This week, Warner Bros. Television Group announced it has renewed its overall deal with award-winning executive producer, writer and showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois (“Claws,” “The Kings of Napa”). The agreement continues the Studio’s ongoing relationship with Sherman Barrois, who has been under a series of overall deals with WBTV since 2015. This is her third pact with the Studio.
Under terms of the deal, Sherman Barrois will continue to develop original programming to be produced through WBTV for all platforms, including WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, external streaming services, cable, and the five broadcast networks. Through the WBTV pact, Sherman Barrois currently serves as creator, executive producer and showrunner of the new drama series “The Kings of Napa” for OWN (Tuesdays 8/7c). She is also executive producer of the acclaimed one-hour comedy “Claws,” which is currently airing its fourth and final season on TNT (Sundays 9/8c).
“I’m thrilled to finally be launching Folding Chair Productions, whose home will be Warner Bros. Television. Channing Dungey, Brett Paul and the entire WarnerMedia family’s commitment to my hefty creative slate is undeniable, and with the new addition of Nikita Adams, a dynamic force in the business, we are destined to soar,” said Sherman Barrois.
Sherman Barrois is also launching her own multi-media production company, Folding Chair Productions, which produces elevated content by creative disruptors who are seeking a place at the table. Her company’s name is derived from one of her favorite quotes, “if they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair,” spoken by the late Shirley Chisholm, the first woman and African American to run for President of the United States, and the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. The new company aims to develop thought-provoking content with established and up-and-coming talent, and will focus on series for network television and streaming services, and feature films.
“I’m so thrilled that we can continue our partnership with the incredibly talented creative force that is Janine Sherman Barrois. From her work as showrunner of the bold and wildly inventive Claws, and the inspirational limited series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, and now creator of the new aspirational family soap The Kings of Napa, Janine has consistently delivered compelling shows that are both entertaining and reflective of the world we live in. We are honored to work with her, and we look forward to all that is to come,” said Warner Bros. Television Group Chairman Channing Dungey.
Working alongside Sherman Barrois at Folding Chair Productions is Nikita S. Adams, her new Head of Television. Adams was previously an agent at Paradigm Talent Agency and, most recently, at A3 Artists Agency, where she represented writers, talent, brands and production companies. Before becoming an agent, she was a production and development executive for Jamie Foxx’s FoxxKing Entertainment, The Hallmark Channel, BET International and Forest Whitaker’s Juntobox Films.
Sherman Barrois previously served as executive producer and showrunner of the acclaimed Netflix/WBTV limited series “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker,” starring Octavia Spencer, who was nominated for an Emmy® for her work on the project. Before her overall deals with WBTV, Sherman Barrois spent five years as an executive producer on the longtime hit series “Criminal Minds” for CBS. Prior to that, she was an executive producer on the groundbreaking Emmy® Award–winning drama “ER” for NBC and WBTV, working on the final four seasons of the show. Before “ER,” she spent five seasons on the NBC/WBTV/John Wells Productions drama “Third Watch,” rising from story editor to co-executive producer. She also wrote for Eddie Murphy’s “The PJs” and “The Jamie Foxx Show.”
A graduate of the Warner Bros. Television Writers’ Workshop, Sherman Barrois has been honored with multiple NAACP Image Awards and was nominated for the prestigious Humanitas Prize for her writing. She is an active member of the Writers Guild of America, where she serves in the organization’s mentoring program as a judge for the Writers’ Access Project, and on the selection committee of its Showrunner Training Program.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
