National Geographic’s Queens isn’t your typical nature documentary series.
From the first episode, it flips the script on what one might expect out, instead diving deep into the love, loss and resilience of the matriarchal societies in the animal kingdom. And it all started with that very first story of both lionesses and hyenas detailed in the “African Queens” episode.
“The executive at NatGeo said, ‘We should do this as a whole series,’ ” executive producer Vanessa Berlowitz explained during Deadline’s Contenders TV: Documentary + Unscripted panel. “We kind of looked at each other and went, ‘Surely it’s been done.’ And it hasn’t. So it was just one of those great conversations between two female senior leaders, realizing this was a huge content area that was fresh and exciting.”
Related: Contenders TV Docs + Unscripted – Deadline’s Full Coverage
Queens took four years to come to fruition, including...
From the first episode, it flips the script on what one might expect out, instead diving deep into the love, loss and resilience of the matriarchal societies in the animal kingdom. And it all started with that very first story of both lionesses and hyenas detailed in the “African Queens” episode.
“The executive at NatGeo said, ‘We should do this as a whole series,’ ” executive producer Vanessa Berlowitz explained during Deadline’s Contenders TV: Documentary + Unscripted panel. “We kind of looked at each other and went, ‘Surely it’s been done.’ And it hasn’t. So it was just one of those great conversations between two female senior leaders, realizing this was a huge content area that was fresh and exciting.”
Related: Contenders TV Docs + Unscripted – Deadline’s Full Coverage
Queens took four years to come to fruition, including...
- 4/27/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
All of the nominations for the 2024 Daytime Emmy Awards have been announced!
After the first round of nods were announced, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences revealed the remaining nominations on Friday morning (April 19)
The upcoming awards celebrate and recognize “outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of categories, including daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary and legal/courtroom programs.”
The Kelly Clarkson Show leads the daytime talk show categories with nine noms while The Young and the Restless‘ Eric Braeden earned his first nomination in over 20 years!
Keep reading to find out more…This year’s ceremony will take place live from the Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles on Friday, June 7th at 8pm Et and it will air on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ with a premium subscription.
Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…
Daytime Drama Series
The Bay (Popstar!
After the first round of nods were announced, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences revealed the remaining nominations on Friday morning (April 19)
The upcoming awards celebrate and recognize “outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of categories, including daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary and legal/courtroom programs.”
The Kelly Clarkson Show leads the daytime talk show categories with nine noms while The Young and the Restless‘ Eric Braeden earned his first nomination in over 20 years!
Keep reading to find out more…This year’s ceremony will take place live from the Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles on Friday, June 7th at 8pm Et and it will air on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ with a premium subscription.
Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…
Daytime Drama Series
The Bay (Popstar!
- 4/19/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The American soaps weren’t the only game in town at the 2024 Daytime Emmy nominations, which were announced by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on Friday, April 19. CBS dramas “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restlesss” led with 12 bids apiece, but tying them at that number was the Netflix anthology series “African Queens: Njinga.” Check out the complete list of nominations here.
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The soap operas are all virtually tied with “B&b” and “Y&R” at 12 while “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital” are right behind them, tied at 11. All four shows received nominations for Best Daytime Drama Series, as did Popstar! TV’s “The Bay” and the classic Australian serial “Neighbours” presented by Amazon Freevee. “The Bay” also grabbed a couple of Best Supporting Actor nominations for A Martinez and Mike Manning,...
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The soap operas are all virtually tied with “B&b” and “Y&R” at 12 while “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital” are right behind them, tied at 11. All four shows received nominations for Best Daytime Drama Series, as did Popstar! TV’s “The Bay” and the classic Australian serial “Neighbours” presented by Amazon Freevee. “The Bay” also grabbed a couple of Best Supporting Actor nominations for A Martinez and Mike Manning,...
- 4/19/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The full list of 51st Annual Daytime Emmy nominations was announced on Friday morning, April 19, at 9:00am Pacific/12:00pm Eastern by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). Scroll down to see who made the cut in all 40 categories. Winners will be announced live on Friday, June 7, at 8:00 pm Eastern/delayed Pacific, on CBS, and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. The Daytime Creative Arts and Lifestyle Emmy Awards will be presented on Saturday, June 8, and streamed on the Emmys apps and at watch.TheEmmys.tv. The ceremonies will take place at the Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles.
NATAS President and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement, “We are happy to once again honor the creative talent both in front of and behind the camera of America’s favorite Daytime programs. We look forward to celebrating the icons who enliven the days of audiences across the country.
NATAS President and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement, “We are happy to once again honor the creative talent both in front of and behind the camera of America’s favorite Daytime programs. We look forward to celebrating the icons who enliven the days of audiences across the country.
- 4/19/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced Friday the nominees for the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards, with two CBS soaps — The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless — leading the field with 12 nominations apiece.
ABC’s General Hospital and Peacock’s Days of Our Lives join those series in the titles nominated for best daytime drama series, which also include Popstar! TV’s The Bay and Amazon Freevee’s Neighbors (the latter also earned a nod for Guy Pearce’s guest performance; it is the first nom for Amazon in the daytime drama categories).
