Boomerang (American TV series)

Boomerang is an American comedy television series, serving as a sequel to the 1992 film of the same name. The series premiered on February 12, 2019, on BET.

Boomerang
GenreComedy
Based on
Boomerang
by
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producers
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkBET
ReleaseFebruary 12, 2019 (2019-02-12) –
April 29, 2020 (2020-04-29)

On April 2, 2019, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on March 11, 2020.[1] In August 2021, co-producer Lena Waithe announced that the series would not return for a third season.[2]

Premise

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Boomerang revolves around "a successful executive who finds that his lifestyle choices have turned back on him when his new boss turns out to be a bigger deviant than he is. It is described as an updated version that explores contemporary workplace dynamics, including the changing role of gender, office politics, relationships and the conflicts between Generation X and millennials."[3]

Cast and characters

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Main

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  • Tequan Richmond as Bryson, ambitious estranged son of Jacqueline Broyer (played by Robin Givens).
  • Tetona Jackson as Simone Graham, daughter of Marcus and Angela Graham (played by Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry).
  • Leland B. Martin as Ari, a bisexual aspiring director who struggles with his toxic behavior. Loosely inspired by Tyler (played by Martin Lawrence) in the original.
  • Lala Milan as Tia Reid, a former stripper and performance artist. She later becomes a social media maven with the help of Simone. Loosely based on Strangé (played by Grace Jones).
  • Brittany Inge as Crystal Garrett (recurring, season 1; main, season 2), a former ad employee and best friend of Simone. She is recently divorced from David. She struggles to find her voice in the friendship group.
  • RJ Walker as David (recurring, season 1; main, season 2), an up-and-coming preacher who struggles to find his faith. He is recently divorced from Crystal.

Recurring

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  • Paula Newsome as Victoria Jackson (season 1).
  • Kim Alex Hall as Rocky (season 1), Tia's girlfriend.

Episodes

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Season 1 (2019)

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No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
11"Pilot"Dime DavisLena Waithe & Ben Cory JonesFebruary 12, 2019 (2019-02-12)0.59[4]
22"Game Night"Dime DavisJenny LeeFebruary 12, 2019 (2019-02-12)0.54[4]
33"Power"David WarrenLena Waithe & Ben Cory JonesFebruary 19, 2019 (2019-02-19)0.40[5]
44"Call A Spade"Tiffany JohnsonLeigh DavenportFebruary 26, 2019 (2019-02-26)0.39[6]
55"The Let Out"Sean FrankShawn BoxeMarch 5, 2019 (2019-03-05)0.41[7]
66"Back in the Day"A.V. RockwellKendra Jo & Racquel BakerMarch 12, 2019 (2019-03-12)0.32[8]
77"Family"David WarrenAzia SquireMarch 19, 2019 (2019-03-19)0.30[9]
88"Housekeeping"Juel TaylorHenry B. Chen & Jingyi ShaoMarch 26, 2019 (2019-03-26)0.29[10]
99"Us Too"Dime DavisJenny Lee & Lena WaitheApril 2, 2019 (2019-04-02)0.35[11]
1010"Trust"Dime DavisBen Cory Jones & Lena WaitheApril 9, 2019 (2019-04-09)0.33[12]

Season 2 (2020)

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No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [13]U.S. viewers
(millions)
111"There U Go"Dime DavisRacquel ViceMarch 11, 2020 (2020-03-11)0.39[14]
122"Love Shoulda Brought You Home"Tiffany JohnsonTearrance Arvelle ChisholmMarch 18, 2020 (2020-03-18)0.44[15]
133"Don't Wanna Love You"Katrelle N. KindredKimiko Matsuda-LawrenceMarch 25, 2020 (2020-03-25)0.47[16]
144"Reversal Of A Dog"Dime DavisLaDarian SmithApril 1, 2020 (2020-04-01)0.43[17]
155"7 Day Weekend"Katrelle N. KindredEmilia SerranoApril 9, 2020 (2020-04-09)0.40[18]
166"Hot Sex"Dime DavisAngeli MillanApril 15, 2020 (2020-04-15)0.44[19]
177"Feels Like Heaven"Tiffany JohnsonDaniel WillisApril 29, 2020 (2020-04-29)0.53[20]
188"End of the Road"Dime DavisAngeli MillanApril 29, 2020 (2020-04-29)0.41[20]

Production

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Development

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On April 11, 2018, it was announced that BET had given a series order to the production for a first season consisting of ten episodes. A writer and producing team had yet to be determined but the series was expected be produced by Paramount Television.[3][21][22][23] On September 24, 2018, it was announced that Lena Waithe and Ben Cory Jones would write the series' pilot episode together and executive produce alongside Halle Berry and Rishi Rajani. Jones was also expected to serve as the showrunner for the series and Dime Davis was set to direct the pilot episode. Waithe's production company Hillman Grad Productions was also slated to be involved with the series.[24] On December 19, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on February 12, 2019.[25]

