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Tag: harlem

  • Prime Video’s ‘Harlem’ Adds 7 to Cast

    Prime Video’s ‘Harlem’ Adds 7 to Cast

    The second season of Prime Video’s Harlem has added a slew of new cast members. Deadline has announced that Rachel True (The Craft), Courtnee Carter (Charmed), and Luke Forbes (S.W.A.T) are set to recur. While Rick Fox (Greenleaf), Sherri Shepherd (Sherri), Countess Vaughn (The Parkers), and Lil Rel Howery (Vacation Friends) are all set to guest star.

    True will portray Aimee, an “earthy, ethereal” owner of a plant shop in Harlem who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Tye. While Carter is set to play Zoe, a character described as a “confident player who has a reputation for leaving a trail of broken hearts.” As for Forbes, he will portray the “handsome and professional” Michael who just so happens to be one of New York’s top real estate agents.

    Fox will play Quinn’s father, Phil, who is described as “an affluent man.” Shepherd plays Sonya, Angie’s “boisterous, loving mother” who also happens to be her biggest fan and cheerleader. While the talented Vaughn will play herself in a light-hearted moment with Angie. Finally, Howery will play Freddie, Angie’s step-brother who is described as high-spirited and supportive.

    The first season of Harlem focuses on a group of women in Harlem, New York: Camille (Meagan Good), Tye (Jerrie Johnson), Quinn (Grace Byers) and Angie (Shoniqua Shandai). Having gone through their twenties together, the group finds themselves trying to navigate their thirties while living in Harlem and dealing with the bumps life has to offer along the way.

    Harlem hails from Girls Trip‘s Tracy Oliver. The entire first season can currently be watched on Prime Video.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Amazon Renews ‘Harlem’ for Season 2

    Amazon Renews ‘Harlem’ for Season 2

    Amazon has given a second season order to Harlem.

    The series about four close friends is returning for another season. After a rollercoaster of a first season, Amazon has finally handed out a second season order to the drama from Girls Trip‘s Tracy Oliver. The series follows a group of women in Harlem, New York: Camille (Meagan Good), Tye (Jerrie Johnson), Quinn (Grace Byers) and Angie (Shoniqua Shandai). Having gone through their twenties together, the group find themselves trying to navigate their thirties while living in Harlem and dealing with the bumps life has to offer along the way.

    Regarding the renewal, Oliver expressed her excitement over reuniting with the cast. “When I walked into a bar in Harlem and overheard folks excitedly discussing the show, I knew we had a hit,” she said. “Harlem has resonated with so many people and I’m beyond grateful to Amazon for giving it a second season. Most of all, I’m excited to reunite with the beautiful cast.”

    “Culturally relevant, critically acclaimed and hysterical, Harlem and Tracy Oliver accomplished something very special with the first season of this show. Tackling real-life strife with levity and laughs, the show means so much to our global Prime Video customers and perfectly fits the types of stories we aim to tell,” said Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios in a statement to the press. “We look forward to following the Season 2 journey of Camille, Quinn, Angie and Tye, and giving fans more reasons to laugh out loud as they cheer on these four dynamic Black women doing it their way. #HarlemEverAfter.”

    Our review for Season 1 of Harlem can be found here.

    Source: Variety.

  • Amazon’s ‘Harlem’ Draws Inspiration From Living Single and That’s Not a Bad Thing

    Amazon’s ‘Harlem’ Draws Inspiration From Living Single and That’s Not a Bad Thing

    In the 90s, there was an incredibly well-received series called Living Single. It aired on Fox for five years and starred Kim Coles, Erika Alexander, Kim Fields, and the one and only, Queen Latifah. It followed the story of a group of friends and the trials and tribulations of their careers and love lives as they navigated a world not really accepting of strong Black women. It won four Emmys and, as fans watched Friends essentially Wally Pipp the premise and splash a fresh white paint on it, there has always been a clamoring for a revival or reboot. 

