Omarion may be at odds with his former group mates, but that is not stopping his bag. The singer-turned-reality star is preparing to star in a series about his life. While the show is still in its early stages, there is plenty of material to pull from. His group’s break-up, their reunion, and ultimate fallout again may be documented for fans. And the B2K leader wants to be hands-on with the entire process.
According to Deadline, streaming platform AllBlk has greenlit the scripted series called Involved. Omarion, whose real name is Omari Ishmael Grandberry, is the co-creator. Additionally, he will serve as executive producer and lead actor. Per the show’s synopsis, Involved will follow boy band superstar OB Sharp as he prepares for an international tour. However, he struggles with his urge to leave his group. Sharp’s reasoning is him wanting to be more involved with his child. As Sharp navigates co-parenting woes, he and his best friend Maya will become romantic. Things take a turn when they meet a man named Edy and explore polyamory together.
On Monday, Omarion invited his Instagram followers to audition for the series. He and AllBlk will host the open casting call during the 27th Annual American Black Film Festival. Specifically, the casting will search for the role of Maya. The top five finalists will have the opportunity to read their lines in front of a live audience during the festival in Miami. The lucky winner will land a regular role on the show.
Though it’s unclear how much Involved aligns with his real life, the boy band aspect will undoubtedly ruffle some feathers. Omarion being the focus of B2K is partially why his relationship with fellow members J-Boog, Raz-B, and Fizz remains strained. He was often seen as the frontman, singing many leads and speaking for the group during interviews. After the heartthrobs disbanded, Omarion enjoyed a solo career. He even signed with Maybach Music Group. It’ll be interesting to see just how far he goes with his depiction of what went down with the group.
FXX’s Dave has been a hit for the network that has long reveled in adult comedy. FXX, and its parent channel FX, has boasted shows such as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Archer, and Dicktown. The network has thrived in its dedication to adult-oriented comedic programming. Dave has proudly followed in that strong heritage of adult programming.
For those unfamiliar, Dave follows the trials and tribulations of Dave, a fictionalized version of rapper David “Lil Dicky” Burd, as he seeks to become a rapper. The show, created and headlined by Lil Dicky, launched in 2020 and has become yet another well-regarded show for FXX. It currently holds an 89% critic rating and 85% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it has been nearly two years since Season 2 premiered in 2021.
Season 2 left off with Dave riding the high of a strengthened relationship with hype-man GaTa and coming off a performance at the VMAs. However, he must now contend with the realities of his first-ever tour. Fans can expect a bigger on music in season 3, as Lil Dicky explained in an interview with Uproxx. “I think there’s just, in general, more new music, even as it goes on. By the end of the season, there’s even more music.” Lil Dicky said, “But I just know that my fans are starving for music. I’m well aware of that. And the show takes up so much of my time that I didn’t want people to think that I’m just an actor playing a rapper now.”
While Lil Dicky was not willing to spoil the season, he did he reveal how he thinks the audience will take the season’s direction. When asked if Season 3 had a “thesis statement”, Lil Dicky choose his words carefully. “Answering that question now kind of gives away but just know we’re headed somewhere. And I think people will be surprised where it goes,” he said. Fans will just have to tune in to find out what happens to Dave, GaTa, and the rest of the crew. Dave Season 3 is available to watch on FXX and Hulu.
It looks like 50 Cent’s BMF inspired Suge Knight to tell his life story in the form of a biopic series on Death Row Records. Per TMZ, the Death Row founder is reportedly collaborating with his brother, Brian Brown, to develop a series based on the rise of the iconic West Coast label. Though there isn’t much information regarding the cast or the plot yet, the show is expected to begin filming this summer. Suge reportedly found inspiration in the tale of BMF, which recently concluded its second season.
The upcoming series will dive into Suge Knight’s story, prior to becoming the music industry bully. The report states that the upcoming series explores the Death Row founder’s life. He became known as one of the leading and most imperative figures in the hip-hop industry throughout the 90s, though what we’ll see will provide a better sense of Knight’s rise. Not only will it explore the Death Row era but there will also be a large component focusing on his childhood and his aspirations to become a football coach.
