The Lee Daniels and Karin Gist project “Our Kind of People” has been given the straight-to-series treatment at Fox Entertainment. The show from the “Star” executive producers is the first new Fox drama series ordered for this season, and the first series to be launched out of the network’s script-to-series model and writers’ room led by Gist.
Inspired by Lawrence Otis Graham’s book “Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class.” Per the logline, the drama takes place in the aspirational world of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, a historical stronghold where the rich and powerful black elite have come to play for over 50 years. The series follows protagonist Angela Vaughn, a strong-willed, single-mom, as she sets out to reclaim her family’s name and change the world with her revolutionary hair-care line that highlights the innate, natural beauty of Black women. Michael Thorn, president of entertainment, for FOX Entertainment, described it as “a soapy, thrilling exploration of race and class in America.”
“Our Kind of People” was first put in development back in 2017, as Variety exclusively reported, and was re-worked as of last year. The writers’ room news came three months after Fox announced the project was still in contention for an off-cycle order to fill the network’s growing scheduling needs due to COVID-19.
Gist is writing and executive producing alongside Claire Brown for her The Gist Of It Productions. Daniels, Marc Velez, and Pam Williams are exec producing via Lee Daniels Entertainment, with Propagate’s Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, and Rodney Ferrell also on board as EPs. Montrel McKay is a non-writing executive producer.
Gist signed a new overall deal with 20th Television earlier this year.
Deadline first reported this script-to-series order.