OWN’S NEW FAMILY SAGA “AMBITIONS,” FROM WILL PACKER, JAMEY GIDDENS, LIONSGATE AND DEBMAR-MERCURY, STARTS PRODUCTION IN ATLANTA

 

Award-Winning Writer/EP Kevin Arkadie Named Showrunner

Robin Givens (“Riverdale,” “The Fix,” “The Bold and the Beautiful”),

Essence Atkins (“Marlon,” “Half and Half”), 
Brian White (“Ray Donovan,” “Scandal”),

Kendrick Cross (“Acrimony,”) Brely Evans (“Being Mary Jane”) and Erica Page (“Ozark,” “Bad Dad Rehab”) Cast as Series Regulars

 

Pilot Episode Directed by Benny Boom

 

Writers Room Based in Atlanta

 

Los Angeles – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today the start of production in Atlanta of the new multigenerational family saga“Ambitions,” produced by Will Packer Media in association with Lionsgate and Lionsgate-owned distributor Debmar-Mercury, and starring Robin Givens (“Riverdale,” “The Fix,” “The Bold and the Beautiful”), Essence Atkins (“Marlon,” “Half and Half”), Brian White (“Ray Donovan,” “Scandal”), Kendrick Cross (“Acrimony,” “Tales from the Hood 2”), Brely Evans (“Turnt,” “Being Mary Jane”) and Erica Page (“Ozark,” “Bad Dad Rehab”). Multiple award-winning writer/EP Kevin Arkadie (“The Quad,” “New York Undercover”) has joined as showrunner. Created by executive producer/writer Jamey Giddens (“The Rich and The Ruthless”) from an original idea by Packer,“Ambitions” will debut on OWN in 2019, with the pilot episode directed by Benny Boom (“All Eyez on Me,” “Black Lightning”).

 

“Ambitions” is a multigenerational family saga centered around one woman who, having recently relocated and intent on revitalizing her marriage, finds herself going head to head with some of the most powerful and deceitful players in the city.

 

Robin Givens stars as ‘Stephanie Carlisle,’ the wife of Atlanta Mayor Evan Lancaster (Brian White), whose true loyalty is to her own family's prestigious law firm, where she is the latest in a long line of distinguished lawyers.  Stephanie desperately wants to be in charge of the Carlisle family law firm and quietly fumes about her father Stephen's condescending assertion that she's simply not ready yet.  Givens is represented by PANTHEON.

 

Essence Atkins plays the role of ‘Amara,’ a lawyer in U.S. Attorney's Office who has newly arrived in Atlanta with her husband, Titus (Kendrick Cross).  Originally from Texas, she is quickly gaining attention from the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a diligent prosecutor but disappoints her supervisor by turning down the offer to run point on a major local case.  Atkins is represented by Buchwald and Kathy McComb Management.

 

Brian White has been cast as ‘Evan Lancaster,’ the Mayor of Atlanta, who is married to attorney Stephanie Carlisle (Robin Givens).  Evan’s political ambitions seem to cloud his judgement as he is willing to do anything to get to the next level in his career. White is represented by Paradigm Talent Agency, Zero Gravity Management and attorney Eric Feig. 

 

Kendrick Cross stars as ‘Titus,’ an attorney who recently moved with his wife Amara (Essence Atkins) to Atlanta.  Titus has been hired as in-house counsel for a big pharma company run by Hunter Purifoy, who is fighting a class action suit brought by the powerful Carlisle family. Cross is represented by Houghton Talent.

 

Brely Evans plays the role of ‘Rondell,’ Atlanta Mayor Evan Lancaster’s (Brian White) sister, who runs a not-quite-profitable restaurant called Thelma's Place. Evans is represented by J Pervis Talent.

 

Erica Page plays the role of ‘Bella,’ a fashion designer in Atlanta who designs all of Stephanie Carlisle's (Robin Givens) dresses for her.  Page is represented by Houghton Talent.

