Twenties (TV series)

Twenties is an American single-camera comedy series created by Lena Waithe. The plot is semi-autobiographical and follows "a queer black girl, Hattie, and her two straight best friends, Marie and Nia, who spend most of their days talking 'ish' and chasing their dreams." The show stars Jonica T. Gibbs, Christina Elmore, Gabrielle Graham, Sophina Brown, and Big Sean.[2] It premiered on BET on March 4, 2020.[3][4] In June 2020, the series was renewed for a second season,[5] which premiered on October 13, 2021.[6]

Twenties
Three people are shown in a large picture frame, smiling at the camera.
Official promotional poster
GenreComedy[1]
Created byLena Waithe
Written byLena Waithe[2]
Starring
ComposerAmanda Jones
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producers
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time30 minutes[1]
Release
Original networkBET
Original releaseMarch 4, 2020 (2020-03-04) –
December 15, 2021 (2021-12-15)

Plot

The scripted comedy series follows a queer black woman in her twenties, Hattie (Jonica T. Gibbs), and her two straight best friends, Marie (Christina Elmore) and Nia (Gabrielle Graham), as they try to find their footing in life, love, and the professional world in Los Angeles.[2]

Cast

Recurring
  • Madeleine Byrne as Lauren
  • Shylo Shaner as Idina
  • Ashli Haynes as Courtney
  • Parker Young as Zach
  • Alex Akpobome as Ben

Guest stars

Episodes

Series overview
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
18March 4, 2020 (2020-03-04)April 15, 2020 (2020-04-15)
210October 13, 2021 (2021-10-13)December 15, 2021 (2021-12-15)

Season 1 (2020)
Twenties, season 1 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [9]Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [9]U.S. viewers
(millions)
11"Pilot"Justin SimienLena WaitheMarch 4, 2020 (2020-03-04)0.56[10]
22"I've Got the World on A String"Tiffany JohnsonLena WaitheMarch 4, 2020 (2020-03-04)0.45[10]
33"Happy Place"Tiffany JohnsonDaniel WillisMarch 11, 2020 (2020-03-11)0.47[11]
44"You Know How I Like It"Juel TaylorKimiko Matsuda-LawrenceMarch 18, 2020 (2020-03-18)0.56[12]
55"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing"Juel TaylorNaomi IwamotoMarch 25, 2020 (2020-03-25)0.53[13]
66"Redemption Song"Justin TippingKeli GoffApril 1, 2020 (2020-04-01)0.52[14]
77"What Would Todd Do?"Justin TippingPatricia Ione LloydApril 8, 2020 (2020-04-08)0.49[15]
88"Living The Dream"Justin TippingAzie DungeyApril 15, 2020 (2020-04-15)0.51[16]

Season 2 (2021)
Twenties, season 2 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [17][9]Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [17][9]U.S. viewers
(millions)
91"One Night Only?"Diego VelascoSusan Fales-HillOctober 13, 2021 (2021-10-13)0.49[18]
102"Special Delivery"Diego VelascoDaniel WillisOctober 20, 2021 (2021-10-20)0.49[19]
113"Killing Me Softly with His Song"Steven TsuchidaLaDarian SmithOctober 27, 2021 (2021-10-27)0.63[20]
124"Everything"Steven TsuchidaM. CornishNovember 3, 2021 (2021-11-03)0.56[21]
135"Cop or Drop?"MalakaiNaomi IwamotoNovember 10, 2021 (2021-11-10)0.46[22]
146"Epiphany"MalakaiPatricia Ione LloydNovember 17, 2021 (2021-11-17)0.59[23]
157"Dancing in the Moonlight"Cierra ClaudeKimiko Matsuda-LawrenceNovember 24, 2021 (2021-11-24)0.49[24]
168"New Beginnings"Jingyi ShaoNaomi IwamotoDecember 1, 2021 (2021-12-01)0.60[25]
179"Everything I Wanted"Jingyi ShaoBrenson ThomasDecember 8, 2021 (2021-12-08)0.52[26]
1810"How Do You Feel?"Cierra ClaudeM. CornishDecember 15, 2021 (2021-12-15)0.54[27]

Twenties After-Show With B. Scott
No.Title [28][29]Original air date [28][29]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Lena Waithe & Jonica T. Gibbs"October 13, 2021 (2021-10-13)0.31[18]
2"Iman Shumpert NBA player and & JessHilarious"October 20, 2021 (2021-10-20)0.31[19]
3"Xavier Watson & Amber Whittingham"October 27, 2021 (2021-10-27)0.37[20]
4"Jevon McFerrin & Crystal Anderson"November 3, 2021 (2021-11-03)0.32[21]
5"Sophina Brown, Derica Cole Washington & Rich Fresh"November 10, 2021 (2021-11-10)0.27[22]
6"Kenya Moore & Shylo Shaner"November 17, 2021 (2021-11-17)0.40[23]
7"Parker Young & Christina Elmore"November 24, 2021 (2021-11-24)0.26[24]
8"Estelle, David Bernard Jones, Lea Robinson"December 1, 2021 (2021-12-01)0.38[25]
9"Donnell Rawling & Nia Jervier"December 8, 2021 (2021-12-08)0.34[26]
10"Jonica T. Gibbs, Big Sean & Gabrielle Graham"December 15, 2021 (2021-12-15)0.32[27]

