Exclusive: A re-examination of the life of South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius is in the works from Religion of Sports and Prx.
The company founded by Gotham Chopra, Michael Strahan, and Tom Brady and the public media organization have teamed up on False Idol, a new narrative series about the athlete, who was once considered the greatest Paralympian of all time.
Hosted by sports reporter Tim Rohan, the seven-part podcast, which will premiere on August 26, will look at how six months after becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics, he was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
The series will explore Pistorius’ rise and the tragic events that followed, in addition to complex issues like hero worship, gender-based violence, and race in post-Apartheid South Africa. False Idol tells the story through the eyes of the people Pistorius irrevocably changed, and brings needed attention...
The company founded by Gotham Chopra, Michael Strahan, and Tom Brady and the public media organization have teamed up on False Idol, a new narrative series about the athlete, who was once considered the greatest Paralympian of all time.
Hosted by sports reporter Tim Rohan, the seven-part podcast, which will premiere on August 26, will look at how six months after becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics, he was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
The series will explore Pistorius’ rise and the tragic events that followed, in addition to complex issues like hero worship, gender-based violence, and race in post-Apartheid South Africa. False Idol tells the story through the eyes of the people Pistorius irrevocably changed, and brings needed attention...
- 8/12/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Network: NBC. Episodes: 10 (hour). Seasons: One. TV show dates: March 13, 2018 — May 15, 2018. Series status: Cancelled. Performers include: Josh Radnor, Rosie Perez, Auli’i Cravalho, Damon J. Gillespie, Marley Shelton, Rarmian Newton, Ted Sutherland, Amy Forsyth, Casey W. Johnson, Taylor Richardson, Joe Tippett, and Shirley Rumierk. TV show description: Based on the Michael Sokolove book, Drama High, the Rise TV show comes from creators Jason Katims and Jeffrey Seller. The drama centers on Lou Mazzuchelli (Radnor), who is the fictional analogue to the real teacher from the book, Lou Volpe. Although he is committed to his students at Stanton High School, Lou knows he needs to shake things up, in order to rekindle...
- 5/12/2018
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
NBC’s new drama “Rise” stars Rosie Perez as a high school teacher who struggles with being pushed aside when another teacher, played by Josh Radnor, makes a play for her job as head of the theater department.
Perez and Radnor’s characters, Tracey Wolfe and Lou Mazzuchelli, eventually form an alliance, for the sake of the kids hungry to be challenged by putting on an ambitious musical — but the fact that Perez’s character, a Latina woman, is passed over by a white man is extremely timely in this age of “Time’s Up” and #MeToo.
“I think for her to get passed over in the way that she was passed over hurt to her core,” Perez said of Tracey. “This was her dream to run the department. It stings that a middle-aged white guy gets the job, not the Latina woman. That’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Perez and Radnor’s characters, Tracey Wolfe and Lou Mazzuchelli, eventually form an alliance, for the sake of the kids hungry to be challenged by putting on an ambitious musical — but the fact that Perez’s character, a Latina woman, is passed over by a white man is extremely timely in this age of “Time’s Up” and #MeToo.
“I think for her to get passed over in the way that she was passed over hurt to her core,” Perez said of Tracey. “This was her dream to run the department. It stings that a middle-aged white guy gets the job, not the Latina woman. That’s a bitter pill to swallow.
- 3/15/2018
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
After much anticipation, NBC’s musical drama “Rise” premieres on March 13. Based on Michael Sokolove‘s nonfiction book “Drama High” about a Pennsylvania high school’s theater program, the series hopes to follow in the Emmy winning footsteps of previous musical hits like “Fame” and “Glee.” And it has an impressive pedigree to back it up.
“Rise” was created for TV by Jason Katims and Jeffrey Seller. Katims is best known for creating “Parenthood” and “Friday Night Lights”; the latter was also a high school drama based on a nonfiction book — though that one was about football instead of musical theater. That series earned its only Emmy nomination for Best Drama Series in 2011 for its fifth and final season, and Katims won an Emmy that year for writing the finale episode. Seller is also an award-winning producer, but for the stage. He’s a five-time Tony winner, including Best Musical...
