Games People Play (2019 TV series)
Games People Play is an American drama television series, based on the novel Games Divas Play written by Angela Burt-Murray, that premiered on April 23, 2019, on BET.[1]
| Games People Play | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sports Drama |
| Based on | Games Divas Play by Angela Burt-Murray |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 41 minutes |
| Production companies | Edmonds Entertainment STX Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | BET |
| Original release | April 23, 2019 – present |
On November 13, 2019, the series was renewed for a second season.[2]
Premise
Games People Play takes place "inside the high-stakes world of professional sports where everyone plays to win. With an ensemble cast of dynamic characters including an ambitious reporter, a millionaire basketball player, a desperate housewife, a scandalous groupie, and a murderous stalker, the series follows three women Nia, Vanessa and Laila and the men in their lives. In a ruthless battle for success, these women's passions and motivations are seldom altruistic, but their life choices and drive will determine what it really takes to stay on top."[3]
Cast
Main
- Lauren London as Vanessa King, a desperate basketball wife trying to protect her family (season 1; recurring season 2)[4][5]
- Karen Obilom as Nia Bullock, a tenacious reporter struggling to rebuild her tarnished career.[4]
- Parker McKenna Posey as Laila James, a scandalous groupie looking to become a star[4]
- Sarunas J. Jackson as Marcus King, a professional basketball all star, who played for New York Gladiators, but traded to the Los Angeles Vipers, is married to Vanessa
- Jackie Long as Kareem Johnson, Marcus' best friend and assistant, who was a former basketball star for the Gladiators and a college basketball standout
- Kendall Kyndall as Marquis "MJ" Jackson, Nia's assistant and best friend (season 2; recurring season 1)[5]
- Karrueche Tran as Eden Lazlo, the daughter of the Los Angeles Vipers owner and the newly named VP of basketball operations, who further complicates Marcus' love life (season 2)[5]
Recurring
- Barry Brewer as Eric Rowland, Nia's live-in boyfriend, an IT nerd who is a basketball all-star captain
- Morgan Walsh as Ginger Gates
- Monti Washington as Terrence Abrams, Nia's ex-boyfriend and a City of Los Angeles police chief, who wants to pick up where they left off when Nia moves to Los Angeles
- Shaun Robinson as Kristen Kensington
- Rachel Leyco as Susie Q (A.K.A. Natasha), Laila's friend
- Ryan Paevey as Bryce Daniels, a Los Angeles Vipers fan
- Kevin McNamera as Coach Kelly Buxton, a coach
- Kevin Jackson as Jamal "The Criminal" Jerome, a thief and a drug dealer
- Vanessa Simmons as Jackie Herman
- Alfredo Tavares as Keaun Stevenson, the coach for the Los Angeles Vipers
- Delvon Roe as Dante Herman, a college basketball player, professional basketball player and the husband of Jackie
- Phillip G. Carlson as Detective Anderson Loomis
- Ismeli Henriquez as Kalinda Walters
- Jack Merrill as Detective Frank Thrillin
- Tracy Melchior as Roxanne
- Chinedu Oji as Ceawen Maduenu, a basketball player for the Tulsa Tornado
- Momo Dione as Atebe Sekibo, a Nigerian Gangster[4]
- Lourdes Gonzalez as Merlot
- Gail Bean as Quanisha
- Ben Shields as Gus, a reporter
- Mike Bash as Tony, a sports reporter
Guest
Partial list of guest by last name.
