Lockdown (2020 TV series)

Last updated
Lockdown
Lock Down YT Original Series.png
Genre
Created by J. J. Johnson
Developed by
  • J.J. Johnson
  • Christin Simms
Written by
  • J.J. Johnson
  • Christin Simms
Directed byJ.J Johnson
Starring
  • Arista Ahin
  • Saara Chaudry
  • Amanda Cheung
  • Dorian Giordano
  • Edison Grant
  • Tomaso Sanelli
Composer Erica Procunier
Country of origin
  • Canada
  • United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producers
  • J.J Johnson
  • Blair Powers
  • Christin Simms
  • Matthew J.R. Bishop
  • Carla de Jong
ProducerAlex Grieve
EditorCourtney Goldman
Production company Sinking Ship Entertainment
Original release
Network YouTube Premium
ReleaseJune 26, 2020 (2020-06-26)

Lockdown (also stylized as Lockdown: The Scream Next Door and Lockdown: Who Is Question Mark Face?) is a children's and teen drama mystery thriller streaming television series produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment and commissioned and distributed by YouTube Originals. Conceived, developed and produced in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and the United States, the scripted live-action series follows a group of socially distanced teenagers working together to solve a mystery in their neighborhood. [1] Originally announced in April 2020, [2] the initial ten-episode series premiered on the YouTube Originals for Kids & Family channel on June 26, 2020. [3]

Contents

The series received a Webby Award for best educational or science video series, [4] a Special Achievement Award from the Prix Jeunesse International festival for excellence in COVID-19 programming, the global festival that every two years recognizes the best in children and youth television, [5] as well as the Content Innovation Award for Kids Programming. [6] The series was also recognized by the MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards, [7] while series stars Arista Arhin and Amanda Cheung were nominated by the Joey Awards for their performances. [8] In 2021, the series was nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards for its writing. [9]

YouTube Originals announced in October 2020 that it had ordered six new episodes of Lockdown as part of its focus on racial justice programming. [10] The new season, titled Lockdown: Who Is Question Mark Face? premiered on the YouTube Originals for Kids & Family channel on November 19, 2020.[ citation needed ] The first season was also picked up for second-window by WildBrain for the Family Channel in Canada. [11]

Premise

This scripted series follows six teenaged friends as they work together to solve mysteries in their neighborhood during the social distancing era. Shot entirely via webcam and smartphone from the actors’ homes and neighborhoods, the series is a suspenseful look at how young people stay in touch while having to stay away, and the story unfolds almost in real-time as the friend group works together – from a distance – to solve the mystery, while also exploring their own anxieties and frustrations about life during a pandemic.

Lockdown: The Scream Next Door

In this initial ten-episode season, which takes place during days 1 through 60 of a Covid-19 lockdown, Nira overhears what sounds like a woman's scream one night from her neighbor's house. As she enlists the help of her friends Aiden, Chris, Emi and Sam - along with Emi's crush Luke, who lives on the other side of Nira's neighbor - new suspicious events, including late night digging and creepy notes - thicken the plot. As they work together remotely and use technological tools to solve the mystery, they also support each other emotionally through the pandemic and the experience of being in quarantine. Storylines include Luke's grandmother at risk for Covid-19 in her retirement community, Sam's nurse father quarantining away from the family, Emi being verbally attacked for her Asian ethnicity, Aiden's and Sam's efforts in the online video game Bielzemor, a love triangle and bourgeoning romantic feelings between Luke and Nira as well as between Emi and Chris. [12]

Lockdown: Who Is Question Mark Face?

