Written by Kianna Best on Jul 5, 2022. Posted in Production News

Onyx Collective set to release first all-black produced drama series Reasonable Doubt

Onyx Collective, a platform led by creatives of colour, gives a teaser of its first drama series. Reasonable Doubt is executive produced by Kerry Washington and the product of an all-black writer’s room led by Raamla Mohamed. The show follows the complex personal and professional life of defence attorney Jax Stewart. Its first episode is set to be released for streaming through Hulu on 27^th September 2022.

“We’re building a home where creatives of colour are inspired, empowered and have unparalleled access to reach audiences around the world,” said Tara Duncan, president of American cable channel Freeform, for the initial release of the Onyx Collective last May.

Following the preceding year’s intentions of providing diverse spaces for mainstream content creatives, set by Duncan, actor, producer and former lead of ABC’s Scandal, Kerry Washington, follows suit by lending her production hand to the show. No stranger to navigating the ruthless and powerful black female lead role with her experience as Olivia Pope, Washington’s behind the scenes position allows her to contribute to the lead character and plot from a more covert perspective. Alongside her is Raamla Mohamed, also executive producing, as well as leading a team of all-black writers. With a directorial role for the first two episodes, both Washington and Mohamed’s drama series experience will be beneficial to producing a fully fleshed out show.

Taking a new direction to Onyx Collective’s first project Summer of Love, 2022 Oscar winner for best documentary feature, Reasonable Doubt places black narratives at the forefront of the popular law drama. Middle of Nowhere actress Emayatzy Corinealdi leads the cast as no-nonsense defence attorney Jax Stewart navigating the complexities of personal and professional life. Relatively new to the acting scene, Corinealdi sets the tone for representation and the aim to nurture creatives of colour and their stories.

Kerry Washington states: “I want people to feel changed, and moved, and more in touch with themselves” after they watch the new show and get to know the lead.

The Onyx Collective’s venture into the realm of drama is allowing marginalised creatives to have greater access to highly publicised content production spaces. With connections to ABC signature, streaming options such as Disney+ and Hulu continue to make these stories more accessible for worldwide audiences. Streaming services have become more normalised for film and television general releases. This has set the stage for the reception of minority-led narratives, making them more tangible for audiences of all cultural backgrounds.

Images courtesy of Hulu