NBC has ordered the unscripted series “Home Sweet Home,” which hails from Ava DuVernay.
In the 10-episode hour-long series, two families who lead very different lives go through a full-immersion cultural experiment. The show chronicles walking a mile in another person’s shoes by challenging racial, religious, economic, geographic, gender and identity assumptions as participants exchange homes for a week and experience the life of someone unlike them.
“The idea for ‘Home Sweet Home’ came to me during the strange and important times we’re all experiencing,” DuVernay said. “The premise is that we are farther apart than ever, yet bound by what we have in common — concerns with health, safety, justice and community. These notions manifest in each of us in different ways, but nowhere more striking than in the privacy of our own homes. I’m thrilled that NBC and Warner Horizon embraced the challenge of this moment to celebrate the specificity of our differences as we discover the many beautiful things that we have in common.”
DuVernay created the series and will executive produce via ARRAY Filmworks. Sarah Bremner and Paul Garnes of ARRAY will also executive produce. Warner Horizon Unscripted Television will produce. DuVernay is currently under an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.
“We are honored to partner with Ava for the first time to bring ‘Home Sweet Home’ to life at NBC,” said Meredith Ahr, president of the Alternative and Reality Group for NBC Entertainment. “Led by Ava’s powerful and hopeful creative vision, these stories will reveal genuine moments of change that we hope will spark thought-provoking conversations and encourage compassion, empathy and understanding.”
The show marks a continued expansion into tel(evision for DuVernay. She currently executive produces the OWN dramas “Cherish the Day” and “Queen Sugar,” both of which she created. Her other TV credits include the Emmy-winning Netflix limited series “When They See Us,” and “The Red Line” for CBS. On the horizon, she recently set up a series at Netflix about the high school years of Colin Kaepernick.
“Ava is an extraordinarily gifted and thoughtful storyteller,” said Mike Darnell, president of Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television. “This life-changing journey promises to be a rich experience affording families an opportunity to see life through a new lens.”
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety