Lee Daniels, Karin Gist Drama ‘Our Kind of People’ Opens Writers’ Room as Fox Eyes Potential Series Order
The Lee Daniels and Karin Gist series “Our Kind of People” is picking up speed at Fox Entertainment.
Fox is eyeing a potential series order for the drama, according to sources, and the company has now opened a writers’ room led by Gist.
Inspired by Lawrence Otis Graham’s book “Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class,” the series takes place in the aspirational world of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, a historical stronghold where the rich and powerful black elite have come to play for over 50 years.
“Our Kind of People” was first put in development back in 2017, as Variety exclusively reported, and was re-worked as of last year. The writers’ room news comes around three months after Fox announced the project was still in contention for an off-cycle order to fill the network’s growing scheduling needs due to COVID-19.
The potential series follows Angela Vaughn, a strong willed, single-mom, as she sets out to reclaim her family’s name and change the world with her revolutionary hair-care line that highlights the innate, natural beauty of Black women. It is described as “a soapy, thrilling exploration of race and class in America.”
Gist is writing and executive producing alongside Claire Brown for her The Gist Of It Productions. Daniels, Marc Velez, and Pam Williams are exec producing via Lee Daniels Entertainment, with Propagate’s Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, Drew Buckley, and Rodney Ferrell also on board as EPs. Montrel McKay is a non-writing executive producer.
Daniels and Gist previously worked together on fellow Fox show “Star.” The latter signed a new overall deal with 20th Television earlier this year.
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