HBO greenlights 'Brothers in Atlanta,' its first local series
By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Thursday, April 30, 2015
For the first time, HBO is shooting a regular TV series in Atlanta. It's not a "Game of Thrones" spinoff. It's something far more modest but does have the city in its title: "Brothers in Atlanta."
This comes on the heels of announcing production of part of its sprawling Lewis & Clark miniseries "Undaunted Courage" here later this year.
HBO shot a "Brothers in Atlanta" pilot last year but didn't like it so the producers - which include "Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels - retooled and tried again in March. This time around, HBO executive gave it the magic green light, according to Variety magazine.
It's a simple concept about two up-and-coming black entertainers Langston and Moose (played by writer-exec producers Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin) living life the city.
According to Variety: "Langston, an Atlanta native, is an aspiring DJ whose career has stalled due to his lack of focus and get-rich schemes, and Moose, who’s new to Atlanta, is a perennial backup singer with dreams of the spotlight."
In recurring roles, former "SNL" star Maya Rudolph will play Moose's boss and Jaden Smith will an annoying teen neighbor.
Riddle and Salahuddin were formerly writers and performers on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon."
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
