Latest news with #GovernmentCheese
Los Angeles Times
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
With the must-watch ‘Demascus,' Tubi rescues a reality-bending comedy
The road to 'Demascus' — premiering Thursday on Tubi — runs through AMC, which had commissioned the series and then, though a six-episode season was completed, declined to air it. Not being privy to any boardroom discussions or the thoughts of executives and accountants, I won't claim to know why that was — most everything these days is a calculation instead of a gamble. But simply as regards its quality, AMC was wrong and Tubi is right. Created by playwright Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm ('Hooded: Or Being Black for Dummies'), it sits alongside some of the most interesting series of the last several years — comedies from Black creators that mess with form and time and space and reality — 'I'm a Virgo,' 'Government Cheese,' 'The Vince Staples Show' and 'Atlanta' and the cartoons 'Lazor Wulf' and 'Oh My God ... Yes!' Perhaps if one already feels outside the system, there's less temptation to play it safe. It's not necessarily a recipe for success in the show-business terms, but it can produce good results. Demascus (Okieriete Onaodowan), 33, is entering his 'Jesus year, my year to be a martyr, and I've chosen this to be my martyrdom.' That martyrdom is therapy, he tells Dr. Bonnetville (Janet Hubert), as the series begins in a jungle — though this turns out to be a Holodeck projection. We're in a version of 2023 — the year the series was first set to air — in which self-driving cars fill the road and a voice-activated assistant (here called Shekinah, played by Brie Eley) is everywhere, setting the stage for the series' science-fictional central conceit. 'Nobody knows me. My one dominant quality is I'm unknowable,' Demascus tells her. 'I can be anybody or nobody. … That's a good quality for a Black man to have, right?' But does he know himself? Bonnetville suggests that Demascus might be a candidate for DIRT (Digital Immersive Reality Therapy), an experimental psychological virtual alternate reality rig that 'follows the path of your conscious and subconscious impulses, allowing you to visit alternate visions of yourself, but only as a voyeur. … Attempting to take control of a narrative can permanently corrupt your primary reality.' (Of course he will do just that.) But just what reality is primary is something the series purposely confuses and doesn't quite settle or really needs to. The gizmo is an excuse for episodes and parts of episodes set in various contexts that work both as short stories and pieces of a bigger puzzle, and as a bonus allows the main cast to try on different roles — in repertory, if you will. In what may or may not be his primary reality, Demascus is a graphic artist employed by the government — he's working on a campaign to encourage Black participation in the space program — which makes for some office-based satire. He has a best friend, Redd (Caleb Eberhardt), a District of Columbia public defender, who will reappear in other forms (in one episode, 'Thanksgiving,' they're a couple); an uncle, Forty (Martin Lawrence), now dissolute, now respectable; and, in some scenarios, a sister, Shaena (Brittany Adebumola). He's slowly losing interest in his 'algorithmically compatible' girlfriend, Budhi (Sasha Hutchings), and becoming interested in Naomi (Shakira Ja'nai Paye), who appears variously as an artist, a nun and a nurse in a psychiatric ward. There's a tentative pan-dimensional love story between them, the sort of thing that could easily be overdone, but is just … nice. The series itself takes different forms — a relationship reality show, a 'sad Thanksgiving' domestic comedy, a setting out of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.' Notwithstanding a change of hair or profession, Demascus remains more or less himself as shapes shift around him — the protagonist, basically a good guy, a little buttoned-up, a little insecure. He's surrounded by more colorful, unpredictable characters, more acted upon than acting and dealing with the same issues from scenario to scenario. 'There are rules and I know some of them and there are rules that I don't know and they're just ever-changing,' he tells Dr. Bonnetville. According to press materials, the show explores the 'gulf between Black male perspectives' and as with any culturally specific work, it may play to an audience that shares those specifics. But like all good art, it doesn't limit its meanings to the artist's statement. 