Dear Mama (TV series)

Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur is an American television documentary miniseries directed by Allen Hughes, about Tupac Shakur and his mother Afeni Shakur.[1][2] It premiered on FX on April 21, 2023.[3][4] It received critical acclaim.

Dear Mama
GenreDocumentary
Directed byAllen Hughes
Starring
Music by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Joshua Garcia
  • Loren Gomez
  • Malcolm Stewart
  • James Jenkins
  • Stef Smith
  • Tom Pellegrini
Cinematography
  • Isaac Bauman
  • Matthew Chuang
  • Eduardo Fierro
  • Laura Valladao
  • Logan Schneider
Editors
  • Alex Chu
  • Ron Eigen
  • Lasse Järvi
  • Tom Parsons
  • Aaron Naar
  • Seth Skundrick
Running time50-66 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkFX
Original releaseApril 21, 2023 (2023-04-21)

Summary

The docuseries explores the lives and legacies of Tupac Shakur and his mother, Black Panther Party activist Afeni Shakur.[5] It includes never before seen audio and video footage,[6] as well as interviews with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mike Tyson, and Jamal Joseph.[7][8]

Cast

Production

The docuseries was announced on May 21, 2019, with the Shakur Estate granting full access to Shakur's released and unreleased recordings, writings, and poetry.[9] It was originally titled Outlaw.[10] On January 12, 2023, FX announced the premiere date for Dear Mama.[11] Allen Hughes serves as writer, director, and executive producer, alongside writer and executive producer Lasse Järvi, and executive producers Quincy Jones III, Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles King, Peter Nelson, Adel Nur, Jamal Joseph, and Ted Skillman. He and his brother Albert directed the music video for Shakur's 1991 single "Brenda's Got a Baby."[12] The music score is by Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, and Claudia Sarne.[12]

Release

The first trailer of Dear Mama was released on May 9, 2022.[13][14] The first episode was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 2022.[10][15] The first two episodes premiered on FX on April 21, 2023, with the final episode on May 12, 2023.[16] It consists of five episodes.[17][18]

Reception

Audience viewership

According to FX, Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur was the most-watched unscripted series premiere in the network’s history.[19][20][21]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9.00/10.[22] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews."[23]

Judy Berman of Time wrote, "Paired with intimate reflections and philosophical insights from the Shakurs’ closest relatives as well as peers in hip-hop and activism, it adds up to one of the most thorough, sensitive portraits I’ve seen of an artist who has by now been eulogized for longer than he was alive—and of the remarkable woman who created him."[24] Johnny Loftus of Decider asserted, "The five-part series Dear Mama feels like the Tupac Shakur documentary of record as it connects the rapper’s enduring legacy to the philosophies at work in his upbringing and presents its story in a challenging, rewarding nonlinear fashion."[25]

Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter asserted, "Dear Mama has some real insights into the intersection of Black activism and popular music in the late 20th century," calling the documentary "challenging and not always successful, but the challenges feel right for the subject."[26] Martin Brown of Common Sense Media gave Dear Mama a grade of 5 out of 5 stars, praised the presence of positive messages and role models, citing compassion, loyalty, and the focus on Black activism.[27]

Accolades
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2023 Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Documentary Allen Hughes Pending [28][29]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur Pending [30][31]

References
  1. Muhammad, Latifah (April 19, 2023). "'Dear Mama': Here's How You Can Stream the Tupac Docuseries Without Cable". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  2. Brown, DeNeen L. (April 21, 2023). "A new docuseries explores the Black Panther who shaped Tupac: His mom". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  3. Zara, Deena; Rollins, Stacy (April 13, 2023). "New Tupac documentary 'Dear Mama' examines his relationship with his mother". Good Morning America. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  4. Haldar, Sneha (April 22, 2023). "Dear Mama on FX: Release date, air time, trailer, what to expect, and more". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  5. Martinez, Jose (May 9, 2022). "Watch the First Teaser Trailer for 'Dear Mama' Docuseries About 2Pac and His Mother". Complex Networks. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  6. Rindner, Grant (April 18, 2023). "How 'Dear Mama,' The Best Tupac Doc Yet, Got Made". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  7. Buss, Anna (May 13, 2023). "'Dear Mama': Through Afeni Shakur, Allen Hughes discovers Tupac". KCRW. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  8. McCauley, Mary Carole (April 19, 2023). "'Dear Mama,' a TV miniseries about Baltimore rapper Tupac and his mom, premieres this weekend on Hulu". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  9. Fleming, Mike (21 May 2019). "Allen Hughes Makes Deal With Shakur Estate For 5-Part Tupac Documentary Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  10. Fleming, Mike (15 September 2022). "Allen Hughes On TIFF Premiere Of Tupac Shakur Docuseries 'Dear Mama'; How Filmmaker Confronts Own Beat Down At Hands Of Tupac & Entourage Onscreen". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  11. Cordero, Rosy (12 January 2023). "'Dear Mama': FX Sets Premiere For Tupac Docuseries, EP Teases Exclusive New Content To Be Featured". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  12. Allen, Nick (22 April 2023). "Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  13. Qureshi, Arusa (May 9, 2022). "Watch trailer for docuseries 'Dear Mama' about 2Pac and his mother". NME. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  14. Holland, Stephanie (May 9, 2022). "FX Releases Teaser for 2Pac, Afeni Shakur Docuseries Dear Mama". The Root. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  15. Schager, Nick (September 15, 2022). "'Dear Mama' Reveals How Tupac Shakur's Mother Gave Him His Rebel Heart". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  16. Cho, Regine (April 28, 2023). ""Dear Mama" becomes FX's most watched premiere". Revolt. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  17. Zornosa, Laura (August 30, 2022). "The 32 Most Anticipated TV Shows of Fall 2022". Time. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  18. Frederick, Candice (April 21, 2023). "Why Allen Hughes Made A Series About Tupac — Despite Being Assaulted By Him In 1993". HuffPost. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  19. Campione, Katie (April 28, 2023). "'Dear Mama': Tupac Docuseries Draws FX's Biggest Unscripted Premiere Ever". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  20. Bell, BreAnna (April 28, 2023). "'Dear Mama' Becomes FX's Most-Watched Premiere Ever for an Unscripted Series". Variety. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  21. Dawe, Luke (April 28, 2023). "'Dear Mama' Becomes FX's Most-Watched Unscripted Series Premiere". Collider. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  22. "Dear Mama (2023)". Rotten Tomatoes.
  23. "Dear Mama". Metacritic.
  24. Berman, Judy (April 28, 2023). "The 6 Best New TV Shows Our Critic Watched in April 2023". Time. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  25. Loftus, Johnny (April 24, 2023). "'Dear Mama' FX Hulu Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". Decider. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  26. Fienberg, Daniel (April 20, 2023). "'Dear Mama' Review: Allen Hughes' Docuseries Grapples Admirably With the Complexities of Tupac and Afeni Shakur". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  27. Brown, Martin. "Dear Mama TV Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  28. "2023 Black Reel TV Award Nominees". Black Reel Awards. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  29. Complex, Valerie (June 15, 2023). "Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards Featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; 'The Best Man: Final Chapters' Leads With 18 Noms". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  30. Grein, Paul (July 12, 2023). "2023 Primetime Emmy Nominations: All Program Categories". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  31. Sherman, Rachel (July 12, 2023). "Emmy Nominees 2023: The Complete List". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
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