Debbie Allen and Amber Riley are moving into “The Lower Bottoms.”
The two actors join the scripted dark comedy podcast — about denizens in a gentrifying neighborhood in West Oakland, Calif. — for Season 2. Also appearing in the second season of “The Lower Bottoms” is Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alice Walker, who will guest star alongside returning stars including Kelsey Grammer, Theo Rossi and Annie Ilonzeh. The show is coproduced by iHeartMedia and Will Packer Media.
Season 2’s first episode premieres Monday (Sept. 12) with new episodes released every Monday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other audio platforms. The second season will have a 10-episode run, the same as the first season, which was released in the summer of 2021.
Allen (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Fame”) will lead as a female narrator on “The Lower Bottoms” S2, along with returning narrator Grammer (“Cheers,” “Frasier”). Actor-singer Riley (“Glee”) will voice a new character, Rebecca.
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“I really enjoyed voicing the new female narrator and sparring with Kelsey,” Allen said in a statement provided to Variety. “This intriguing story will have audiences begging to see a movie version of ‘Lower Bottoms.'”
Rossi (“Army of the Dead,” “Sons of Anarchy”) reprises his turn as Lenny, a boisterous cafe owner with a chip on his shoulder. Ilonzeh (“Peppermint,” “Person of Interest”) will continue to lend her voice to Beulah, a confident but reserved young woman looking to find her way.
Season 2 of “The Lower Bottoms” kicks off six months after the Freedom House fire and data leak scandal. Beulah struggles with her mental health as her loyalty is tested from every direction. Meanwhile, Lenny flounders as Oakland’s new mayor, and Shante (Teresa Celeste) finds her new life with the Russians haunted by a very real pair of ghosts from the past.
“The Lower Bottoms” is created and written by Dominique Mouton, produced by Will Packer for Will Packer Media, Joelle Monique for iHeartRadio and Jack Levy, who also produced and directed the series.
