Showtime to Debut 'The Good Lord Bird' in August

Showtime will debut its new limited drama series The Good Lord Bird in August, the network said Tuesday.

The series, based on the novel by James McBride, premieres Aug. 9 and follows a fictional enslaved boy who becomes a member an abolitionist soldier outfit and eventually finds himself participating in the famous 1859 raid on the U.S. Armory at Hapers Ferry. The seven-part original series weaves a humorous, dramatic and historical tapestry of Antebellum America, spotlighting the complicated and ever-changing racial, religious and gender roles that make up the American identity, said network officials.

The Good Lord Bird stars Ethan Hawke, Joshua Caleb Johnson, Ellar Coltrane, Hubert Point-Du Jour and Beau Knapp.

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.