The second season of “61st Street” (shown here) will arrive this summer – finally.
The opener – 9 p.m., July 22, on the CW network – comes more than two years after the first season ended on AMC. And 14 months after the CW bought the rights. It’s even a year after the second season streamed in Australia.
Now it’s part of CW’s summer plans: “All American” (now airing at 9 p.m. Mondays) is adding two more episodes, to continue through July 15. “All American Homecoming,” its spin-off, will air two episodes alongside it, then will be the lead-in to “61st Street.” Both will be anomalies, in a summer when scripted shows are rare on broadcast TV.
When it started, “61st Street” seemed to have the credentials for a tough urban series: Courtney B. Vance, shown here, a two-time Emmy-winner (“American Crime Story,” “Lovecraft Country”) starred … Aunjanue Ellis, now an Oscar-nominee (“King Richard”), co-starred … Peter Moffat, creator of Showtime’s “Your Honor” and the British series that spawned HBO’s “The Night Of,” wrote and produced. Actor Michael B. Jordan is also a producer, but doesn’t act in the show.
AMC ordered two eight-part seasons, which were filmed together. The first season drew mixed reviews – great acting, taut writing, cliched plot – and mild ratings. AMC skipped the second season and sold it to CW, whose new owners had shed most of the superhero shows, opting for less-costly deals.
The first season had an earnest track star trying to rescue his younger brother. When a drug bust went bad, he was on the lam. A lawyer (Vance), who had a politically ambitious wife (Ellis), defended him.
All of those Black characters found themselves battling corrupt white police leaders. There were exceptions, including Logan, a white cop who– alongside Vance and others — is key to the second season. The schedule is:
— July 8, 15: “All American: Homecoming” opens its season at 9 p.m., behind the season’s final two episodes of “All American.”
— July 22: “61st Street” opens its season at 9, with “Homecoming” moving to 8.
Courtney B. Vance as Franklin Roberts - 61st Street _ Season 1, Episode 8 - Photo Credit: George Burns/AMC
After loooong pause, tough drama returns
The second season of “61st Street” (shown here) will arrive this summer – finally.
The opener – 9 p.m., July 22, on the CW network – comes more than two years after the first season ended on AMC. And 14 months after the CW bought the rights. It’s even a year after the second season streamed in Australia.
Now it’s part of CW’s summer plans: “All American” (now airing at 9 p.m. Mondays) is adding two more episodes, to continue through July 15. “All American Homecoming,” its spin-off, will air two episodes alongside it, then will be the lead-in to “61st Street.” Both will be anomalies, in a summer when scripted shows are rare on broadcast TV. Read more…