There are a few things that are very, very promising about this new musical series The Get Down, which will chronicle the goings-on of a group of South Bronx teenagers in 1970s New York City as they dabble in the elements that gave birth to hip-hop.
One, it’s an original series of Netflix—the same online video hub that brings us so much compelling original programming, like House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black and the 2015 breakout series Narcos. Netflix knows how to green-light good, smart, meaty shows that shed light on unexplored topics and subcultures. So the fact that Netflix is putting out this show likely means that the writing and storytelling are good stuff.
The trailer indicates that the show’s “visionary” is Baz Luhrmann (Shadow and Act confirms that Luhrmann is an executive producer and directed a few of the episodes). If Luhrmann’s name is unfamiliar to you, then you never took the time to find out who was the directorial mastermind behind the beautiful cinematography in The Great Gasby (the 2013 version starring Leonardo DiCaprio) and Moulin Rouge (the 2001 version starring Nicole Kidman). Luhrmann has a beautiful, artistic eye, and that he’s applying it toward telling the story of how hip-hop came to be in the Boogie Down Bronx should be very interesting and special.
But enough talk; watch the trailer below:
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Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features video interviews with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.
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