EXCLUSIVE: Jalen Rose’s South West High will bow on Tubi on February 23. Rose is the co-creator and EP of the show and also stars in the series, which is the first project from his newly-minted label Same Page Entertainment. As well as the launch date on streaming, we’ve got the first pics from the series (main picture, above, and more below).
Longtime NBA player turned sports analyst Jalen Rose partnered with Tom Gores, Chairman and Founder of Platinum Equity and owner of the Detroit Pistons, to launch Same Page, as Deadline was first to report.
The company’s slate is focused on stories and talent from Detroit and across Michigan, with South West High its first project out of the gates. The show is set in a struggling inner-city high school. Rose plays Nolan Thomas, a former professional basketball player turned family man, who returns to his alma mater as principal. Per the synopsis: As Nolan pushes for reform, he must confront painful truths about power, accountability and sacrifice, realizing that saving a school may require risking everything he holds dear.
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Rose explained that opening the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy provided inspiration for the drama. “This series is fiction, but the spirit behind it is very real,” he said. “I wanted to share stories that reflect what I’ve witnessed for years – young people lifting each other up and believing in a future full of possibility. Creating this project also gave me the chance to collaborate with my longtime friend and former classmate Ty Mopkins, and continue telling stories rooted in our community.”
The South West High cast also includes Dawn Halfkenny (Saints & Sinners), Towanda Braxton (Braxton Family Values), Christina Cooper (The Oval), former NFL linebacker Stevie Baggs Jr., Brooklyn “Queen” Oates and Don Brumfield Jr. Guest stars will include Anna Maria Horsford (Friday), the Detroit rapper Sada Baby and FOX 2 Detroit news anchor Maurielle Lue.
South West High was created and EP’d by Rose, Mopkins and Dennis Reed II who also wrote and directed the series. Grammy-nominated artist Royce 5’9” was music supervisor on the show and composed the score alongside Denaun Porter.
Check out some shots from the show.
