When They See Us

Not to be confused with the April 19, 1989 criminal case, the 2012 film about the case, the 2019 opera based on the case.

When They See Us
Genre
Created byAva DuVernay
Written by
Directed byAva DuVernay
Starring
ComposerKris Bowers[4]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
CinematographyBradford Young
Editors
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time64–88 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseMay 31, 2019 (2019-05-31)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

When They See Us is a 2019 American crime drama television miniseries created, co-written, and directed by Ava DuVernay for Netflix, that premiered in four parts on May 31, 2019. It is based on events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case and explores the lives and families of the five Black and Latino male suspects who were falsely accused then prosecuted on charges related to the rape and assault of a white woman in Central Park, New York City. The series features an ensemble cast, including Jharrel Jerome, Asante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Jovan Adepo, Michael K. Williams, Logan Marshall-Green, Joshua Jackson, Blair Underwood, Vera Farmiga, John Leguizamo, Felicity Huffman, Niecy Nash, Aunjanue Ellis, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and Kylie Bunbury.

When They See Us received critical acclaim, with particular praise for its cast. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, it received 11 nominations; Jerome won for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie while it was nominated for Outstanding Limited Series and Ellis, Nash, Blackk, Leguizamo, Williams, Blake, and Farmiga all received acting nominations. The series also won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Limited Series.

A companion special, titled Oprah Winfrey Presents When They See Us Now, in which the cast, the creator, and the exonerated five are interviewed, premiered on June 12, 2019, on Netflix and the Oprah Winfrey Network.[5]

  1. ^ Forsey, Zoe (July 9, 2019). "What happened to the Central Park Five - true story behind Netflix's When They See Us". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  2. ^ "Central Park Five Tragedy Reframed in Netflix Series 'When They See Us'". Innocence Project. May 24, 2019. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  3. ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (June 19, 2019). "Feel-bad TV: why are we obsessed with small-screen tragedy?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  4. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 10, 2019). "'When They See Us': How Composer Kris Bowers Evoked The Fear, Pain & Innocence In Ava DuVernay's Series – Crew Call Podcast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  5. ^ ""Oprah Winfrey Presents When They See Us Now" to Premiere June 12 at 10P on OWN and Netflix". The Futon Critic. June 7, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2019.