‘Overlooked’ Anthology Series Of Notable Female Obituaries In Works By NY Times

The New York Times is partnering with Paramount Television, Anonymous Content and 3dot Productions on Overlooked, a scripted anthology series that highlights the stories of notable women who did not receive an obituary in The Times.

The series will consist of 10 episodes per season, each one telling the story of a different woman who left an indelible mark. Each episode will be written and directed by women.

Per the producers, since 1851, The New York Times has published tens of thousands of obituaries — from heads of state to opera singers, from inventors to athletes — the vast majority of which have chronicled the lives of men, mostly white ones. The deaths of many incredible women and people of color were not covered by The Times. That includes Charlotte Brontë, who wrote Jane Eyre; Emily Warren Roebling, who oversaw construction of the Brooklyn Bridge when her husband fell ill; Madhubala, who transfixed Bollywood; and Ida B. Wells, who campaigned against lynching.

Overlooked is an editorial project from The Times’ obituaries desk to tell those stories and recognize women who were visionaries, virtuosos and trailblazers in art, politics, business and more. It has become a regular feature in NYT’s obituaries section, with new profiles added each week.

The anthology TV series falls under Paramount TV and Anonymous Content’s expanded first-look deal.

Anonymous Content’s Joy Gorman Wettels (13 Reasons Why) will executive produce with Liza Chasin’s (Darkest Hour, Baby Driver) 3dot Productions and The New York Times.

The New York Times also is behind the recently announced The Weekly, a weekly narrative documentary news program produced by The Times and Left/Right for FX and Hulu. The series is scheduled to premiere later this year on FX, with episodes available for streaming exclusively on Hulu the next day

Anonymous Content represents the film and TV rights for The New York Times.

Paramount TV and Anonymous Content’s partnership has yielded a number of series, including Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why, Epix’s Berlin Station, TNT’s The Alienist as well as the upcoming Maniac on Netflix.