The Kelly Clarkson Show led the nominees in the talk series categories with nine nods. The talk show is nominated alongside The Jennifer Hudson Show, Tamron Hall, Disney+’s Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts and ABC’s The View for best daytime talk series.
A notable acting nominee is...
ABC’s General Hospital and Peacock’s Days of Our Lives join those series in the titles nominated for best daytime drama series, which also include Popstar! TV’s The Bay and Amazon Freevee’s Neighbors (the latter also earned a nod for Guy Pearce’s guest performance; it is the first nom for Amazon in the daytime drama categories).
The Kelly Clarkson Show led the nominees in the talk series categories with nine nods. The talk show is nominated alongside The Jennifer Hudson Show, Tamron Hall, Disney+’s Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts and ABC’s The View for best daytime talk series.
A notable acting nominee is...
- 4/19/2024
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
All of the nominations are in for the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards, which will air live in June 7 on CBS and Paramount+. See the full list below.
African Queens: Njinga. Netflix’s docuseries about the warrior queen of Angola, is tied with three daytime drama staples — CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless and Peacock’s Days of Our Lives — with a dozen noms each. ABC stalwart General Hospital is next with 11.
The Kelly Clarkson Show leads the talkers with nine noms, ahead of The View with 7.
Some of the first time nods included Downey’s Dream Cars on Max (Best Lifestyle), Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays on Food Network (Culinary Series); the Australian import Neighbours on Amazon Freevee (Daytime Drama) and Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper on Nat Geo.
The canceled Valerie’s Home...
African Queens: Njinga. Netflix’s docuseries about the warrior queen of Angola, is tied with three daytime drama staples — CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless and Peacock’s Days of Our Lives — with a dozen noms each. ABC stalwart General Hospital is next with 11.
The Kelly Clarkson Show leads the talkers with nine noms, ahead of The View with 7.
Some of the first time nods included Downey’s Dream Cars on Max (Best Lifestyle), Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays on Food Network (Culinary Series); the Australian import Neighbours on Amazon Freevee (Daytime Drama) and Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper on Nat Geo.
The canceled Valerie’s Home...
- 4/19/2024
- by Lynette Rice, Patrick Hipes and Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Crikey! “Neighbours,” the famed Australian soap opera that helped launch the careers of superstars like Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, Russell Crowe, Chris Hemsworth, Guy Pearce, Liam Hemsworth and Natalie Imbruglia, is getting its first-ever Emmy love.
The show, which has received several nominations and wins via Australian and U.K. TV awards shows, is now a contender on this continent. As an Amazon Freevee show, “Neighbours” has been nominated for the 2024 Daytime Emmys alongside CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless,” as well as Peacock’s “Days of Our Lives,” ABC’s “General Hospital” and Popstar! TV’s “The Bay.”
Basically, pretty much everything eligible. But how did “Neighbours” make it to eligibility for the first time on these shores? When Amazon Freevee revived “Neighbours” in 2023 (after the show had been canceled the previous year), Amazon MGM Studios became the primary financier and distributor of the series,...
The show, which has received several nominations and wins via Australian and U.K. TV awards shows, is now a contender on this continent. As an Amazon Freevee show, “Neighbours” has been nominated for the 2024 Daytime Emmys alongside CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless,” as well as Peacock’s “Days of Our Lives,” ABC’s “General Hospital” and Popstar! TV’s “The Bay.”
Basically, pretty much everything eligible. But how did “Neighbours” make it to eligibility for the first time on these shores? When Amazon Freevee revived “Neighbours” in 2023 (after the show had been canceled the previous year), Amazon MGM Studios became the primary financier and distributor of the series,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Prepare to witness the ultimate battle for dominance in the animal kingdom with the premiere of “Queens” Season 1 Episode 1: “African Queens.” Set to air on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 8:00 Pm on National Geographic, this thrilling episode promises an unforgettable journey into the heart of the African wilderness.
In this captivating installment, viewers will be transported to a vast crater stadium where lion and hyena queens vie for power and supremacy. As these formidable predators clash in a fierce competition for territory and resources, the stakes have never been higher.
From intense showdowns to strategic maneuvers, “African Queens” offers a mesmerizing glimpse into the complex dynamics of nature’s most powerful female rulers. With stunning cinematography and expert commentary, this episode is sure to leave audiences on the edge of their seats.
Don’t miss out on the adrenaline-pumping action and jaw-dropping moments as the queens of the African savannah battle it out for dominance.
In this captivating installment, viewers will be transported to a vast crater stadium where lion and hyena queens vie for power and supremacy. As these formidable predators clash in a fierce competition for territory and resources, the stakes have never been higher.
From intense showdowns to strategic maneuvers, “African Queens” offers a mesmerizing glimpse into the complex dynamics of nature’s most powerful female rulers. With stunning cinematography and expert commentary, this episode is sure to leave audiences on the edge of their seats.
Don’t miss out on the adrenaline-pumping action and jaw-dropping moments as the queens of the African savannah battle it out for dominance.
