#DontSleepOnUMC
By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, MSJ
As we head into another “Quarantine & Chill” filled weekend, are you getting bored of scrolling through Netflix, Hulu, and your other regular streamers of choice? Can I encourage you to spend this weekend at home exploring a streaming service you may not have given a chance to yet?
Here are 5 of the best titles to stream on UMC (www.UMC.tv), the first streaming service for Black TV and film from AMC Networks. If you’d like to take advantage of our current extended 30-day free trial, please feel free to use the code UMCFREE30.
A love letter to the movie’s fans, as well as a master-class on filmmaking, Making The Five Heartbeats is told through behind-the-scenes footage and personal stories with the five stars of the film: Robert Townsend, Leon Robinson, Michael Wright, Harry J. Lennix, and Tico Wells; plus co-writer Keenen Ivory Wayans, and the film’s bad guy you love to hate, “Big Red,” Hawthorne James.
Jada Pinkett Smith, Allen Payne, and Bokeem Woodbine star in this classic film following two brothers, survivors of family tragedy, who take different life paths: one falls for a high-spirited waitress and dreams of success, the other follows a life of petty crime.
If you’re a fan of shows like “Greenleaf,” “Ambitions,” or just a good, juicy drama…“A House Divided” is for you. Starring Lawrence Hilton Jacobs(remember him from “The Jacksons: An American Dream?”) and Demetria McKinney (“Tyler Perry’s House of Payne”), the family saga follows the members of a prominent family in Los Angeles who deal with the loss of their matriarch while uncovering a variety of secrets and scandals. Season 2 kicks off this week with LisaRaye McCoy joining the cast for a whole new level of OMG moments like you wouldn’t believe!
Four phenomenal women – Niecy Nash, Essence Atkins, Aisha Hinds, and The Shade Room Founder, Angelica Nwandu – share some of their darkest moments and how they overcame them to achieve ultimate success in their lives. If you’re in need of some uplifting and a little inspiration, grab a box of tissues and dive into this one. Highly recommended!
If you’ve never heard of UMC and this is your absolute first time trying out this service, START HERE. “Craig Ross Jr.’s Monogamy” is to UMC what “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards” were to Netflix. It’s UMC’s flagship show. Here’s the premise…4 wives. 4 husbands. 1 experiment. Spouses swap, connections are created, temptations are tested, and monogamy is…messy. But this messy is GOOD. Do I smell a new binge coming?
New series that runs on Thursday nights, beginning May 21-June 25.
The latest new addition to UMC’s original series lineup, “Double Cross” follows Erica (newcomer Ashley A. Williams) and Eric Cross (fitness guru Jeff Logan) – two siblings on a quest to save the women in their neighborhood from a sex trafficking ring that’s taken over Dr. Erica’s hospital emergency room and shaken up the streets ran by “The Heights” Kingpin, Eric. Haunted by their past, the twins set down a path of their unique brand of vigilante justice. The first episode premieres May 21, and new episodes will air each Thursday until June 25.
For a first look at the brand-new series, check out the trailer here: https://bit.ly/3dCX0nm
The Urban Movie streaming service centers on the Black community. New content is added weekly, and UMC is offering new subscribers the opportunity to enjoy a free 30-day trial subscription.
You will need to set up an account with billing information and don’t forget to use the UMCFREE30 code when signing up. Once your 30-day trial is over, then you will be charged the monthly rate until you cancel your subscription. For more information, visit UMC.tv.