'Demascus' isn't parochial or polemical; the emotional beats are accessible to any moderately sensitive human. And there's pure pleasure to be found in the writing, which is sharp and smart and natural; the direction, which shapes and is shaped by the evolving material without getting in its way; and uniformly marvelous performances. I finished the sixth episode, titled 'Season Two Prequel' (following the penultimate episode, 'Penultimate'), wanting more, though that possibility, given the series' previous wandering in the wilderness, seems an open question. A line of dialogue hearkens back to the beginning in a way that might be thought of as closure, as a circle closes without going anywhere, and yet things are not the same. An ending you can take as a beginning, as with any fairy tale or romantic comedy, it's a beautifully managed moment, as J. Cole's 'Love Yourz' — 'No such thing as a life that's better than yours' and 'It's beauty in the struggle' — makes its complementary points on the soundtrack.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Oyelowo on Why He Made It a Priority to Shoot ‘Government Cheese' in Los Angeles
There's a moment in Apple TV+'s 'Government Cheese' where David Oyelowo's character is swallowed by a catfish. 'That's something I didn't have on my dance card, and something I'm sure not a lot of actors can say that they've done,' Oyelowo tells Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast. Tthe phrase that keeps coming up from people is it's unlike anything they've seen. That, in and of itself, is a huge source of pride for me.' But in the surrealist comedy, anything is possible. 'That is definitely part of the joy of both doing it, and I hope watching it, is that you're getting to see scenarios you haven't really seen before,' Oyelowo says. That includes 'seeing a Black family under these circumstances that you haven't seen them in before, but in a familiar time.' More from Variety Brett Goldstein on Working With Michael J. Fox on 'Shrinking,' Returning to 'Ted Lasso' and Preparing His Next Comedy Special: 'It's a Good One!' 'The Amazing Race' Has Won 10 Reality Competition Emmys - But It's Still Not Enough Emmys Acting Contenders: From Pedro Pascal and Diego Luna to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Who Was Officially Submitted Oyelowo spoke to the Awards Circuit Podcast about 'Government Cheese,' including the unconventional storylines and shooting in the deep San Fernando Valley. He also shared more details on his production company, and what's to come. Listen below! 'Government Cheese' is based on creator Paul Hunter's family and his experiences growing up in California. Oyelowo stars as Hampton Chambers, the patriarch of a family living in southern California's San Fernando Valley in 1969. The Chambers – wife Astoria (Simone Missick) and sons Einstein (Evan Ellison) and Harrison (Jahi Di'Allo Winston) — are a quirky bunch pursuing lofty and seemingly impossible dreams. The plot kicks off when Hampton is released from prison, and, as the series synopsis explains, his long-awaited family reunion doesn't go quite as he'd planned. During his absence, his wife and kids have formed an unconventional family unit, and Hampton's return spins their world into chaos. 'The first thing that drew me in was Paul Hunter, the filmmaker,' Oyelowo says. 'When he asked to meet me, I took a bit of a dive into the work he'd done — most of which was seminal music videos that I had watched, not knowing that the same person had done all of these visually stunning, culturally potent, short films.' In the case of 'Government Cheese,' Oyelowo says he also was inspired by the scripts, filled with 'this sort of parabolic, biblical, whimsical, surreal component. Of this guy who's going on a spiritual journey… you're just in his POV, so you have to go along with it. Him being stuck in the belly of a catfish, him finding himself in a flood, him having a death and resurrection experience. These are all biblical references, but they are played as as literal. But because the world is so fantastical, you find yourself going, 'is this real or imagined?' And without any need, as far as we're concerned, to explain that.' As for the location, also inspired by Hunter's upbringing in the Valley, Oyelowo could also relate: He's lived in places like Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Tarzana for nearly 20 years. 'It's incredibly unique as a California location, it has a very specific light and still looks a little bit like it's stuck in the past, depending on where you go,' he says. 'When Apple was talking about, which tax break town or city can we go to? I was like, it has to be the Valley. It has to be the it is a character in this show. The thing I didn't know is how populated by Black people the Valley was back in the day. For Paul, that was his experience growing up in Pacoima, in the Valley in the 60s and 70s. And that was also something unique about the show that I wanted to see.' It also helped that after shooting 'Lawmen: Bass Reeves' far from home, Oyelowo was looking to star in something in his backyard. 