Demascushas been brought back from the grave. After two years in limbofollowing its cancellation by AMC Networksbefore its debut, the six-part sci-fi comedy series has finally found a new, free home. According to Deadline,Tubireached a deal with AMC to pick up the show at long last, which is now being billed as a Tubi Original and will premiere on August 7. It hails from playwright andClippedwriterTearrance Arvelle ChisholmandBetter Call Saulexecutive producerMark Johnsonand starsOkieriete Onaodowanas the titular lead.
Originally slated to release in 2023,Demascuswas axed amid a major cost-cutting effort at AMC thatsaw the demise of several series, includingInvitation to a Bonfireand second seasons of61st Street,Pantheon, andMoonhaven. At the time, it waspart of a troubling trendof scrapping completed projects for tax purposes, as seen withWarner Bros. andBatgirl. The fact that the sci-fi title was saved so long after its demise and disappearance from the public eye is a shock, to say the least. It’ll now slot in on Tubi’s slate of originals ahead of their next big show, the animated comedyBreaking Bearfeaturing the talents ofBrendan Fraser,Annie Murphy,Sarah Michelle Gellar, andJosh Gad, among others.
Chisholm served as co-showrunner onDemascuswithAmerican Crime’sKirk A. Moore, with Johnson lending his touch on the production end. The series is much more thana typical sci-fi comedy, instead telling Demascus’stale of self-discoveryas a 33-year-old Black man. Through the use of digital psychiatry, made possible through experimental, reality-bending technology, he’s able to directly explore his life and identity in a string of adventures that will help him realize who he is and what it means to live a good life. Ultimately, the goal of the series is to dig into the “gulf between Black male perspectives,” something that Johnson hit on in his official statement about Tubi’s acquisition:
“Through his titular characterDemascus, Tearrance Chisholm asks one of life’s simplest questions: What does it take to be a good man? And he answers it with some of the most surprising and nuanced revelations one could expect. We thank AMC Studios for sharing our belief in this seriocomic series and Tubi for its steadfast conviction that it belongs on the air.”
Who Will Star in ‘Demascus’?
Onadowan is perhaps best known for his role as Dean Miller throughout five seasons of theGrey’s Anatomyspin-offStation 19, until his charismatic firefighter met a tragic end in a gas explosion. He’ll have a talented cast around him forDemascus, includingJanet Hubert(The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air),Caleb Eberhardt(Judas and the Black Messiah),Shakira Ja’nai Paye(Single Drunk Female). Fresh off ofBad Boys: Ride or Dielast year and the animatedSneaksearlier this year,Martin Lawrencewill also be appearing prominently in a recurring role. This won’t be his only upcoming television effort, as it was also announced earlier this year that he’s set to executive producea surprising spin-off of his classic sitcomMartincalledVarnell Hill, based onTommy Davidson’s character, for BET+.
Demascuswill air on Tubi starting on August 7. Stay tuned here at Collider for more until then.
Better Call Saul
Source:Deadline