 

Kevin Arkadie is the co-creator of the series “New York Undercover.” Last season, he Co-Executive Produced season two of “The Quad.”  Previously, he was a Producer on “Chicago Hope”; Supervising Producer on “NYPD Blue”; Co-Executive Producer on “The Shield”; and Executive Producer on “Soul Food: The Series” and “Rescue 77.”  Arkadie scripted the Emmy®-winning miniseries “The Temptations” and is the recipient of the Golden Globe® Award, Writers Guild Award, Image Award and the Christopher Award as well as a nominee for multiple Emmy® and Humanitas Prizes. He is the Writer/Producer/Director of the documentary “FESPACO.” He began his writing career on the much-acclaimed series “I’ll Fly Away” as a story editor. 

 

Jamey Giddens is an award-winning writer, producer, entertainment journalist, publicist, and podcast personality. He is the co-owner of the wildly popular soap opera-themed website DaytimeConfidential.com. Giddens co-wrote the first season of Urban Movie Channel's breakout summer hit dramedy "The Rich and The Ruthless." Giddens worked for 10 years as a communications specialist for the Centers For Disease Control and Protection (CDC), helping to create social media messages alerting the public to such major health events as the H1N1, Zika Virus and Ebola outbreaks. 

 

Situated in Atlanta, the award-winning writing staff includes Jamey Giddens (“The Rich and The Ruthless”), Susan Dansby (“As The World Turns,” “The Young and The Restless”), Michele Val Jean (“General Hospital,” “The Bold and the Beautiful”), Trey Anthony (“da Kink in my Hair,” “How Black Mothers Say I Love You”) and Jazmen Darnell Brown (“The Citizen,” “Saints & Sinners”).

 

“Ambitions” is produced for OWN by Will Packer Media in association with Lionsgate and its producer-distributor Debmar-Mercury. Will Packer is executive producer. Kevin Arkadie is executive producer/showrunner. Writer Jamey Giddens and Will Packer Media’s Sheila Ducksworth also serve as executive producers. Benny Boom directs the pilot episode.

 

About Will Packer Media

Led by Hollywood producer Will Packer, Will Packer Media is a first-of-its-kind production and branded content company focused on the New American Mainstream audience, with an urban millennial core. In partnership with Discovery, Inc. and Universal Pictures, the company produces episodic scripted and unscripted series across television and digital platforms, compelling content for brand clients, and short-form digital content for millennial audiences. Will Packer’s films have earned more than $1 billion, with nine opening at number one at the box office.

 

About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for premium scripted and unscripted programming from today's most innovative storytellers. OWN’s original scripted series include popular dramas “Queen Sugar,” “Greenleaf,” “Love Is __,” “The Have and Have Nots, “If Loving You is Wrong,” popular sitcom “The Paynes,” and upcoming drama series “David Makes Man” from Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney and family saga “Ambitions” from box office hit-maker Will Packer. OWN’s Saturday night unscripted programming lineup includes “Iyanla: Fix My Life,” “Book of John Gray,” “Black Love,” “Chad Loves Michelle” and the new dating series “Ready to Love.” OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond.  Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery, Inc. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime, anywhere on WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own and https://press.discovery.com/us/own/.

 

About Lionsgate

The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content leader whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world.  In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, video games, esports and other new entertainment technologies.  Lionsgate’s content initiatives are backed by a nearly 17,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global sales and distribution infrastructure.  The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the Company’s worldwide consumer base.  

 

About Debmar-Mercury

Debmar-Mercury, a leading media company specializing in syndication, network, cable and ancillary markets, produces and distributes The Wendy Williams Show and, with co-producer Citylife Productions, Caught in Providence, debuting nationally in September 2018. It has U.S. distribution rights to FremantleMedia North America’s Steve Harvey-hosted Family Feud; off-Netflix episodes of BoJack Horseman from Michael Eisner’s privately held media and entertainment company, The Tornante Company; as well as U.S. distribution rights to Schitt’s Creek, the critically acclaimed half-hour, single-camera scripted comedy created by Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy that ranks as the No. 1 original series on Pop TV;  the 10/90 sitcoms Debmar-Mercury pioneered including Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and spinoff Meet the Browns; Revolution/CubeVision’s Are We There Yet? (starring Ice Cube); and the Debmar-Mercury / Lionsgate Television comedy Anger Management (starring Charlie Sheen). Debmar-Mercury is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next-generation audiences around the world.