Courtesy of Blumhouse Television/Showtime
Showtime’s prestige period piece The Good Lord Bird-slated to début August 9th-was pushed back to October of this year. Based on the 2013 James McBride novel of the same name, that drama followed an enslaved boy named Henry who joins in on abolitionist John Brown’s defense and protection of Black people, culminating in his raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859.
The 7-part limited series follows a fictionalized enslaved boy named ‘Onion’ (Joshua Caleb Johnson) who joins abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke) in his defense and protection of Black people.
Sharing some commonalities with the novel, The Good Lord Bird seems to hold more emphasis on John Brown’s fiery temperament than his important and necessary work as a staunch opponent of slavery.
Courtesy of Blumhouse Television/Showtime
Although no official reason was given for the delay by Showtime, I wonder if the showrunners and executives wanted to avoid another prestige drama on a competing network (HBO’s Lovecraft Country).
No matter the reason, The Good Lord Bird looks to be an interesting take on a quite exhilarating book. Check out the trailer below:
The Good Lord Bird premieres on Showtime October 4th at 9PM.