- Aaron Marshall as Theodore Delano.[4]
- Terrah Bennett Smith as Rosalind Jackson
- Shabnam Yusufzai as Ana Reyes, a housekeeper
- Jeremie Rivers as Jebediah Hawthorne, a reverend
- Ron J. Rock as Jason Brown, a basketball player
- John A. Lorenz as ADA Martin Escovedo
- Jennie Fahn as Janet, Vanessa's lawyer
- Giana Garcia as Deja
- Blaine Gray as Cameron Pike, a basketball player
- Jamaal Lewis as Handsom Manny
- Owen Saxon as Thomas, a trainer and a basketball player for the Los Angeles Vipers
- Alveraz Ricardez as Officer Mel Friendly
- Marie Stark as Deanna George
- Greice Santo as Yoga Nanny
- Zach Zublena as Jasper White, a basketball player for the Tulsa Tornado
- Norman Towns as Tyreck Woolridge, a basketball player for the Tulsa Tornado
- Anisha Adusumilli as Anushka
Episodes
| No. | Title [6] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [6] | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Janice Cooke | Vanessa Middleton | April 23, 2019 | 0.76[7] |
| 2 | "Lover's Moon" | Rob Morrow | Kim Newton | April 30, 2019 | 0.53[8] |
| 3 | "The Drink of Kings" | Rob Morrow | Stephen Godchaux | May 7, 2019 | 0.37[9] |
| 4 | "The Wrath of Grapes" | Michael Grossman | Mike Flynn | May 14, 2019 | 0.46[10] |
| 5 | "To Live and Lie in LA" | Michael Grossman | Theodore Witcher | May 21, 2019 | 0.38[11] |
| 6 | "Reversal of Fortune" | Janice Cooke | Sara Finney-Johnson | May 28, 2019 | 0.51[12] |
| 7 | "Persons of Interests" | Rob Morrow | Vanessa Middleton & Sara Finney-Johnson | June 4, 2019 | 0.40[13] |
| 8 | "A Wing and a Prayer" | Rob Morrow | Story by : Vanessa Middleton Teleplay by : Meagan Diane | June 11, 2019 | 0.41[14] |
| 9 | "The B' is Back" | Janice Cooke | Theodore Witcher | June 18, 2019 | 0.41[15] |
| 10 | "The Way You Save" | Janice Cooke | Vanessa Middleton | June 25, 2019 | 0.58[16] |
Production
Development
On April 17, 2018, it was announced that BET had the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. Executive producers were set to include Tracey Edmonds, Angela Burt-Murray, and Vanessa Middleton, who was also expected to act as showrunner. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Edmonds Entertainment.[3][17] On December 6, 2018, it was reported that Middleton would write the pilot episode of the series and serve as a co-showrunner alongside Kim Newton, who will also executive produce.[18] On January 31, 2019, it was announced that the series had been retitled Games People Play.[19] On April 1, 2019, it was announced that the series will premiere on April 23, 2019.[1]
On November 13, 2019, the series was renewed for a second season.[2]
Casting
On December 6, 2018, it was announced that Lauren London, Parker McKenna Posey, and Karen Obilom had been cast in leading roles.[18] On January 31, 2019, it was reported that Sarunas J. Jackson and Jackie Long had joined the main cast and that Barry Brewer and Kendall Kyndall would appear in a recurring capacity.[19]
On September 10, 2020, it was announced that Karrueche Tran will join the series for Season 2. It was also announced that Lauren London will appear in a limited role and Kendall Kyndall will join the main cast.[5]
Filming
Principal photography for the series commenced on November 29, 2018, in Los Angeles, California.[18]
References
- "As One Saga Ends, Another Begins During a Monumental Tuesday Night on BET". The Futon Critic. April 1, 2019.
- "BET Networks Announces Second Season Pick up for Its Bold and Sexy Scripted Series "Games People Play"". The Futon Critic. November 13, 2019.
- Pedersen, Erik (April 17, 2018). "BET's 2018-19 Slate Features New Scripted Shows, Docuseries, Specials & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- "Games People Play (TV Series 2019-)". IMDb. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- "Karrueche Tran to Star in Season Two of BET's "Games People Play"". The Futon Critic. September 10, 2020.
- "Games People Play – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (April 24, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.23.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (May 1, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.30.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (May 8, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.7.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (May 15, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.14.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (May 22, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.21.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (May 29, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.28.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (June 5, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.4.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (June 12, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.11.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (June 19, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.18.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- Metcalf, Mitch (June 26, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.25.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- Goldberg, Lesley (April 17, 2018). "BET Upfront Slate Features 'Dream Team,' '90s Girl Group Docuseries". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- Petski, Denise (December 6, 2018). "'Games Divas Play': Lauren London, Parker McKenna Posey & Karen Obilom To Star In Tracey Edmonds' BET Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- Petski, Denise (January 31, 2019). "'Games People Play': Sarunas J. Jackson & Jackie Long To Star In BET Drama Series; Barry Brewer, Kendall Kyndall To Recur". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 31, 2019.