Netflix is usually quite smart at getting new series, and the list includes Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Master of None, the Marvel Netflix Series, and even those that have a nostalgic factor like Fuller House and The Ranch. The streaming service has recently been criticized for the "dearth of black TV shows", but it is going to be adding a show based on the popular 2014 film Dear White People, an award-winning film that dealt with issues of race. This is what is known about Dear White People Netflix series release date and the plan from the film's original creator, Justin Simien.
According to Engadget, Justin Simien's satirical film Dear White People will have 10 episodes. The original film was a satirical look at the experiences of minority students in the Ivy League environment of most white. Simien originally made a trailer for the film with his tax return, and then had an Indiegogo campaign to fund the film, which eventually won the Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the Sundance Film Festival.
NY Daily News reports that the Dear White People series will follow a half-hour comedy timeframe, and Simien pictures a show like A Different World, the Cosby Show spinoff showing Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) in college. Chances are, the show will hopefully have more edge than A Different World, which has a more "family friendly" vibe and ran for several seasons even after its main character left.
It is not known if the show's main cast of the Dear White People film will return, which included Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, and Dennis Haysbert. It is known that Simien will write the series as well as direct the first episode while the executive producers will be Devon Shepard, Stephanie Allain Bray, and Julia Lebedev.
The show will also be produced by Lionsgate, which also produces the hit Netflix show Orange is the New Black. Lionsgate TV Executive VP stated that "We're proud to expand our partnership with our friends at Netflix on a comedy that tackles racial themes with a combination of intelligence, honesty, irreverence and wit." He also stated that "our original film with Roadside Attractions catapulted Dear White People into the national conversation about race, and Justin and the rest of the creative team have an opportunity to expand this world and bring its timely and universal themes to a global television audience."
Expect to see Dear White People, the series, come to Netflix sometime in 2017. There isn't any more specified the release date, but this looks to be a good show to binge-watch.
