“I think that criticism is valid, but that they don’t care about the show is just completely false. “People kept saying that Prime doesn’t care about this show, and you can debate the efficacy of releasing every episode at once, as a binge watch,” he said. “Once they had a rough draft of it, I gave feedback.”įor Jenkins, it rebukes criticisms leveled against Amazon for perceived apathy. “Once they told me they were doing it, I gave a little bit of guidance, and suggested writers for certain chapters, but at other points, it was completely hands off,” he said. While it wasn’t Jenkins’ original idea, he worked with Amazon to piece it together and assigned credit to the studio for much of its creation.

It felt like making the show all over again, but in the best way, just honoring all the work that everyone put into it, from the art department, to the actors, to the writers, to everyone.”Īrguably, it would have been better to see this book published six months ago, before TV Academy voters filled their ballots, It’s a gorgeous work that can’t hurt its chances at the winter TV awards, but it’s also a celebratory project that can continue to inspire further conversation about the series and the history it foregrounds. “The fact that all those essays are original blew my mind, and just the presentation of it. “I thought it was a really lovely way to honor the work everyone involved had done on the show and it far exceeded my expectations,” Jenkins said in a conversation with IndieWire. Maisel’ Flash Forwards Created a New Costume Challenge The entire 174-page “The Underground Railroad” digital publication can be accessed here. It’s not for sale Amazon made it widely accessible in digital form, and IndieWire has a first-look. Even as the drama’s award window recedes, the streamer commissioned a lush promotional book comprised of exclusive essays, photography, and art that celebrates the craftspeople responsible for bringing it to the screen. And Amazon clearly knows Jenkins’ rhapsodic adaptation stands as a singular work of artistic achievement. Whatever: The series, which is still eligible for guild awards this year, did pick up Spirit Awards and Golden Globe nominations in major categories. When Amazon Prime Video faced a shutout at the 2021 Emmys, among the snubs were seven nominations for Barry Jenkins’ “The Underground Railroad.” Critics loved Jenkins’ limited series based on Colson Whitehead’s 2016 novel, but audiences may have been slow to embrace realistically grim programming during a pandemic - and Amazon faced criticism for what some perceived as lackluster handling of the limited series’ release.

The underground railroad audio book