Issa Rae, Mindy Kaling and Elizabeth Banks score coup for women in comedy on HBO Max
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- Anna Brech
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Three of comedy’s most exciting female talents have been signed for original series on the new streaming service HBO Max.
The new streaming platform HBO Max has delivered a strong opening gambit by way of original comedy from Issa Rae, Mindy Kaling and Elizabeth Banks.
Three of comedy’s most exciting names have come on-board to executive produce half-hour shows for the service, launching next May.
“Elizabeth Banks, Issa Rae and Mindy Kaling are three of the most gifted women in our industry, and are now bringing their impressive, original projects to HBO Max,” Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at the WarnerMedia-owned channel, announced at an investor day this week (via Hollywood Reporter).
Kaling’s 13-part series, College Girls, follows the trials and tribulations of three first-year roommates as they grapple with college life in Vermont.
Banks’ project, titled DC Super Hero High, is based around a group of students studying at a school for gifted kids. They’re also (unknowingly) in possession of latent superhero powers based on the DC Comics characters.
Then it’s a hop-skip over to the music world with Rae’s Rap Sh*t, which charts the adventures of a female rap group near Miami who are trying to hit the big-time.
HBO Max joins a crowded streaming market, including Apple TV Plus and Disney Plus – both of which launch this November.
The HBO-anchored service already has a trove of heavyweight content in the works, including Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, set 300 years before the original show. A full roster of original HBO series, along with BBC classics such as Doctor Who and The Office (the British version) will also be available.
Kevin Reilly, chief content officer for HBO Max, hailed Rae, Kaling and Banks as “incredible talents” who embody the “distinct and diverse voices” the channel wants to have at the core of its programme offering.
The move is certainly a coup for female-driven comedy and we can’t wait to see what the trio have in store. Roll on spring 2020…
Images: Getty