‘The Kings of Napa’ Family Drama From Janine Sherman Barrois In Works At OWN
EXCLUSIVE: OWN is developing The Kings of Napa, a drama series from Claws executive producer showrunner Janine Sherman, Warner Bros. Television and Harpo Films. The project has been fast-tracked with a virtual writers room, run by Barrois, opening this week in compliance with physical distancing guidelines.
The frothy drama is centered on a gorgeous and idyllic Napa Valley vineyard owned by the Kings, an aspirational African American family whose wealth and class finds them on the pages of design magazines and society pages. The wine business has brought the family success and acclaim, but following the patriarch’s sudden exit from the company, his three children must grapple for the reigns to the kingdom — to their own power, wealth and legacy.
“I am thrilled to be developing this dynastic family drama at OWN,” Barrois said. “They continue to be the premier destination for artists who are striving to create shows that disrupt the TV landscape while illuminating the rich and nuanced layers of Black culture.”
The Kings of Napa continues the tradition of other sprawling, soapy family dramas that have done well on OWN, including including Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar, also from WBTV, Craig Wright’s Greenleaf and Tyler Perry’s The Haves and Have Nots. The network recently announced early development on a spin-off of Greenleaf from Wright as well as a new drama series from him titled Delilah, which received a straight-to-series order.
“We are huge fans of Janine’s impressive body of work and have always wanted to get into business with her,” said Tina Perry, president OWN. “She is a seasoned storyteller with her finger on the pulse of exciting stories that hook viewers from the start. We can’t wait to see the captivating world she’s creating with this new drama in development.”
The Kings of Napa is created under Barrois’ exclusive multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. Barrois serves as executive producer/showrunner on the praised TNT/WBTV series Claws, whose fourth and final season was shut down by the pandemic. She also served as executive producer/co-showrunner on the limited series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, which earned an Emmy lead actress nomination for Octavia Spencer. Prior to her WBTV overall deal, she was executive producer on the long-running series Criminal Minds and ER, and was co-executive producer on Third Watch.
Barrois exec produces The Kings of Napa with Michelle Listenbee Brown (Love Is __). The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Harpo Films.
OWN’s current lineup of scripted dramas also includes DuVernay’s Cherish the Day, Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Peabody-winning David Makes Man, both from WBTV.
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