A spinoff of the original “All American” series, “All American: Homecoming,” also focuses on the sports theme of its parent show, but moves to a newer, different setting, which doesn’t allude to the high school sports scene. from southern California. Simone Hicks moves to attend Bringston, an HBCU in Atlanta, where she joins the tennis team to regain her footing on the court, after her pregnancy is revealed in the original series.
Created by Nkechi Okoro Carroll, “All American: Homecoming” retains some of the cast members who appear on the parent show, such as former lead Geffri Maya as Simone Hicks, but also contains new faces, including Ari Beverly Carter as Imani and Kareem Lewis as Kevin Richardson. Since the parent show is inspired by a true story, it’s only natural that you wonder if that’s also the case with the spinoff. Well, we’re here to provide the details and answer your question!
Is All American Homecoming based on a true story?
No, ‘All American: Homecoming’ is not based on a true story. Unlike the parent show “All American”, which is inspired by the life of professional African-American football player Spencer Paysinger, the spin-off series revolves around one of the original series’ characters, Simone Hicks, a tennis player from Beverly Hills looks to get back on the court after a long hiatus, as well as an impressive baseball player Damon Sims from Chicago, as they go through the ups and downs of early adulthood while enjoying their independent and unsupervised life in one of the prestigious historically black clubs. colleges.
With this drama series, the main goal of those involved in the making is to try and provide an authentic depiction of the world through the eyes of black youth to a wider audience, which is why the backdrop of an HBCU is used. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, creator Nkechi Okoro Carroll admitted that she didn’t know much about HBCUs growing up. It was “A Different World”, a spin-off of “The Cosby Show”, which was his gateway to this world.
While there are movies like “Stomp the Yard” and “Drumline,” and shows like BET’s “The Quad,” the specific college lifestyle sees little screen time compared to other mainstream films and shows based at Princeton or Harvard. So, through “All American: Homecoming,” Carroll hopes to introduce more young viewers to the HBCU experience and make young people more open-minded. Carroll expanded on this saying, “It’s my way of hoping that I can present the HBCU experience and broaden the horizon for our youth as a whole.”
The creator added, “I’m completely surrounded by people who have been to HBCUs, and [they have this] the feeling of reuniting and finding a place where they felt allowed to be the version of Black that they were and really exploring what that means. Highlighting the importance of HBCU’s representation on the television screen, Clark University Atlanta alum Geffri Maya (Simone) told PopSugar, “I think it’s important to celebrate that tenacity. ; this persevering spirit will always keep us at the forefront, no matter who tries to knock us down.
The actress added, “…Going to an HBCU is not a script. It’s not a stage. It’s not a field trip. People actually go through that experience; it’s part of their lives. For us, having the opportunity to present our experiences, visions and dreams is special. Recognizing the difficulty of covering all the experiences lived in the series, Maya said that the spin-off tries to create a world where they can “hopefully touch things that people can relate to. So while “All American: Homecoming” isn’t based on a true story, it depicts the reality of HBCUs that many many people don’t know yet.
Read more: Shows like all Americans