Suge Knight’s Death Row Biopic
LAS VEGAS – FEBRUARY 17: Music producer Suge Knight attends the Belvedere Ultra Lounge Day 4 At Club OPM on February 17, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chad Buchanan/Getty Images for Moet USA)
Though he’s currently incarcerated for the 2015 death of Terry Carter, Suge reportedly has been incredibly involved in the process. As you could imagine, he isn’t willing to allow anyone to take on his role or those of others within his circle. TMZ reports that he’s been particular about the individual who plays the role of Tupac. Suge Knight reportedly hopes to find someone who could embody ‘Pac through their acting chops and not just their looks. Apparently, he’s been selective with the show’s personnel, specifically the actor who will ultimately take on the role of Tupac.
The upcoming Suge Knight/Death Row biopic comes on the heels of Snoop Dogg’s re-release of the catalog. After acquiring the label ahead of the Super Bowl performance in Los Angeles, Snoop partnered with Larry Jackson’s company to redistribute their classic albums through streaming services. Though Snoop intended on bringing Death Row’s catalog to the Metaverse, he struck a deal that was well worth the return of their albums on DSPs. No word from Suge Knight on Snoop’s re-releases but people are clearly happy to have projects like Doggystyle and The Chronic in time for the summer.
As if he doesn’t already have enough on his plate, Master P is readying a new series. The mogul is known for his various business endeavors in music, entertainment, food and beverage, and more. In 2020, Percy Miller was highlighted in the BET docuseries No Limit Chronicles. The five-part series detailed the rise and fall of No Limit, a record label that dominated Hip Hop. Master P, his team, and his artists were instrumental in putting Louisiana on the map as a Rap contender during a time when New York and Los Angeles were focal points.
Miller teased his rumored feature on Instagram by sharing a throwback photo. “No Limit TV series coming soon,” he wrote. It seems production is still carving out the cast. “We’re still looking for people to play the Ice Cream man and other characters. The real Master P story from New Orleans to the Bay Area. @deontaylor We’re about to make history. Masterpstory.com #GODisgood.”
No Limit’s roster wasn’t to be messed with during its heyday. Lil Wayne, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, Romeo, Mystikal, Soulja Slim, Snoop Dogg, and more helped make it a respected collective. A few more names would have been added to the list if Master P had his way. In an interview with HipHopDX back in 2015, Miller revealed that there were several artists who wanted to sign to the coveted label.
“Anybody you can think of called me for advice or thinking ‘What can I do to get with No Limit,’ P said at the time. “From Eminem, to T.I. to anybody you could think of, we done had that conversation where they wanted to be with No Limit. It was sad, but [Tupac Shakur] was thinking, ‘What could I do?’ Same thing with Snoop Dogg. People started checking for us because they knew we was making money. They know we was printing money. They making money now. We was printing money. Everybody reached out. Nas came. Everybody reached out.” Maybe we’ll see this centered in the series? We’ll have to wait to find out. Check out Master P’s post above.
Making its debut on MTV in 2005, Nick Cannon’s hit show, Wild ‘N Outshowcases an array of comedic and musical talent. The cast splits into two teams to face off in various improv games like ‘Got Damned’, ‘Talking Spit’, and of course the epic ‘WildStyle’ roast between both crews, where the comedians honestly leave no meat on the bone. The cast truly has an unmatched chemistry to the point of being able to rhyme a whole verse in less than a second to what their opponent had just laid out. Some may say they prepare all of their material, but it’s evident in many of the skits that those assumptions are untrue.
This Hitman Holla & Charlie Clips Rap Battle Goes Crazzzy
Guest stars like 2Chainz, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Dababy, Snoop Dogg, and more have been invited to join the “New School” team for a hilarious battle against Cannon’s “Old School.” Both teams dress according to the theme of the night, and you already know Cannon’s got the most drip, but that might be to make up for the fact that his cast, who are his best friends off camera, bag him on his rhymes as being the biggest joke of the show.
