Showtime Picks Up ‘The Chi,’ ‘White Famous’ to Series

Premium cable network picks up new series starring Jason Mitchell and “SNL” alum Jay Pharoah

Jason Mitchell
Jason Mitchell

Showtime has given series orders to new projects “The Chi” and “White Famous,” the network announced Monday.

“The Chi” stars “Straight Outta Compton” actor Jason Mitchell, from “Master of None” star Lena Waithe.

“The Chi” is described as a coming-of-age story and follows a half dozen interrelated characters in the South Side of Chicago Mitchell plays Brandon, an ambitious and confident young man who dreams about opening a restaurant of his own someday, but is conflicted between the promise of a new life and his responsibility to his mother and teenage brother back in the South Side.

Elwood Reid will executive produce and serve as showrunner along with Waithe. Aaron Kaplan will executive produce, as will Rick Famuyiwa, who will also direct the premiere episode.

“White Famous” hails from Jamie Foxx and “Californication” creator Tom Kapinos and is a co-production of Lionsgate TV and Showtime.

The project, based on an idea by Foxx and written by Kapinos, will focus on a talented, young African-American comedian (Jay Pharoah) whose star is rising, forcing him to navigate the treacherous waters of maintaining his credibility as he begins to become “white famous.”

Foxx will executive produce and guest star in a recurring role on the half-hour comedy, with Kapinos also serving as an executive producer.

During Showtime’s executive panel at the Television Critics Association’s press tour in Pasadena Monday, the network also announced a Season 4 pickup for “The Affair” and the premiere date of May 21 for its highly anticipated “Twin Peaks” reboot.

Comments