Thursday, March 28, 2024

Funny: Yvonne Orji Creates ‘First Gen’ Nigerian-American Sitcom (Watch)

Yvonne Orji - Creator, Writer, Actress, Director, Executive Producer of FirstGen, a sitcom pilot
Yvonne Orji – Creator, Writer, Actress, Director, Executive Producer of FirstGen, a sitcom pilot

*”First Gen is a sitcom pilot written by comedian/actress Yvonne Orji. The story is semi autobiographical and draws loosely from Yvonne’s stand-up routines and real life experiences.

At it’s core, “First Gen” is a comedy about a Nigerian girl who trades medical school for a career in stand-up comedy and the adventures that ensue after her strict African mother discovers her plans. It’s a super funny and refreshing take on the modern day immigrant family. 

“First Gen” will resonate with a multitude of audiences, but especially, children of immigrant parents from a variety of backgrounds living in America, of which there are millions. The familiar themes of family, tradition and living up to parents’ expectations are universal, and extend beyond race, gender or religion. 

The goal of “First Gen” is to be sold to a major network and produced into a sitcom that will be enjoyed by masses for years to come. To help those efforts, the FG team will produce a pilot presentation and a Docu-series.

The Docu-Series.

In attempts to highlight the richness and universality of the “First Gen” experience, the FG team put together a mini docu-series showcasing the humorous, the hearfelt, and the heroic tales of First Generationers. Watch the episodes here.

Yvonne Orji – Creator, Writer, Actress, Director, Executive Producer 

As a first generational Nigerian-American, Yvonne grew up believing she was going to be a medical doctor, until she discovered that the sight, smell and taste of blood was no bueno! Oh, and flunking organic chemistry didn’t help either. Not one to disappoint her immigrant parents, Yvonne decided to settle on a compromise: Grad School. While earning her Masters in Public Health, she entered the Miss Nigeria In America Pageant.

A week before the competition, she realized she didn’t have a talent (and tribal dancing was out of the question), so she did the only logical thing there was to do: pray. The response came back: “do comedy.” Left with little options and an expensive Macy’s bill, (pageant dresses ain’t cheap!), she did just that…comedy. And thus a dream, a career, and a script were born. The First Gen Show is loosely based off Yvonne’s comedy material and real-life experiences.

Chika Chukudebelu – Executive Producer

Chika, also a first-generational Nigerian-American, is a creative executive at BET Networks, overseeing projects such as, Being Mary Jane and The Game. Prior to her time at BET, chika worked on several film and TV projects including The Lord of the Rings, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle and This American Life (TV). She is a proud graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the creator/host of the life-inspiring podcast, The Blueprint Show

Katherine Oyegun – Producer

Kay, as she is affectionately known, is a hysterical human being, an absolutely talented writer, and also a by-product of Nigerian parents who imigrated to America, thus making her a first-gen-er (notice a pattern?). A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Southern California, USC’s, MFA program, Kay currently works in comedy development at ABC Studios (even though she swears she’s more drama than humor… we don’t buy it either!)

Watch the pilot for “First Gen”:

 

 

 

 

 

source:
Kenicia Black
keniciablack@gmail.com

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