The show has evolved since its start with new games and new names for the teams, but the laughs stay coming. Cannon is always adding new members to each team, like Cortez, Maddy “Becky Pickles, Kandie, and Santwon. But there are some OG’s that continue to clap back with the pinpoint skill to create funny and witty jokes without any drawback. Popular personalities on the show are Justina Valentine, D.C. Young Fly, Hitman Holla, Chico Beans, Conceited, Emmanual Hudson, Charlie Clips, PrettyVee and more.
Justina Valentine off the top is unlike any other.
The show comprises of games where the castmates and celebrities “battle it out head-to-head” in a rap battle. Whether it’s ‘Pie Or Die’ where DJ D-Wrek gives them a beat and word or, ‘Why You Bullspittin’’ where a member rides a mechanical bull and rhymes a group of words one after the other, each battle or individual rap scheme is met with precision, flare, respect, and most of the time, no matter how ‘harsh’ the context may be, there’s honesty to back it up. It could be ragging on Justina Valentine for her deep raspy voice and flat butt, comparing Charron to Eminemin every single roast or making fun of Big Mack’s weight, but no matter what, the crew always keeps their bond strong with no hurt feelings.
Watch Emmanuel Hudson Body His ‘Pie or Die’ Word, ‘Idiosyncratic’.
Touring the country in cities like Atlanta, NYC, Detroit, and just about any major metropolitan area, Wild ‘N Out engages their live audience to the point of inclusion and Immediate applause. There’s even a battle, ‘Family Reunion’ where the two teams make fun of audience members, while ‘Who’s on the Pole?’ has fans come on stage and the castmates make up a stripper pole name for them based on their appearance. And of course, we can’t forget D.C. Young Fly, who is constantly roasting audience members throughout his hilarious raps.
The show did first debut onMTV but now airs onVH1 at 8:00 pm on Thursday nights. The crew filmed season 19 and the new shows are due to air in April of 2023. Viewers can expect to see the same iconic cast with a few new members. The upcoming celebrity guests range from GloRilla to Chance the Rapper, Micheal Rapaport, and more in its 25 episodes.
The intensity on set is always on fire and the castmates make sure to keep each other grounded, while still lifting each other to their best degree. Nick Cannon shared his feelings on his production by saying, “I love ‘Wild ‘N Out’ so much. One, because it’s my baby, but also I get to see others succeed and go on to lead their own careers.” Which is true, too. Though many on the show do rag Cannon on his rap career and relationship with Mariah Carey, they also always give credit to him for providing them and their families with money at the end of the day.
DJ Khaled is teaming up with Diddy and Mark Wahlberg to launch a golfing tv series. In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, Khaled revealed that there’s a bidding war going on for the right to air it. In the post, Khaled shared a video of himself on the links with Diddy.
“LETS GO GOLFING TV SHOW it’s in works. my team said KHALED it’s biding war for the show,” Khaled wrote on Instagram. “I WIILL TAKE YOU IN THE WORLD OF GOLF FROM MY VIEW AND HOW WE DO, AND THEN ITS GETS EVEN MORE AMZING ON THE SHOW TO SEE WHAT HAPPMS AFTER WE PLAY GOLF! BE BE READY ! #LETSGOGOLFING @wethebest FILMS @markwahlberg let’s pick the best network that sees the VISION!” In another post, Khaled shared a video of himself on the phone as he argues the TV series is the “next billion dollar idea.”
DJ Khaled With Diddy
INGLEWOOD, CA – MARCH 11: Sean Combs (L) and co-host DJ Khaled attend the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards which broadcasted live on TBS, TNT, and truTV at The Forum on March 11, 2018 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
Fans appeared excited about the show in the comments section of Khaled’s post. One provided an idea: “You need to invite some fans to be the gallery and. Cheer or heckle you ….. while you play ….. makes for great tv.” Another fan wrote: “Lets gooooo I need something new to watch.”
It’s not the first time that Khaled has tried to venture into film and television alongside Mark Wahlberg. He previously pitched the idea of a film starring himself and Drake to the actor. “I’m telling you now, you get Khaled and Drake to do a movie together, it’s game over,” Khaled said on a FaceTime call shared on social media. Wahlberg replied: “I see. We should have a meeting. I got that movie with me and Kevin Hart coming out right after. We should just pitch an idea to Netflix.” Khaled responded: “You know I got love for you and Kevin Hart, but it ain’t no motherfucking Khaled and Drake! I know you and Kevin Hart got a movie, but Khaled and Drake?!”
