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| FYC |
SYNOPSISGENIUS is the Emmy-winning anthology series that dramatizes the fascinating stories of the world’s most brilliant innovators, their extraordinary achievements and with their volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships. This season explores Aretha Franklin’s musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world. Grammy Award winner Franklin was a gospel prodigy, an outspoken civil rights champion and widely considered to be the greatest singer of the past 50 years, receiving countless honors throughout her career. Franklin is portrayed by the triple threat Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet, “The Color Purple”) and Emmy-winning Courtney B. Vance plays Aretha’s father, C.L. Franklin. CRITICAL ACCLAIM"Thanks to Erivo’s incandescent performance and its insight into Franklin’s process, it socks it to us"THE NEW YORK TIMES "A powerhouse showcase for a powerhouse performance"THE NEW YORKER "Erivo practically becomes Aretha before our eyes"ROLLING STONE "Erivo’s quiet strength erupts into passionate fire when she’s on stage"THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Crackling performances from Erivo, Vance and the actress who plays young Aretha, Shaian Jordan"NPR "The show’s musical elements dazzle...the visual details, from exquisite costumes to sets that precisely capture their respective places and times, are equally virtuosic."TIME "The new bio series delivers soaring musical numbers & killer costumes worth tuning in for"SALON "The story resonates with current social concerns and conversations"THE LOS ANGELES TIMES "Cynthia Erivo is coming for that Emmy with her show-stopping turn in ‘Genius: Aretha’"GOLD DERBY "Rather than biopic, ‘Aretha’ is part performance, part spectacle, part celebration."NEWSDAY "From the looks of things, you can probably start penciling in Erivo and some craft nominations now"GOLD DERBY "She truly seems to become Franklin towards the end of the episode as she lifts her voice to sing,’Something He Can Feel.’ The tone, lighting, framing, and even details of her hair and nails are reminiscent of the real Franklin."THE ATLANTA VOICE "A galvanizing performance by Vance"DETROIT FREE PRESS "Cynthia Erivo is spellbinding"VOGUE "Cynthia Erivo shines"THE PLAYLIST "Erivo is phenomenal"PASTE "Erivo and Vance make for a powerhouse duo"THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Shaian Jordan, who plays Franklin as a girl (dubbed “Little Re”) deserves just as much star power as Erivo herself."PASTE "Shaian Jordan...truly sparkles"ROLLING STONE "Much credit goes to the brilliant casting of Cynthia Erivo"TV GUIDE "I have never seen and heard a TV production capture an artist’s sound or use music more movingly than ‘Genius: Aretha’"BALTIMORE SUN "The acting is outstanding"BALTIMORE SUN "Genius gives the Queen of Soul the regal treatment she deserves"TIME |
CATEGORIESOutstanding Limited Series or Anthology Series Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - CYNTHIA ERIVO Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - COURTNEY B. VANCE Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - DAVID CROSS Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - MALCOLM BARRETT Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - SHAIAN JORDAN Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - PATRICE COVINGTON Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - REBECCA NAOMI JONES Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - KIMBERLY HÉBERT GREGORY Outstanding Writing for a LImited or Anthology Series or Movie - SUZAN-LORI PARKS Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - ANTHONY HEMINGWAY Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - KEVIN MCKNIGHT, ASC Outstanding Period Costumes - JENNIFER BRYAN, STEPHEN OH, & PAULA RENEE Outstanding Period and/or Character Make-Up (Non-Prosthetic) - MARIETTA CARTER-NARCISSE, CAROLINE MONGE, MILENE MELENDEZ, & TERRELL MULLIN Outstanding Period and/or Character Hairstyling - LOUISA V ANTHONY, TRACEY MOSS, VICTOR J PAZ, & COREE MORENO Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming - DONDRAICO JOHNSON Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - KIM COLEMAN Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special ...and all other eligible categories |
SYNOPSIS
GENIUS is the Emmy-winning anthology series that dramatizes the fascinating stories of the world’s most brilliant innovators, their extraordinary achievements and with their volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships. This season explores Aretha Franklin’s musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world. Grammy Award winner Franklin was a gospel prodigy, an outspoken civil rights champion and widely considered to be the greatest singer of the past 50 years, receiving countless honors throughout her career. Franklin is portrayed by the triple threat Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet, “The Color Purple”) and Emmy-winning Courtney B. Vance plays Aretha’s father, C.L. Franklin.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"Thanks to Erivo’s incandescent performance and its insight into Franklin’s process, it socks it to us"
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"A powerhouse showcase for a powerhouse performance"
THE NEW YORKER
"Erivo practically becomes Aretha before our eyes"
ROLLING STONE
"Erivo’s quiet strength erupts into passionate fire when she’s on stage"
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"Crackling performances from Erivo, Vance and the actress who plays young Aretha, Shaian Jordan"
NPR
"The show’s musical elements dazzle...the visual details, from exquisite costumes to sets that precisely capture their respective places and times, are equally virtuosic."
TIME
"The new bio series delivers soaring musical numbers & killer costumes worth tuning in for"
SALON
"The story resonates with current social concerns and conversations"
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Cynthia Erivo is coming for that Emmy with her show-stopping turn in ‘Genius: Aretha’"
GOLD DERBY
"Rather than biopic, ‘Aretha’ is part performance, part spectacle, part celebration."
NEWSDAY
"From the looks of things, you can probably start penciling in Erivo and some craft nominations now"
GOLD DERBY
"She truly seems to become Franklin towards the end of the episode as she lifts her voice to sing,’Something He Can Feel.’ The tone, lighting, framing, and even details of her hair and nails are reminiscent of the real Franklin."
THE ATLANTA VOICE
"A galvanizing performance by Vance"
DETROIT FREE PRESS
"Cynthia Erivo is spellbinding"
VOGUE
"Cynthia Erivo shines"
THE PLAYLIST
"Erivo is phenomenal"
PASTE
"Erivo and Vance make for a powerhouse duo"
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"Shaian Jordan, who plays Franklin as a girl (dubbed “Little Re”) deserves just as much star power as Erivo herself."
PASTE
"Shaian Jordan...truly sparkles"
ROLLING STONE
"Much credit goes to the brilliant casting of Cynthia Erivo"
TV GUIDE
"I have never seen and heard a TV production capture an artist’s sound or use music more movingly than ‘Genius: Aretha’"
BALTIMORE SUN
"The acting is outstanding"
BALTIMORE SUN
"Genius gives the Queen of Soul the regal treatment she deserves"
TIME
CATEGORIES
Outstanding Limited Series or Anthology Series
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - CYNTHIA ERIVO
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - COURTNEY B. VANCE
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - DAVID CROSS
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - MALCOLM BARRETT
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - SHAIAN JORDAN
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - PATRICE COVINGTON
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - REBECCA NAOMI JONES
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - KIMBERLY HÉBERT GREGORY
Outstanding Writing for a LImited or Anthology Series or Movie - SUZAN-LORI PARKS
Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - ANTHONY HEMINGWAY
Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - KEVIN MCKNIGHT, ASC
Outstanding Period Costumes - JENNIFER BRYAN, STEPHEN OH, & PAULA RENEE
Outstanding Period and/or Character Make-Up (Non-Prosthetic) - MARIETTA CARTER-NARCISSE, CAROLINE MONGE, MILENE MELENDEZ, & TERRELL MULLIN
Outstanding Period and/or Character Hairstyling - LOUISA V ANTHONY, TRACEY MOSS, VICTOR J PAZ, & COREE MORENO
Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming - DONDRAICO JOHNSON
Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - KIM COLEMAN
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special
...and all other eligible categories
Watch: Panel Discussion
CREDITS
Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin
Courtney B. Vance as CL Franklin
Malcolm Barrett as Ted White
Patrice Covington as Erma Franklin
Rebecca Naomi Jones as Carolyn Franklin
David Cross as Jerry Wexler
Rebecca Hebert Gregory as Ruth Bown
Shaian Jordan as Little Re
Created By Suzan-Lori Parks
Executive Producer Brian Grazer
Executive Producer Ron Howard
Executive Producer Francie Calfo
Executive Producer Anna Culp
Executive Producer Gigi Pritzker
Executive Producer Rachel Shane
Executive Producer Sam Sokolow
Executive Producer Chris Cooney
Executive Producer Craig Kallman
Executive Producer Clive Davis
Executive Producer Ken Biller
Executive Producer Anthony Hemingway
Executive Producer Diana Son
Executive Producer Suzan-Lori Parks
Written By Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed By Anthony Hemingway
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