Netflix Greenlights Musical Drama

Netflix will develop a new drama that will focus on the 1970’s New York City music scene, the network said Thursday.

The series, The Get Down, will be produced by Baz Lurhmann (Moulin Rouge!) and will follow a group of South Bronx teenagers who turn the experiences of their difficult surroundings into music through hip-hop, punk and disco, said the streaming service.

Lurhmann will executively produce the series along with Paul Watters, Thomas Kelly, Stephen Adley Guirgis, Shawn Ryan, and Marney Hochman.

“From his very first and magnificently original steps on the world stage with Strictly Ballroom to his most recent with The Great Gatsby, Baz conjures worlds we may not recognize initially, but once there, realize they are infused with the same dreams of every person - to belong, to matter, to live life to its fullest,” said Cindy Holland, vice president of original content for Netflix in a statement. “We are thrilled to support Baz, Catherine and Paul and their team in their quest to illuminate those same dreams through the artists who came of age in the cauldron of the Bronx in the late 1970s.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.