Lip Sync Battle is a fun, high-energy show that’s had a great foothold on an audience since about 2015. Based on a segment from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Lip Sync Battle takes celebrities and makes them compete against each other in a lip sync battle. Throughout the many episodes and years with the show, there have been some great moments to record and remember.
Whether it’s a celebrity failing to lip sync their own song or someone really understanding how to tear it up on the sync, there are many moments that make Lip Sync Battle an absolute riot to watch. Whether they’ve made us laugh, cringe, or do a little bit of both, there are a ton of moments to remember. We’ll be going through as many as we can remember, starting with the lowest pick and working our way up below.
Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto
It’s bound to be entertaining. That’s likely what the showrunners said when they put two Star Trek co-stars in the same room for a lip-sync battle. Both stars did great in their respective matches, Quinto batting up after an impressive performance by Saldana. Quinto started great with an upbeat rendition of Freedon! 90, and continued to keep that fire going with Missy Elliott’s Get Ur Freak On. Saldana didn’t bother holding anything back, emphasizing a heavy hard rock and rap style by starting off strong with a Twenty-One Pilots song. After finishing Stressed Out, she performed her own version of No Scrubs.
Dwayne Johnson and Jimmy Fallon
One of the best episodes of Lip Sync Battle is between two iconic celebrities. Jimmy is the star of the show, and Dwayne is an iconic legend, both for comedy and in any other role he finds himself in. The Lip Sync Battle between these two was definitely a sight to see. The Rock brought on the heat with his own version of Stayin Alive, while Fallon sun Like a Prayer. Fallon’s energy is contagious, continuing in his other performances throughout the show.
The Entire Cast of Stranger Things
Another fun episode of Lip Sync Battle is when they switch up the norm. Sure, it can be fun listening to just one person at a time, but getting an entire group in on the mix is a surefire way for a blast. The result of all these iconic heads singing at the same time is a must-see TV moment. Because of how popular the cast is, the Lip Sync Battle arena becomes a quick and easy collaboration, including names like Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, and Finn Wolfhard. While the performance by Schnapp was great for Wolfhard, the Lip Synce by Matarazzo and McLaughlin took the cake. They performed I’m Bad, taking the competition without much of a fight. As a group for another episode, they stand a chance to reappear in the near future for another lip sync battle.
Anna Kendrick and John Krasinski
On the fourth episode, we were pleasantly surprised by a great Lip Sync Battle between John Krasinski and Anna Kendrick. While they both were stacked to take the win, Anna Kendrick surprised the audience with her rendition of Booty toward the end of the round. It resulted in a cameo featuring Jennifer Lopez, which helped secure her victory. However, before the avalanche, Kendrick killed it with a few top pop-rock hits, such as Steal My Girl by One Direction. He also managed to score a pretty good high point with his performance for Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC. In the end though, Anna took the cake with a great performance and even greater cameo at the end.
Ricky Martin and Kate Upton
Having these two in the same ring for a lip-sync battle is a tough one. Both are great celebrity guests, one known for pop and the other for modeling work. Neither one is a stranger to the camera or microphone, which is likely why the episode is such a hit with those two in it. While Ricky has the mic experience, Upton wasn’t about to just go down without a fight. Upton did an impressive performance by taking on Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time with great excitement and flourish. However, she had Ricky to compete with, who turned up the heat using his flexible feet. He went for Kenny Loggin’s Footloose and absolutely killed it on stage.
Neil Patrick Harris and Lecerne Cox vs Taraji Henson and Hailee Steinfeld
Later down the line of the show, we get a special treat in the form of a multi-person cast for the show. Season four starts off with a bang during a Micheal Jackson Celebration episode. The episode includes iconic names like Laverne Cox, Neil Patrick Harris, Taraji Henson, and Hailee Steinfeld. Because it was a Micheal Jackson episode, it was just full of memorable tracks and their lip-syncing wannabes. For second-time runners Gox and Henson, winning was important, which is why they gave it everything they had throughout the show. Even the fan audience got involved throughout the episode. We rank this one pretty highly because the goal was to help immortalize one of pop’s greatest singers, and it totally did! As far as we care, that episode passed the test.
