Weeds creator Jenji Kohan is prepping a quarantine-themed anthology series for Netflix entitled Social Distance
Jenji Kohan, the creative force behind much-loved shows such as Weeds and Orange Is The New Black, is working on a new concept for Netflix which is all about life in its current bizarre circumstance.
The television writer/producer, 50, has created a new anthology series about life in quarantine along with her team – and the new show is being conceptualized and produced remotely, with every contributor working from his or her home, according to Deadline.
Kohan, who has an overall deal with OITNB’s home streamer Netflix, is calling the new show Social Distance.
Wunderkind: Jenji Kohan, the creative force behind much-loved shows such as Weeds and Orange Is The New Black, is working on a new concept for Netflix called Social Distance
Netflix is surely enjoying beefed up viewing numbers during this period of at-home isolation, thanks in no small part to Tiger King.
As reported by Deadline, the production team for Kohan’s new series practiced social distancing while creating it, in accordance with ongoing recommendations still in place that prohibit gatherings for social, work-related or any other reasons.
The writers participated in the writing process via remote meetings, with the director also directing talent remotely.
The cast, who have yet to be announced by name, also filmed themselves acting from their respective homes.
Dominating: Kohan has an overall deal with OITNB’s home streamer Netflix, which is surely enjoying beefed up viewing numbers during this period of at-home isolation, thanks in no small part to Tiger King
Among those that Jenji is working with on the new show is showrunner and writer Hilary Weisman Graham, who worked on OITNB along with Showtime’s Kidding and Fox’s Bones.
Diego Velasco is acting as director and co-executive producer.
Velasco had previously directed an episode of Orange, which ran on Netflix from 2013 until last year, and he is also working with Kohan on her other upcoming Netflix series, Teenage Bounty Hunters.
On set: Jenji (upper right) is working with on the new show with several partners from Orange, including showrunner Hilary Weisman Graham and director/co-exec producer Diego Velasco
‘Our job as storytellers is to reflect reality, and in this new, bizarre, bewildering reality we are all experiencing, we feel passionate about finding connection as we all remain at a distance,’ the Social Distance producers told Deadline.
‘We’ve been inspired to create an anthology series that tells stories about the current moment we are living through — the unique, personal, deeply human stories that illustrate how we are living apart, together.
‘The experience of social distancing is currently universal, but no individual story is the same. Through a broad spectrum of tales and moments, some seismic and some mundane, we hope to capture a moment in time. And we hope that Social Distance will help people feel closer to one another,’ the production team concluded.
There is no word yet on when Social Distance is slated for release.
New way of working: Kohan and her production team for the new series Social Distance in fact practiced social distancing while creating it, with everyone doing their part from home
Weed queen: Kohan is also the brain behind the excellent Showtime show Weeds, which is reportedly getting a sequel series at Starz