ABC Teams With Debra Martin Chase To Adapt Gail Lumet Buckley’s Book ‘The Black Calhouns’ As Miniseries

Debra Martin Chase (Sparkle) is set to produce The Black Calhouns, a miniseries for ABC that chronicles the story of one African American family against the backdrop of major events in American history. The project, now in development, is based on The Black Calhouns, the family history book written by Gail Lumet Buckley, daughter of Hollywood icon Lena Horne.

ABC Signature Studios, a division of ABC Studios, has optioned the tome, published on February 2, 2016 by the Atlantic Monthly Press, for Martin Chase Productions to develop as a miniseries.

The Black Calhouns is the epic saga of Buckley’s family, detailing the experiences of an extraordinary African American clan from the beginning of Reconstruction through the civil rights movement. Martin Chase will executive produce with Howard Rosenman. Amy Lumet, Buckley’s daughter, will serve as a producer alongside Charles Pugliese of Martin Chase Prods. Buckley serves as a consultant.

Chase, whose company has been based at ABC Studios, is executive producing Conviction, a legal drama inspired by the life of Kym Worthy, the chief prosecutor of Wayne County, MI, known as the toughest woman in Detroit. The project, also executive produced by How To Get Away With Murder star Viola Davis, was recently set up for development at TNT after originating at ABC and ABC Studios.

Chase is repped by CAA and attorneys Nina Shaw and Laurie Megery. Rosenman is repped by Shep Rosenman of Katz Golden and Rosenman. Lumet is represented by Marc Bailian. The book property was repped by Lynn Nesbit of Janklow & Nesbit.