Shows You Gotta Watch This Week!

Back To School With All American: Homecoming

Following in the footsteps of A Different World, The CW’s All American: Homecoming takes us inside the HBCU experience.  A spinoff of the wildly successful All American, the series follows Simone Hicks, the young tennis hopeful from Beverly Hills who is fighting her way back to greatness, as well as Damon Sims, an elite baseball player from Chicago who’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. They and others attend fictional Bringston University, where Black Excellence is a way of life. So which real-life HBCU campus is this show based on?

“Bringston is almost an amalgamation of a few different campuses,” says executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll. “People will feel a familiarity that pulls from a number of different places, that pulls from campuses in Atlanta, that pulls from campuses in the DC area.”

Along with excelling in your sport of choice and your studies,  a Bringston experience means bringing excellence in everything you do. “When you’re at an HBCU, you gotta be on. You can’t slack, edges better be laid, hair better be pressed, outfits better be on top, and everyone’s been doing it for it,” declares Netta Walker, who plays Keisha. And it’s not something you have to apologize for. “The Black experience in general, it’s, it’s something that…should never be asked for permission,” exclaims Geffri Maya, who stars as Simone.

Cory Hardrict, who plays Coach Marcus Turner, explains how his character plays an essential in molding these young, brilliant athlete scholars. “This show represents culture and you can’t fake culture. You know, you can’t fake Black culture,” he shares. “Black and Brown faces and everybody in the world can relate to a coach like Coach Marcus Turner, because it’s about real life, life lessons, and just teaching kids the way for the future and just how to be responsible.”

All American: Homecoming Premiere Date: Monday, Feb. 21 on The CW

EPIX’s FROM Is F+$&ing Scary!

Ready to scare the bejeezus out of yourself this week? Epix’s new series FROM is about a seemingly idyllic small town that happens to be overrun with murderous monsters at night. You get there accidentally, but then you purposely can’t leave. Harold Perrineau, who must love spooky, supernatural series, reunites with the executive force behind Lost to headline this project. He plays Sheriff Boyd, who sets down rules of survival if you want to make it through the night. “I have to protect everyone in this town,” Perrineau shared during From’s Press Tour. “I really know the devastation that these creatures can cause and I’ve already experienced it.” Catalina Sandino Moreno plays Tabitha, the mother of an unsuspecting family that unfortunately stumbles on this nightmarish tableau, and instinctively must protect her children at any cost. It’s something she can relate to. “I’m a mother of a 13-year-old and that shapes who I am,” the actress declared. “Because I’m a Latin mother and I think we do things differently from other cultures … it was just interesting to just bring myself into this motherhood.” If anyone can save us, it would be a mom!

FROM Premiere Date: Tuesday, February 22 on EPIX

Get Louder and Prouder with The Proud Family

Missed The Proud Family, which ran on Disney in the early 2000s? It’s back and premiering with two back-to-back episodes, and it’s louder and prouder. The Proud Family centers around Penny Proud and her adventures with her family, including her often embarrassing dad. It’s fun seeing old favorites,” says Luxury Gal. “It’s visually engaging, and I loved the celebrity voicing, plus the classic soundtrack.” Famous voices include Tommy Davidson, Kyla Pratt, Cedric the Entertainer and more.

photo credit: The CW, Epix, Disney+

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