It’s impossible to have a good list of these best episodes without including the Pentatonix one! The more the merrier, and with this episode, it gets pretty merry. We loved watching the Pentatonix members go to town on their lip-syncing skills. The voice (or in this case, voice adjacent) talents of Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Scott Hoying, and Kevin Olusola brought a fire to the stage that couldn’t be put out. Lots of great songs got shown off in this episode, including Dinah Jane hitting us with You’re Welcome from the Moana soundtrack. Lauren Jauregui gave us her rendition of Rehab, while Normani Kordei got us with Bootylicious by Destiny’s Child. The winner of it all, Ally Brooke, definitely deserved her praise. She did an impressive combination of J-Lo’s On the Floor with Selena’s Como la Flor to perfection.
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
Our list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the episode with Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. These two personalities on the same floor makes for some great entertainment, especially when they start breaking out the dance moves. Because this episode was highly anticipated, the hype surrounding the actual songs was crazy high and the tension was real. Tatum started us off by giving an impressive rendition of Let It Go from Frozen. (Too bad he couldn’t belt it out on the account of it being a lip-sync battle). Jenna responded by giving a great performance of Cold Hearted by Paula Abdul. And while Jenna did show up with a great parody version of Pony from Magic Mike, eventually Tatum had the greatest performance with Run the World, Queen B making a cameo appearance.
Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt
Both of these stars were prime picking for Lip Sync Battles, considering their background. As stars for pieces like Into The Woods and Les Miserables, both Hathaway, and Blunt are great contenders for a passionate winner and a stellar performance. This episode is one of the most hype in existence because of the sheer talent of these two. Both went all out and brought the heat for the audience. To start everyone off, Hathaway delivered a great Mary Blige impression that had the audience nearly singing along. To follow up on that great opener, Blint performed Backstreet’s No Diggity. During round two, Blint started us off by giving us a taste of her Janis Joplin impression. However, Hathaway truly stole the win here by giving us a great rendition of Wrecking Ball, almost to the same degree as the music video, performance-wise.
Tom Holland and Zendaya
One of the best episodes we’ve seen to date is obvious. Who doesn’t like Spiderman? The lip sync battle-off between Tom Holland and Zendaya was a great episode that fans can hardly forget. This greatly entertaining musical stunt was a nice way to show off both Holland’s and Zendaya’s impressive dance capabilities. During Zendaya’s performance, they worked great to mimic Bruno Mars during the performance of 24k Magic. During the performance, the crowd and audience were overjoyed to watch Zendaya shower Holland with cash right before his performance. When it came to Holland’s turn, no one expected his outstanding go at Singin in the Rain. Right after, he went for Umbrella by Rihanna. In these two key performances, Holland was almost perfect, taking over the lip sync battle and the audience by storm.
Physical intimacy is one of the most vulnerable things two humans can share. Having to perform it (or at least fake it) in front of a camera crew and Hollywood executives adds all the more pressure. Recently, Chloe Bailey experienced this for the first time on the set of Donald Glover’s Swarm series. Thankfully, she had a great partner – British actor Damson Idris – to help her through the terrifying scene.
Ahead of the series premiere, the R&B artist and other members of the cast spoke with Deadline. “When I first read the script I was like, ‘Oh, this is insane,’” Bailey recalled. “‘This is incredible.’ I cried, and then I realized, ‘You gotta do that sex scene girl.’” She’s relatively open and liberal with her body (as her regular Instagram thirst traps can attest). Still, her lack of past sexual partners apparently made filming all the more nerve-wracking.
“I was very scared because I haven’t had that many partners,” the “Treat Me” songstress told Deadline. “I’m not like that, that sexual and open. Damson made it very comfortable, you know, there were limited people on set,” she added. According to Bailey, she and Idris even shared a few laughs between takes. They also kept a bouncy ball between their bodies. “We were making a joke out of it,” she said, noting that her co-stars’ good vibes wiped away her nervousness.
