Giants is an American web series created by James Bland and starring Bland, Sean Samuels, and Vanessa Baiden as the lead characters. The series premiered on Issa Rae's YouTube channel on January 25, 2017.[1] A second season premiered on the same channel in 2018.[2] Both seasons were financed by crowdfunding campaigns on Indiegogo. It has since been acquired and released for streaming on BET+.[3]
| Giants | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | James Bland |
| Written by | James Bland, Vanessa Baden, Christina Martin, J. August Richards |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Issa Rae, Jussie Smollett |
| Running time | 16-68 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | YouTube, BET+ |
| Release | January 25, 2017 – April 25, 2018 |
The series has won numerous accolades, including two Daytime Emmy Awards, a Streamy Award, and multiple Indie Series Awards. The series received praise from the media for its depiction of mental illness in the African American community.[4][2][5][6]
Plot
editGiants chronicles the trials and tribulations of three African American friends as they approach their thirties, each battling their own inner "giants" as they navigate adulthood.[7]
Background
editBland worked on several other series before writing Giants, and following the success of Issa Rae's Awkward Black Girl, he felt inspired to make his own series.[citation needed] After writing the first season, Bland created an Indiegogo campaign to crowdfund the series. Rae and actor Jussie Smollett subsequently came on board as executive producers.[1]
Release
editThe first season was released through Issa Rae's YouTube channel in 2017, followed by the second season in 2018.[8][9][10] The series was then picked up and re-released by BET+.[3]
Episodes
editThe first season, released on January 25, 2017, consists of six episodes, while the second, which consists of seven episodes, was released on February 21, 2018. Episodes were released once a week on a weekly basis.[a]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 6 | January 25, 2017 | March 1, 2017 | |
| 2 | 7 | February 21, 2018 | April 25, 2018 | |
Accolades
editGiants has won numerous accolades.[7] In 2018, the series won the award for Best Drama Series at the 8th annual Streamy Awards.[11] In 2019, the series received 11 Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning two.[12] At the 10th annual Indie Series Awards, Giants won a record-breaking seven awards,[13] in addition to receiving the most nominations that year (19).[14]
References
edit- ^ a b "Issa Rae And Jussie Smollett Team Up For New YouTube Series 'GIANTS'". Vibe. 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ a b "Unapologeticly Black digital web series, 'GIANTS' goes beyond entertainment - TheGrio". TheGrio. 2018-04-25. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ a b Hatch, Jasmond (2020-11-11). "Award-Winning Show "Giants" Comes to BET+ and Creator Hints at a Movie". QG. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Obie, Brooke. "Up Next: How S&A's 2019 RISING Award Winners Are Finding Their Place And Building Community In Black Hollywood". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ "Giants: A YouTube Series That Tackles Mental Health and Masculinity in the Black Community". The Grapevine. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ Parker, Najja. "Web series encourages black millennials to face their 'giants'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ a b "Giants". giantstheseries.com. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ Hall, Mia N. "'GIANTS': The Team Behind The 11-Time Emmy Nominated Series Shares One Critical Secret To Their Success". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Ifeanyi, K. C. (2018-04-13). ""Giants" Is The "Very Black" Digital Series Everyone Should Watch". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ "Director James Bland excited about season 2 of hit web series 'Giants'". Rolling Out. 2018-03-22. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ "8th Annual Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ "Giants Cleans Up at Daytime Emmys, Takes Home Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actor". The Grapevine. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
- ^ "10th Annual Indie Series Awards Winners". INDIE SERIES AWARDS. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- ^ "10th Annual Indie Series Awards Nominations". INDIE SERIES AWARDS. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
Notes
edit- ^ These release dates are from the original YouTube release