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"Mama Flora's Family," a new four-hour mini-series starring Cicely Tyson, Queen Latifah, Blair Underwood, and Mario Van Peebles, which takes up where Alex Haley's renowned "Roots" saga left off, has begun production in Atlanta for broadcast in November on the CBS television network. Erika Alexander ("Living Single") also stars in the drama, which spans a half century and explores the challenges faced by matriarch Mama Flora and her family in the middle of the 20th century. It was adapted from the soon to be released novel by Alex Haley and David Stevens, based on a story by Haley, Jon Avnet and Jordan Kerner.
"Mama Flora's Family" reunites multiple Emmy Award winner Cicely Tyson with whom she collaborated in both the Georgia lensed "Fried Green Tomatoes" and the award-winning "Heatwave," the story of the Watts riots. She stars as Mama Flora, an African-American woman of modest means, who, through her tenacity, love and great emotional strength, instills the importance of God and family in her loved ones at a time when those ideals are questioned and tested. Flora never backs down from her beliefs as she guides three generations of her family through the ever changing American black experience through the 1970's.
"Mama Flora's Family" is an Avnet/Kerner Production. Jon Avnet (director of
"Fried Green Tomatoes," and "Up Close & Personal") Jordan Kerner
(producer of "Fried Green Tomatoes," and "George of the Jungle") and
Carol Schreder ("Call to Glory") are serving as executive producers. Peter
Werner ("Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story") is directing the
mini-series, which will shoot in Atlanta, Griffin, LaGrange, Senoia, and Haralson.