Casting

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In October 2018, it was announced that Tequan Richmond, Tetona Jackson, Leland Martin, and Lala Milan had been cast in series regular roles and that RJ Walker, Paula Newsome, Brittany Inge, Joey BadA$$, and Kimberly Hall would appear in a recurring capacity.[26][27][28]

Filming

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Principal photography for the series took place from October to December 2018 in Georgia.[29] In October 2018, filming took place in the Buckhead area of Atlanta and in East Point.[29] In November 2018, the series was shooting in the Mechanicsville neighborhood of Atlanta and on Ponce de Leon Avenue near the Ponce City Market in Atlanta.[30][31]

Release

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Marketing

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On January 6, 2019, the first trailer for the series was released.[32]

Premiere

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On January 26, 2019, the series held a screening during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The event was followed by a panel discussion hosted by Macro Lodge and featuring executive producer Lena Waithe, showrunner Ben Cory Jones, and director Dime Davis.[33]

Reception

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On Rotten Tomatoes season 1 has a score of 100% based on reviews from 12 critics.[34]

References

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  1. ^ "BET Networks Announces Second Season Pick Up for Series "Boomerang" and "American Soul"". The Futon Critic. April 2, 2019.
  2. ^ Mangum, Trey. "'Boomerang': Lena Waithe Confirms BET Series Won't Be Back After 2 Seasons". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
  3. ^ a b Goldberg, Lesley (April 11, 2018). "'Boomerang' Reboot Among 3 Series Orders as BET Doubles Down on Scripted (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  4. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 13, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.12.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019.
  5. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 21, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.19.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019.
  6. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (February 27, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.26.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019.
  7. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 6, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.5.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019.
  8. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 13, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.12.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 16, 2019.
  9. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 20, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.19.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019.
  10. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 27, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.26.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019.
  11. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 3, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.2.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019.
  12. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 10, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.9.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019.
  13. ^ "Shows A-Z - boomerang on Bet". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  14. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 12, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.11.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020.
  15. ^ Pucci, Douglas (March 19, 2020). "Wednesday Final Ratings: Several Broadcast Network Shows Achieve Season or Multi-Season Highs in Viewers and Demos". Programming Insider.
  16. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (March 26, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.25.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020.
  17. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 2, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.1.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020.
  18. ^ Salem, Mitch (April 9, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.8.2020". Showbuzz Daily.[dead link]
  19. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (April 16, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.15.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (April 30, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.29.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 30, 2020.
  21. ^ Bennett, Jessica (April 11, 2018). "Series Based on Eddie Murphy Classic, 'Boomerang' Coming to BET". Ebony.
  22. ^ Roots, Kimberly (April 11, 2018). "Boomerang: Eddie Murphy Movie Gets TV Series Adaptation at BET". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  23. ^ Brown, Sierra (April 11, 2018). "BET 'Boomerang' Reboot Will Show Modern Workplace Dynamics". Vibe.
  24. ^ Patten, Dominic (September 24, 2018). "Halle Berry & Lena Waithe Add Serious EP Spin To BET's 'Boomerang' Reboot". Deadline Hollywood.
  25. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (December 19, 2018). "The 19 Most-Anticipated New Scripted TV Shows of 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  26. ^ Petski, Denise (October 3, 2018). "'Boomerang': Tequan Richmond & Tetona Jackson Lead Series Regular Cast Of BET Reboot". Deadline Hollywood.
  27. ^ Petski, Denise (October 12, 2018). "'Boomerang': RJ Walker & Paula Newsome To Recur In BET Reboot". Deadline Hollywood.
  28. ^ Petski, Denise (October 31, 2018). "'Boomerang': Brittany Inge, Joey BadA$$ & Kimberly Hall To Recur in BET Series". Deadline Hollywood.
  29. ^ a b Ho, Rodney (November 23, 2018). "BET shooting 'Boomerang' sequel TV series 26 years later in Atlanta". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  30. ^ Johnson, CJ (November 29, 2018). "Here's the list of movies being filmed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2019". AtlantaFi. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  31. ^ Walljasper, Matt (December 20, 2018). "What's filming in Atlanta now? Undercover Brother 2, Limited Partners, Watchmen, Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, and more". Atlanta. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  32. ^ Pedersen, Erik; Haring, Bruce (January 6, 2019). "'Boomerang' First Look: BET Comedy From EPs Lena Waithe & Halle Berry". Deadline Hollywood.
  33. ^ Scott, Sydney (January 27, 2019). "BET Sets Up Bright Future For Primetime TV With 'Boomerang'". Essence. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  34. ^ "Boomerang". Rotten Tomatoes.
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