LERON WELLINGTON
Staff Writer
As the seasons change and we say goodbye to the warmth, we can now say hello to upcoming television shows that help get us through the cold months to come. Two of the most anticipated shows that students can all look forward to seeing this fall are Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and “Divorce,” starring Sarah Jessica Parker on HBO.
The network that has produced favorites like “Game of Thrones” and “The Sopranos” gets something fresh and different with creator and actress Rae’s new sitcom. The show follows two black women in their late twenties who are “navigating the tricky and personal terrain of Los Angeles,” she told The New York Times. Love, being a minority in the workplace and reinvention are just some of the topics covered in the show.
Rae, who is most popularly know for her 2011 award winning web series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” makes her television debut with more polished characters than her web series that has lasted for many seasons.
Having your television debut on HBO has to be a dream come true, but it was not by luck that she got here. Original ideas, hard work and support from other black creators helped Rae get her two season contract with the network which is now home to some of our favorite shows. After the first season of her web series, she partnered with Pharrell Willams and released season two.
But one web series was not enough. She started her own production company titled “Issa Rae Productions,” which is composed of almost all minorities, that produced more content and broadened the brand.
Unlike Rae, Parker has made a huge name for herself with her roles on screen, on stage, and as a fashion icon. Parker is returning to the network that made her a household name with her role as Carrie Bradshaw on “Sex and the City.”
Now on this new show “Divorce,” Parker plays the antithesis of both the actress herself and Carrie Bradshaw: a woman who has been married for many years living in the suburbs and is driven away from her husband and marriage. Parker has already made a name for herself with Golden Globe nominations, personal brands and projects in high culture. But can she make the world see her not as the poised and fashionable icon that she is, and as the plain suburban wife going through the emotional journey of divorce?
Parker has carefully chosen this project as her return to the small screen. In the 12 years between “Sex and the City” and now, she has turned down acting roles to focus on raising her kids and her 19-year marriage with Matthew Broderick. Instead of acting, she has turned to producing and personal projects of interest, like being on the board of the New York City Ballet. But sometimes, when you see a project that you connect with and love you just have to do it. That was clearly the case with Parker.
She met with producer Sharon Horgan, who eventually wrote the show’s pilot and was immediately interested. What makes this show interesting is the fact that is a mixture of the drama and comedy of divorce, rather than just the sadness that we usually think of. In an interview with The New York Times, Parker said, “I wanted to tell a different story, one that I haven’t really seen on television.”
Though these shows are mainly for entertainment purposes, they are part of something much bigger. With “Insecure,” audiences are getting to see the continuing but long overdue trend of black characters that are not just stereotypes but actual developed characters that anyone can relate to. And Sarah Jessica Parker makes her return home, but with pressure to separate herself from the character that people know her from.
Both shows premiere on HBO on Oct. 9, but the pilot for “Insecure” can now be streamed on HBO Go and HBO Now.