You can’t stop Lena Waithe. The Emmy Award-winning writer, show runner and actress is unleashing another ground-breaking show for the masses to consume. The pilot for her comedic YouTube webseries, Twenties, is coming to TBS.
The series, which was written by Waithe back in 2009, is centered around the life of a “queer black girl” named Hattie and her two best friends Marie and Mia, who are straight.
“I always wanted to tell a story where a queer black woman was the protagonist and I’m so grateful to TBS for giving me a platform to tell this story,” she said. “Queer black characters have been the sidekick for long enough, it’s time for us to finally take the lead.”
“I’m gonna keep fighting to get [Twenties] on TV so ya’ll can see all my blood, sweat, and tears. I REALLY want ya’ll to meet Hattie and her crew,” Waithe wrote on Twitter.
Waithe is the creator of the Showtime series, The Chi, which was recently tapped for a second season. It tells the tale of different inhabitants of Chicago’s South side, and it stars Jason Mitchell, Jacob Latimore and Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine.
She won her first Emmy Award in 2017 for her Master Of None episode, “Thanksgiving,” which she also starred in alongside Aziz Ansari and Angela Bassett. She is the first black woman to win the award for Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series.
My heart is so full today. Grateful that TBS believed in me and this show. I’m gonna keep fighting to get it on TV so ya’ll can see all my blood, sweat, and tears. I REALLY want ya’ll to meet Hattie and her crew. #Twenties https://t.co/MpQrWN6PBU
— Lena Waithe (@LenaWaithe) February 14, 2018