NBC has given a 10-episode order to the first primetime unscripted series from Ava DuVernay, the network announced Thursday. The series, titled “Home Sweet Home,” will see two families trade lives for a week in what is being described as a “full-immersion cultural experiment.”
The series “chronicles the fierce curiosity and sense of adventure it takes to walk a mile in another person’s shoes by challenging racial, religious, economic, geographic, gender and identity assumptions as participants exchange homes for a week and experience the life of someone unlike them in intimate and dynamic ways,” the network says.
DuVernay is creator of the series, which hails from Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, and will serve as executive producer via her ARRAY Filmworks banner.
“The idea for ‘Home Sweet Home’ came to me during the strange and important times we’re all experiencing,” DuVernay said in a statement. “The premise is that we are farther apart than ever, yet bound by what we have in common — concerns with health, safety, justice and community. These notions manifest in each of us in different ways, but nowhere more striking than in the privacy of our own homes. I’m thrilled that NBC and Warner Horizon embraced the challenge of this moment to celebrate the specificity of our differences as we discover the many beautiful things that we have in common.”
“We are honored to partner with Ava for the first time to bring ‘Home Sweet Home’ to life at NBC,” said Meredith Ahr, president of the alternative and reality group at NBC Entertainment. “Led by Ava’s powerful and hopeful creative vision, these stories will reveal genuine moments of change that we hope will spark thought-provoking conversations and encourage compassion, empathy and understanding.”
“Ava is an extraordinarily gifted and thoughtful storyteller,” added Mike Darnell, president of Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television. “This life-changing journey promises to be a rich experience affording families an opportunity to see life through a new lens.”
Brooke Karzen, head of Warner Horizon, added, “It’s a pure joy to be collaborating with Ava on her first primetime unscripted project. Her voice is perfectly suited for this moment in time.”
Sarah Bremner and Paul Garnes of ARRAY will also serve as executive producers on the series.