- 2/26/2024
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Exclusive: Chudor House Productions and Artist International Group are teaming on a series adaptation of Truth is a Flightless Bird, the internationally bestselling crime novel from Akbar Hussain.
Banshee‘s Adam Targum will serve as showrunner for the drama, with Odiri Iwuji at Chudor House and Aleksey Ageyev at Artist International Group producing. NneNne Iwuji (African Queens: Njinga) is set to co-write alongside Targum and will serve as an executive producer.
Set between Kenya and the U.S., Truth is a Flightless Bird is a brutal love letter to the frontier town that is present-day Nairobi: a studied observation of the failure of bare-knuckled capitalism, the inequality machines our cities have become, and — ultimately — the profoundly irrational human capacity to hope, to risk everything in order to have something in which to believe.
“Truth is a profoundly authentic deep dive of a universally fractured society,” said Targum of the book,...
Banshee‘s Adam Targum will serve as showrunner for the drama, with Odiri Iwuji at Chudor House and Aleksey Ageyev at Artist International Group producing. NneNne Iwuji (African Queens: Njinga) is set to co-write alongside Targum and will serve as an executive producer.
Set between Kenya and the U.S., Truth is a Flightless Bird is a brutal love letter to the frontier town that is present-day Nairobi: a studied observation of the failure of bare-knuckled capitalism, the inequality machines our cities have become, and — ultimately — the profoundly irrational human capacity to hope, to risk everything in order to have something in which to believe.
“Truth is a profoundly authentic deep dive of a universally fractured society,” said Targum of the book,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix is staffing up its unscripted division.
Sahara Bushue, who was previously head of unscripted at Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and more notably spent nearly 13 years at NBC, has joined Brandon Riegg’s team. She is a director of unscripted series.
Bushue had been consulting for the streamer for many months but recently closed a deal to join the company on a permanent basis.
Given that she was previously SVP, Alternative Development and Current at NBC, where she worked on shows such as America’s Got Talent, Ellen’s Game of Games, World of Dance, Little Big Shots, and Hollywood Game Night, she brings experience of shiny-floor stage formats, social experiment, game shows to the streamer, which has been moving further into these genres, as well as live, which is a new area for Netflix.
Between November 2020 and March 2023, she was SVP and Head of Unscripted Television for Westbrook Studios,...
Sahara Bushue, who was previously head of unscripted at Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and more notably spent nearly 13 years at NBC, has joined Brandon Riegg’s team. She is a director of unscripted series.
Bushue had been consulting for the streamer for many months but recently closed a deal to join the company on a permanent basis.
Given that she was previously SVP, Alternative Development and Current at NBC, where she worked on shows such as America’s Got Talent, Ellen’s Game of Games, World of Dance, Little Big Shots, and Hollywood Game Night, she brings experience of shiny-floor stage formats, social experiment, game shows to the streamer, which has been moving further into these genres, as well as live, which is a new area for Netflix.
Between November 2020 and March 2023, she was SVP and Head of Unscripted Television for Westbrook Studios,...
- 10/13/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Jennifer Lopez hits another high note with her latest film as “The Mother” becomes Netflix’s biggest opening for a film in 2023, so far. The action-thriller scored 83.71 million hours viewed during the May 8-14 viewing window and was No. 1 in 82 countries with nearly 43 million views. The film premiered on the service on May 12.
On the TV side, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” continued its reign in the No. 1 spot on the English TV List with 158.68 million hours viewed and appeared in the Top 10 in 91 countries. That puts the show’s total views at 307 million total hours viewed. With its six episodes, the series quickly racked up more than 47 million views (307 million hours viewed divided by 6.49 runtime hours) since its May 4 release. Seasons 1 and 2 of “Bridgerton” also re-entered the list with 23.88M hours viewed and 17.25M hours viewed, respectively.
Season 2 of “Firefly Lane” remains in the top 5, with 31.9 million hours viewed.
On the TV side, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” continued its reign in the No. 1 spot on the English TV List with 158.68 million hours viewed and appeared in the Top 10 in 91 countries. That puts the show’s total views at 307 million total hours viewed. With its six episodes, the series quickly racked up more than 47 million views (307 million hours viewed divided by 6.49 runtime hours) since its May 4 release. Seasons 1 and 2 of “Bridgerton” also re-entered the list with 23.88M hours viewed and 17.25M hours viewed, respectively.
Season 2 of “Firefly Lane” remains in the top 5, with 31.9 million hours viewed.
- 5/16/2023
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
A government-owned Egyptian broadcaster has responded to controversy over the casting of a Black actress to play Cleopatra in the Netflix docudrama series “African Queens,” which streams from May 10, by announcing production of its own big-budget Cleopatra doc.
The fact that Britain’s Adele James, who is of mixed heritage, plays the first-century Egyptian ruler as a queen with African roots in the Netflix original produced by Jada Pinkett Smith has been sparking an uproar in Egypt. Ever since the trailer dropped last month local academics and others are claiming that Cleopatra, who was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 69 BC and belonged to a Greek-speaking dynasty, was of European descent and not Black.
