Netflix signs ‘Girlfriends’ creator Mara Brock Akil to overall deal

Netflix has signed Girlfriends creator Mara Brock Akil to a multi-year overall development deal which will see the US screenwriter and producer work on new scripted projects for the streamer.

The deal comes just as Brock Akil’s long-running series Girlfriends, which originally aired on UPN and The CW between 2000 and 2008, lands on Netflix tomorrow.

She was also behind the show’s spin-off The Game and created Being Mary Jane, both for BET. Earlier this year, Brock Akil signed a blind script deal with Fox Entertainment, while a previous overall deal at Warner Bros. TV saw her serve as producer on The CW’s Black Lightning and the Oprah Winfrey Network’s Love Is.

“It is a dream to partner with the force of Netflix, for we have the same goals—telling human stories for a global audience,” said Brock Akil. “I’m excited to have a home that allows me the creative freedom and support to do what I do best– paint portraits and murals of women, Black people and anyone else whose story is missing from this golden age of television.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Mara Brock Akil to Netflix,” added Channing Dungey, VP Original Series, Netflix. “Her signature storytelling, authentic perspective and captivating characters have long entertained audiences and proven to be relevant, timely and endlessly engaging.”