“Rise” was created for TV by Jason Katims and Jeffrey Seller. Katims is best known for creating “Parenthood” and “Friday Night Lights”; the latter was also a high school drama based on a nonfiction book — though that one was about football instead of musical theater. That series earned its only Emmy nomination for Best Drama Series in 2011 for its fifth and final season, and Katims won an Emmy that year for writing the finale episode. Seller is also an award-winning producer, but for the stage. He’s a five-time Tony winner, including Best Musical...
- 3/13/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Facing concerns over the lead character on their new drama, the creators of “Rise” explained their reasoning via a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
“Rise” is inspired, but not based on, Michael Sokolove’s book “Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater.” That’s where some of the misunderstanding has arisen — this is not an adaptation of “Drama High.”
On “Rise,” Josh Radnor will play a straight teacher, whereas the book’s inspiration, Lou Volpe, is gay; that choice prompted some criticism ahead of the show’s premiere in March. “The misinterpretation by some of what we’ve done with this show goes against what we fundamentally believe and who we are as individuals,” executive producers Jason Katims, Jeffrey Seller (“Hamilton”) and Flody Suarez wrote in a statement to EW.
“We are firmly committed to Lgbtq inclusion, and most of all,...
“Rise” is inspired, but not based on, Michael Sokolove’s book “Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater.” That’s where some of the misunderstanding has arisen — this is not an adaptation of “Drama High.”
On “Rise,” Josh Radnor will play a straight teacher, whereas the book’s inspiration, Lou Volpe, is gay; that choice prompted some criticism ahead of the show’s premiere in March. “The misinterpretation by some of what we’ve done with this show goes against what we fundamentally believe and who we are as individuals,” executive producers Jason Katims, Jeffrey Seller (“Hamilton”) and Flody Suarez wrote in a statement to EW.
“We are firmly committed to Lgbtq inclusion, and most of all,...
- 1/13/2018
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
NBC’s new series “Rise” may be based on a true story, but one significant aspect of it has been altered for network TV. Its central character, inspired by a real-life teacher who was originally closeted, has been rewritten as straight.
Jason Katims, who created “Friday Night Lights,” wrote his series inspired in part by Michael Sokolove’s book “Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater.” The book was about teacher Lou Volpe, who controversially put on a production of “Spring Awakening” at his high school in a small, blue-collar town. Volpe was closeted before eventually coming out later in life.
Read More:Most Anticipated TV Series of 2018
In contrast, “Rise’s” Lou Mazzuchelli (Josh Radnor) isn’t closeted at all and will not be coming out. This alteration for NBC’s show drastically changes the resonance of Lou choosing...
Jason Katims, who created “Friday Night Lights,” wrote his series inspired in part by Michael Sokolove’s book “Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater.” The book was about teacher Lou Volpe, who controversially put on a production of “Spring Awakening” at his high school in a small, blue-collar town. Volpe was closeted before eventually coming out later in life.
Read More:Most Anticipated TV Series of 2018
In contrast, “Rise’s” Lou Mazzuchelli (Josh Radnor) isn’t closeted at all and will not be coming out. This alteration for NBC’s show drastically changes the resonance of Lou choosing...
- 1/9/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Jason Katims is officially going back to high school.
NBC has given a series order to the Friday Night Lights‘ showrunner’s Rise, a drama about an inspirational theater teacher in a small town, TVLine has learned.
RelatedPilot Season ’17: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them
The series, which stars Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and Rosie Perez (Search Party), is based on Michael Sokolove’s book Drama High — which was the show’s original title — about real-life instructor Lou Volpe.
The Peacock Net also greenlit the drama For God & Country, which...
NBC has given a series order to the Friday Night Lights‘ showrunner’s Rise, a drama about an inspirational theater teacher in a small town, TVLine has learned.
RelatedPilot Season ’17: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them
The series, which stars Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and Rosie Perez (Search Party), is based on Michael Sokolove’s book Drama High — which was the show’s original title — about real-life instructor Lou Volpe.