In response to what they claim is Netflix’s falsification of Egypt’s history, the Al Wathaeqya channel – which is a subsidiary of Egypt’s state-affiliated United Media Services – has announced start of production...
The fact that Britain’s Adele James, who is of mixed heritage, plays the first-century Egyptian ruler as a queen with African roots in the Netflix original produced by Jada Pinkett Smith has been sparking an uproar in Egypt. Ever since the trailer dropped last month local academics and others are claiming that Cleopatra, who was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 69 BC and belonged to a Greek-speaking dynasty, was of European descent and not Black.
In response to what they claim is Netflix’s falsification of Egypt’s history, the Al Wathaeqya channel – which is a subsidiary of Egypt’s state-affiliated United Media Services – has announced start of production...
- 5/10/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Last summer, I was living in Venice Beach and had decided, due to a friend’s persistence, to visit a fortune teller. Me, ever the sceptic but game for a laugh, agreed to go along. What the fortune teller said made me roll my eyes: “I am not saying you are Cleopatra but somehow you share her story and are connected.”
Less than a month later, I got a call from a production company making Jada Pinkett Smith’s “African Queens” and was subsequently hired to direct four episodes of a drama-documentary on the life of the controversial leader. The joke was on me.
I remember as a kid seeing Elizabeth Taylor play Cleopatra. I was captivated, but even then, I felt the image was not right. Was her skin really that white? With this new production, could I find the answers about Cleopatra’s heritage and release her from...
Less than a month later, I got a call from a production company making Jada Pinkett Smith’s “African Queens” and was subsequently hired to direct four episodes of a drama-documentary on the life of the controversial leader. The joke was on me.
I remember as a kid seeing Elizabeth Taylor play Cleopatra. I was captivated, but even then, I felt the image was not right. Was her skin really that white? With this new production, could I find the answers about Cleopatra’s heritage and release her from...
- 4/21/2023
- by Tina Gharavi
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The story of Alexander the Great is being given the docudrama treatment by Netflix, Deadline understands.
Following on from the success of shows such as The Last Czars and African Queens, the streamer has over the past year been developing a big-budget retelling of the life of one of world history’s most notorious figures, which currently has a working title of Alexander the Great.
A crew of more than 100 people have been filming on-and-off in Morocco since last summer on the hybrid docudrama, which will feature both documentary and scripted elements. British indies Tailfeather Productions and Lion TV are attached the series and Tony Mitchell (Miss America) is showrunner, we understand.
Alexander the Great was King of the ancient Greek city of Macedon. He is widely considered to be one of history’s greatest and most successful military commanders and by the age of 30 had created one of the largest empires in history,...
Following on from the success of shows such as The Last Czars and African Queens, the streamer has over the past year been developing a big-budget retelling of the life of one of world history’s most notorious figures, which currently has a working title of Alexander the Great.
A crew of more than 100 people have been filming on-and-off in Morocco since last summer on the hybrid docudrama, which will feature both documentary and scripted elements. British indies Tailfeather Productions and Lion TV are attached the series and Tony Mitchell (Miss America) is showrunner, we understand.
Alexander the Great was King of the ancient Greek city of Macedon. He is widely considered to be one of history’s greatest and most successful military commanders and by the age of 30 had created one of the largest empires in history,...
- 4/12/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ReviewWhile the series offers a historical figure as an icon of resistance, it doesn’t shy away from talking about the complex history of African kingdoms, and their entanglement with the slave trade. Courtesy/JadaPinketSmithTwitterThe intrigues of a monarch’s court–the convoluted politics, treason, loyalty, and the legacies of queens and kings–are mostly reserved for European historical fiction on our screens. Streaming platforms are rife with white-centric tales like The Tudors, and The Crown among others, which reinforce a narrative that absolves powerful European dynasties of the guilt of imperialist plunder and colonial violence. Often, biopics on queens like Mary Queen of Scots or Elizabeth - I, are peddled as ‘feminist’ stories, regardless of what their regimes did to colonised people. Now, compare this to productions on Black history by Hollywood. Films by big studios with multi-million dollar budgets rarely tend to focus on much else than Black...
- 2/27/2023
- by BharathyS
- The News Minute
Award winning Exec Maxine Watson joins to bolster creative development Industry veteran Pat Younge invests to support IP push Company’s first formats initiative - Pilot Season - launches on 13 March
Award-winning audio powerhouse Unedited has announced the appointment of two UK industry heavyweights to help fuel its growth into audio formats and the creation of its own IP. The announcement comes as the Unedited prepares to launch Pilot Season, the inaugural showcase of its new formats.
Maxine Watson, MD of Black Ruby Pictures will be Unedited’s **Creative Executive, supporting their push into original documentaries and formats. Multi-award-winning Watson, who led BBC Documentaries Commissioning, has been responsible for a host of high-profile programmes across documentary, drama and factual entertainment. A former Head of Production for Warner Brothers’ indie, Twenty Twenty, and currently Executive Producer for Nutopia’s upcomingNetflix series African Queens, her credits include: formats such as BAFTA-winning Who Do You Think You Are?,...