    Well, friends, that reboot/revival has arrived on Amazon with Harlem. Created by Girls Trip writer Tracy Oliver, the 10-episode series stars Meagan Good, Jerrie Johnson, Grace Byers, and Shoniqua Shandai as four girlfriends who now have to navigate a world that doesn’t particularly care for strong Black women. Does that sound familiar? Harlem gets kudos for showing all different kinds of Black love, too, whether it is Black queer love or strong, independent love. Even in the way it depicts Black vulnerability, Harlem hits the right notes, and it’s no surprise given how Oliver carefully simultaneously handled the comedic and serious moments of Girls Trip. 

    While the four ladies are vital to the heart of Harlem, there is undoubtedly a fifth main character in the show: Harlem, the mecca of Black culture in New York. As a New York resident for most of my life, Harlem has always been a mythical place to me. However, having worked on 140th Street and 8th Avenue for a long time, I saw firsthand the impact Harlem had on its residents. By extension, I saw the pain when gentrification came to take away what was theirs. Harlem captures that essence through introspection and funny moments. Meagan Good’s character, for example, is an anthropology professor at Columbia University, and so she’s teaching in an area already gentrified while living in an area that hasn’t been claimed yet. As the season goes on, her character, Camille, is forced to accept that Harlem as she’s known it is changing – for better or worse, and the only way her voice will be hard is if she lets it.

    Harlem is a celebration of Black culture, what it means to be a Black woman, and how success is defined for them. Like Living Single before it, Harlem is not hesitant to break the stereotypes that are often associated with its leads, but what makes it work is its willingness to address them head-on when they’re hinted at. It is incredible television with a cast that brings it every scene.

  • REVIEW: ‘Harlem’ is a Celebration of Women of Color

    REVIEW: ‘Harlem’ is a Celebration of Women of Color

    At a time when Sex in the City is coming back, courtesy of HBO Max’s And Just Like That…, Amazon is set to deliver its own female-led drama titled Harlem. Unlike And Just Like That…, though, Harlem is a diverse series that manages to empower women without shying away from the ugly realities of the world.

    Harlem tells the story of a group of four best friends trying to navigate their thirties while living in Harlem. Their love lives are a mess and there’s plenty of drama throughout. However, there’s also a heck of a lot of heart. While its own thing, Harlem will undoubtedly be compared to And Just Like That… when it hits later this year simply because of the premise. It’s so much more than that, though, that the comparison would simply undermine Harlem.

    Each episode opens with a voice-over by Meagan Good‘s Camille, who is undoubtedly the show’s main protagonist. She’s an anthropology professor at Columbia who is trying to rebuild her life after she implodes her future because of her own fears. While most of the series revolves around her and her chaotic life – both intimately and professionally – Harlem makes sure to shine a light on her best friends, too. Quinn, Angie and Tye are still given time to shine on their own while Camille’s story unfolds.

    It’s not always easy to juggle multiple storylines with an ensemble cast, and yet, Harlem seems to have no trouble. The storylines shift almost effortlessly, always ending with the group reunited in the end. You will laugh with these women, and you will cry with these women, enjoying the rollercoaster ride the entire way.

    A half-hour drama like Harlem is a rarity. Its main cast is exclusively women of color. Some of those characters belong to the LGBTQ+ community. It’s sex-positive and doesn’t shy away from the problems black Americans continue to face daily. It’s light-hearted at times and is full of heart. It’s also a strong exploration into life in Harlem. More importantly, though, Harlem is the type of show that is needed in this day and age. 

    It’s a show that not only celebrates women – it specifically celebrates women of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. That’s something we don’t see nearly enough in media. So, as streaming services continue to fight for your viewership, Amazon’s Harlem is a show that is rightfully worthy of your time. With each studio seemingly launching its own service these days, it’s easy to get lost in the mix, especially as they continue to build upon their popular IPs. However, Harlem is the rare gem of an original that should not get buried or ignored.

    The series hails from Girls Trip writer Tracy Oliver who brings her sense of raunchy comedy to the Amazon series. The relationship between these four women is front and center. We see them as they struggle, we see them as they thrive, and every moment of it is wonderfully realistic. Give yourself a present this holiday season and enjoy the rollercoaster of a ride that Harlem will inevitability take you on. It’s worth it.