Keke Palmer’s KeyTV Network, the platform she created to amplify diverse creators, is premiering its new scripted series, Sportsfan, co-created, written, and produced by the actress.
According to KeyTV, this new digital-first series is also the first time a short scripted series has been filmed for the network entirely on an iPhone. Complex is exclusively debuting the first episode in full, which also stars Palmer’s boyfriend and co-creator, Darius Jackson, whom she is expecting her first child with. Jackson plays CJ, a passionate football fan who streams about his favorite team, the Beagles, which is a source of frustration for his pregnant wife, Lila (Brittney Winbush).
Episode 1, which has a runtime of seven minutes, introduces the couple and their friends and family as CJ alternates between hosting his wife’s baby shower and watching a game (And, of course, he’s wearing the traditional Burberry baby shower shirt.) The remainder of the series will follow as CJ finds a way to navigate and balance his priorities and what matters most to him. Sportsfan also stars Adriel Lara-cea, Amanda Michelle and Kenneth Whitted.
“Co-creating and writing Sportsfan was a truly exciting experience for me. Pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling by filming the entire series on a smartphone allowed for a level of creativity and innovation that I believe sets the series apart, and hopefully shows aspiring filmmakers that it’s possible to create content that’s accessible and resourceful,” Palmer says in a statement. “A lot of us have wondered why the multi-cam sitcom has disappeared from our screens, so I wanted to make a series that hit on the nostalgia of that with an updated twist. My co-creator Darius and I pulled from our real-life situations, whether it be Lila planning a baby shower in the middle of football season or CJ dealing with different family dynamics – to make a series that felt relevant, familiar, and honestly fun for the KeyTV viewers!”
Palmer founded KeyTV Network in the fall of 2022 with the goal of providing a platform and a stage for underrepresented voices in front of and behind the camera. The network’s programming slate features a variety of scripted and unscripted series and short films created, produced, and directed by talented creators of color, including Unlabeled, Dear Keke, Heaux and Tell, Make It Make Sense, and The Edible Always Wins.
Sportsfan premieres every Sunday on KeyTV’s Facebook and YouTube.
