All American Homecoming,” the spinoff to the hit CW series “All American” premieres Monday, February 21.
From the executive producers of “All American,” “All American Homecoming” is a young adult sports drama set against the backdrop of the HBCU experience at Bringston University.
The show is centered around tennis and baseball and life on an HBCU campus.
For actress Gerrri Maya who plays budding tennis player Simone, learning to play tennis on a professional level had many challenges.
“I did not learn tennis or hold a racket until NK [Nkechi Okoro Carroll (Executive Producer)] and I discovered that this was even possible with the backdoor pilot, ” Maya told reporters during The CW portion of the Television Critics Press Tour. “So the second that it was a go, I was looking for tennis coaches and just really wanting to dedicate myself to the sport. Because at the end of the day, it’s such a beautiful sport and it’s a sport that is literally full mind, full body and full spirit. And I just, as an actor and all of us in, you know, in this cast, we all have different pieces that we have to pull from in life. And at the end of the day, especially with sports, you just want to respect it. So I was in them classes every other week, every other day, working out. It’s just, you know, it, it requires that type of work. So the work was definitely put in by all of us in here. And I think y’all will definitely see it and feel it for sure.”
In the premiere episode, entitled “Start Over,” Simone is excited to move into her dorm and start navigating life on her own terms, but her past choices present unexpected setbacks while Damon and coach Marcus are eager to turn the baseball team around.
Synopsis:
The series follows Simone, a tennis hopeful from Beverly Hills who is trying to fight her way back to great after some time away from the court, and Damon, an elite baseball player who is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. After Simone’s aunt Amara Patterson, exposes a scandal that threatens to derail the school’s baseball program, new coach Marcus Turner is determined to deliver a championship the honest way — with Damon’s help. Meanwhile, Simone will get guidance from Thea, the queen bee of the Bringston tennis team, and Keisha, the school’s unofficial mayor. As they contend with the high stakes of college sports, Simone and Damon will also navigate the highs, lows, and sexiness of unsupervised early adulthood at a prestigious HBCU.
“All American: Homecoming” airs at 9:00 PM after its mothership show, “All American” at 8:00 PM.
