Creative powerhouse Lena Waithe has added another project to her growing body of work, signing on to Executive Produce a new queer black comedy series alongside YouTube vlogger and comedian Kid Fury.
According to Variety, the show, which is pegged as a surreal dark comedy, will follow Greg, a “20-something sarcastic gay black man navigating adulthood and responsibility in New York City while struggling to wrap his head around his undiagnosed clinical depression.”
Fury will serve as a writer and co-producer on the show, which has been snapped up by HBO.
Earlier this year it was announced that Master of None star Waithe was developing a television series about her experience growing up as a queer black woman - a story she said was nine years in the making.
“I wrote Twenties back in 2009,” Waithe told Deadline at the time.
“I always wanted to tell a story where a queer black woman was the protagonist, and I’m so grateful to TBS for giving me a platform to tell this story. Queer black characters have been the sidekick for long enough; it’s time for us to finally take the lead.”
Waithe made history at the 2017 Emmys when she became the first black woman to win an award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series on Master of None.
She has also signed a first-looks deal with cable network SHOWTIME.
Gary Levine, President of Programming at Showtime Networks, said: “Lena is a creative force of nature and we are delighted that the force will be with us as she makes SHOWTIME her creative home.”
Waithe said: “I have been a fan of SHOWTIME for as long as I can remember.
“They make shows that most networks wouldn’t touch and they’ve never been afraid of taking risks. I look forward to introducing my showtime family to fresh and exciting new voices."
She added: “I want to make content that will challenge audiences and take them places they never thought TV could go. It’s going to be a fun ride.”
