Norman Lear, Common & Shonda Rhimes Exec Producing EPIX Doc

NEW YORK/MIAMI: EPIX is set to premiere a documentary about inequality this fall, in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election, with Norman Lear, Common and Shonda Rhimes on board as executive producers.

America Divided was created by Solly Granatstein, Lucian Read and Richard Rowley, and is being produced by Divided Films in association with RadicalMedia. It will feature high-profile correspondents exploring inequality in relation to their own backgrounds. Common will return to his hometown of Chicago to look at the criminal justice system. America Ferrera will head to Texas to look at healthcare for poor women and voting rights. Zach Galifianakis will explore the political landscape in North Carolina. Lear will look at the housing crisis in New York. The challenges faced by domestic workers will be explored by Amy Poehler. Peter Sarsgaard will look at addiction in towns where factory closures have left many unemployed. Jesse Williams will examine inequality in education.

“EPIX is committed to presenting thought-provoking documentaries that deal head-on with hot-button topics that affect our society,” said Mark S. Greenberg, CEO and President of EPIX. “America Divided is a nonpartisan investigation of the key issues shaping the presidential campaign, and we are confident our viewers will find each episode compelling and accessible.”

“This series cuts to the heart of the inequality crisis, exploring life-and-death struggles around the economic, social and political divide,” said the show’s creators in a joint statement. “Our aim is to expose the damage extreme inequality inflicts on all Americans, reveal its systemic causes and celebrate real-world heroes fighting for solutions.”

“Addressing the ramifications of inequality is hugely important to me,” said Common. “The more we explore the subject and build a dialogue around the issues, the more we can do to create change.”

“Foremost among the Founding Fathers’ promises was equality under the law,” Lear noted. “It’s up to us to help them keep their promise.”

“The promise of the American dream was a united country where everyone is treated equal,” said Rhimes. “That promise has clearly been broken; all you have to do is look around to see that our reality has been built on the back of inequality. It’s my hope that this series will inspire audiences to be part of a change that leads us into a stronger, more equal future.”