
Nova Scotia-shot ‘Washington Black' to make summer premiere on Disney Plus
TORONTO - The limited series adaptation of Esi Edugyan's 2018 Giller Prize-winning novel 'Washington Black' will arrive on Disney Plus this summer.
The streaming service says it has marked July 23 for the premiere of all eight episodes of the sprawling Nova Scotia-shot series.
'Washington Black' tells the story of George Washington Black, an 11-year-old slave who unexpectedly escapes a Barbados sugar plantation with the help of the owner's kinder brother, an ambitious inventor.
The scientist sees himself in Black and wants the boy to act as his assistant while he builds a flying machine.
The series stars Ernest Kingsley Jr., Rupert Graves and Sterling K. Brown, who's also credited as one of its executive producers.
'Washington Black' followed Edugyan's Giller Prize-winning 2011 novel 'Half-Blood Blues,' and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the American Library Association's Carnegie medal for fiction.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71
Valerie Mahaffey, Emmy-winning 'Northern Exposure' and 'Young Sheldon' actress, dies at 71 Valerie Mahaffey, perhaps best known for recurring roles on "Northern Exposure," "Desperate Housewives" and "Young Sheldon," has died at age 71 from cancer. Emmy-winning actress Valerie Mahaffey, best known for her role on the TV series "Northern Exposure," has died. She was 71. Mahaffey's publicist Jillian Roscoe confirmed to USA TODAY the actress died Friday, May 30, after a battle with cancer. Her five-decade career included performances on the Broadway stage, countless television appearances and roles in films such as "Seabiscuit," "Sully," "Jungle 2 Jungle" and "No Pay, Nudity." Mahaffey earned a supporting actress Daytime Emmy nomination in 1980 for her role in the NBC soap opera "The Doctors." In 1992, she would win a Primetime Emmy for best supporting actress in a drama series for her role as Eve in "Northern Exposure." Most recently, Mahaffey appeared in the Apple TV+ thriller "Echo 3," "The 8th Day" and the film "French Exit," for which she earned an Independent Spirit Award supporting actress nomination. 'As close as family': Loretta Swit honored by 'M*A*S*H' co-stars Alan Alda, Jamie Farr Born and raised in Indonesia until the age of 11, Mahaffey also lived in Nigeria, Texas and England. She is survived by her husband Joseph Kell and her daughter Alice. "I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses," her husband said in a statement. "She will be missed." Her daughter, who starred in the 2010 film "Summer Eleven," which Mahaffey produced and appeared in (Kell directed), said in a post on Instagram: "don't really have the words to say right now. cancer sucks. i'll look for you in all the fun moments of life. i know that's where you'll be💕🪽 i know we'll see each other again someday. i love you infinity much." After her regular role as Ashley Bennett on "The Doctors," Mahaffey began a steady stream of TV appearances including recurring roles as Alma Hodge, the devious ex-wife of Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan) over nine episodes (2006-2007) on "Desperate Housewives," the teacher Victoria MacElroy (2017-2020) on "Young Sheldon," and on the Netflix comedy "Dead to Me," as Christina Applegate's mother-in law, Lorna Harding, for nine episodes (2019-2022). Mahaffey also had guest appearances on comedies such as "Cheers," "Seinfeld" and "Newhart." George Wendt: 'Cheers' stars Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger and Rhea Perlman pay tribute Mahaffey's early career included Broadway plays such as "Dracula," in which she performed with Raul Julia. She also won two Obie Awards for off-Broadway plays "Top Girls" at the Public Theatre and for Alan Bennett's "Talking Heads" at the Minetta Lane. Her other theater credits include playing Desdemona in "Othello" opposite Morgan Freeman, and Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" with Tom Hulce. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Valerie Mahaffey death: Young Sheldon and Desperate Housewives star dies aged 71
Emmy-winning actor Valerie Mahaffey has died at age 71. The Young Sheldon and Desperate Housewives star, who had been diagnosed with cancer, died May 30, her husband Joseph Kell confirmed. 'I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses. She will be missed,' Kell said in a statement, per Variety. Born in Indonesia, Mahaffey got her start on Broadway, appearing in six plays and musicals in the 1970s and 80s. She appeared in more than a dozen off-Broadway and regional productions as well, including Othello opposite Morgan Freeman and Romeo and Juliet with Tom Hulce. After establishing herself as a versatile stage actor, Mahaffey became in-demand among TV and film productions. Mahaffey's first TV break came on the daytime soap opera The Doctors, for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1980. She would go on to win the 1992 supporting actress Emmy for her work on Northern Exposure. Mahaffey played Eve in the comedy-drama, which aired on CBS from 1990-1995. Mahaffey's other notable TV roles included Alma Hodge on season three of Desperate Housewives, teacher Victoria MacElroy on Young Sheldon, and Helen Pergman on Big Sky. She guest starred on dozens of shows throughout her career including Cheers, CSI, Seinfeld, Wings, ER, The Mindy Project, Grey's Anatomy, Hannah Montana, and Boston Legal. Her film credits included roles in Jungle 2 Jungle, My First Wedding, Sully, and this year's Apple TV thriller, The 8th Day. She gained acclaim for the 2020 indie film French Exit with Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges, earning her an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Fans saddened to hear word of Mahaffey's passing shared tributes on social media. 'Nobody could play CRAZY like Valerie Mahaffey. Desperate Housewives was INSANE,' one fan shared with a clip of Mahaffey in a scene with Marcia Cross. 'RIP Valerie Mahaffey. Thanks for all the laughs,' another wrote. 'RIP to a wonderful character actress. No matter the episode count or number of lines she would have, Valerie Mahaffey made an impression. Loved her as Frasier's secretary & on Big Sky,' another said. Someone else wrote: 'Valerie Mahaffey was always JUST right no matter what she was working in. Always so memorable, talented. I can't believe she was even 71 as that means she really was a part of my life watching things as long as I've been around. Grateful for her good work always.'


Buzz Feed
6 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Kid's Moana Performance On Delayed Flight Goes Viral
A sweet moment on a plane turned into a "nightmare" for some passengers, and it was all caught on camera. A video that has now generated nearly 30 million views, captured by TikTok user @druziroaming, shows a young girl providing some in-flight entertainment as she sang the Oscar-nominated/Grammy Award-winning song "How Far I'll Go" from Disney's Moana. The girl is seen passionately giving the performance of her life for nearly two minutes. She sang into the aircraft's phone as it played over the intercom for everyone to hear. A flight attendant stood close by to ensure it went smoothly. "When your Delta flight is delayed 2 hours and you circle Orlando for another 2," @druziroaming captioned his video. "Butt then a little girl sings Moana on the crew mic and suddenly everything feels okay." You can hear some people humming and singing along, while others turn around to smile at the young karaoke star. Now, when it comes to flight delays, it's normal for passengers to get annoyed and disgruntled, especially if it lasts for two or more hours. So, I think it's adorable that she wanted to help ease the tension by providing some joy through music. I also love seeing kids show so much confidence at such a young age. But not everyone shared my view. The video received over 120K comments, and lets just say the responses varied: How do you think you would've responded? Also, do you think you would have been able to perform in front of a packed plane? Let me know in the comments!