Variety reports that Netflix has ordered “Turn Up Charlie,” an Idris Elba vehicle about a struggling DJ who becomes a nanny, or “manny”, to his celebrity best friend’s petulant daughter. For me, the description immediately harkens to something of a bygone television tradition depicting Black folks giving parental guidance in a paternal or maternal fashion to folks, mostly white folks, though.
Co-created by Elba and TV producer Gary Reich, “Take Down Charlie” has an eight-episode first season and is a half-hour. Production begins in the United Kingdom next month.
Matt Lipsey. Laura Neal, Femi Oyeniran, and Victoria Asare-Archer serve as writers with Georgia Lester also serving as a writer as well as supervising producer. Martin Joyce and Ana Garanito are co-executive producers. Gill Isles will serve as producer. The series will be co-produced by Reichs Brown Eyed Boy Productions and Elbas Green Door Pictures.
Elba is also an accomplished DJ in the real world, having performed at festivals like Snowbombing, Glastonbury, Creamfields, and Elrow London.
