EXCLUSIVE: 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, Deadline has learned. Oscar and Emmy nominee Danielle Brooks is set to star and executive produce in the project, inspired by the life story of restaurateur Melba Wilson, which landed at Apple TV in a competitive situation, I hear.
Written and executive produced by Barris, American Comfort explores the heart, humor and hospitality that has transformed Wilson’s eponymous Harlem restaurant Melba’s from a neighborhood eatery into a soul food landmark deeply embedded into the cultural fabric of its community for over 20 years.
Brooks will play the lead character Melba, owner of the legendary Harlem soul food restaurant where the show is set.
Kenya Barris and Leyah Barris executive produce vis his Khalabo Ink Society alongside Winfrey and Carla Gardini for Harpo Entertainment, Kaplan for Kapital Entertainment, Wilson and Neema Barnette as well as Aisha Summers-Burke for BET Studios, a label of CBS Studios, where Barris is one of the founding principal partners. Jaiden Kaplan and Dylan Hammalian will co-executive produce for Kapital Entertainment, as well as Jill McGrath at Door 24 and Lauren Tuck at Harpo. Kapital Entertainment and Apple are the studios.
The project reunites Barris with Kaplan who was the comedy writer-producer’s agent at WMA. The two also collaborated on a brothers comedy which was set up at CBS last year with Barris and Mike Epps attached to star.
Kaplan and Winfrey executive produced together the 2023 Hulu series Black Cake.
Brooks, an Oscar nominee for The Color Purple, recently starred opposite John Cena in Season 2 of HBO Max’s Peacemaker, earning a 2026 Critics Choice Award nomination. In features, the Orange Is the New Black alumna stars in the indie If I Go, Will They Miss Me, which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. She also starred opposite Jack Black and Jason Momoa in A Minecraft Movie and voiced Kitty Kat in The Bad Buys 2. She is repped by CAA and Jill McGrath at Door 24.
Harlem native Wilson is a James Beard Award–nominated chef, restaurateur, and entrepreneur whose flagship Melba’s Restaurant has expanded to multiple locations including Central Park, Grand Central Terminal, and Newark’s Prudential Center. She is also a media personality, author, and philanthropist. Wilson is repped by Paradigm.
Barris, creator/executive producer of ABC’s Emmy-nominated comedy black-ish and its offshoots, has Diarra From Detroit, which is returning for a second season on Paramount+. He also recently executive produced The Vince Staples Show for Netflix and produced the Amazon sports comedy movie The Underdoggs. Khalabo Ink Society’s development slate includes Get Lite starring Storm Reid, which would mark Teyana Taylor’s feature directorial debut; a Richard Pryor limited bio series; a remake of It’s A Wonderful Life; a documentary on the life and career of rapper Chief Keef; and a feature starring viral comedian Druski based on his recent original short The Diggers. Barris is repped by WME, LBI Entertainment and Yorn Levine Barnes.
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