Fox has placed a series order for Lee Daniels and Karin Gist’s drama “Our Kind of People.”
This marks the first drama the broadcast network has ordered to series for the 2021-2022 season. The project has been in the works at Fox since 2017, with Wendy Calhoun, who was originally set to write and executive produce, exiting in August 2019 and “Mixed-ish” executive producer Gist stepping in to take her place.
Last September, Fox gave “Our Kind of People” a writers’ room commitment to allow Gist, Daniels and their team to further develop the project before the network ordered it to series.
Inspired by Lawrence Otis Graham’s book “Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class,” the series 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.
Per Fox, “Our Kind of People” follows strong-willed, single mom Angela Vaughn as she sets out to reclaim her family’s name and make an impact with her revolutionary haircare line that highlights the innate, natural beauty of Black women. But she soon discovers a dark secret about her mother’s past that will turn her world upside down and shake up this community forever.
“Our Kind of People” is written and executive produced by Gist. Additional executive producers include Daniels and Marc Velez for Lee Daniels Entertainment, Pam Williams and Claire Brown for The Gist Of It Productions, Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell for Propagate and Montrel McKay.
The show will be produced by 20th Television and Fox Entertainment.
“‘Our Kind of People’ is a soapy, thrilling exploration of race and class in America and an unapologetic celebration of black resilience and achievement – all daringly told by a team we’ve been eager to get back in business with,” Michael Thorn, president of entertainment at Fox Entertainment, said Monday. “There are no better storytellers than Karin Gist and Lee Daniels to bring Lawrence Otis Graham’s seminal work to life.”