The Peacock Net also greenlit the drama For God & Country, which...
- 5/5/2017
- TVLine.com
Josh Radnor is going to the head of NBC’s 2017-18 pilot class, landing the lead role in Jason Katims’ Drama High.
Based on the 2013 novel by Michael Sokolove, the potential series — written and exec produced by Parenthood and Friday Night Lights auteur Katims — centers on a working-class high school theater department, whose passion and enthusiasm draws interest from everyone in town.
RelatedHow I Met Your Mother Spinoff Delayed — Because of This Is Us
Radnor will play the drama teacher Lou Mazzuchelli, described as a “left of center leading man” who has to discover his own passion, drive and charisma.
Based on the 2013 novel by Michael Sokolove, the potential series — written and exec produced by Parenthood and Friday Night Lights auteur Katims — centers on a working-class high school theater department, whose passion and enthusiasm draws interest from everyone in town.
RelatedHow I Met Your Mother Spinoff Delayed — Because of This Is Us
Radnor will play the drama teacher Lou Mazzuchelli, described as a “left of center leading man” who has to discover his own passion, drive and charisma.
- 3/10/2017
- TVLine.com
Stay in the loop on industry and casting news with our weekly write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles! “Drama High”“Glee” may have already seen its heyday, but the audience for teenage drama is still waiting in the wings for something to fill the void. NBC’s “Drama High” will follow a drama teacher in a working class neighborhood whose dedication injects life into his students and rallies the town. The story about the successful educator is taking a page from the real life of Lou Volpe and Michael Sokolove’s biographical book of the same name. While casting is underway, a few notable names have been added to the roster, thanks to Telsey + Company. Auli’i Cravalho, fresh off her performance at the Oscars and her animated Disney hit “Moana,” is sashaying onto the pilot, followed by Rosie Perez and Rarmian Newton. Additional...
- 3/7/2017
- backstage.com
Veteran Rosie Perez and up-and-comer Rarmian Newton (The Family) have been cast in lead roles in NBC's drama pilot Drama High, from Friday Night Lights executive producer/showrunner Jason Katims and Jeffrey Seller, producer of the smash Broadway hit Hamilton. Written by Katims, Drama High was inspired by the story of ground-breaking high school drama teacher Lou Volpe as chronicled in the book Drama High, written by one of Volpe's students, Michael Sokolove. The…...
- 3/3/2017
- Deadline TV
Jason Katims’ NBC pilot about a high school theater department has found its drama queen.
RelatedPilot Season ’17: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them
Auli’i Cravalho, who recently starred in Disney’s Moana, has landed a major role in Drama High, our sister site Deadline reports. Based on the 2013 Michael Sokolove novel — which was itself inspired by true events — the pilot follows a “passionate teacher and family man” who runs a “working-class high school drama department” that inspires the whole town. (So, Friday Night Lights… the musical? Count me in!)
Cravalho will play a student named Lilette,...
RelatedPilot Season ’17: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them
Auli’i Cravalho, who recently starred in Disney’s Moana, has landed a major role in Drama High, our sister site Deadline reports. Based on the 2013 Michael Sokolove novel — which was itself inspired by true events — the pilot follows a “passionate teacher and family man” who runs a “working-class high school drama department” that inspires the whole town. (So, Friday Night Lights… the musical? Count me in!)
Cravalho will play a student named Lilette,...
- 2/28/2017
- TVLine.com
“Moana” star Auli’i Cravalho has joined NBC’s Jason Katim pilot “Drama High,” TheWrap has learned. Based on the book of the same name by Michael Sokolove, and also life rights of Lou Volpe, “Drama High” centers on an extraordinary working class high school drama department and the incredible students who come alive under a passionate teacher and family man, whose dedication to the program galvanizes the entire town. Cravalho will play the part of Lilette, one of the students. The role calls for the ability to sing so Cravalho should get to showcase her voice. Also Read: Watch...
- 2/28/2017
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
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