Ava DuVernay making leap to unscripted TV with ‘social experiment’

Ava DuVernay is ready to bring the world a new kind of television show. The When They See Us director and newly minted Academy Award Board of Governors member revealed that her next series is all about bridging the divide between people during these strange times. It’s also one heck of a social experiment.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Home Sweet Home will feature families from very different backgrounds switching homes in order to fully walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. A 10-episode season has already been picked up by NBC and will be produced by Warner Bros. “The idea for Home Sweet Home came to me during the strange and important times we’re all experiencing. The premise is that we are farther apart than ever, yet bound by what we have in common—concerns with health, safety, justice and community," DuVernay said."These notions manifest in each of us in different ways, but nowhere more striking than in the privacy of our own homes. I'm thrilled that NBC and Warner Horizon embraced the challenge of this moment to celebrate the specificity of our differences as we discover the many beautiful things that we have in common."This is DuVernay’s first trip into unscripted territory, but she has plenty of TV and film experience on her resume with additional projects like Cherish the Day, Queen Sugar, Selma, and even the upcoming series about footballer/activist Colin Kaepernick’s high school days. She’s also extremely well versed in the documentary world thanks to projects like the Oscar-nominated 13^th, This is the Life, and August 28: A Day in the Life of a People.

Moving into non-scripted TV with our new show HOME SWEET HOME feels like a beautiful extension of my doc work and our ongoing mission at @ARRAYNow. Thanks to our long-time partners at Warner Bros and our new friends at @NBC for holding hands with us on this one. Excited about it! https://t.co/O1BmfHPC8P

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) July 16, 2020

In each episode of Home Sweet Home the point is to challenge racial, religious, economic, geographic, gender and identity assumptions, according to THR. And to achieve that the families that participate won’t just switch homes, but they will become fully immersed in the other family’s lives."We are honored to partner with Ava for the first time to bring Home Sweet Home to life at NBC," the Peacock network added in a statement. "Led by Ava's powerful and hopeful creative vision, these stories will reveal genuine moments of change that we hope will spark thought-provoking conversations and encourage compassion, empathy and understanding."It's unclear when production on the series could begin given current restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic, but Hollywood is currently plotting out pilots and projects for the 2021-22 TV season, so fans should expect more announcements in the coming months.[video_embed id='1996035']BEFORE YOU GO: Check out these side-by-side photographs of historical figures and their descendants[/video_embed]