‘Unprisoned’ Star Kerry Washington and Showrunner Yvette Lee Bowser on How the Show Is an ‘American Story About Healing’

variety.com:

BreAnna Bell The cast of Hulu’s latest dramedy “Unprisoned” kept the family spirit alive at the show’s premiere at the Hollywood Legion Theater on Thursday night.

The show’s cast and crew — including Kerry Washington, Delroy Lindo, Faly Rakotohavana, Marque Richardson, Jee Young Han, Jordyn McIntosh, showrunner Yvette Lee Bowser and creator Tracy McMillan — examined what it means to be a “traditional” family on the red carpet before a screening of the first two episodes.

The series follows relationship therapist and single mom Paige (Washington), “whose life is turned right-side-up when her dad (Lindo) gets out of prison and moves to her house to live with her and her teenage son,” according to the show’s official synopsis. “I wanted to show a family that every person in America would identify with, even though they’re facing very specific circumstances,” McMillan told Variety. “This is at its heart, a father-daughter story.

It’s a story about a woman with a teenage son who’s trying to repair the relationship with her dad and everyone can relate to that.” That’s certainly something showrunner Yvette Lee Bowser could relate to as she tells Variety, “My father is an Edwin, so I know this guy.” She added, “I really, really understood it on a personal level and felt like it wasn’t just my story and her story, but our story — an American story about healing.” But the “Living Single” creator says what ultimately sold her was “the kind of authenticity and honesty with which Tracy wanted to tell the story and the amazing actors that were attached in Delroy and Kerry.” Indeed, the family at the center of McMillan’s story is anything but traditional, but the feelings explored throughout the season’s various situations can tug