This weekend's edition of UPFRONT Inside Atlanta's Entertainment Industry is a salute to Black television. It features AAFCA co-founder and current president Gil Robertson, Patrick LaDonis actor and creator of the LGBTQ webseries Scales. We also pay tribute to classic Black "TV sitcoms" and catch up with Living Single actress Erika Alexander.
The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) presents the 2nd Annual #AAFCATVHonors TONIGHT at 6 p.m. EST on the AAFCA YouTube Channel. The virtual award show salutes the very best in Black television, documentaries and made-for-TV movies.
This year's honorees include Kenya Barris (TV Icon), Viola Davis (Best Actress), Sterling K. Brown (Best Actor), Jeremy Pope and Laura Harrier (Best Breakout Performer), For Life (Best Drama), Insecure (Best Comedy), The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Best TV Movie), Never Have I Ever (Best YA), Central Park (Best Animated), Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children and The Last Dance (Best Documentary) and I Promise (Best Short Form).
Award-winning actress, activist and producer Erika Alexander takes us back down memory lane and chats about her iconic character "Maxine Shaw" on the 90s TV sitcom, Living Single. She talks candidly about her all-star cast and what that character meant to her personally and professionally.
Closing out the show is Atlanta actor and content creator Patrick LaDonis. He is here to chat about his popular LGBTQ webseries Scales. The digital dramedy follows Remy, a guy who's drawn to complicated people and relationships. Set in Atlanta, Scales focuses on the challenges of finding and keeping love even when its not good for them. In addition, LaDonis also opens about the recent COVID-19 training he participated in to shoot his upcoming third season. He also reveals his newest comedy series SPADES and much more. This last segment is part of my on-going series about the Corona Virus and its impact on Hollywood titled, The Show Must Go On: Entertainment and COVID-19. Listen to our full conversation below:
UPFRONT Inside Atlanta's Entertainment Industry airs every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and is hosted and produced by Ray Cornelius. It is presented exclusively by Jazz 91.9 WCLK - Atlanta's Jazz Station.
