50 Cent and Courtney Kemp talk formula for success with hit TV show ‘POWER’

Jun 21, 2017

Starz’s hit series, ‘POWER’, is arguably the most highly-anticipated TV show season premiere of the summer.

“It’s been wonderful that the show is growing,” said showrunner, creator, and executive producer Courtney A. Kemp in an interview with theGrio’s Natasha Alford. “The key is to always pretend that no one is watching the show when you are in the writer’s room.”

Kemp’s writing room strategy is working. The third season of the hit show turned out to be the most-watched ever for a Starz original series, with a record 8 million multi-platform viewers per episode.

Variety reports it was also the second-highest rated series on all premium pay television in 2016. Kemp stated that her decision to stay true to her ideas is partially responsible for the show’s steady growth.

“People often ask me, ‘Do you work with what you think people want to see?’ Nope, because the minute you start thinking about that you are going to move away from the vision and the vision is what has kept us strong,” said Kemp.

Executive Producer and cast member, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson believes the show’s success lies in the strength of the content and strong story lines.

– 50 Cent breaks down why success can be dangerous

“The project is as good as the passion you put into it,” Jackson told theGrio.

“Look at Moonlight; that movie was made with a formula for a disaster because there are no stars in the film. They are going to tell you there is no way to sell that, and that (Moonlight) got accolades, sparked new careers and everything goes off. I think it was the content (made it successful), what it was about,” said Jackson.

At the end of season three viewers were left with a cliffhanger. James (Ghost) St. Patrick, played by Omari Hardwick, was arrested by his ex-girlfriend, Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Valdes for a crime he actually did not commit.

St. Patrick must figure out a way to clear his name, but the task will not be easy considering all the major players in his world; including his estranged wife, Tasha are at odds with him.

Season four of Power will include 10 one-hour episodes. You can catch up on the series Saturday, June 24th, when Starz airs a marathon of seasons one through three.

Watch more of our interview with Courtney A. Kemp and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson below where they talk about their relationship, and tune into theGrio’s Entertainment page for more ‘POWER’ cast interviews!

Season 4 of ‘POWER’ returns on STARZ June 25th.