John Ridley’s ‘Guerrilla’ politically sharp series

‘Life of Kylie’ gets greenlight

LOS ANGELES, April 11, (Agencies): John Ridley said he expected his “politically sharp” TV miniseries “Guerrilla,” about England’s 1970s black power movement, to be provocative.

But criticism that the drama excludes the role played by black female activists took him by surprise at a screening in London, he said Monday.

He pointed to his track record of writing for black actresses in projects including TV’s “American Crime” (Regina King) and “12 Years a Slave” (Lupita Nyong’o, Quvenzhane Wallis), among others.

Given that, he said, it was odd to hear that people “feel as though I’m not putting enough women of color in spaces.”

“I would say very sincerely to anybody, if they find fault with what I’m doing or how I’m doing it, you don’t need to wait for me to tell your stories,” Ridley said. “You don’t need anybody’s permission to go out and tell the story you want to tell.”

At last week’s screening, Ridley was questioned by some audience members about the project’s approach. “Guerrilla,” debuting April 16 on Showtime, stars Indian actress Freida Pinto and black British actor Babou Ceesay as an activist couple. One questioner said the writers were responsible for the “erasure” of black women from the story, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Ridley reportedly grew emotional in trying to explain his decisions to the audience, at one point invoking his own interracial marriage. But he spoke calmly and carefully as he addressed the issue from the distance of several days.

The reaction to Pinto’s Jas and Ceesay’s Marcus “is actually part of the story we’re telling,” he said. “It’s as old as ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘West Side Story’ ... nobody can see their love the way they do.”

The African-American writer, director and producer stands by the authenticity of “Guerrilla,” which he said involved a “learning tour” to meet participants and observers of the British civil rights struggle.

Because “a lot of these stories have not been taught, have not been told,” it may frustrate those who want a single project to make up the lost ground, said Ridley, who won an Oscar in 2014 for his adapted screenplay of “12 Years a Slave.”

“I’m all for people looking at anybody’s story and saying, ‘Hey, that’s only part of the picture. I want to go out and tell more and do more and say more,’ “Ridley said.

Kylie Jenner will star in and executive produce her own E! spinoff series called “The Life of Kylie,” the network announced Monday.

The show, which will debut this summer, will follow Jenner as she navigates her life as an entrepreneur, fashion designer, author, television and social media star, and CEO of Kylie Cosmetics. The show will also follow Jenner in her personal life, including spending time with her close friend Jordyn Woods.

This is the latest series centered around the Kardashian-Jenner clan for E!. Season 13 of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” is currently airing on the network. Others include “Rob & Chyna,” “Kourtney and Kim Take Miami,” and “I Am Cait.” E! has been eying the 19-year-old for her own docuseries for quite some time. More than two years ago, Variety reported that the Jenner sisters were the center of discussions for a Kardashian spinoff at the network, though formal negotiations had not taken place at the time.

“The last couple years have been such an incredible journey with the support of my fans,” Jenner said. “This show will allow me to give them a peek inside all of the exciting things I am working on as well as some personal time with friends.”

In addition to being one of the most followed people on social media and a global magazine cover model, Jenner was named one of the most influential teens by TIME Magazine. In 2015, she launched the Kylie Jenner app and partnered with her sister Kendall for the launch of the mobile game “Kendall & Kylie.”

In today’s TV news roundup, Oprah Winfrey will make her first ever visit to CBS’ “The Talk,” while Investigation Discovery announces a new documentary on sexual assault on college campuses.

Oprah Winfrey will be the featured guest on April 17th’s episode of the CBS daytime series “The Talk.” The philanthropist and broadcaster will spend the entirety of the hour-long episode talking with Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood about her new HBO film “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” and her new role as a special correspondent on “60 Minutes.”

TLC’s “Return to Amish’s” fourth season will premiere April 30 at 8 pm. The series picks back up with Mary, Abe, Rebecca, Sabrina, Jeremiah and Carmel as they try to adapt to life as ex-Amish. Six two-hour episodes will explore difficult decisions and new travails.

Investigation Discovery is teaming up with “Deadline: Crime” host Tamron Hall for a new documentary “Sexual Assault in College: Tamron Hall Investigates.” The one-hour special will premiere April 30 at 8 pm and feature Hall meeting with sexual assault survivors Abby Honold and McLaine Rich to hear their stories and the steps they are taking to help diminish sexual assault.