Award-winning audio powerhouse Unedited has announced the appointment of two UK industry heavyweights to help fuel its growth into audio formats and the creation of its own IP. The announcement comes as the Unedited prepares to launch Pilot Season, the inaugural showcase of its new formats.
Maxine Watson, MD of Black Ruby Pictures will be Unedited’s **Creative Executive, supporting their push into original documentaries and formats. Multi-award-winning Watson, who led BBC Documentaries Commissioning, has been responsible for a host of high-profile programmes across documentary, drama and factual entertainment. A former Head of Production for Warner Brothers’ indie, Twenty Twenty, and currently Executive Producer for Nutopia’s upcomingNetflix series African Queens, her credits include: formats such as BAFTA-winning Who Do You Think You Are?,...
- 2/22/2023
- Podnews.net
Tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams and Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Studios have boarded the feature documentary “Copa 71,” about the 1971 Women’s World Cup of soccer.
The Williams sisters will serve as executive producers on the film, which is a Dogwoof and New Black Films co-production. The project is executive produced and backed by Westbrook.
Currently in production and promising never-before-seen archival footage, “Copa 71” tells the story of the 1971 Women’s World Cup, which saw soccer teams from all over the world gather in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium to compete in front of more than 100,000 spectators. It was the last women’s World Cup until the official FIFA event 20 years later. Dismissed by both FIFA and domestic football associations around the world, the event was written out of history — until now.
In addition to her legendary career as one of the greatest and most decorated tennis players of all time,...
The Williams sisters will serve as executive producers on the film, which is a Dogwoof and New Black Films co-production. The project is executive produced and backed by Westbrook.
Currently in production and promising never-before-seen archival footage, “Copa 71” tells the story of the 1971 Women’s World Cup, which saw soccer teams from all over the world gather in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium to compete in front of more than 100,000 spectators. It was the last women’s World Cup until the official FIFA event 20 years later. Dismissed by both FIFA and domestic football associations around the world, the event was written out of history — until now.
In addition to her legendary career as one of the greatest and most decorated tennis players of all time,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Watching African Queens: Njinga feels akin to the experience of bingeing a biopic and then racing to Google afterward to find out how much of it really happened — only you don’t need to wait til the end to get the facts, and you don’t need to rely on questionable search results for reliable answers. The Netflix series is a documentary that plays like an epic drama, weaving together expert interviews with lavishly produced scripted scenes.
The slight downside of this approach is that the series doesn’t dig as deeply as one might expect from either an extensive docuseries or a prestige miniseries; it’s less exhaustive analysis than intro course. But that’s kind of the point: “It’s time we all come together to know her name,” executive producer Jada Pinkett Smith declares in an opening voiceover. And on that front, African Queens: Njinga succeeds with flying colors.
The slight downside of this approach is that the series doesn’t dig as deeply as one might expect from either an extensive docuseries or a prestige miniseries; it’s less exhaustive analysis than intro course. But that’s kind of the point: “It’s time we all come together to know her name,” executive producer Jada Pinkett Smith declares in an opening voiceover. And on that front, African Queens: Njinga succeeds with flying colors.
- 2/15/2023
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
African Queens: Njinga is a documentary series directed by Tina Gharavi and Victoria Adeola Thomas.
African Queens is a docu-series on Netflix that tells us in 4 chapters about Njinga, a queen in Central Africa who was opposed to the European invasions and who ruled the Ambundu people keeping them safe during the Sixteenth century. She was brought up to be a warrior and was also a woman with great political and diplomatic acumen.
About the Series
This is a different kind of docu-series full of dramatizations that set it apart from the classic structure of a documentary: interviews, off-screen voices, experts, current images of landscapes… none of this, in this series we find dramatization full of force, vigor and impacting images that are attractive and truly immerse us into a story that deserves to be told.
This is a great docu-series that tells us this other side of History we don´t usually dwell on,...
African Queens is a docu-series on Netflix that tells us in 4 chapters about Njinga, a queen in Central Africa who was opposed to the European invasions and who ruled the Ambundu people keeping them safe during the Sixteenth century. She was brought up to be a warrior and was also a woman with great political and diplomatic acumen.
About the Series
This is a different kind of docu-series full of dramatizations that set it apart from the classic structure of a documentary: interviews, off-screen voices, experts, current images of landscapes… none of this, in this series we find dramatization full of force, vigor and impacting images that are attractive and truly immerse us into a story that deserves to be told.
This is a great docu-series that tells us this other side of History we don´t usually dwell on,...
- 2/15/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
Exclusive: Blockbuster hits Black Panther and The Woman King have cleared the path for Netflix to succeed with Jada Pinkett Smith-narrated docu-drama African Queens, according to the show’s exec.
Premiering this week, African Queens will first tell the story of Queen Njinga of Angola and subsequently Cleopatra in its second season. It is produced by Welcome to Earth with Will Smith indie Nutopia and Pinkett Smith and Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios.
Speaking exclusively to Deadline ahead of a London screening tonight, EP Maxine Watson, who has worked on some of Britain’s biggest factual hits, said recent blockbusters have created a landscape in which shows like African Queens can flourish. A separate Njinga drama from Starz, which is being exec produced by 50 Cent, is also in the works.
