Fifteen seconds into Hulu’s new series Shrill and we are already seeing skin. The woman is not sexualized, but instead she is shown in her bra, trying to figure out what to wear to work. This mundane event might not even be shown in most shows, however, the moment stands out for one reason– this woman is fat.
As a fat woman, you could say that I have been hungry for positive fat portrayals of women in media. Since movies and TV rarely showed any normal depictions of fat women, I often went to books to read what I couldn’t see. That’s where I first came across writer and activist Lindy West.
In 2016 Shrill, West’s comedic memoir on fat shaming and coming of age as a woman in a world that wasn’t made for you, was published to critical acclaim. Now, a TV show based on her life and the fat and female experiences, also called Shrill, is coming to Hulu Friday, starring SNL’s Aidy Bryant and produced by Elizabeth Banks and Lorne Michaels. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to chat with Lindy by phone and talk about adapting her memoir, representation, fat people on TV and how comedy has grown in the last five years to include more diverse voices. Here’s our conversation:
Hulu and Lionsgate today announce that UNBANNED: THE LEGEND OF AJ1, the powerful and inspiring true story of how Air Jordan 1 (AJ1) transcended sport to become a global phenomenon, will stream exclusively on Hulu. From first time filmmaker Dexton Deboree, the documentary interviews culture-defining titans, including NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan himself, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, Lena Waithe, Carmelo Anthony, Chuck D, and Phil Knight among others, to explore how AJ1 was not just a sneaker, but a worldwide movement that broke through barriers of race, age, and gender to define the culture in which we now live. Lionsgate acquired the documentary which is set to make its exclusive streaming debut on Hulu on February 14.
Bad haircuts. Questionable fashion choices. Changing bodies. Masturbation. Devastatingly awkward moments. I think it is safe to say that no one would voluntarily go back to middle school, but comedians Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle did revisit the most humbling time in a person’s life and infused all the age’s awkwardness and heart into the Hulu show Pen15. Premiering this Friday and produced by The Lonely Island, the show gives an honest depiction of 13-year-old girls trying to navigate the trials and tribulations of middle school and growing up. It’s just that the leads are played by 30 somethings.
In this barren time of year, when all the Oscar movies have been out for a while and prime time tv shows are either gearing up or not back at all, very rarely does a show bare such star power. Starring Chris Pine and produced and partially directed by Wonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins and written by her husband, Sam Sheridan, TNT’s I Am the Night tries to combine that star power with an almost too wild to believe true story and a political message about disenfranchised voices. Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes it fails.
(Contestant Antoinette Wills, as seen on Worst Cooks In America, Season 15. Courtesy of Food Network)
January 6th saw the release of season 15 of “Worst Cooks in America” on The Food Network. This season, Washington, D.C. native Antoinette Wills appears as a contestant. I spoke with Antoinette recently, and we had a chance to talk about her appearance on the show and what motivated her to sign up for the show.
On the very first 2019 edition of INTERVUE, Annapolis native Misha Jones is one of a dozen kids to take part in the Sixth season of Kids Baking Championship this Monday, January 7th on The Food Network. Up for grabs is a feature in the Food Network Magazine, a grand prize of $25,000 and a year’s worth of bragging rights. For Misha, its an unique experience he’ll never forget!
TV One brings the holiday spirit with premieres of two new original movies and other special holiday programming: A SPECIAL NIGHT OF RICKEY SMILEY FOR REAL, airing Tuesday, November 20 at 8 p.m./7C; MERRY WISHMAS, debuting Sunday, December 2 at 7 p.m./6C; LIVING BY DESIGN HOLIDAY SPECIAL, airing Sunday, December 9 at 7p.m./6C; and COINS FOR CHRISTMAS, premiering Sunday, December 16 at 7 p.m./6C.
Hulu has given a straight-to-series order to Wu-Tang: An American Saga. The upcoming drama series created and written by Alex Tse (SuperFly) and Wu-Tang Clan front man The RZA, has received a 10-episode order from Hulu and will be executive produced by Imagine’s Brian Grazer (Empire, Genius) and Francie Calfo (Empire, Genius), Wu-Tang Clan’s The RZA and Method Man, and Tse. Imagine Television creative executive James Seidman will oversee the project for Imagine.
