Waithe is a rising star in Hollywood. | Photo: IMDB
TBS just landed a pilot for a brand-new comedy series about a queer black girl.
From Lena Waithe, who won an Emmy for her groundbreaking writing on Master of None last year, the series is titled Twenties.
It follows Hattie, a queer black girl, and her two straight best friends, Marie and Nia. Together, they chase their dreams, fall in love, and screw up along the way (naturally).
The story has been sitting in Waithe’s mind and desk drawer for nearly a decade.
‘I wrote Twenties back in 2009,’ Waithe said. ‘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.’
She will also executive produce the new series alondside her manager, Andrew Coles.
Waithe won her Emmy for the Master of None episode Thanksgiving.
The episode details various Thanksgiving holidays from the 90s to the present. Denise, played by Waithe, navigates her sexuality and coming out to her family over the holidays.
Waite is also part of one of the Time’s Up groups focused on LGBTQ representation in Hollywood.
This is the latest stride in representation for queer black characters. At the end of 2017, HBO picked up a series exploring the love life of a bisexual black man from Daily Show writer Travon Free.
