Arts & Entertainment
Lena Waithe’s comedy about a queer black woman gets pilot at TBS
‘Twenties’ follows Hattie and her two straight friends in Los Angeles
Lena Waithe (Photo courtesy of Instagram)
TBS has greenlit a pilot episode for “Twenties,” a comedy from the mind of “Master of None” star and writer, Lena Waithe.
According to Deadline, the show follows “queer black girl” Hattie and her two straight friends living their lives in Los Angeles.
“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,” Waithe tweeted.
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
In a statement to Deadline, Waithe explained that she wrote the series in 2009.
“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,” Waithe says.”Queer black characters have been the sidekick for long enough; it’s time for us to finally take the lead.”
Waithe made history as the first black woman to win Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2017. The winning episode of “Master of None,” titled “Thanksgiving,” told the story of her character Denise’s coming out through a series of Thanksgiving dinners.
She is also the creator and executive producer of the Showtime drama “The Chi,” which follows the lives of people in the South Side of Chicago. The series airs on Sundays at 10 p.m.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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