In the six-episode second season that takes place days 61 through 120 of lockdown, the six teens reckon with a growing racial justice movement following the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, the shooting of Breonna Taylor, and others. After Sam organizes a local Black Lives Matter march, Chris' family's restaurant - which had been preemptively boarded up ahead of Sam's community march - is vandalized with graffiti. A masked figure calling themselves Question Mark Face releases a video on social media claiming responsibility for the attack and promises for future attacks, while local real estate agent Mary Lewis blames Sam for the tagging. As Question Mark Face continues to target local businesses, the six teens work together to investigate the perpetrator's identity and motive. Throughout the season, the show explores how each of the main characters are responding to the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movement, including Sam's growing social activism, Chris' focus on allyship, and Emi's use of fashion to make her voice heard. Additional storylines include Sam's crush on fellow gamer Harley, the socioeconomic impact of the lockdowns on families, and the differing philosophies on how to make a difference between Sam, her friends and her cousin Asha.[ citation needed ]

Cast and characters

Main cast

Supporting cast

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1 10June 26, 2020 (2020-06-26)July 14, 2020 (2020-07-14)
2 6November 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)

Season 1: The Scream Next Door (2020)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [13]
11"Neighbor Watching"J.J. JohnsonJ.J. Johnson, Christin SimmsJune 26, 2020 (2020-06-26)
22"Walk-By"J.J. JohnsonSabrina SherifJune 26, 2020 (2020-06-26)
33"Stake Outing" Warren P. Sonoda Lakna EdilimaJune 26, 2020 (2020-06-26)
44"Bad Connection"Warren P. SonodaThomas ConwayJune 26, 2020 (2020-06-26)
55"Unfriended"Melanie OrrSabrina SherifJune 26, 2020 (2020-06-26)
66"If The Shoe Fits"Melanie OrrLakna EdilimaJune 26, 2020 (2020-06-26)
77"Relationship Status"Stephen ReynoldsThomas ConwayJuly 2, 2020 (2020-07-02)
88"Angry Face"Lisa Rose SnowJ.J. Johnson, Christin SimmsJuly 7, 2020 (2020-07-07)
99"Social Togetherness" Nicole Stamp J.J. Johnson, Christin Simms. Teleplay by J.J. Johnson, Christin Simms, Nicole StampJuly 8, 2020 (2020-07-08)
1010"Killer Instinct"Christin SimmsChristin SimmsJuly 14, 2020 (2020-07-14)

Season 2: Who Is Question Mark Face? (2020)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [13]
111"The Confession"Nicole Stamp Lisa Codrington November 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)
122"Guilty Unil Proven Innocent"J.J. NeepinNicole StampNovember 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)
133"Best Intentions" Alicia K. Harris Desmond SargeantNovember 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)
144"The Sting" Shawn Gerrard Gillian MullerNovember 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)
155"Ticking Clock"Ayesha Mansur GonsalvesAlejandro AlcobaNovember 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)
166"Questions Answered" Tiffany Hsiung Aaron BalaNovember 19, 2020 (2020-11-19)

Reception

Common Sense Media awarded Lockdown for its Common Sense Selection for Families seal, calling it a "enjoyable, fresh series adapts a traditional whodunnit story to the 2020-era pandemic experience of being homebound for weeks on end" that "doubles as a modern spin on Rear Window-style suspense and a more realistic, revealing glimpse into the teens' psyche during a period of compulsory quarantine." [14] Cablefax also praised the series, noting "it's not difficult to see why this series...has garnered awards for youth programming" and "it’s not an easy assignment for the mostly teen cast of “Lockdown” to create art on a small screen, but they do it well," while commending its inclusion of timely issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ+ experience. [15]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)Result
2022 Canadian Screen Awards Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or SeriesAaron Bala, Lisa Codrington, J.J. Johnson, Blair Powers, Christin Simms, Matthew J.R. Bishop, Carla de Jong, Alejandro AlcobaPending
Best Direction, Children's or YouthEpisode: "The Confession"

Nicole Stamp

Pending
Best Writing, Children's or YouthEpisode: "The Confession"

Lisa Codrington

Pending
Episode: "Guilty Until Proven Innocent"

Nicole Stamp

Pending
Best Performance, Children's or YouthSaara ChaudryPending
2021 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Younger Performer in a Daytime Fiction SeriesArista ArhinNominated
Webby Awards Video Series & Channels - Science & EducationLockdownWon
Canadian Screen Awards Best Writing, Web Program or SeriesEpisode: "Social Togetherness"

J. J. Johnson, Nicole Stamp, Christin Simms

Nominated
Episode: "Stake Outing"