“Now is a wise time to launch as The Woman King and Wakanda Forever have made it easier...
Premiering this week, African Queens will first tell the story of Queen Njinga of Angola and subsequently Cleopatra in its second season. It is produced by Welcome to Earth with Will Smith indie Nutopia and Pinkett Smith and Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios.
Speaking exclusively to Deadline ahead of a London screening tonight, EP Maxine Watson, who has worked on some of Britain’s biggest factual hits, said recent blockbusters have created a landscape in which shows like African Queens can flourish. A separate Njinga drama from Starz, which is being exec produced by 50 Cent, is also in the works.
“Now is a wise time to launch as The Woman King and Wakanda Forever have made it easier...
- 2/13/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Perfect Match, The Woman King and Outer Banks: Season 3 are some of the much-anticipated projects hitting Netflix this month.
New dating show Perfect Match features alums from Netflix’s unscripted series looking for love and competing against their fellow singles in a tropical paradise. In the Nick Lachey-hosted series, contestants will pair up to form potential matches with the most compatible couples able to play matchmaker, breaking up couples and connecting them with new singles. The first season will start streaming on Valentine’s Day, with new episodes dropping each week.
Shortly after Valentine’s Day, Netflix will air two projects celebrating African royalty.
The Jada Pinkett Smith-executive-produced and -narrated docuseries African Queens: Njinga, dropping Feb. 15, explores the life of the 17th century warrior leader of Ndongo and Matamba, in modern-day Angola.
The next day, Netflix will start streaming Gina Prince-Bythewood’s acclaimed The Woman King, starring Viola Davis,...
New dating show Perfect Match features alums from Netflix’s unscripted series looking for love and competing against their fellow singles in a tropical paradise. In the Nick Lachey-hosted series, contestants will pair up to form potential matches with the most compatible couples able to play matchmaker, breaking up couples and connecting them with new singles. The first season will start streaming on Valentine’s Day, with new episodes dropping each week.
Shortly after Valentine’s Day, Netflix will air two projects celebrating African royalty.
The Jada Pinkett Smith-executive-produced and -narrated docuseries African Queens: Njinga, dropping Feb. 15, explores the life of the 17th century warrior leader of Ndongo and Matamba, in modern-day Angola.
The next day, Netflix will start streaming Gina Prince-Bythewood’s acclaimed The Woman King, starring Viola Davis,...
- 2/12/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jada Pinkett Smith has addressed the issue at the heart of the Slap – the sound that echoed around the world almost a year ago at the 2022 Oscars, when her husband Will Smith took to the stage after comedian Chris Rock made a joke targeted at Pinkett Smith’s lack of hair.
Pinkett Smith has broken her silence on the subject to tell the UK’s Guardian how she felt about her autoimmune disease, and the alopecia that comes with it, becoming the subject of a global scandal.
She says now: “I learned a lot about detachment. And I learned a deeper beauty within myself, being able to let my hair go.
“It’s been a hard one, a scary one – because specifically as Black women, we identify so much of ourselves with our hair. And it was scary. I had to really dig deep and see the beauty of myself beyond my aesthetics.
Pinkett Smith has broken her silence on the subject to tell the UK’s Guardian how she felt about her autoimmune disease, and the alopecia that comes with it, becoming the subject of a global scandal.
She says now: “I learned a lot about detachment. And I learned a deeper beauty within myself, being able to let my hair go.
“It’s been a hard one, a scary one – because specifically as Black women, we identify so much of ourselves with our hair. And it was scary. I had to really dig deep and see the beauty of myself beyond my aesthetics.
- 2/11/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Colman Domingo has officially lined up his next project with Netflix’s just-announced conspiracy thriller The Madness.
In the eight-episode limited series from Stephen Belber (The Laramie Project), media pundit Muncie Daniels (Domingo) “must fight for his innocence and his life after he stumbles upon a murder deep in the Poconos woods,” reads the streamer’s official description. “As the walls close in, Muncie strives to reconnect with his estranged family — and his lost ideals — in order to survive.”
More from TVLineThe Night Agent Adaptation From Shield Creator Shawn Ryan Gets Netflix Release Date and Teaser -- WatchNetflix's African Queens: Njinga...
In the eight-episode limited series from Stephen Belber (The Laramie Project), media pundit Muncie Daniels (Domingo) “must fight for his innocence and his life after he stumbles upon a murder deep in the Poconos woods,” reads the streamer’s official description. “As the walls close in, Muncie strives to reconnect with his estranged family — and his lost ideals — in order to survive.”
More from TVLineThe Night Agent Adaptation From Shield Creator Shawn Ryan Gets Netflix Release Date and Teaser -- WatchNetflix's African Queens: Njinga...
- 2/8/2023
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
Netflix has set a release date and revealed its first teaser for The Night Agent, the upcoming action-thriller from The Shield creator Shawn Ryan.
