| Creator: | J. J. Johnson |
| Developer: |
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| Director: | J.J Johnson |
| Composer: | Erica Procunier |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 16 |
| Producer: | Alex Grieve |
| Editor: | Courtney Goldman |
| Company: | Sinking Ship Entertainment |
| Network: | YouTube Premium |
Lockdown (also stylized as Lockdown: The Scream Next Door and Lockdown: Who Is Question Mark Face?) is a children's and teen drama mystery thriller streaming television series produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment and commissioned and distributed by YouTube Originals. Conceived, developed and produced in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and the United States, the scripted live-action series follows a group of socially distanced teenagers working together to solve a mystery in their neighborhood.[1] Originally announced in April 2020,[2] the initial ten-episode series premiered on the YouTube Originals for Kids & Family channel on June 26, 2020.[3]
The series received a Webby Award for best educational or science video series,[4] a Special Achievement Award from the Prix Jeunesse International festival for excellence in COVID-19 programming, the global festival that every two years recognizes the best in children and youth television,[5] as well as the Content Innovation Award for Kids Programming.[6] The series was also recognized by the MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards,[7] while series stars Arista Arhin and Amanda Cheung were nominated by the Joey Awards for their performances.[8] In 2021, the series was nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards for its writing.[9]
YouTube Originals announced in October 2020 that it had ordered six new episodes of Lockdown as part of its focus on racial justice programming.[10] The new season, titled Lockdown: Who Is Question Mark Face? premiered on the YouTube Originals for Kids & Family channel on November 19, 2020. The first season was also picked up for second-window by WildBrain for the Family Channel in Canada.[11]
This scripted series follows six teenaged friends as they work together to solve mysteries in their neighborhood during the social distancing era. Shot entirely via webcam and smartphone from the actors’ homes and neighborhoods, the series is a suspenseful look at how young people stay in touch while having to stay away, and the story unfolds almost in real-time as the friend group works together – from a distance – to solve the mystery, while also exploring their own anxieties and frustrations about life during a pandemic.
In this initial ten-episode season, which takes place during days 1 through 60 of a Covid-19 lockdown, Nira overhears what sounds like a woman's scream one night from her neighbor's house. As she enlists the help of her friends Aiden, Chris, Emi and Sam - along with Emi's crush Luke, who lives on the other side of Nira's neighbor - new suspicious events, including late night digging and creepy notes - thicken the plot. As they work together remotely and use technological tools to solve the mystery, they also support each other emotionally through the pandemic and the experience of being in quarantine. Storylines include Luke's grandmother at risk for Covid-19 in her retirement community, Sam's nurse father quarantining away from the family, Emi being verbally attacked for her Asian ethnicity, Aiden's and Sam's efforts in the online video game Bielzemor, a love triangle and bourgeoning romantic feelings between Luke and Nira as well as between Emi and Chris.[12]
In the six-episode second season that takes place days 61 through 120 of lockdown, the six teens reckon with a growing racial justice movement following the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, the shooting of Breonna Taylor, and others. After Sam organizes a local Black Lives Matter march, Chris' family's restaurant - which had been preemptively boarded up ahead of Sam's community march - is vandalized with graffiti. A masked figure calling themselves Question Mark Face releases a video on social media claiming responsibility for the attack and promises for future attacks, while local real estate agent Mary Lewis blames Sam for the tagging. As Question Mark Face continues to target local businesses, the six teens work together to investigate the perpetrator's identity and motive. Throughout the season, the show explores how each of the main characters are responding to the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movement, including Sam's growing social activism, Chris' focus on allyship, and Emi's use of fashion to make her voice heard. Additional storylines include Sam's crush on fellow gamer Harley, the socioeconomic impact of the lockdowns on families, and the differing philosophies on how to make a difference between Sam, her friends and her cousin Asha.
Common Sense Media awarded Lockdown for its Common Sense Selection for Families seal, calling it a "enjoyable, fresh series adapts a traditional whodunnit story to the 2020-era pandemic experience of being homebound for weeks on end" that "doubles as a modern spin on Rear Window-style suspense and a more realistic, revealing glimpse into the teens' psyche during a period of compulsory quarantine."[13] Cablefax also praised the series, noting "it's not difficult to see why this series...has garnered awards for youth programming" and "it’s not an easy assignment for the mostly teen cast of “Lockdown” to create art on a small screen, but they do it well," while commending its inclusion of timely issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ+ experience.[14]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series | Aaron Bala, Lisa Codrington, J.J. Johnson, Blair Powers, Christin Simms, Matthew J.R. Bishop, Carla de Jong, Alejandro Alcoba | |
| Best Direction, Children's or Youth | Episode: "The Confession"Nicole Stamp | |||
| Best Writing, Children's or Youth | Episode: "The Confession"Lisa Codrington | |||
| Episode: "Guilty Until Proven Innocent"Nicole Stamp | ||||
| Best Performance, Children's or Youth | Saara Chaudry | |||
| 2021 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Younger Performer in a Daytime Fiction Series | Arista Arhin | |
| Webby Awards | Video Series & Channels - Science & Education | Lockdown | ||
| Canadian Screen Awards | Best Writing, Web Program or Series | Episode: "Social Togetherness" J. J. Johnson, Nicole Stamp, Christin Simms | ||
| Episode: "Stake Outing" Lakna Edilima | ||||
| Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design (CAFTCAD) Awards | Best Costume Design in a Web Series | Christine Toye | ||
| WGC Screenwriting Awards | Tweens & Teens | Episode: "Social Togetherness" J.J. Johnson, Nicole Stamp, Christin Simms | ||
| Episode: "Stake Outing" Lakna Edilima | ||||
| 2020 | Prix Jeunesse International | Special Achievement Prize (for excellence in Covid-19 programming) | Lockdown | |
| MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards | Representation of Diversity - Kids Programming | Lockdown | ||
| Content Innovation Awards | Innovation & Ingenuity Award - Kids Programming | Lockdown | ||
| Joey Awards | Best Actress in a Webseries 12-15 Years | Amanda Cheung | ||
| Arista Arhin | ||||