WGN America is moving forward with it's Akiva Goldsman-produced drama Underground, giving the Underground Railroad project a 10-episode straight-to-series order with Christopher Meloni, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge and Jessica De Gouw set to star.
Underground, from Sony Pictures TV and Tribune Studios, follows a group of slaves who plan a daring escape from a Georgia plantation to cross 600 miles to freedom, aided along the way by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad, as they evade those tasked with bringing them back, dead or alive.
Smollett-Bell (Friday Night Lights) plays Rosalee, a shy house slave with a powerful inner strength and courage; Aldis Hodge (Turn) is Noah, a brave and clever slave on the plantation with dreams of freedom and a dangerous plan to escape; Law & Order: SVU alum Meloni is August, a secretive mercenary who walks a tightrope between survival and morality; De Gouw is Elizabeth, a socialite who shares her husband’s abolitionist ideals.
The series was created and written by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski (Heroes), who also serve as executive producers with Goldsman from Weed Road Pictures, along with Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold from Safehouse Pictures. Anthony Hemingway (Treme) is set to direct the series’ first two episodes. Production is set to begin this spring for a 2016 premiere.
Underground, from Sony Pictures TV and Tribune Studios, follows a group of slaves who plan a daring escape from a Georgia plantation to cross 600 miles to freedom, aided along the way by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad, as they evade those tasked with bringing them back, dead or alive.
Smollett-Bell (Friday Night Lights) plays Rosalee, a shy house slave with a powerful inner strength and courage; Aldis Hodge (Turn) is Noah, a brave and clever slave on the plantation with dreams of freedom and a dangerous plan to escape; Law & Order: SVU alum Meloni is August, a secretive mercenary who walks a tightrope between survival and morality; De Gouw is Elizabeth, a socialite who shares her husband’s abolitionist ideals.
The series was created and written by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski (Heroes), who also serve as executive producers with Goldsman from Weed Road Pictures, along with Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold from Safehouse Pictures. Anthony Hemingway (Treme) is set to direct the series’ first two episodes. Production is set to begin this spring for a 2016 premiere.
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I'm in !!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat cast. Definitely checking this out.
ReplyDeleteAw, great for Jessica De Gouw for getting more work. But I kinda want to see her reprise her Arrow role again at some point, Hopefully there will be a window somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if WGN's thing is just gonna be period dramas. Salem, Manhattan, now this... Not that I mind. :)
ReplyDeleteprobably season 4 since Marc say they could not fit her in season 3.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I'm not expecting anything in season 3.
ReplyDeleteThe also have Graham Yost's Avenue of Spies in development.
ReplyDeleteI really need for BlueRidge Communications to pick up WGN America already. It sounds like they're getting a really sturdy line-up at this point.
ReplyDeleteAlso of note, Kanye West might be doing the music.
ReplyDeleteHope Aldis Hodge comes back on S2 of TURN. He was excellent.
ReplyDeleteMust've missed that news. lol. Maybe I'm right.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure, even if this series gets a second season, it'll be a limited amount of episodes again. Hopefully, though, Huntress shows up more than once in season four.
ReplyDeleteGreat :/
ReplyDeleteHaha, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I've heard anything about Avenue of Spies. I hope that's still happening.
Cast is great. WGN is doing great things
ReplyDelete^Made a bit of an ass of myself here... Turns out BlueRidge just got WGN a few weeks ago!
ReplyDeleteLooks like I can finally check out Salem and Manhattan!
Impressive cast and a promising premise. Definitely checking this out!
ReplyDeleteI'm watching if only for the Aldis Hodge. Still missing Leverage.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Just happy TURN is getting a second season though to be honest.
ReplyDeleteSo will the slaves be free at the end of the season or at the end of the series? If so how long will this show run for?
ReplyDeleteWell,the article didn't say it was a limited series so i'm guessing its a full season. If it does well it will have more than one season..
ReplyDeleteWill check this out.
ReplyDeleteI'd watch it for that cast alone, but the story too sounds pretty stellar!!
ReplyDeleteWhich channel is it getting broadcast on though? Don't think I've heard of it before...
Salem, Manhattan
ReplyDeleteAh! I've heard of those shows... don't watch them though, so that would explain it...
ReplyDeleteI'll keep an eye out for this one for sure though!
Me too! Can't wait for it.
ReplyDelete