‘Media’ Electrifies the DMV
The D.C. screening of TV One’s highly anticipated film “Media” at Silver Spring’s AFI Silver Theatre left a breathless audience wanting more Wednesday night.
“Media” — TV One’s “clapback” to “Power,” “Empire” and “Scandal” — stars Brian White, Blue Kimble, Chrystee Pharris and Penny Johnson Jerald as the Joneses, a fearsome family that owns Atlanta’s premier urban media conglomerate, JUMP (Jones Universal Media Properties).
With executive producer Cathy Hughes on board, the black business dynasty drama, which premieres Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, will join the rising tide of breakout black-centered film and TV productions to air in recent years.
The film will inevitably draw comparisons to a certain hit show on Fox, but White quelled any doubts about the show’s originality, explaining during a question-and-answer session that “Media” has been in development for almost eight years, six years ahead of “Empire,” which debuted in 2015.
“We were first,” he said.
“I can take Cookie!” Jerald joked.