'We just need more production here in L.A.,' he says. 'We're really, really struggling. And it was really typified by the fact that almost every day, a crew member would come up to me and say, 'Thank you so much for shooting this here. I can't remember the last time I got to shoot in LA, be with my family and get to do a job for six months.' Our industry has been really challenged by the pandemic, the strikes and now the fires. So that was a real joy to be able to do that.' Might there be more 'Government Cheese' to come? 'That's the hope,' he says. 'Gosh, the last time I did seasons of anything was 24 years ago — it was called 'MI-5' here but 'Spooks' in the UK. A spy show, and we did three seasons of that. I have a very voracious and eclectic appetite. so I always like going from one thing to the next. But I loved doing this show. To do more of it would be great.' Oyelowo and his wife Jessica are behind Yoruba Saxon, a production company that has a first-look deal with Apple, where they have several projects in development. 'A big focus for me is the African continent,' he says. 'Over a billion people on that continent, and I feel like streaming has come along and solved the piracy issue. So the excuse of it not being a valid market, I think, has been eroded. We have several projects that are going to be be African, in either in location or in subject matter, which is something I'm deeply proud of.' Oyelowo's upcoming projects include a film about a man coming out of solitary confinement, directed by Nate Parker; as well as a psychological thriller. He is also developing a limited series based on the Chinua Achebe novel 'Things Fall Apart' with Idris Elba (they'll also star together), as well as 'Biafra,' focusing on the civil war in Nigeria, with the BBC. Also on this episode, Brett Goldstein discusses 'Shrinking' and 'Ted Lasso,' as well as his Emmy-contending HBO Max standup special 'Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life,' and whether he's working on his next routine. Listen below! Variety's 'Awards Circuit' podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, 'Awards Circuit' features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. Best of Variety Emmy Predictions: TV Movie — Peacock, HBO and Netflix Battle as 'Bridget Jones,' 'Mountainhead' and 'Rebel Ridge' Lead in 39-Title Race Emmy Predictions: Supporting Actor (Comedy) — 161 Hopefuls Include Apple TV+ Standouts From 'Shrinking' and 'The Studio' Emmy Predictions: Lead Actress (Limited) — Michelle Williams Leads 54 Contenders in Bid for Second Win With 'Dying for Sex'
Los Angeles Times
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
'Government Cheese': Crafting a Fantastical Family Saga on Apple TV+
On May 15, 2025, at The Culver Theater, Maira Garcia, television editor for the Los Angeles Times, moderated an insightful Q&A session delving into the unique world of Apple TV+'s 'Government Cheese.' The discussion featured Paul Hunter, the co-creator, writer and executive producer, and the series' star and executive producer, David Oyelowo, who shared the inspirations and creative processes behind the new show. 'Government Cheese' offers a vibrant and unconventional journey, born from Paul Hunter's desire to share something personal, drawing deeply from his own family experiences and upbringing. Transitioning from a celebrated career in music videos, Hunter brings this intimate narrative to the screen. 'I wanted to create the show to express something personal and tell the story about my family and my dad,' Hunter shared. The story itself evolved significantly; what began as a feature film idea transformed into a compelling short film script. It was this short film that captured David Oyelowo's attention and convinced him to become involved in what would eventually become the series. Oyelowo, an acclaimed actor, was immediately drawn to the series' quirky, fantastical tone and the unique opportunity to center Black characters in a way that is rarely seen on screen. 'I just hadn't read anything like this before,' Oyelowo said. 'It was so quirky, so weird, so fantastical, so surreal, but so relatable, so cinematic, so ambitious, all at the same time.' He highlighted Hunter's vision to portray Black characters through an artistic lens often associated with filmmakers like Spike Jonze or Wes Anderson. 