimes daunting process of selling their current house and buying a new one that perfectly fits their needs in Two Steps Home. In step one, Mary, a designer, will employ creative and budget-conscious design ideas to ensure the client’s house sells for top dollar. For step two, Jon Pierre, a real estate agent, will use his savvy know-how of the Houston market to find the client a new property that meets most of their wish list but needs a few renovations to make it perfect. Once their current home sells, Jon Pierre and Mary will invest the extra profit to buy and overhaul the family’s new home.

 Two Steps Home

Home renovation experts Jon Pierre and Mary Tjon-Joe-Pin will take a two-step approach to guide clients through the oftentimes daunting process of selling their current house and buying a new one that perfectly fits their needs in Two Steps Home. In step one, Mary, a designer, will employ creative and budget-conscious design ideas to ensure the client’s house sells for top dollar. For step two, Jon Pierre, a real estate agent, will use his savvy know-how of the Houston market to find the client a new property that meets most of their wish list but needs a few renovations to make it perfect. Once their current home sells, Jon Pierre and Mary will invest the extra profit to buy and overhaul the family’s new home

Battle on the Beach

HGTV’s newest competition series, Battle on the Beach, will feature network stars Taniya Nayak (Restaurant Impossible), Ty Pennington (Rock the Block), and Alison Victoria (Windy City Rehab) as they each mentor three teams of up-and-coming flippers while they renovate identical beachfront properties. The mentors will put their reputations on the line each week while star judges Mike Holmes (Holmes + Holmes) and Mina Starsiak Hawk (Good Bones) will choose which team wins the featured weekly challenge. The team who adds the most value to their home will walk away with a $50,000 grand prize to use towards their next flip, and their mentor will have ultimate bragging rights. The new episodes of Battle on the Beach will also be available to stream the same day on discovery+.  

Breaking Bland

The Charleston, South Carolina-based HGTV series Breaking Bland introduces designer Mary Welch Stasik. During each episode, Mary Welch will break any design boundary and encourage clients to eschew traditional looks to create a truly personalized space.

 Curb Appeal Xtreme

HGTV’s popular outdoor renovation show Curb Appeal will get a fresh spin in Curb Appeal Xtreme. The new series will combine the architectural and design savvy of John Gidding, the horticulture and landscape design genius of Jamie Durie and the custom carpentry and furniture wizardry of Rachel Taylor. The six hour-long episodes will follow the talented trio as they dramatically overhaul the front and backyards of homes in Nashville, Tennessee, creating breathtaking outdoor living spaces that include features such as playhouses, yoga pavilions and open-air kitchens to maximize each property’s potential and value. 

 Food Network

 Grill of Victory

Sabin Lomac hosts a thrilling competition that brings America's best backyard grillers to the ultimate backyard grilling arena as hardcore home cooks with a passion for barbecue go head-to-head to prove their talents over three rounds of intense cooking battles. A rotating panel of judges, including Susie Bulloch, Darnell Ferguson, Tregaye Fraser and Christian Petroni, will help determine who grilled their way to the top. In the end, one home cook will take home the ultimate culinary prize - a customized, outdoor kitchen and entertaining space of their dreams designed by Cristy Lee.

 Chopped: Alton’s Maniacal Baskets

Alton Brown, returns to the Chopped judges’ table to confound sixteen bright-eyed chefs with the zaniest and brainiest baskets ever in the new five-part tournament Chopped: Alton’s Maniacal Baskets. Hosted by Ted Allen, each episode features Alton harnessing the power of his broad social media following, as he joins forces with his fans to come up with maniacal ingredients the competitors must utilize to create unique and delicious dishes over three rounds - appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Joining Alton at the judges’ table are Maneet Chauhan and Marcus Samuelsson to determine which chef goes home with the $50,000 prize

 Buddy vs Duff: Bakers Battle

When Duff and Buddy are away…their teams will play. For this exciting new battle, the famed bakers’ teams will take over their bakeries and compete in their own fierce but fun competition. 

The Pioneer Woman: Ranch Wedding

Join the guest list to the fabulous frontier wedding as Ree Drummond’s daughter Alex Drummond marries her college sweetheart Mauricio Scott. Viewers will have a front row seat to these dream nuptials and all the planning and preparation for the spectacular day. With only 10 days left until the big day, the Drummond family is working to get everything set up not just for 500 wedding guests, but for a big bash in the middle of their isolated ranch. Ree has a lot on her plate, from deciding which mother-of-the-bride dress to say yes to wearing as her eldest daughter walks down the aisle, to navigating thunderstorms as they threaten the wedding timeline, the special documents all the highs and lows leading up to the wedding. It’s a one-of-a-kind celebration not to be missed!

TLC

 You, Me & My Ex

How close is too close when it comes to staying friends with your ex? You, Me & My Ex explores just that. Viewers follow along as five different couples navigate some choppy waters when an ex is still in the picture and a little too close for comfort. These complicated love triangles are redefining the rules and offer a different look at relationships.

