Although ABC’s new series “The Mayor” has some parallels with the 2016 election, star Bernard David Jones says that the outcomes couldn’t be any more different.
“They’re completely different in the sense that as a result of the election, the people are coming together on our show,” Jones told TheWrap. “The people are saying, ‘Hey, you’re different, we need you,’ and that leader is saying, ‘OK, I got you, so let’s figure out how we can make all of your situations better.’ And that’s a person that has a heart for the people.”
“The Mayor” starts off with aspiring rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) running for mayor of fictional Fort Grey, California. No one really thinks he’s serious about it — mostly because he isn’t. Rose doesn’t really want to be a political leader, but he’s putting himself in the spotlight to promote his musical career. In a twist, Rose actually ends up winning.
“I think it’s an intentional response to what our community needs right now,” said Jones, who plays one of Rose’s friends and cabinet members, Jermaine Leforge. “A show that shows a person who’s hopeful, a community that’s looking for unity and they have this figure, Courtney Rose, who comes in and says ‘OK, I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t know what’s going on, but I have a heart for the people.”
Although “The Mayor” is a political comedy, Jones hopes that audiences view the series with an open mind because of its nonpartisan take on the issues. The actor also wants viewers to take and make the best of opportunities that they might be given in their own lives.
“I hope that people in their own communities, whether you’re… going to be the treasurer of your school or you want to be head of the PTA, if you see a chance to make a change, go ahead and do it,” Jones said.
“The Mayor” airs Tuesdays on ABC at 9:30p.m.
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