‘Insecure’ Alums Jean Elie and Mike Gauyo Score ‘Send Help’ Series at AMC’s Allblk

Selome Hailu
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Allblk, AMC Networks’ streamer for Black content, has greenlit “Send Help,” a coming-of-age dark comedy created by “Insecure” recurring star Jean Elie and writer and story editor Mike Gauyo.

“Send Help” will follow Fritz (Elie), a young first generation Haitian American struggling to overcome the challenges of “making it” in Hollywood, while coming to terms with a recent family tragedy. He relocates to L.A. from Brockton, Mass., all while trying to be the new man of the family and exploring the Southern California dating scene. Throughout the series, Fritz fights to conquer his feelings of imposter syndrome, the Hollywood community and his family issues. Rather than address his shortcomings head on, he chooses to deny and avoid the issues that everyone else can see.

More from Variety

In “Insecure,” Elie played Issa’s (Issa Rae) younger brother Ahmal. He has also appeared in episodes of “The Eric Andre Show” and “American Crime.” Most recently, he played Reggie in the Netflix limited series “Colin in Black & White” and Taz in Carey Williams’ film “R#J.”

Gauyo was a writer and story editor on “Insecure’s” fifth season. He has also written for Netflix’s “Ginny and Georgia” and the webseries “BSU: Black Student Union.”

The seven-episode first season of “Send Help” will be directed by Stewart Yost. Matt Hoklotubbe, Michael J. McGarry and Francesca Smith will produce in association with Whistle Studios. Allblk general manager Brett Dismuke and senior vice president of development and production Nikki Love executive produce for the streamer. Production is set to begin early next year with the series slated for premiere in the fall.

“Elevating the diversity of content available on Allblk has been top of mind for us as we prepare for the next year ahead,” said Dismuke. “‘Send Help’ will introduce a new perspective to our programming library that we anticipate will reach audiences across genders, age groups, and cultures – while also addressing emotional situations with comedic relief.”

“‘Send Help’ is a love letter to my family and others living with tragedy,” said Elie. “It’s also a shoutout to first generation Americans daring to step into creative fields despite being discouraged by their immigrant families. I hope young people will see what’s possible when you step out of your own way and defy society’s limits.”

“This is a series about Haitian people just existing,” said Gauyo. “Not as caricatures or stereotypes, but as fully formed, normalized human beings sharing the same space as everyone else, while sharing unique experiences that feel universal. I’m incredibly proud of this series and can’t wait to see it on air.”

(Pictured: Jean Elie, left; Mike Gauyo, right)

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.