So Freakin Cheap

So Freakin Cheap follows four unique families as they go to extraordinary lengths to save money and live their most frugal lives. Whether it's dumpster diving for freebies, planning a wedding on a $700 budget or painting an entire home using free paint samples, these families will stop at nothing to spend nothing!

 Addicted to Marriage

It's one thing to always be the bridesmaid and never the bride, but it’s quite another to ALWAYS be the bride. This brand new series follows "serial" brides and grooms who have been engaged and married many, MANY times, including someone who is about to walk down the aisle for the twelfth time! Will these "marriage addicts" really say "I Do" again? Or, will secrets, drama and judgement from family and friends steer them otherwise? 

Animal Planet

Otter Dynasty (w/t)

Meet Singapore’s rare, utterly adorable smooth-coated otters. Declared locally extinct in the 1970s, this species has since made a welcome comeback to this exciting sovereign island city-state that they now call “home.” Since their return from the brink of extinction, multiple otter families have shown their desire and determination to reside in the prime otter real estate of Marina Bay. The catch? There’s only room for one dominant “royal” family.  In this urban wildlife story, audiences will be mesmerized as three urbanized otter clans make it their business to fight for their turn to be on top while continuing to adapt to their concrete jungle. This is the ultimate clash of the otter clans, and there can only be one ruler.  

 MotorTrend  

Bitchin’ Rides

Some great artists work with oil on canvas, others with clay, but for Dave Kindig, iron and chrome are the tools of his creative self-expression, and he is an artist at the top of his craft. From his sprawling 27,000-square-foot custom fabrication shop, Kindig It Design, Dave and his team use cars as their canvases to create extraordinary works of art for serious car lovers nationwide. Bitchin’ Rides, one of MotorTrend TV’s highest-rated series returns to give audiences another glimpse into the imaginative, creative genius of Kindig’s self-made business.

Faster With Finnegan

Hobbyist mechanics and car lovers across America are in search of more speed from their project car. But can you make significant upgrades with limited funds and limited time? If so, will the upgrades made on your car outperform a newer or pricier model? In the all-new season of Faster With Finnegan, streaming on the MotorTrend App, Finnegan and his friends David Newbern and Mike Cotten seek answers while sharing with viewers the knowledge, the technology, the real-life problems and the hard work that come with adding speed within a limited time frame without breaking the bank. Every week the series will feature a different vehicle, a different build, a different form of racing and a new challenge.

 Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew

In the MotorTrend TV debut of the new series Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew, Kevin Hart and The Plastic Cup Boyz seek answers to the questions around being a devoted automotive fan, learn to navigate the challenges of owning classic vehicles and make us laugh along the way. Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew is a lighthearted, hilarious journey into the car collecting world. From finding a trusted, skilled mechanic in Lucky Costa from MotorTrend’s HOT ROD GARAGE to customizing, racing, and experiencing the highs and lows of no reserve classic car auctions, Kevin and his friends settle internal debates with the help of automotive experts while gaining hard-earned knowledge in fulfilling their newfound passion. The debut of the series on MotorTrend TV follows its launch on MotorTrend's streaming service this summer.

 Motor Mythbusters

Looking to answer the biggest questions on every car fan’s mind, MotorTrend is melding science with the street in a joyful search for truth behind popular automotive myths in the MotorTrend TV debut of Motor Mythbusters. Starring Mythbusters alum Tory Belleci, mechanic Faye Hadley, and engineer and professional race car driver Bisi Ezerioha, each episode tackles stories generated by viral videos, urban legends or pop culture. In a quest to separate fact from fiction, Tory, Faye, and Bisi put cars through extreme tests to confirm or debunk everything from extreme Hollywood car stunts to everyday questions that bug car owners.

 Roadkill

Hold onto your lugnuts! Ride along with David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan as they search for their next gearhead adventure. In Roadkill, Freiburger and Finnegan have created a cult hit taking on a wide variety of fun automotive projects including all types of gassers, “barely-legal” street machines and high-strung performance vehicles.

 Top Gear America

Top Gear America delivers a uniquely fresh take on classic “Top Gear”, the world’s biggest motoring show, by following the motorized mischief and supercharged adventures of Dax Shepard, Rob Corddry and Jethro Bovingdon across America. In season two, premiering on the MotorTrend App, Dax, Rob and Jethro return to their mission of driving the wheels off whatever they can get their hands on; celebrating all the things they love about cars and arguing about the things they don’t. Top Gear America takes an irreverent look at the auto industry each week as Dax, Rob and Jethro tackle challenges with comedy, class and commitment.

OWN has released a first-look trailer for the second season of its original drama series David Makes Man, premiering June 22. 

The series -- which in its first season followed David, a 14-year old prodigy torn between the potential of higher education and the reality of life on the streets -- in season two finds David in his 30s as a rising businessman facing an opportunity that  forces him to choose between the instincts that helped him survive or finding a new way to truly live, according to OWN. 

The series stars Kwame Patterson, Arlen Escarpeta, Akili McDowell, Alana Arenas, Travis Coles and Cayden K. Williams.