Lakna Edilima

Nominated
Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Costume Arts & Design (CAFTCAD) AwardsBest Costume Design in a Web SeriesChristine ToyeNominated
WGC Screenwriting Awards Tweens & TeensEpisode: "Social Togetherness"

J.J. Johnson, Nicole Stamp, Christin Simms

Nominated
Episode: "Stake Outing"

Lakna Edilima

Nominated
2020Prix Jeunesse InternationalSpecial Achievement Prize (for excellence in Covid-19 programming)LockdownWon
MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence AwardsRepresentation of Diversity - Kids ProgrammingLockdownNominated
Content Innovation AwardsInnovation & Ingenuity Award - Kids ProgrammingLockdownWon
Joey AwardsBest Actress in a Webseries 12-15 YearsAmanda CheungNominated
Arista ArhinNominated

Related Research Articles

<i>Totally Spies!</i> French teen television series

Totally Spies! is a French anime-influenced animated spy-fi series created by Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel mainly produced by French company Zodiak Kids & Family France, with seasons three to five being co-produced with Canadian company Image Entertainment Corporation. It focuses on three teenage girls from Beverly Hills, California, who work as undercover agents for the World Organization of Human Protection (WOOHP).

Myx is an American pay TV channel based in Daly City, California with an office also in Redwood City, California targeting a multicultural audience. As a sister network to Myx (Philippines), it launched in the United States in 2007. MyxRadio launched in November 2019 as a radio station on Dash Radio & as a global podcast on Spotify, iHeartRadio & Apple iTunes in March 2020. A video on demand service for Myx shows is also available via iWantTFC and TFC IPTV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Tsui</span> American musician and YouTuber (born 1989)

Samuel Tsui is an American singer, songwriter and video producer. He rose to fame as an internet celebrity known for doing covers and musical medleys of songs by pop artists. He has since released original songs and expanded to mashups.

<i>Cracked</i> (Canadian TV series) 2013 Canadian TV series or program

Cracked is a Canadian police crime drama television series which aired from January 8 to November 25, 2013 on CBC Television. The series was created by writer Tracey Forbes and Toronto Emergency Task Force officer Calum de Hartog, and was executive produced by Peter Raymont and Janice Dawe of White Pine Pictures. It premiered on January 8, 2013, and aired new episodes through November 25, 2013.

<i>Escape the Night</i> American murder-mystery reality website series

Escape the Night is an American reality television series created, hosted, produced, and owned by Joey Graceffa. The series follows fantasy plots based on horror and murder mystery aesthetics. The series premiered on June 22, 2016, through YouTube Red. The series concluded its fourth season on September 4, 2019, making the longest-running series on YouTube Premium until 2020. After the cancellation of the series, the creator announced an upcoming film and set up a fundraiser.

UNHhhh is an American comedy web series starring drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. In the series, Trixie and Katya discuss a topic humorously in front of a green screen. UNHhhh premiered on March 25, 2016, one year after Mattel and Zamolodchikova appeared in the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. The show is aired through World Of Wonder's YouTube channel, as well as through its video-on-demand service WOW Presents Plus. UNHhhh has been nominated for ten Streamy Awards throughout its run, winning Unscripted Series at the 2020 ceremony, which the duo also hosted.

<i>The Inbestigators</i> 2019 Australian television series

The Inbestigators is an Australian mockumentary children's television series. The show stars Abby Bergman, Anna Cooke, Aston Droomer and Jamil Smyth-Secka as Ava Andrikides, Maudie Miller, Ezra Banks and Kyle Klimson, respectively. The characters are fifth-graders who solve crimes in their school and neighbourhood. Created by Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope, the series has the comic tone of Little Lunch and an air of mystery. The show aired in two series from 21 June to 30 November 2019 on ABC Me. Netflix released the first and second series in mid-2019 and early 2020 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 lockdown in China</span> Chinese quarantine effort in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei

On 23 January 2020, the central government of China imposed a lockdown in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei in an effort to quarantine the center of an outbreak of COVID-19; this action was commonly referred to as the Wuhan lockdown. The World Health Organization (WHO), although stating that it was beyond its own guidelines, commended the move, calling it "unprecedented in public health history".