'It was Paul as well, just as a person, as a creative, his passion for the story,' Oyelowo explained. The series establishes a strong sense of place, filmed in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. This setting, Hunter emphasized, was crucial to ground the show's whimsical tone, describing Chatsworth as their 'Twin Peaks' and a visual anchor. The distinctive visual style supports a narrative eager to break stereotypes. The characters, particularly the father figure Hampton (played by Oyelowo and inspired by Hunter's father), are intentionally portrayed as complex and flawed human beings. Hunter compared his on-screen family to the 'Addams Family,' aiming to 'capture who we were as a family and how normal we were, at least to us.' Interwoven throughout the narrative are prominent religious and spiritual themes, notably Hampton's journey paralleling the biblical story of Jonah, alongside the symbolic use of animals, which adds another layer to the storytelling. 'I really related to this idea through Hampton of a complicated relationship with God,' Oyelowo noted. 'There is no faith without doubt.' Music also plays an undeniable role in shaping the world of 'Government Cheese.' The show features a diverse soundtrack that reflects the personal experiences of its creators, with Hunter drawing from his eclectic childhood auditory landscape, blending artists like Elton John with Earth, Wind & Fire. This, along with a theme song by Pharrell Williams, underscores the show's distinctive rhythm. Ultimately, 'Government Cheese' emerges from this discussion not just as a new series but as a vibrant testament to the power of personal storytelling and bold artistic vision in a crowded television landscape. With its heartfelt narrative and distinctive style, the show, as detailed by Hunter and Oyelowo, is poised to leave a memorable mark, inviting audiences into a world that is as wonderfully peculiar as it is profoundly human.
The Review Geek
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Government Cheese – Season 1 Episode 8 Recap & Review
An Evening with Abraham Cohen Episode 8 of Government Cheese begins with Hampton and Harrison heading back home after their fishing trip. Harrison winds up seeing the temple flyer on the backseat but doesn't think much of it. Hampton meanwhile, crashes on the sofa. He waits for Harrison and Astoria to leave before grabbing the stash of money in his pocket. The whole encounter with the catfish is still playing on his mind, and this brings more surreal visions to life, including Bootsy who has been suspiciously absent for a few episodes. The crux of the issue here stems from that money, which Hampton knows he shouldn't have taken but his greed got the better of him. In the morning, Hampton drives to the temple and intends to give the money back but the rabbi shows up and stops him. With the money hidden behind his back, the Rabbi knows that he's a man in crisis and convinces Hampton to pray with him, ending with 'all will be forgiven'. Hampton leaves the wad of money on the podium before leaving, but it doesn't take long before word of the safe break-in spreads. The police show up to investigate the area, although they dismiss the neighbour talking about her fireplace. When the Rabbi finds the money on the podium, he wants to rescind his police report, believing all has been resolved. Despite the window latch being broken (thanks to Eli breaking it just before) it turns out Hampton took the building fund fees, not the charity funds. The police do leave but naturally, the female detective is not in the mood to just turn the other cheek, so they decide to look around the neighbourhood. They head over to the neighbour's place and find a shoe in the fireplace, which is a big clue. Meanwhile, Astoria shows off her designs to her boss, Mr Briess, who's impressed by her work. The position is opening up in San Francisco though so it means she'd need to move. However, she's confident that her husband will be able to look after the kids in her absence. Hampton thinks he's out the woods but the reality is he's far from it. Despite giving the money back, the detectives find Bootsy, dead, stuck in the chimney above the neighbour's place. Without a drill or tools with him though, the detectives realize that there may be another suspect. The Episode Review So Hampton's life is about to be completely upended and to be honest, he only has himself to blame for it. 8 episodes in, we've heard very little about his drill or RocketCorp which is pretty amusing because this is the entire crux of the situation and its just been brushed aside here in favour of the familial drama and the temple incident. All of this could have been avoided if Hampton just sold his drill and to be honest, given what we've seen, he's barely using it anyway. Its been a prop to break into the safe but he's not progressed in any way with the RocketCorp angle. And with 2 episodes left, it's unclear if he'll even circle back to this. The surrealism angle is a nice touch that continues to enhance this one, but the series is struggling to balance all these characters and actually flesh out their journeys in a meaningful way, which is a shame. Hopefully this one ends with a bang though. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
