Inside 'Family Reunion,' A Sitcom With An All-Black Writers Room
Creator Meg DeLoatch conceived her new streaming series, starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict, around her own family reunion in Georgia. Then Netflix encouraged her to staff up with African Americans.
In Family Reunion, the new Netflix series, Tia Mowry-Hardrict plays Cocoa McKellan, a free-spirited mother of four and wife of a retired football player, Moz (Anthony Alabi, himself a former NFL player). The McKellans packed their bags in Seattle, Wash., and have moved to Columbus, Ga. to live with Moz's parents — including his old-fashioned mother M'Dear (Loretta Devine).
The family sitcom is penned entirely by black writers, and draws from the personal stories of its writers, including creator and executive producer Meg DeLoatch, who got the idea when she went to a family reunion in Georgia three years ago.
"It's such a warm, lovely feeling to be surrounded by family, and — you
