Building off of its robust slate of original comedy series for its summer programming lineup, UMC – Urban Movie Channel is thrilled to announce a new collaboration with Insecure star Jay Ellis on the premiere of his latest project, HARD MEDICINE. Produced by Ellis alongside producing partner Paula Bryant-Ellis, the series is a workplace comedy created by Melissa Eno Effa in the vein of “Scrubs” and “The Office.” Comprised of eight 10-12-minute episodes, the show centers around a quirky medical doctor of a low-income health clinic who must maneuver between demanding corporate heads, outlandish patients, and her wacky but loyal staff, all in an effort to keep the community’s haven of health care afloat.
Nicole Slaughter stars as Dr. Moore, the sometimes awkward but beloved lead physician who constantly faces opposition from corporate heads who want the clinic gone for good. Celest Turner plays Rose, the manager of the clinic. Creator Melissa Eno Effa is Clarice, the rough-around-the-edges but loyal receptionist. Jeff Hunt portrays Jason, the extremely emotional nurse, and Ashley Narvaez plays the often-mindless nurse assistant.
“I’m thrilled to be working on another project with Angela [Northington] and her team at UMC after the release of Like Cotton Twines earlier this year,” says Jay Ellis. “The world and characters Melissa Eno Effa has created with Hard Medicine are unique, authentic, lovable and relateable. Sharing this journey with her has made this one of my favorite projects I’ve had the opportunity to produce. We are so thankful to have UMC as the home for this new project and to share it with a larger audience.”
The first episode of Hard Medicine premiered last Wednesday August 2nd on Ellis’ Facebook page and has amassed over 1 million views to date. The second episode will air today, August 9th. The remaining six episodes will premiere weekly on UMCevery Wednesday beginning August 16th, 2017. The first two episodes of Hard Medicine will also be available to stream on UMC. Available at www.umc.tv, UMC is the first premium subscription streaming service that showcases quality African American and urban entertainment across all genres from RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE).