Production

Development

Lena Waithe wrote the series when she was in her twenties based on her experience of Los Angeles when she first moved there.[2] She stated that she was intentional about creating a series starring a "masculine-presenting stud" with straight friends because that was her own personal experience.[30] Waithe asked Susan Fales-Hill to help her produce the series, which was initially in talks to be produced by BET, then landed at Hulu before being picked up by BET again.[30] It is the first series on the network to center a queer lead character.[30]

On April 15, 2019, BET announced that they had ordered the eight-episode comedy series, Twenties, written by Lena Waithe.[31] Waithe is the co-showrunner with Fales-Hill. The two are also executive producers with Rishi Rajani and Andrew Coles.[31] The director of the pilot, and co-executive producer is Justin Tipping.[3]

Of her experience filming Twenties, Waithe stated that BET gave no notes and was supportive of the producers' creative vision.[2]

On June 26, 2020, BET renewed the series for a second season.[5] A talk show hosted by B. Scott, Twenties After-Show With B. Scott, premiered on October 13, 2021.[6]

Release

The series premiered on March 4, 2020.[4] The second season premiered on October 13, 2021.[6]

Critical reception

Twenties has received "generally favorable reviews" according to aggregator Metacritic, where it received a score of 73/100.[32] It received a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is described in the critics consensus, "sharply written and hilarious relatable, Twenties is another impressive series from creator Lena Waithe that also announces Jonica T. Gibbs as a talent to watch."[7]

In a review for Variety, Caroline Framke wrote, "In large part thanks to Gibbs' appealingly loose performance, it's entertaining to watch Hattie figure out how to break into the business, but without any clear motivations pushing her, it's frustratingly ephemeral. If she and Twenties want to be memorable, they both have to figure out what's actually driving them to do it."[33] In a less positive review, Kellee Terrell of The A.V. Club stated: "Pilots are always tricky because they have to introduce viewers to new characters and rules, but the hyperfocus on Blackness distracts from the real issue at hand: [] character development."[34]

    Accolades
    Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
    2022 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Twenties Nominated [35]

    References
    1. Harris, LaTesha (December 3, 2019). "TV News Roundup: BET Releases Trailer for Lena Waithe's 'Twenties'". Variety. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
    2. Ju, Shirley (August 1, 2019). "Lena Waithe on Casting Big Sean for BET Series 'Twenties': 'He's Phenomenal, So Natural'". Variety. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
    3. Petski, Denise (December 3, 2019). "'Twenties' Trailer: First Look At Lena Waithe's New BET Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
    4. Sepinwall, Alan; Fontoura, Maria (January 3, 2020). "25 Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2020". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
    5. Petski, Denise (June 26, 2020). "Lena Waithe's 'Twenties' Renewed For Season 2 By BET". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
    6. Del Rosario, Alexandra (September 16, 2021). "'Twenties': BET Sets Season 2 Premiere Date For Lena Waithe Series, After-Show Hosted By B. Scott". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
    7. "Twenties: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
    8. Petski, Denise (December 3, 2019). "'Twenties' Trailer: First Look At Lena Waithe's New BET Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
    9. "Twenties – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
    10. Metcalf, Mitch (March 5, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.4.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 6, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
    11. Metcalf, Mitch (March 12, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.11.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
    12. Metcalf, Mitch (March 19, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.18.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
    13. Metcalf, Mitch (March 26, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.25.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
    14. Metcalf, Mitch (April 2, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.1.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
    15. Metcalf, Mitch (April 8, 2020). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 9, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
    16. Metcalf, Mitch (April 15, 2020). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
    17. "Twenties – Season 2 Listings". Zap2It. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
    18. Metcalf, Mitch (October 14, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 10.13.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals &Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
    19. Metcalf, Mitch (October 21, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 10.20.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
    20. Metcalf, Mitch (October 28, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 10.27.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
    21. Metcalf, Mitch (November 4, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 11.3.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
    22. Metcalf, Mitch (November 11, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 11.10.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
    23. Metcalf, Mitch (November 18, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 11.17.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
    24. Metcalf, Mitch (November 29, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 11.24.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
    25. Metcalf, Mitch (December 2, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 12.1.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals (& Network Finals to come) UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
    26. Metcalf, Mitch (December 9, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 12.8.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals (& Network Finals to come) UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
    27. Metcalf, Mitch (December 16, 2021). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Wednesday 12.15.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
    28. "Twenties After-Show With B. Scott Listings". Zap2It. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
    29. "Twenties After-Show With B. Scott – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
    30. Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 14, 2020). "Lena Waithe Redefines Queer Black Narrative On BET's 'Twenties', Talks Being A Truth-Teller In A Hetero World: "I Had To Be My Own Revolution" – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
    31. Petski, Denise (April 15, 2019). "Lena Waithe Comedy 'Twenties' Gets Series Order At BET". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
    32. Twenties, retrieved 2020-03-09
    33. Framke, Caroline (March 3, 2020). "Lena Waithe's 'Twenties': TV Review". Variety. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
    34. "Lena Waithe's Twenties has potential and one glaring problem". The A.V. Club. 4 March 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
    35. "The Nominees for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards". GLAAD. 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
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