BLACKWELL ABOARD BIRTH-OF-REGGAE
TV SERIES

A TV series set during the birth of reggae music in the early 1960s in Jamaica is in development with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell aboard. Island owner Universal Music Group is active in the production with Studiocanal, the French production unit also owned by Vivendi.

Deadline reported that Blackwell is working with producer Ben Silverman (Whitney: Can I Be Me) and Narcos showrunner/executive producer Eric Newman on a script by Power producer Sascha Penn.

The drama will follow the birth of the local music industry after Jamaica declared independence from Britain in 1962. Blackwell founded Island in 1958 and his story will be featured prominently in the series, which will be shopped to premiere cable and streaming services.

Blackwell’s last film-TV project was executive producing the doc Marley in 2012.