OWN ANNOUNCES SECOND SEASON RENEWAL OF CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DRAMA SERIES ‘DAVID MAKES MAN’
Critics’ Choice Award “Best Drama” Nominee from Tarell Alvin McCraney and Executive Producers Michael B. Jordan, Dee Harris-Lawrence, Mike Kelley, Melissa Loy and Oprah Winfrey
Harris-Lawrence to Return as Showrunner
OWN to Showcase a Special New Year’s Day Marathon of Season One with all Episodes Airing Back-to-Back Beginning at 1 p.m. ET/PT
Los Angeles – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today its critically acclaimed drama series “David Makes Man” from Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (“Moonlight”) has been renewed for a second season. The series, produced by Warner Horizon Scripted Television, recently received a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for “Best Drama,” a prestigious Gotham Award nomination, and has been named to several critics’ year-end “best of television” lists.
“David Makes Man” is executive produced by McCraney, Michael B. Jordan, Dee Harris-Lawrence, Mike Kelley, Melissa Loy and Oprah Winfrey. Harris-Lawrence is set to return as showrunner for season two. The series centers on a 14-year-old prodigy from the projects and stars an ensemble cast featuring Emmy nominated actress Phylicia Rashad and newcomer Akili McDowell who plays the lead role of David.
“David Makes Man” premiered to overwhelming critical acclaim in August 2019. The New York Times called the show “deeply beautiful and distinctive” while The Washington Post called it “one of the most original and riveting TV shows this year.” During its first season run, the series ranked #2 in its time period across all cable with African-American women and reached over 4.1 million unique viewers on OWN.
In making the announcement today OWN president Tina Perry said, “Tarell McCraney has brought us a gift with this series and masterfully added a beautiful new hue to our palette of dramatic storytelling on OWN. Viewers and television critics alike have embraced ‘David Makes Man’ and connected to its powerful message. We are honored to partner with the incredible producers and cast as well as our friends at Warner Horizon Scripted Television on a second season.”
McCraney said, “It was an honor when we first started and engaged with OWN to do this project and a blessing, a real gift and show of God’s grace that Ms. Winfrey picked it up for the long haul.”
“Tarell has created an incredibly moving and powerful drama in ‘David Makes Man,’ and we are so excited that he and Dee will have the opportunity to continue to tell this unique story,” said Warner Bros. Television’s Peter Roth, Susan Rovner and Brett Paul. “We are thankful to OWN and Oprah Winfrey, as well as our producing partners Michael B. Jordan, Mike Kelley and Melissa Loy.”
To celebrate the series’ renewal, OWN will showcase a special New Year’s Day marathon of season one with all episodes airing back-to-back beginning at 1pm ET/PT.
About “David Makes Man”
Critics’ Choice and Gotham Award nominee “David Makes Man” is a one-hour lyrical drama from Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (“Moonlight”), his first TV project. McCraney serves as executive producer of the series alongside Dee Harris-Lawrence (“Shots Fired,” “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.”) who serves as showrunner. Mike Kelley and Melissa Loy (“Revenge”) under their Page Fright production banner, Michael B. Jordan via his Outlier Society Productions and Oprah Winfrey are also executive producers. “David Makes Man” centers on a 14-year-old prodigy from the projects who is haunted by the death of his closest friend and relied on by his hardworking mother to find a way out of poverty. He must choose between the streets that raised him or the higher education that may offer him a way out. Set in South Florida, the series is inspired by events in McCraney’s own life and explores childhood trauma and the power of imagination to survive.
The drama stars Akili McDowell (“The Astronaut Wives Club”) as David, a ferociously observant, instinct-driven, passionate teenager, who toggles between two distinct personas that reflect his surroundings and metabolizes his world like a chameleon, but not without exacting an emotional price; Alana Arenas (“Hall of Passes”) plays David’s hard-working single mother Gloria, a former drug user with a smile that melts and while rarely home, she wants better for her kids than what they’ve got; Isaiah Johnson (“Hamilton”) plays Sky, an enigmatic and wise dope dealer who is also David’s close friend and occasional mentor in the projects; Travis Coles (“Liza on Demand”) portrays Mx. Elijah, gender queer and assigned male at birth and doesn’t consider herself ‘trans,’ but always thought of herself as both, Mx. Elijah doesn’t disclose pronouns as long as it’s with respect—a long-time Homestead Village resident who knows a great deal, but discusses few; Phylicia Rashad (“Creed II”) plays Dr. Woods-Trap, the lithe, alive, quick-witted and intimidating teacher that is motherly yet firm toward David, seeing something very special in him and remains an advocate for him; Nathaniel Logan McIntyre (“Celebrity Ghost Stories”) plays Seren, David’s incredibly vulnerable best friend at the magnet school for academically gifted kids who takes a risk by revealing a painful secret to David; Cayden K. Williams (“Girls Trip”) plays Jonathan “JG” Greg, David’s rough-and-tumble younger brother, who acts tough in front of his peers but still needs his big brother and mom to be there for him; Ade Chike Torbert (“East Los High”) is Raynan, the local drug dealer running the movements in The Ville who talks a good game about taking care of the neighborhood and running things for Sky while also attempting to connect with David the way Sky did, except he seeks a disciple not a friend or brother; Jordan Bolger (“Peaky Blinders”) plays Shinobi, Raynan’s second-in-command who nearly comes to blows with David, whom he resents.
The series also features Tony winner and Emmy/Golden Globe nominee Ruben Santiago-Hudson (“The Quad,” “Billions”), Elvis Nolasco (“American Crime”), Gillian Williams (“The Girlfriend Experience”), Juanita Jennings (“Star”), Liza Colón-Zayas (“Proven Innocent”), Lindsey Blackwell (“Step Sisters”), Lela Rochon (“Training Day”) and Nick Creegan, all with recurring roles.
About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey’s heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for a premium scripted and unscripted programming from today’s most innovative storytellers. OWN’s original scripted series include popular dramas “Queen Sugar,” “Greenleaf,” “The Haves and the Have Nots,” “If Loving You is Wrong,” “Ambitions,” “David Makes Man” and the upcoming new Ava DuVernay anthology “Cherish the Day.” OWN’s Saturday night unscripted programming lineup includes “Iyanla: Fix My Life,” “Ready to Love,” “Love & Marriage: Huntsville,” “Family or Fiancé,” “Love Goals” and “Black Love.” OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond. Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery, Inc. The venture also includes award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime on WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs.
About Warner Horizon Scripted Television
A division of the Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Horizon Scripted Television was founded in 2006 and is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of dramatic and comedic programming for the cable and subscription/on-demand streaming marketplace. Series produced by Warner Horizon Scripted Television include Animal Kingdom and Claws for TNT, Cherish the Day, David Makes Man and Queen Sugar for OWN, The Flight Attendant for HBO Max, Fuller House, Medical Police, Special and You for Netflix, Pennyworth for EPIX, and The Right Stuff for National Geographic.