Friday, February 17, 2017

WGN AMERICA HOSTS CHICAGO PREMIERE SCREENING TO CELEBRATE SEASON TWO OF ITS HIT ORIGINAL SERIES ‘UNDERGROUND’

WGN AMERICA HOSTS CHICAGO PREMIERE SCREENING TO CELEBRATE SEASON TWO OF ITS HIT ORIGINAL SERIES ‘UNDERGROUND’

Series Star, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Who Graces the March 2017 Cover of Ebony
Will Participate in Q&A at DuSable Museum Tonight with
Magazine Editor-in-Chief Kyra Kyles

Season Two of ‘Underground’ Premieres Wednesday, March 8 at 10:00 PM ET/PT

WGN America is Now Available in High Definition on Comcast Xfinity in Chicago




LOS ANGELES, February 16, 2017 – WGN America will host an exclusive Chicago premiere screening of its hit original series “Underground” at the DuSable Museum of African American History tonight at 7:00 p.m. Immediately following the screening, series star, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, who graces the March 2017 cover of Ebony Magazine, will join the magazine’s Editor-in-chief Kyra Kyles for a Q&A session about returning to the series as Rosalee, a formerly timid and sheltered enslaved woman called upon to display untapped courage. Her performance as Rosalee in season one earned her an NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series.

The highly anticipated second season of “Underground,” which returns Wednesday March 8, 2017 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT with 10 hour-long episodes, follows an unremitting struggle for freedom within a divided America on the brink of civil war. Set in the aftermath of the Macon 7’s daring attempt to stage the greatest escape in history, this group of American heroes continues on their harrowing journey to freedom, with legendary abolitionist Harriet Tubman blazing the trail. 

We’re thrilled to partner with WGN America to bring an exclusive ‘Underground’ experience to our members.  We’re huge fans of the series, and are so proud to support a series that brings this imperative narrative front and center - in homes across the country and in our own backyard here in Chicago. ‘Underground’ reminds us of the power of the human spirit and that anything is possible if we come together as one,” said Perri Imer, President and CEO of the DuSable Museum of African-American History.

Jurnee Smollett-Bell is an award-winning actress and activist of rare talent and conviction. In addition to her starring role in “Underground,” she most recently co-starred alongside Robert DeNiro, Edgar Ramirez and Usher in the motion picture, Hands of Stone and is set to star in the independent feature, One Last Thing set to be released in 2017.   Smollett-Bell’s additional credits include films such as The Great Debater, Roll Bounce, Gridiron Gang, and Beautiful Joe, as well as television roles in in the critically acclaimed and award-winning series, “Friday Night Lights,” the HBO hit series, “True Blood” and more.

Underground,” delivered 3 million Total Viewers weekly, and made history as WGN America's most-watched original program ever in its freshman season. WGN America, the flagship entertainment network of Tribune Media Company which has its headquarters in Chicago, IL, is nationally distributed in nearly 80 million homes via cable, satellite and telco. The network is now available in high definition on Comcast Xfinity in Chicago, and it’s available on Dish Network and DirecTV on channels 239 and 307, respectively. For additional channel listings, please visit WGNAmerica.com.

The celebrated “Underground” cast includes: Jurnee Smollett-Bell (“Friday Night Lights,” The Great Debaters), Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton, Hidden Figures), Jessica de Gouw (“Arrow,” “Dracula”), Alano Miller (Loving, “Atlanta”), Christopher Meloni (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), Amirah Vann (“Girls,” And So It Goes) and Marc Blucas (“Blue Bloods”).

Additional guest stars this season include Aisha Hinds (“Under the Dome,” Star Trek Into Darkness) in the pioneering role of Harriet Tubman and Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winner and ten-time Grammy Award® winning singer-songwriter John Legend as renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Additional guest stars include Bokeem Woodbine (“Fargo”), Jasika Nicole (“Fringe,” “Scandal”), DeWanda Wise (“Shots Fired”), Michael Trotter (“Rosewood”), Jesse Luken (“Justified,” 42) and Sadie Stratton (“Code Black,” “Boy Meets World”).

From Sony Pictures Television, “Underground” is created and written by Misha Green ("Sons of Anarchy," "Heroes") and Joe Pokaski ("Heroes," "Daredevil"), who serve as Executive Producers alongside Emmy Award® winning executive producer/director Anthony Hemingway (“The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," “The Wire”); Academy Award-winning writer Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend) of Weed Road Pictures; Tory Tunnell (King Arthur, Holy Rollers) and Joby Harold (King Arthur, Edge of Tomorrow) of Safehouse Pictures; John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius of Get Lifted Film Co (Southside with You, La La Land).; and Mark Taylor (“MadTV”). Season two of the gripping original drama was shot in Savannah, Georgia.

WGN America and Tribune Studios
WGN America, the flagship entertainment network of Tribune Media Company (NYSE: TRCO) is nationally distributed in nearly 80 million homes via cable, satellite and telco, with high-quality entertainment programming including the breakout hit series “Outsiders” and “Underground.” The network also brings its audience a strong slate of popular first-run syndicated series and blockbuster movies.  Through Tribune Studios, the creative development arm of Tribune Media, original content is produced for WGN America and Tribune local stations nationwide.  Follow the network on Twitter @wgnamerica.  For additional information, please visit www.wgnamerica.com.

Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing and distributing programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to managing one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, SPT is home to a thriving US production business and operates 17 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 13 countries around the world. SPT’s worldwide networks portfolio includes 150 channel feeds, which are available in 178 countries reaching more than 1.3 billion cumulative households worldwide. Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company.

Social Media Handles:
Twitter:  @UndergroundWGN
Instagram: @UndergroundWGN

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