Story of WGN’s “Underground” is as Relevant Today as Yesterday

The two Underground panels followed one for another sophomore show on the network Outsiders In another unusual and very smart move WGN took over another ballroom in the Langham Huntington Hotel down the hall from the Grand Ballroom where all press conferences during this tour have taken place and turned it into lounge area that was open throughout the dayamp160 In this location critics could informally drop in at any time and talk with the networkamp8217s talent executives and publicists or schedule oneonone interviews at specific times in the roomamp160 It was a very welcome change from the way most talent is shepherded through TCAs amp8211 they appear on stage for sessions are then surrounded by dozens of reporters during frantic scrums afterward and then they disappear never to be seen again unless their network has a party that evening and they are obligated to attend amp160Noteamp160 Sometimes the talent is none too happy to be suddenly immersed in a scrumamp160 A amp8220majoramp8221 star who appeared here on Friday to promote a show amp8211 not a WGN series amp8211 recoiled in horror at the end of that networkamp8217s session as dozens of reporters scurried toward the stage asking the nearby handlers amp8220Are they supposed to do thatamp8221Talking about the impact that the first season of Underground had here and in other countries where it is seen and the likely response season two will have series star Alano Miller who plays cunning slave Cato said amp8220The first season was empowering to a lot of people amp160This season is about amp8216citizen versus soldieramp8217 amp160So when you talk about that itamp8217s about the fact that as citizens we can sit by and let these things happen these atrocities or we can be soldiers and actually stand up and do something about them amp160We are in that time right now so this show is very relevant to thatamp8220I think Underground as a whole will constantly be relevant because it is about humans finding their voiceamp8221 Miller continued amp160amp8220Itamp8217s about them taking a stand and saying amp8216We are here We should be respected We should be equalamp8217 amp160All over the world people are being taken advantage of and theyamp8217re trying to be seen and heard amp160This show does a brilliant job of doing that this season as well as it did the first seasonamp8221 amp160Miller is pictured at top right with costar Aldis Hodgeamp8220Itamp8217s spreading further and further which is wonderfulamp8221 added his costar Jessica de Gouw who plays socialite and abolitionist Elizabeth Hawkes amp8220You know weamp8217re experiencing the same turbulent political social environment These issues are very relevant amp160amp160Iamp8217m sure that echoes with the rest of the world Everywhere people will find the relevance and people will find the heart and people will find the motivation that I think weamp8217re hoping to encourageamp8221Legend spoke with great insight about the pressure of portraying so iconic a figure in American history as Frederick Douglassamp160 amp8220He was the most photographed man in the 19th century and led the abolitionist movement in a way that will always be remembered and reveredamp8221 he noted amp160amp8220The opportunity to play him is a humbling thing for me to do Mind you my role is very small in the overall arc of the series and I donamp8217t want to overinflate it It was not much more than a cameo but it was an honor for me to be part of the show in this wayamp8221Asked about amp8220Heavenamp8217s Dooramp8221 the moving theme song he produced for the series Legend replied amp8220I was inspired by American history amp8230 understanding what the ideals of America have been since its founding and how we have often failed to live up to those ideals I guess with a sense of the irony of being the land of the free the home of the brave while also being a nation divided by slavery and racism and all the issues weamp8217ve dealt with over the centuries of this country This song is kind of addressing that duality of where our ideals are and how we often fail to live up to themamp8221One critic wanted to know if the current mood of the country the idea that we as a people are somehow divided influenced the writing of season twoamp8220Of courseamp8221 replied cocreator cowriter and executive producer Joe Pokaskiamp160 amp8220The sad truth is that itamp8217s almost like weamp8217re having the same problem that never quite went away amp160The more we read things from 1858 itamp8217s amazing how much theyamp8217re still very much relevant todayamp8221amp8220This story is as old as time but as contemporary as todayamp8217s headlinesamp8221 added executive producer Anthony Hemingwayamp160amp8220Thatamp8217s the beautiful thing I think these revolutionaries created and left us with a really great blueprint to pull from to draw from that I think inspires us to move forward and to find our own acts and activism amp8230 trying to find that healing mechanism that weamp8217re always looking for to healamp8221Cocreator cowriter and executive producer Misha Green did not hold backamp160amp8220I donamp8217t think we changed anything for this seasonamp8221 she declaredamp160 amp8220I think this country was built on racism and sexism and I think our soontobe president is again going to be racist and sexist amp160So I think that this was all very much in line with where we are going with the season and a story we felt that was important to tell and keep telling and keep reminding people that you know the majority of Americans are the people who are in the underground They are heroes They were fighting against it They were seeing injustice and stopping that and I think that we can still be that todayamp8221amp8220What weamp8217re learning as we react to this election is that even when thereamp8217s progress freedom is not guaranteed to stay in placeamp8221 Legend said amp8220We have to be vigilant to maintain freedom to free others and when we see injustice to fight for justiceamp160 Even after the Civil War when so many slaves were freed after that time we went through a period where the South basically rebelled again and said amp8216Weamp8217re going to institute Jim Crow Weamp8217re going to institute lynchingamp8217amp160 So whenever weamp8217ve made progress in this country itamp8217s been great but there have also been forces that have tried to take us back to a previous era when we werenamp8217t as freeamp160 That means the people who believe in freedom have to be vigilant and have to keep fighting for freedom Even when we make progress and even when we have accomplishments that weamp8217re proud of we canamp8217t take it for granted that thatamp8217s going to stay in placeamp8220Weamp8217re going through a period now where Donald Trump has promised to make us a less just and a less free country and those who believe in justice and freedom are going to have to stand up for itamp8221 he addedReflecting on a more positive presidential experience screening Underground at the White House for President Obama Legend noted amp8220Much has been made of the idea that a house that was built in part by slaves now houses the first black President amp160Itamp8217s a powerful thing for us to be able to show this series about slavery and about those who fought to overcome the evils of slavery being able to play that in the home of the most powerful seat in the world amp160It was very powerful for us to be able to do thatamp8221Click on the social media tiles above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggersamp160

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Story of WGN’s “Underground” is as Relevant Today as Yesterday

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Story of WGN’s “Underground” is as Relevant Today as Yesterday

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