New York Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
David Oyelowo Considers Oprah ‘Chosen Family'
'Government Cheese' began as what David Oyelowo called 'a beautiful experiment.' He had long admired the fantastical storytelling of Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers. But he hadn't seen that applied to a Black family. Then the filmmaker Paul Hunter approached him about playing a version of his own father — an ex-con eager to reunite with his family and make his fortune — in a short film with absurdist elements set in the San Fernando Valley in 1969. Eventually they spun it into a television series for Apple TV+, taking care to leave that tone intact. 'We were very keen to make something that we knew might not be for everyone, but was very unique in its nature,' said Oyelowo, who is an executive producer on the show in addition to its lead. 'It's very rare that people of color get to make things where they are not feeling the need to explain their existence.' Oyelowo lives in the San Fernando Valley, where the series was shot, which meant there was little danger of violating the 'no more than two weeks apart' rule that he and his wife, Jessica, established early in their relationship. And which they've broken only once, by 11 hours. In a video interview, Oyelowo elaborated on why his rambunctious dogs, going to the movies and Oprah Winfrey are essential to his life. These are edited excerpts from the conversation. I was brought up in the church, but it never really meant much to me because I was sort of piggybacking my parents' faith. Then I had what can only be called a spiritual awakening at 16. And all of those stories that I grew up reading suddenly took on different meaning and have remained that way. It's where I learned the true definition of love. We've now known each other for 30 years. When we met, she was 17, I was 18, and she just hijacked my heart. There was a moment where I realized I couldn't picture a single day of my life going forward without her in it. Selfishness is an occupational hazard as an actor. But the greatest gift my kids have given me is selflessness. What being a father has afforded me is the opportunity to gain a new habit, which is to constantly be thinking about others. That's a mental health thing for me. I need to sweat. I need to get those endorphins going. I need to shake things up. I remember in playing Dr. King in 'Selma,' I had to gain about 30, 35 pounds, so I couldn't be in the gym for several months. I hadn't appreciated just how difficult it is to stay mentally sharp when you are not as physically active. We have a Bernese mountain dog, a Siberian husky and a Cavalier King Charles. They're too rambunctious. Two of them are very big, and I wish they didn't jump on us the way they do — but I also love the fact that they jump on us the way they do. Oprah and I met in 2011 during 'The Butler,' playing mother and son. I've lost both of my parents now, and they were massive in my life. Oprah has kind of become my chosen family, which has been a profound reality. I call her Mama, she calls me Son O. I just love the communal experience of going to the movies. Between being a storyteller and being a lover of community and being a real believer in the fact of the healing ability that story has as a mirror to humanity, I can't imagine my life without that privilege. It coincided with the #BringBackOur Girls movement for the Chibok schoolgirls who were kidnapped in Nigeria. As much as I love being a Nigerian, it's a very patriarchal society, and I'm a big believer that one of the ways to bring peace on earth is to have more female leadership. We started with three girls and we're now at 44 girls, and we pay for all of their education, all of their mental health needs, all of their menstrual health needs. That is where the contract between actor and audience is cemented. We are going to go on a journey together, and I am going to do everything I can to tell the truth. Giving a performance hundreds of times to an audience, you start to understand what it costs to tell the truth. I'm a bit of an A-type personality, but there is simply no way from a capacity standpoint that I could do as much as I'm doing without Darnell Rhea, who is carrying in her body about 25 to 30 percent of my brain. She is the GOAT. I've told Darnell that, at the very least, she has to give me seven years' notice if she's thinking of quitting because she's that good at her job.
