Showtime is keeping its presence in the Windy City.
The premium outlet, now known as Paramount+ With Showtime, has ordered a seventh season of its drama series The Chi. The renewal for the series, created by Lena Waithe, comes two days ahead of its return to Paramount+ With Showtime for the second half of season six.
Production on the seventh season is slated to begin later this month in Chicago.
“Lena Waithe is a generational storyteller, whose authentic and unflinching narratives in The Chi resonate deeply, offering a powerful lens into both the complexities of life in Chicago as well as the Black experience in America,” said Nina L. Diaz, president of content and chief creative officer for Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks. “On the heels of a record-breaking season and ahead of this week’s return, we’re excited to provide fans with the promise of more — ensuring that they can continue to enjoy the raw, emotional stories and unforgettable characters that have made this seminal series a resounding success for Showtime.”
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The Chi is P+ With Showtime’s longest-running current scripted series, taking that title after Billions finished its seven-season run last year. The coming-of-age story set on the city’s South Side comes from 20th Television and Waithe’s Hillman Grad banner.
Jacob Latimore, Alex Hibbert, Yolonda Ross, Shamon Brown Jr., Michael V. Epps, Birgundi Baker, Luke James and Curtiss Cook star in The Chi. Waithe executive produces season six with Common, co-showrunners Justin Hillian and Jewel Coronel, Aaron Kaplan, Rick Famuyiwa, ID8 Media’s Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone, and Rishi Rajani, CEO of Hillman Grad. Naomi Funabashi of Hillman Grad and Resheida Brady are co-EPs (Brady has been upped to EP for season seven). Producers Deondray Gossfield and Quincy LeNear Gossfield directed several episodes in season six.
