Danielle Brooks is taking on a new leading role that blends storytelling, culture, and legacy.
According to Deadline, Apple TV+ is developing American Comfort (working title), a soul food restaurant comedy from black-ish creator Kenya Barris, Oprah Winfrey, and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. Brooks is set to star and executive produce the series, which is inspired by the life of Harlem restaurateur Melba Wilson.
At the center of the series is Melba’s Restaurant, the Harlem staple that has spent more than 20 years serving soul food and building community. Brooks will play Melba Wilson, the woman behind the restaurant and its cultural impact.
Written by Barris, the series explores the humor, heart, and everyday life behind running a Black-owned restaurant that has become a neighborhood landmark.
Behind the scenes, Barris and Leyah Barris executive produce under Khalabo Ink Society alongside Oprah Winfrey and Carla Gardini for Harpo Entertainment. Aaron Kaplan executive produces for Kapital Entertainment, along with Wilson, Neema Barnette, and Aisha Summers-Burke for BET Studios. Kapital Entertainment and Apple TV+ are the studios.
Melba Wilson is a James Beard Award nominated chef, restaurateur, and entrepreneur. Her flagship Melba’s Restaurant has expanded from Harlem to locations including Central Park and Grand Central Terminal, becoming a staple in New York’s food and culture scene.
At its core, American Comfort is about food, family, and legacy, and the people who turn a restaurant into a cultural institution.