195 Lewis Explained

Genre:comedy drama
Creator:Rae Leone Allen & Yaani Supreme
Developer:MVMT
Director:Chanelle Aponte Pearson
Starring:
  • Rae Leone Allen
  • Sirita Wright
  • Roxie Johnson
  • D. Ajane Carlton
  • Trae Harris
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:5
Executive Producer:Chanelle Aponte Pearson & Terence Nance
Cinematography:Jomo Fray
Editor:Jon Proctor
Company:MVMT
Network:One Nine Five Lewis

195 Lewis (pronounced One Nine Five Lewis) is an American comedy-drama web series created by Rae Leone Allen and Yaani Supreme, and co-written with Terence Nance and director Chanelle Aponte Pearson. It follows several Black queer women (played by Allen, Sirita Wright, Roxie Johnson, and D. Ajane Carlton) living in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy). The series was released online on its website, One Nine Five Lewis, on November 16, 2017. It received the 2018 Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series and a Special Mention at Outfest 2017.[1] [2]

Plot

195 Lewis centers on a close-knit group of Black queer women navigating relationships in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The series features topics such as sex positivity and polyamory.

Cast and characters

Production

Yaani Lewis and Rae Leone Allen created and wrote the initial script for 195 Lewis. The series reflects Lewis and Allen's experiences as Black queer women living in Brooklyn. The title refers to the address where they lived at the time with the street name changed.

In 2014, they approached Terence Nance's production company, MVMT, about the project and his business partner Chanelle Aponte Pearson requested to work on it.[3] Pearson received the Gotham Awards’ "Spotlight on Women Filmmakers Live The Dream" grant to further develop the series.[4] It is her directorial debut. Allen stated that they had difficulty garnering interest in the project, and most of the crew and actors had little experience in television and film production.

Nance and Pearson co-wrote and developed the script, and Jomo Fray was the director of photography.[5] [6] Filming was on-location in Bed-Stuy. Fray's cinematography frequently featured "bright, neon, and stylized" lighting.

Release and reception

The pilot premiered at the BlackStar Film Festival in 2014.[7] [8] [9] It was later re-shot and the full five episodes of the series premiered on its website on November 16, 2017.[10]

195 Lewis received positive reception. In a review for IndieWire Jude Dry wrote, "Director Chanelle Aponte Pearson makes a confident and splashy debut, catapulting her considerable producing skills to a new level." Writing for Vice, Emily J. Smith stated, "While 195 intentionally tackles complex subjects like polyamory, sex positivity, and misogyny in lesbian culture, it's not in the way you might expect. The cast of characters allows for conflicting perspectives—even in this very specific world—so viewers are invited into a real conversation instead of a lecture."

Awards and nominations

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dry. Jude. '195 Lewis' Explores Polyamory With the Style of a Lesbian 'Insecure' — Watch. IndieWire. November 16, 2017. June 14, 2020. June 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200614002731/https://www.indiewire.com/2017/11/195-lewis-five-kinds-of-lesbians-watch-lgbt-1201898141/. live.
  2. Macaulay. Scott. Five Questions for 195 Lewis Director Chanelle Aponte Pearson. Filmmaker. April 26, 2016. June 14, 2020. July 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190719041541/https://filmmakermagazine.com/98303-five-questions-for-195-lewis-director-chanelle-aponte-pearson/. live.
  3. Web site: Walker. Harron. The Director Of '195 Lewis' Tells Us Why It's 'Paramount We Tell Our Own Stories'. INTO. 27 October 2017. July 19, 2019. 19 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190719031105/https://www.intomore.com/culture/The-Director-Of-195-Lewis-Tells-Us-Why-Its-Paramount-We-Tell-Our-Own-Stories. live.
  4. Smith. Emily J.. The New All-Women Web Series Exploring Queer, Black, Poly Love. Vice. November 15, 2017. July 19, 2019. July 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190719041547/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pa38zv/195-lewis-all-women-web-series-exploring-queer-black-poly-love. live.
  5. Web site: Anderson-Moore. Oakley. '195 Lewis': Making a Good Web Series is About Getting the Community Right. No Film School. November 16, 2017. July 19, 2019. July 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190719041544/https://nofilmschool.com/2017/11/making-good-web-series-195-lewis. live.
  6. Web site: Pennington. Latonya. '195 Lewis' Is Black Lesbian Perfection. Wear Your Voice. November 14, 2017. July 19, 2019. July 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190719031108/https://wearyourvoicemag.com/culture/195-lewis-black-lesbian-perfection. live.
  7. Web site: Eye Candy. New webseries 195 LEWIS is an honest exploration of black queerness premiering in New York next week!. Afropunk. December 7, 2016. 15 June 2020. 15 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200615231351/https://afropunk.com/2016/12/new-webseries-195-lewis-is-an-honest-exploration-of-black-queerness-premiering-in-new-york-next-week/. live.
  8. Web site: Mullins . Carrie V . 14 Dec 2016 . Chanelle Aponte Pearson on Filming Cinematic Web Series & Exploring Messiness on Screen . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200927165603/https://blog.stareable.com/chanelle-aponte-pearson-195-lewis-web-series-interview-2b3c0621e498?gi=5fec8304b272 . 27 September 2020.
  9. Web site: Chanelle Aponte Pearson. Queer Producers Network. 15 June 2020. 15 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200615231355/http://www.queerproducers.com/chanelle-aponte-pearson. live.
  10. Ène. Lysiane. Watch 195 Lewis, a new series exploring queer, black polyamorous relationships. Trace. 8 December 2017. 14 June 2020. 14 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200614093400/https://trace.tv/culture/watch-195-lewis-a-new-series-exploring-queer-black-polyamorous-relationships/. live.
  11. Web site: Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival Announces 2017 Award Winners. Gay Desert Guide. July 19, 2017. 14 June 2020. 14 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200614103951/https://gaydesertguide.com/outfest-los-angeles-lgbt-film-festival-announces-2017-award-winners/. live.
  12. Web site: Sixth Annual BlackStar Film Festival Announces 2017 Award Winners. BlackStar Film Festival. August 14, 2017. June 14, 2020. October 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171017084340/https://www.blackstarfest.org/sixth-annual-blackstar-film-festival-announces-2017-award-winners/. live.
  13. News: Lewis. Hilary. Crist. Allison. 'The Rider' Tops Gotham Awards; Full Winners List. The Hollywood Reporter. November 26, 2018. June 14, 2020. June 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200614040644/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/gotham-awards-winners-2018-list-full-1153638. live.

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