Based on the 2019 novel by Matthew Quirk, The Night Agent (which premieres with all 10 episodes on Thursday, March 23) follows “a low level FBI Agent (played by The Big C‘s Gabriel Basso) who works in the basement of the White House, manning a phone that never rings,” reads the official description, “until the night that it does, propelling him into a fast moving and dangerous conspiracy that ultimately leads all the way to the Oval Office.
Based on the 2019 novel by Matthew Quirk, The Night Agent (which premieres with all 10 episodes on Thursday, March 23) follows “a low level FBI Agent (played by The Big C‘s Gabriel Basso) who works in the basement of the White House, manning a phone that never rings,” reads the official description, “until the night that it does, propelling him into a fast moving and dangerous conspiracy that ultimately leads all the way to the Oval Office.
- 2/8/2023
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
Take a look at the new episodic TV series "African Queens: Njinga", blending dramatization with documentary images and footage, narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith, exploring the lives of prominent, iconic 'African Queens', streaming February 15, 2023 on Netflix:
"....the first season will cover the life of 'Njinga', the complex, captivating and fearless 17th century warrior queen of 'Ndongo' and 'Matamba', in modern day Angola.
"The nation’s first female ruler, Njinga earned a reputation for her blend of political and diplomatic skill...
"...with military prowess and became an icon of resistance..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"....the first season will cover the life of 'Njinga', the complex, captivating and fearless 17th century warrior queen of 'Ndongo' and 'Matamba', in modern day Angola.
"The nation’s first female ruler, Njinga earned a reputation for her blend of political and diplomatic skill...
"...with military prowess and became an icon of resistance..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 2/7/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Jada Pinkett Smith will delve into the rich stories of prominent African women rulers in the upcoming Netflix docuseries African Queens: Njinga.
On Tuesday, the streamer dropped the first trailer for Season 1, which will focus on Njinga, the “complex, captivating, and fearless 17th-century warrior queen of Ndongo and Matamba, in modern day Angola,” per the official description. As the nation’s first female ruler, she “earned a reputation for her blend of political and diplomatic skill with military prowess and became an icon of resistance.”
More from TVLineGLOW Season 4 Photos: Cast Member Shares Peek at Cancelled Farewell RunMatthew McConaughey to...
On Tuesday, the streamer dropped the first trailer for Season 1, which will focus on Njinga, the “complex, captivating, and fearless 17th-century warrior queen of Ndongo and Matamba, in modern day Angola,” per the official description. As the nation’s first female ruler, she “earned a reputation for her blend of political and diplomatic skill with military prowess and became an icon of resistance.”
More from TVLineGLOW Season 4 Photos: Cast Member Shares Peek at Cancelled Farewell RunMatthew McConaughey to...
- 2/7/2023
- by Keisha Hatchett
- TVLine.com
February is for lovers. But with its list of new releases for February 2023, Netflix is unveiling another season of arguably its least romantic show.
That’s right: Joe is returning in You season 4 part 1 on Feb. 9. This time around our central stalker played by Penn Badgley is across the pond in jolly old England, living an unassuming life as a bearded professor and looking for his next target. If you don’t get your fill of You this month, stay tuned for the second part of season 4 in March.
You will be joined in February by a third season of another buzzy Netflix original. The kids of Outer Banks return on Feb. 23 to find their literal and metaphorical treasure once and for all. Other originals this month include rich dog docuseries Gunther’s Millions on Feb. 1 and animated family title My Dad the Bounty Hunter on Feb. 9.
Netflix is also bringing...
That’s right: Joe is returning in You season 4 part 1 on Feb. 9. This time around our central stalker played by Penn Badgley is across the pond in jolly old England, living an unassuming life as a bearded professor and looking for his next target. If you don’t get your fill of You this month, stay tuned for the second part of season 4 in March.
You will be joined in February by a third season of another buzzy Netflix original. The kids of Outer Banks return on Feb. 23 to find their literal and metaphorical treasure once and for all. Other originals this month include rich dog docuseries Gunther’s Millions on Feb. 1 and animated family title My Dad the Bounty Hunter on Feb. 9.
Netflix is also bringing...
- 2/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
February is yet another stacked month for Netflix.
Not only are there returning TV shows, including the Penn Badgley-starring drama You, there is a host of new releases hoping to find success on the streaming service.
Below, we have compiled a list of every single movie and TV show coming to both Netflix in the UK and US.
Find the full list of everything being removed from the platform this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Original Titles
TV
2 February
Freeridge season one
3 February
Class season one
8 February
The Exchange season one
9 February
Dear David season one
My Dad the Bounty Hunter season one
You season four, part one
10 February
Love to Hate You season one
14 February
In Love All Over Again season one
Perfect Match season one
15 February
#NoFilter season one
Eva Lasting season one
The Law According...
Not only are there returning TV shows, including the Penn Badgley-starring drama You, there is a host of new releases hoping to find success on the streaming service.
Below, we have compiled a list of every single movie and TV show coming to both Netflix in the UK and US.
