Blavity’s Shadow and Act has the exclusive trailer debut for Southern Fried Rice, the new series from Keke Palmer’s KeyTV Network that stars Page Yang, Kordell Beckham, Choyce Brown, Ashley India, Jada Lewis and Shaun Rose.
The series debuts Oct. 22 with two episodes on KeyTV Network’s Facebook and YouTube. The series is written by its creator, Nakia Stephens, and directed by Shayla Racquel. Both are HBCU alums, with Racquel attending Florida A&M University and Stephens attending Savannah State University.
Here’s the official description:
Southern Fried Rice follows KoKo Johnson (Yang), a Korean-American girl raised from birth by her Southern Black parents. When she leaves her small town to attend Wright University—an elite, fictional HBCU in Atlanta and her late father’s alma mater—KoKo steps into a world that both welcomes and challenges her. From being labeled a “culture vulture” to navigating friendship, love, and identity, KoKo must learn what it truly means to belong.
What Keke Palmer and Nakia Stephens say about the series
“Southern Fried Rice is exactly the kind of story I envisioned KeyTV telling, one that reflects our diverse realities while still being full of humor, love, and heart,” said Palmer in a statement. “This series represents the next wave of creative voices that are shaping culture, and I’m so proud KeyTV gets to be part of that.”
“I wanted to tell a story that speaks to what it feels like to exist between cultures — to love where you come from while still figuring out where you belong,” said Stephens. “Southern Fried Rice is a love letter to HBCUs, to the South, and to anyone who’s ever questioned their identity but found power in embracing it.”
The series is executive-produced by Keke Palmer, Sharon Palmer, Lenoria Addison, Nakia Stephens and produced by Shanay Jackson Campbell. It is filmed in Atlanta.
Watch the trailer below: