The four-part documentary "They Call Me Magic" premieres on Apple TV+ April 22 and takes an illuminating, holistic look into the life and career of Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

"They Call Me Magic" offers a rare glimpse into the incredible real-life story of Johnson, who left his mark on history through his work--both on and off the court--and continues to impact our culture today.

The series features intimate, never-before-seen interviews with Magic, his family, and an all-star lineup including: Cookie Johnson, EJ Johnson, Larry Bird, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neil, former President Barack Obama, Fred Stabley Jr., Dwayne Wade, Jerry West, Michael Wilbon and more.

With unprecedented access, the docuseries explores Magic's remarkable journey from being the face of the Los Angeles Lakers and cementing himself as an all-time NBA legend, to changing the conversation around HIV, and transforming into a successful entrepreneur and community activist.
From his humble beginnings in Lansing, Michigan to becoming the global force he is today, "They Call Me Magic" charts the cinematic life of one of the biggest icons of our era.

Directed by Rick Famuyiwa ("Dope") with editor Dirk Westervelt ("Ford v Ferrari") and cinematographer Rachel Morrison ("Black Panther"), the docuseries is produced for Apple by XTR and New Slate Ventures, and produced in association with H.Wood Media and Delirio Films.

"They Call Me Magic" joins a growing lineup of acclaimed and award-winning docuseries and documentaries on Apple TV+, including the Emmy Award-winning "Boys State"; "The Velvet Underground," the acclaimed documentary from director Todd Haynes; Critics Choice Award-winning and Emmy and Grammy Award-nominated "Beastie Boys Story"; the global smash hit documentary "Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry"; Werner Herzog's Critics Choice Documentary Award nominee "Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds"; as well as upcoming documentaries "The Supermodels" and "Number One on the Call Sheet" from acclaimed storytellers Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner and Dan Cogan.

ABOUT APPLE TV+

Apple TV+ is home to award-winning Apple Originals from today's most imaginative storytellers. Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens.
Since the debut of Apple TV+ just over two years ago, Apple's series and films have earned more than 213 awards and over 950 nominations, including the drama "CODA" which won this year's Oscar for "Best Picture" at the 94th Academy Awards, along with SAG Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Critics Choice Documentary Awards, NAACP Image Awards, as well as past Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards, plus more.

ABOUT APPLE TV+

Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.* For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices. *Special offer is good for three months after the first activation of the eligible device. One offer per Family Sharing group. Plans automatically renew until cancelled. Other restrictions and terms apply; visit apple.com/promo for more information.

OTHER TV NEWS:

BET SET TO LAUNCH "CARL WEBER'S THE BLACK HAMPTONS"

BET recently announced production on a new four-part original limited series, "Carl Weber's The Black Hamptons," from The New York Times best-selling author Carl Weber.

From the executive producers of the popular BET+ original drama "The Family Business," Tri Destined Studios and Urban Books Media, comes a new family drama set in the quaint town of Sag Harbor, known as "The Black Hamptons," in Long Island, NY. From luxury communities to historic beachfront enclaves, this epic story will follow the brewing feud between the 'Brittons' and the 'Johnsons,' where the difference between old and new money is very apparent.

"Carl Weber's The Black Hamptons" not only features the glitz and gloss of the Black elite but also exposes the underbelly of wealth and prestige. With a mix of legacy families thriving for generations, friends, wannabes, and thirsty developers, drama can never be too far behind.

The star-studded cast includes: Lamman Rucker, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Elise Neal, Brian White, Karon Riley, Mike Merrill, Blac Chyna, Aaron Spears, Daya Vaidya, Cameo Sherrell, Franklin Ojeda Smith, Jordan Smith, Jennifer Freeman, David Andrews, and more!

The highly anticipated television event "Carl Weber's The Black Hamptons" will make its BET debut in Summer 2022.

"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Tri Destined Studios and Urban Books Media on a new addictive limited series," said Maureen Guthman, SVP, Programming Content Strategy, BET. "BET's ongoing commitment to telling compelling dramatic, character-driven original stories, anchored in the Black experience continues to propel our diverse storytelling to new heights."

"We are honored and grateful to BET and Paramount Global for another opportunity to bring the rich culture, political power, generational wealth, intellect, and global influence of The Black Hamptons to our audience," said Tri-Destined Executive Producer, and Showrunner Nikaya D. Brown Jones. "With all of the twist and turns of a Carl Weber novel, we share a glimpse into the world of affluent African American families owning companies, inventions, and miles of beachfront real estate and their influence on the world."

"This may be the funnest project I've ever worked on. Every day is fun in the sun. I am very grateful to BET for seeing the vision," said Executive Producer, Writer and Showrunner Carl Weber.

"Carl Weber's The Black Hamptons" is executive produced by Nikaya D. Brown Jones for Tri Destined Studios and Carl Weber for Urban Books Media, who also serves as the showrunners.
Weber singlehandedly penned all of the content. Trey Haley ("The Family Business," "Always A Bridesmaid," "The Man in 3B"), will serve as director and co-executive producer for Tri Destined Studios. Grammy award-winning producer Rico Love serves as music supervisor.

For more information on "Carl Weber''s The Black Hamptons," visit the official page at BET.com. Also, join the conversation on all social platforms by following @BET and #TheBlackHamptons.

CARL WEBER:

Carl Weber is the New York Times bestselling author of titles such as "The Preacher's Son, " "So You Call Yourself a Man," "Something on the Side," "Up to No Good," "Big Girls Do Cry," "Torn Between Two Lovers," "She Ain't the One." He is the Publisher and Editorial Director of Urban Books CEO of Urban Books Media, which is currently producing films based on several of his bestselling novels.

ABOUT BET:

BET, a subsidiary of Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA), is the leading provider of premium entertainment, music, news, digital and public affairs content for Black audiences worldwide. BET linear is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, Brazil, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is one of the most well-known Black consumer brands worldwide, with multi-platform business extensions including BET Studios, an unprecedented studio venture that offers equity ownership for Black content creators; BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET Digital, including BET's wide reaching social platforms and BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news.

ABOUT TRI DESTINED STUDIOS:

Tri Destined Studios creates content to empower, entertain, and inspire urban and modern America. Tri Destined executives include: CEO/ Partner Nikaya D. Brown Jones, President/Partner Trey Haley, President of Film, Gregory Anderson, VP of Production and Development, Veronica Nichols and Executive Producer Abe Brown.

ABOUT URBAN BOOKS MEDIA:

Urban Books Media is the Film and Television arm of Urban Books, the Largest African American owned publisher in the country. Urban Books executives include: CEO Carl Weber, Jeffrey Dumpson and Walter Nixon. Their mission is to bring Popular African American Novels to film and television.

Editor's Note: Information used in this report obtained from AppleTV+ and BET publicity departments.