Find the full list of everything being removed from the platform this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Original Titles
TV
2 February
Freeridge season one
3 February
Class season one
8 February
The Exchange season one
9 February
Dear David season one
My Dad the Bounty Hunter season one
You season four, part one
10 February
Love to Hate You season one
14 February
In Love All Over Again season one
Perfect Match season one
15 February
#NoFilter season one
Eva Lasting season one
The Law According...
- 2/1/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
February is yet another stacked month for Netflix.
Not only are there returning TV shows, including the Penn Badgley-starring drama You, there is a host of new releases hoping to find success on the streaming service.
Below, we have compiled a list of every single movie and TV show coming to both Netflix in the UK and US.
Find the full list of everything being removed from the platform this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Original Titles
TV
2 February
Freeridge season one
3 February
Class season one
8 February
The Exchange season one
9 February
Dear David season one
My Dad the Bounty Hunter season one
You season four, part one
10 February
Love to Hate You season one
14 February
In Love All Over Again season one
Perfect Match season one
15 February
#NoFilter season one
Eva Lasting season one
The Law According...
Not only are there returning TV shows, including the Penn Badgley-starring drama You, there is a host of new releases hoping to find success on the streaming service.
Below, we have compiled a list of every single movie and TV show coming to both Netflix in the UK and US.
Find the full list of everything being removed from the platform this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Original Titles
TV
2 February
Freeridge season one
3 February
Class season one
8 February
The Exchange season one
9 February
Dear David season one
My Dad the Bounty Hunter season one
You season four, part one
10 February
Love to Hate You season one
14 February
In Love All Over Again season one
Perfect Match season one
15 February
#NoFilter season one
Eva Lasting season one
The Law According...
- 2/1/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
Love is in the air on Netflix in February, from new romcoms like the Reese Witherspoon-starring “Your Place or Mine” to the return of murderous stalker Joe Goldberg in “You” Season 2 part 1.
Penn Badgley has long dispelled any misnomers of his “You” character being a romantic, but Joe himself still believes that’s who he is at his core. After killing his wife and faking his own death, Joe sets off for Europe so he can find Marianne (Tati Gabrielle), the woman he convinced himself he’s in love with before she learned the truth and fled. But breaking old habits has never been easy for old Joe, who quickly gets caught up in a most dubious clique of London high society that has its own struggles with lust, power, and the occasionally fatal crime.
Here’s everything coming to Netflix in February 2023.
February 1
“Bad Boys”
“Bad Boys II...
Penn Badgley has long dispelled any misnomers of his “You” character being a romantic, but Joe himself still believes that’s who he is at his core. After killing his wife and faking his own death, Joe sets off for Europe so he can find Marianne (Tati Gabrielle), the woman he convinced himself he’s in love with before she learned the truth and fled. But breaking old habits has never been easy for old Joe, who quickly gets caught up in a most dubious clique of London high society that has its own struggles with lust, power, and the occasionally fatal crime.
Here’s everything coming to Netflix in February 2023.
February 1
“Bad Boys”
“Bad Boys II...
- 1/26/2023
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
The new two season, episodic TV series "African Queens", blending dramatization with documentary images and footage, is narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith, exploring the lives of prominent, iconic 'African Queens', streaming February 15, 2023 on Netflix:
"....the first season will cover the life of 'Njinga', the complex, captivating and fearless 17th century warrior queen of 'Ndongo' and 'Matamba', in modern day Angola.
"The nation’s first female ruler, Njinga earned a reputation for her blend of political and diplomatic skill...
"...with military prowess and became an icon of resistance..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"....the first season will cover the life of 'Njinga', the complex, captivating and fearless 17th century warrior queen of 'Ndongo' and 'Matamba', in modern day Angola.
"The nation’s first female ruler, Njinga earned a reputation for her blend of political and diplomatic skill...
"...with military prowess and became an icon of resistance..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 1/24/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Exclusive: Carmelo Anthony has teamed with Westbrook Studios and Falkon Entertainment on Seven, a four-part docuseries, which Anthony’s company Creative 7 will also produce.
Named after Anthony’s signature jersey, Seven will chronicle the life and career of the 10-time NBA All-Star and entrepreneur, starting with his childhood, diving into the good, the bad, and sometimes ugly experiences and learnings that shaped him into the man and the athlete that he is today.
Seven promises to reveal the truth behind notable moments throughout Anthony’s career, many of which he has never spoken about publicly before. The series will also take an introspective look at his life and who he is today — at practice, after games, with his family — through the lens of what it means to be an athlete, a celebrity, and most importantly, a human being.
Anthony and his long-time business partner Asani Swann will executive produce the...
Named after Anthony’s signature jersey, Seven will chronicle the life and career of the 10-time NBA All-Star and entrepreneur, starting with his childhood, diving into the good, the bad, and sometimes ugly experiences and learnings that shaped him into the man and the athlete that he is today.
Seven promises to reveal the truth behind notable moments throughout Anthony’s career, many of which he has never spoken about publicly before. The series will also take an introspective look at his life and who he is today — at practice, after games, with his family — through the lens of what it means to be an athlete, a celebrity, and most importantly, a human being.
Anthony and his long-time business partner Asani Swann will executive produce the...
- 8/15/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
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