“I have to give a lot of kudos to him as a man for making me as a woman feel comfortable literally being raw and naked,” the 24-year-old praised Lori Harvey’s boyfriend. Other famous faces set to appear on screen include Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris, as Hailey, and Dominique Fishback in the leading role of Dre. The trailer for Swarm arrived last month, and already, audiences can’t wait to see what Glover’s next project will bring.
Donald Glover’s Swarm
The highly anticipated series officially premiered at SXSW this past Friday (March 10), and will arrive on Amazon Prime Video next week, on March 17. It tells the story of, “a young woman whose obsession with a pop star takes a dark turn.” Check out the teaser above. Afterward, let us know if you’ll be tuning in to catch Chloe Bailey’s performance in the comments.
Since the hit series Bel-Air premiered on the popular streaming channel Peacock last year, we have gotten to know the cast of the hit reboot as the characters face big topics from mental health, class issues, racism, and even jealousy. The drama is getting even bigger as Bel-Air heads into its sophomore season. Now, however, we wonder…will this second season of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot series season 2 be as good as the first?
Bel-Air’s Season Two Hits the Ground With Big Drama
Bel Air’s first season started with a “fresh” feel and a dose of lightheartedness that immediately pulled the fans in. However, the series has taken a more dramatic turn as season two gets underway. Season two premiered on February 23 and begins where the first left off with Will (Jabari Banks) moving out of the mansion after a series of betrayals come to light. As season one of the hit series wrapped up, Will uncovers secrets about his father Lou (Marlon Wayans) that were kept from him by members of his family including his Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes) and his Aunt Viv (Cassandra Freeman).
Bel-Air’s drama largely centers around Will’s experiences moving into the mansion and coming head-to-head with a variety of challenges faced by the differing classes. However, there is plenty more drama to be found in all storylines as the series progresses into season two. Will’s cousin Hilary continues her relationship with Jazz and the two decide to take their relationship to an “official” level. Elsewhere, Aunt Vivian struggles in her new fellowship role at Neeman’s.
Will Faces An Unexpected Truth
The hit drama’s second season hit the streaming airwaves with plenty of turmoil taking over the Banks clan. The premiere episode titled A Fresh Start begins with Jabari Banks’s Will crashing at Jazz’s (Jordan L. Jones) after the secrets about his father come to light. Will focused on finding his independence and achieving his basketball dreams. However, a heart-to-heart with his Uncle Phil – including a long-overdue apology – leads to Will’s return to the mansion in season two’s early episodes. Meanwhile, Will’s relationship with Lisa (Simone Joy Jones) hits a cooling-off period.
Elsewhere, Carlton is still working on his anxiety issues especially as he sees himself put into a variety of high-anxiety scenarios. Carlton has found comfort in Bel-Air Academy’s Black Student Union. This is a new development after this group previously disliked Carlton for clashing over racial concerns while Carlton served as class president.
Carlton’s chances to make a difference in this group comes when a Bel-Air Academy teacher Mrs. Hughes – who is played by Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum (Tatyana Ali) gets fired for providing off-curriculum literature and information delving into racism and sexuality and other controversial and tough but incredibly important issues.
The Bel-Air Academy’s Black Student Union plans a walk-out protest against the firing. Carlton is behind this plan, originally. However, another instructor warns the student of the possible reproductions that could come from his involvement in the protests. Struggling with the anxiety that comes from these concerns Carlton opens up to Will about these concerns. However, Will’s focus keeps him from grasping the enormity of the situation.
Tatiyana Ali’s Mrs. Hughes is making a big impact on many students at the Bel-Air Academy. The impact is especially apparent to viewers as Ali’s character inspires Akira Akbar’s character, the youngest of the Banks children, Ashley. This, Fresh Prince fans know, is the very character Ali played in the original sitcom series. Mrs. Hughes knows there are repercussions for providing Ashley and other Bel-Air Academy students with materials outside the school’s curriculum. But the impact on the greater good is more important to the middle school teacher.
Will’s Big Basketball Dreams Continue In Bel-Air’s Season Two
As the second episode of Bel-Air’s season two gets underway, the episode, titled Speaking Truth has Will displaying his spot-on talents on the basketball courts. Will remains laser-focused on a future in basketball – especially when it comes to scoring a division one basketball scholarship. This leads the talented player to forget that basketball is wholly a team sport. Ultimately creating some major issues between Will and the rest of the team.
