– Showtime has announced that it will premiere "Jay Pharoah: Can I Be Me?" from standup comedian and impressionist Jay Pharoah, on Saturday, August 1st at 10 pm ET/PT. This is Pharoah’s first hour-long comedy special from The Cutting Room in New York City, which weaves in his most popular celebrity impressions, and offers his comedic insight on relationships, family, music and pop culture.
– Cornelius Smith Jr.’s has been upgraded to series regular on "Scandal," reprising his role as activist Marcus Walker in Season 5.
– Janine Sherman Barrois ("Criminal Minds," "ER," "The Jamie Foxx Show," "The PJs," "Third Watch") has inked a new multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Television that will see her create and develop new drama and comedy series.
– Rockmond Dunbar has booked a co-starring role opposite Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan in the Hulu original drama series "The Way," which is created by Jessica Goldberg, and follows a couple, Eddie (Paul) and Sarah (Monaghan) struggling with relationships, marriage and power. Dunbar will play a Detective Abe Gaines, described as a thorough FBI investigator who seems to be the only agent suspicious of the mysterious religious sect that recently responded to a natural disaster.
– Prentice Penny ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine") has been tapped to executive produce and as showrunner of HBO’s Issa Rae comedy pilot "Insecure," which is co-written by Rae and Larry Wilmore, and will be directed by top music video director Melina Matsoukas.
– Marvel Entertainment and ESPN Films are premiering "1 of 1 – Origins," the short film series that gives viewers a unique look at some of the world’s most successful athletes by mixing the non-fiction style of ESPN Films with original Marvel art, design and animation. All eight films will have a television premiere and will also be released on the ESPN 30 for 30 Facebook page the same day. Each short film focuses on a single athlete, all of whom have, like all Marvel Super Heroes, a defining story of the origin of their powers in their ascent to greatness in their sport. They will also be accessible digitally on Marvel.com.
The summary for each short film follows:
"1 of 1 – Origins: Colin Kaepernick" – Premiering July 10
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is one of the NFL’s biggest stars, but it was on the baseball diamond that a young Colin would be forever changed. At 12, he was already a standout athlete, head and shoulders over his peers in both size and skill. But on one fateful day, the hits were not coming and his father would see this opportunity as a moment to help redirect Colin’s life and forever alter his destiny.
"1 of 1 – Origins: Brandi Chastain" – Premiering July 13
At a pivotal moment during a childhood soccer game, Brandi Chastain gets a pass to her left foot. It was that kick where she would discover her power and later use it during the most dramatic penalty kick in USA soccer history.
"1 of 1 – Origins: Bryce Harper" – Premiering July 13
Major league baseball player Bryce Harper discovers the secret to his hitting powers as a little boy, but his destiny unfolds when he finally get the call to the big leagues.
"1 of 1 – Origins: Dwight Howard" – Premiering July 14
It was on a crude basketball court in middle school where NBA legend Dwight Howard played a pick-up game that would forever change his self-confidence and influence his ultimate destiny.
"1 of 1 – Origins: Amy Purdy" – Premiering July 15
Snowboarding star Amy Purdy tells her story of coming back from the brink of death, losing her legs, and finding her super power.
"1 of 1 – Origins: Phil Mickelson" – Premiering July 15
PGA super star Phil Mickelson finds his super power at the moment when others failed to persevere, and it was this moment that would propel him to the greatest heights in golf.
"1 of 1 – Origins: Danica Patrick" – Premiering July 16
Star racecar driver Danica Patrick retells the moment she discovered her super power as a 10 year-old racing go-carts. It was on a little track in rural Beloit, Wisconsin where she discovered that she would do anything to win, and found the internal drive and focus to accomplish greatness.
"1 of 1 – Origins: Tony Hawk" – Premiering July 17
Super star skater Tony Hawk was not always soaring to new heights, it was an early moment of failure during his childhood that would reshape his attitude and help him find his power.
Additionally, the feature-length documentary film, "1 of 1 – Genesis" will air on ESPN at 8:00 PM ET and then again at 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, July 14. "1 of 1 – Genesis" premiered on Netflix in March and features star athletes such as Russell Wilson, Dwight Howard and Danica Patrick. The film is also currently available on Digital HD through select digital retailers.
– And finally, Showtime will premiere the feature documentary, "Public Enemy: Live at Metropolis Studios," which features a special performance by one of the most influential hip hop acts of all time, at the world famous Metropolis Sound Studio in London. Twenty-five years after the release of Public Enemy’s most successful album, "Fear of a Black Planet," the rap legends Chuck D, Flavor Flav, DJ Lord and The S1W perform all of their fan favorites, interspersed with frank interview footage. Trailer below:
