SHOWTIME has picked up a second season of the critically acclaimed half-hour dramedy series DREAMING WHILST BLACK, which garnered industry praise for its inaugural season, including nominations from the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards and the NAACP Image Awards. Featuring returning star and BAFTA Award winning co-creator and co-writer Adjani Salmon (Chivalry), season two is expected to commence filming later this year in the UK. The season will premiere in the U.S. on streaming and on demand for Paramount+ for subscribers with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan, on air on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, and in the UK on BBC Three and iPlayer. The series is co-produced by Big Deal Films in creative collaboration with A24. A24 will also distribute the series globally.
Loosely inspired by real-life events, DREAMING WHILST BLACK season one tells the story of Kwabena (Salmon), an aspiring filmmaker stuck in a dead-end recruitment job who takes the first step toward achieving his dream. Along the way, he is quickly confronted with the tribulations of balancing finances, love, and his own sense of reality. The series was adapted from the web series and acclaimed Big Deal Films-produced BBC pilot of the same name, which earned Salmon the 2022 BAFTA for Emerging Talent: Fiction and Screen International Star of Tomorrow. The show and Salmon have secured additional award recognition within the UK, including The Royal Television Society’s 2022 Breakthrough Award win for Salmon and series nominations in the International Emmys and the Broadcast Awards.
“The response to DREAMING WHILST BLACK has been overwhelmingly loving, raucous and humbling,” said Salmon. “I’m blessed that we have a chance to entertain da peopledem again. Like season one, our goal is to end up being shared in the Aunties WhatsApp Groups.”
“DREAMING WHILST BLACK really resonated with BBC viewers who felt the warmth and humor radiating from Adjani Salmon’s brilliant comic creation” said Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy Commissioning at the BBC. “It was a no brainer for us to press go again on this multi-award winning series and we can’t wait to see more.”
“Adjani Salmon is a creative force whose authentic and complex storytelling in DREAMING WHILST BLACK has rightfully gained widespread acclaim,” said Nina L. Diaz, President of Content & Chief Creative Officer, SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks. “We are thrilled to greenlight a second season and work alongside our partners at A24 and Big Deal Films to further explore these rich and hilarious characters who have resonated so deeply with our audience on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.”
“DREAMING WHILST BLACK season one struck a chord with audiences all over, offering a dose of relatable chaos, hard truths and laughs in between,” said executive producer Dhanny Joshi of Big Deal Films. “We couldn’t be more excited to go again and give the people what they want – a second season.”
Co-produced by UK-based indie Big Deal Films and A24, Dhanny Joshi and Thomas Stogdon return to executive produce for Big Deal Films, along with Salmon. Nicola Gregory serves as producer. The original web series was co-written by Salmon and Ali Hughes and was created by Adjani Salmon, Max Evans, Laura de Sousa Seixas and Natasha Jatania of 4 Quarters Films.