Will’s ego gets the best of him as he belittles his fellow players, thinking he is the only one who should be making the biggest plays. Will ignores his coach and scores several three-pointers along with several dunks – all while forgetting about his teammates. Will’s arrogance may be a roadblock in his future with the game and chances for a division one college scholarship.
Bel-Air’s season two also sees Will hoping to catch the eye of a famed basketball scout, Doc (Brooklyn McLinn). Will is certain a relationship with this particular scout will take him to the right places in his basketball career. Will’s dream does finally come true as his talents seem to notice the basketballer. However, we soon learn that Doc’s decision isn’t based so much on Will’s abilities but rather on the Banks’ fortune.
Bel-Air Reimagines A Sitcom Classic
The last few years have been all about reboots, bringing new life to some of our favorite classics. And the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot series, Bel-Air has an extra exciting history giving us a dramatic reimagining of the original 1990s sitcom hit starring Will Smith. This new series is produced by Smith and inspired by a viral trailer clip by Morgan Cooper that reimagined the iconic 90s sitcom series with a raw and dramatic lens.
Sure, most reboots try hard to develop their voice. However, the Peacock hit Bel-Air did something different turning a sitcom format into a “fresh” drama series. Part of the best pieces of the series is the fact that the reboot series delves deeper into the issues. Issues that the black-led Fresh Prince cast could only touch upon while on the networks three decades ago. All of this was originally dreamed up by Morgan Cooper’s enormously popular video bringing us the dramatic take on the popular classic sitcom series.
Cooper is part of Bel-Air’s creative team along with Will Smith. He serves as director, co-writer, and executive producer on the popular Peacock series. T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson serve as co-showrunners and executive producers of the series. New episodes premiere every Thursday through April 27 on Peacock.
FX’s Snowfall held a black carpet event for the sixth and final season premiere on Wednesday Night. The cast went to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to view a screening of the first episode. Michael Hyatt (Cissy Saint) and Carter Hudson (Teddy McDonald) reflected on the legacy of the series’ co-creator, John Singleton. Singleton passed away from a stroke in April 2019 at the age of 51. He was the first Black writer-director to score an Oscar nomination for best director with Boyz n the Hood.
Historically, Hyatt started playing Cissy Saint during Season 1 of the show. Cissy is the mother of Franklin Saint, one of Los Angeles’ to-be-famous drug dealers. Hyatt’s character is a maternal figure on the show. She wants to save her neighborhood from the 1980s chaos of drugs and gang violence. She focuses on protecting her son. In an emotional interview with Variety, Hyatt said, “John taught me to use my voice in ways that I had not given myself permission to use my voice in my career, in my life. Because of his presence in my life and the time that I had to spend with him, he empowered me to use that voice. And even though he’s dead, when I come to work, I make sure that what I’m saying represents him.”
John Singleton Remembered
Director John Singleton attends the 69th annual Directors Guild of America Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 4, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
According to Hudson, the cast did “acts of conjuring” to “keep him alive” in their hearts. For instance, they left his director’s chair in the room and continued the series with his goals in mind. Hudson went on that, “He used to always say that you wanted this show to end on the day that ‘Boyz n the Hood’ started and that he always kind of saw this in his mind as a prequel to that. It feels like you were part of a bigger story that he was working on telling.” The show is honoring Singleton’s memory in the series finale, which is dedicated to him. At the event, FX president John Landgraf also announced that a room in the network’s office will be named after Singleton.
Hudson continued, saying that “The world that he was trying to talk about was a world that, when he started, hadn’t been shown. He pioneered that, and this is about saying, ‘How did that world come to be?’ It really works to answer these bigger questions about how the whole globe played a part in what happened in one neighborhood and the lives that were being lived there.” Additionally, he said that Singleton and the show’s legacy is about “giving that neighborhood a context within history and geopolitics.” He insisted, “We talked about him. He’s present. He didn’t leave us.” Snowfall returns for its final season on February 22, 2023.
