By Variety
LOS ANGELES – Robin Thede and Issa Rae are teaming up for a half-hour sketch comedy series at HBO.
The series is titled “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” It will feature narrative sketches performed by a core cast of black women, including Thede, as well as celebrity guests. The show will be written by, directed by, and star an array of black women. HBO has ordered the show straight-to-series.
Thede created the series and will serve as writer and executive producer in addition starring. Lauren Ashley Smith will serve as head writer and co-executive producer. Smith was previously the head writer on the BET series “The Rundown with Robin Thede.”
Rae, the creator and star of the HBO comedy “Insecure,” will executive produce via Issa Rae Productions. Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry will executive produce for 3 Arts Entertainment along with Tony Hernandez and Brooke Posch of JAX Media. Deniese Davis and Montrel McKay of Issa Rae Productions will produce along with John Skidmore of JAX.
Prior to hosting “The Rundown with Robin Thede,” Thede was the head writer and a correspondent for “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” and head writer for the 2016 White House Correspondents Dinner, making her the first African-American woman head writer in late night and for the WHCD. She has appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, including “Difficult People,” “Key & Peele,” “A Haunted House,” and many more. She is also currently developing a comedy series at ABC.
Rae has received an Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe for “Insecure.” She made her film debut in the drama “The Hate U Give,” and will also star in Universal’s “Little,” with Regina Hall and Marsai Martin releasing Spring 2019.
Thede is repped by WME and Del Shaw. Rae is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Hansen Jacobson.
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