Unprisoned

Last updated
Unprisoned
Genre Comedy drama
Created by Tracy McMillan
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producers
Production location Los Angeles, California, USA
Production companies
Original release
Network Hulu
ReleaseMarch 10, 2023 (2023-03-10) –
July 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)

UnPrisoned is a comedy-drama television series created by Tracy McMillan, starring Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo. [1] The series is produced by Onyx Collective. [2] It premiered on Hulu on March 10, 2023. [3] UnPrisoned received generally positive reviews from critics. In November 2023, it was renewed for a second season [4] that premiered on July 17, 2024. [5] In September 2024, the series was cancelled after two seasons. [6]

Contents

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

Series overview

Series overview
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
1 8March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
2 8July 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)

Season 1 (2023)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"Repetition Compulsion" Kevin Bray Tracy McMillan March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
22"How to Be a Main Bitch" Shiri Appleby Jen BraedenMarch 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
33"Are You My Mother Wound?"Shiri Appleby Yvette Lee Bowser & Lane LyleMarch 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
44"In Dad We Distrust"Nastaran DibaiLauren CaltagironeMarch 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
55"F**k Normal"Nastaran DibaiMiguel NollaMarch 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
66"Nigrescence" Numa Perrier Peter SajiMarch 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
77"Unavailably Available"Numa PerrierJen Braeden & Tracy McMillanMarch 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
88"It's About Who You Want to Be" Pete Chatmon Tracy McMillanMarch 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)

Season 2 (2024)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
91"Don't Try Harder, Try Different" Shiri Appleby Tracy McMillan July 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)
102"How To Be A Cat"Shiri ApplebyLauren CaltagironeJuly 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)
113"How To Be Friends" Kevin Rodney Sullivan Peter SajiJuly 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)
124"Into-Me-You-See"Kevin Rodney SullivanJen BraedenJuly 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)
135"Trigger Happy" Thembi Banks Lane LyleJuly 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)
146"The Legend of the Rollerblades"Thembi BanksAmy Do ThurlowJuly 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)
157"A PTCD Christmas Carole" Pete Chatmon Tracy McMillanJuly 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)
168"The After-Party"Pete ChatmonJen Braeden & Lauren CaltagironeJuly 17, 2024 (2024-07-17)

Production

Filming

Production on the second season started in February 2024. [7]

Release

UnPrisoned premiered on March 10, 2023, on Hulu in the United States. [8] It was released internationally as an original series on Disney+, under the dedicated streaming hub Star, on Disney+ Hotstar, and on Star+ in Latin America. [9]

Reception

Audience viewership

According to Onyx Collective, the UnPrisoned premiere was Onyx Collective's most-watched Hulu premiere, and the series was the most-watched Hulu Original scripted series so far in 2023, as of March 2023. [10]

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 93% approval rating with an average rating of 7.8/10, based on 15 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A snappy comedy with weighty themes in tow, UnPrisoned lets Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo bounce off each other to delightful effect." [11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 75 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [12]

Daniel D'Addario of Variety praised the performances of Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo and complimented the dynamic between the characters, calling the show a "family story with genuine heart." [13] Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the show a grade of B+, writing, "The eight-episode season follows a fairly predictable path, and some of Paige's flights of fancy play more silly than funny. (Her chats with "Little Paige" largely work, though, because McIntosh is such a fierce little comedian.) Quibbles aside, UnPrisoned is the type of show that's still a rarity on TV: An intimate, heartfelt comedy about one family's piece of the Black experience." [14] Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter applauded the performances of Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo and described the series as "messy but fascinating." [15] Joel Keller of Decider asserted, "Winning performances by Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo make UnPrisioned a fun show to follow, despite the heavy intergenerational subject matter that's explored on the show." [16]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2023 Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Comedy Series Yvette Lee Bowser Nominated [17] [18]
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Numa Perrier Nominated
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series Kerry Washington Nominated
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series Delroy Lindo Nominated
2024 Astra TV Awards Best Directing in a Streaming Comedy SeriesNuma PerrierWon [19] [20]

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References

  1. ↑
    • Hullender, Tatiana (2023-03-25). "Unprisoned Cast & Creator On Comedic Timing Amidst Family Strife". Screen Rant . Retrieved 2023-03-31.
    • Otterson, Joe (May 13, 2022). "Kerry Washington, Delroy Lindo to Star in Onyx Collective Comedy Series 'Unprisoned'". Variety . Retrieved 2023-06-23.
    • Light, Row (March 15, 2023). "Delroy Lindo On Executive Producing And Starring Alongside Kerry Washington On UnPrisoned - Exclusive". Looper . Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2023-11-20). "Onyx's UnPrisoned Renewed For Season 2 On Hulu; Kerry Washington Re-Ups Over Deal With ABC Signature". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  5. ↑ Caruso, Nick (June 12, 2024). "John Stamos Helps the UnPrisoned Family Work on Themselves in Season 2 Trailer". TVLine. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  6. ↑ Otterson, Joe (September 27, 2024). "'UnPrisoned' Canceled After Two Seasons at Hulu". Variety. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Kerry Washington on Instagram: "your main bitches are back. #UnprisonedSeason2"". Instagram. February 5, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  8. ↑
  9. ↑
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ "Unprisoned: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Unprisoned: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  13. ↑ D'Addario, Daniel (2023-03-10). "Hulu's 'UnPrisoned' Tells a Post-Prison Family Story With Genuine Heart: TV Review". Variety . Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  14. ↑ Baldwin, Kristen (2023-03-09). "Delroy Lindo is so good in 'UnPrisoned,' it should be illegal". EW.com. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  15. ↑ Han, Angie (2023-03-07). "'UnPrisoned' Review: Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo in a Messy but Fascinating Hulu Dramedy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  16. ↑ Keller, Joel (10 March 2023). "'UnPrisoned' Hulu Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". Decider . Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  17. ↑ "2023 Black Reel TV Award Nominees". Black Reel Awards . Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  18. ↑ Complex, Valerie (June 15, 2023). "Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards Featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; 'The Best Man: Final Chapters' Leads With 18 Noms". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  19. ↑ Schneider, Michael (January 8, 2024). "'The Boys,' 'Succession' Land Most Honors at Astra TV Awards — Full Winners List". Variety . Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  20. ↑ Major, Michael (January 9, 2024). "HBO's SUCCESSION and Prime Video's THE BOYS Lead the 2024 Hollywood Creative Alliance Astra TV Awards". BroadwayWorld . Retrieved 2024-01-11.
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