The CW Picks Up New Football Series All American, Starring Daniel Ezra,Taye DiggsPosted by Wilson Morales
May 14, 2018
Among last week’s pickup and cancellations on numerous show, The CW has given a series order to All American, a football drama executive-produced by Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.
April Blair (Reign) will write and executive-produce alongside Berlanti, Schechter and Rob Hardy.
The cast includes Daniel Ezra (The Missing), Taye Diggs (Private Practice), Cody Christian (Teen Wolf), Bre-Z (Empire) Samantha Logan (13 Reasons Why), Monet Mazur (Castle), Greta Onieogou, Michael Evans Behling and Karimah Westbrook (Shameless, Aquarius).
Written by Blair and directed by Rob Hardy, the project is inspired by the life of pro football player Spencer Paysinger. It centers on Spencer James (Ezra), a rising high school football player from Crenshaw who is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High. The wins, losses and struggles of two families from vastly different worlds — Crenshaw and Beverly Hills — begin to collide. The smart and charming son of a single mother, Spencer is a talented athlete and A+ student who must learn to deal with a host of emotions when he transfers from Crenshaw High to Beverly Hills High.
Diggs will take on the role of Billy Baker, who, having attended Crenshaw High himself, is the head coach of Beverly Hills High’s football team. He has an intense desire to see Spencer succeed — on and off the field — even if his efforts impact his relationship with his own son. Logan will play Olivia Baker, Jordan’s (Michael Evans Behling) younger sister who befriends Spencer due to their shared experience of feeling like outsiders at the elitist high school.
Bre-Z will play Tiana “Coop” Cooper. Tough, funny and always loyal, Coop is Spencer’s best friend, a gay woman living in a world that isn’t always accepting of her. Although she struggles to fit in at Crenshaw High and Spencer keeps her safe, she supports him when he leaves the neighborhood in hopes of a better life. Onieogou will portray Leila Faisal. Beautiful, sweet and breezily confident, Leila is a student of Beverly Hills High who seems to have it all, but there’s more lying beneath her veneer of perfection.