On 9 March 2020, the government of Italy under Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte imposed a national lockdown or quarantine, restricting the movement of the population except for necessity, work, and health circumstances, in response to the growing pandemic of COVID-19 in the country. Additional lockdown restrictions mandated the temporary closure of non-essential shops and businesses. This followed a restriction announced on the previous day which affected sixteen million people in the whole region of Lombardy and in fourteen largely-neighbouring provinces in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Piedmont and Marche, and prior to that a smaller-scale lockdown of ten municipalities in the province of Lodi and one in the province of Padua that had begun in late February.

<i>Ang sa Iyo ay Akin</i> 2020–21 melodrama television series

Ang sa Iyo ay Akin is a Philippine television drama series broadcast Kapamilya Channel. Directed by FM Reyes and Avel E. Sunpongco, it stars Jodi Sta. Maria, Iza Calzado and Sam Milby. It aired on the network's Primetime Bida line up and worldwide on TFC from August 17, 2020, to March 19, 2021, replacing Make It With You and The World of the Married and was replaced by Huwag Kang Mangamba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Kiribati</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic in Kiribati is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Kiribati on 18 May 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enhanced community quarantine in Luzon</span> Quarantine in Luzon during the COVID-19 pandemic

The enhanced community quarantine in Luzon was a series of stay-at-home orders and cordon sanitaire measures implemented by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on the island of Luzon and its associated islands. It is part of the COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines, a larger scale of COVID-19 containment measures with varying degrees of strictness. The "enhanced community quarantine" (ECQ) is the strictest of these measures and is effectively a total lockdown.

The first four cases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh were confirmed on March 20, 2020. As of August 14, 2021, Madhya Pradesh has confirmed a total of 791,998 cases, and has recorded 10,514 deaths.

COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines were a series of stay-at-home orders and cordon sanitaire measures that were implemented by the government of the Philippines through its Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High on You (Sigma and John Newman song)</span> 2020 single by Sigma and John Newman

"High on You" is a song by British drum and bass DJ and record production duo Sigma and English singer John Newman. The song was released as a digital download on 12 June 2020 by 3 Beat Records as the eighth single from the duo's second studio album, Hope. The song was written by Christopher Tempest, George Henry Tizzard, John Newman, Rick Parkhouse and Sam Preston.

A virtual choir, online choir or home choir is a choir whose members do not meet physically but who work together online from separate places. Some choirs just sing for the joy of the shared experience, while others record their parts alone and send their digital recordings, sometimes including video, to be collated into a choral performance. There may be a series of rehearsals which singers can watch online, and their performance recordings may be made while watching a video of the conductor, and in some cases listening to a backing track, to ensure unanimity of timing. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 inspired a large growth in the number of virtual choirs, although the idea was not new.

The 2020-21 World Surf League was the 44th season of all iterations of the tour circuit for professional surfers. After the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting international travel between and within countries namely Australia, Indonesia, Portugal and South Africa. The board changed the tour to a wraparound season of 2020-21, which allowed major changes to the tour schedule, with the Billabong Pipe Masters becoming the first round of the tour.

<i>Host</i> (film) 2020 British horror film

Host is a 2020 British independent supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage and written by Savage, Gemma Hurley, and Jed Shepherd. A computer screen film that takes place entirely on a Zoom video call, it follows a group of friends who attempt to escape from a demon they inadvertently summoned during an online séance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bio-secure bubble</span> Hosting of sporting events in a single, protected environment

A bio-secure bubble, also known as a bubble, or hub city, was a hosting arrangement for sporting events that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, under which events were held at a centralized site, often behind closed doors, with strict quarantine and safety protocols in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A bubble was established for a single sports season, tournament, or for an ongoing series of events, allowing them to still be held and made available to broadcast audiences.

References

  1. "YouTube rolls out first content fund series". Archived from the original on 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  2. White, Peter (2020-04-22). "YouTube Originals Launches COVID-19 Slate With Stars Including Karlie Kloss, Ken Jeong, Yungblud & Joseph Gordon-Levitt". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  3. "YouTube". www.youtube.com. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  4. "Webby's 25th Anniversary". watch.webbyawards.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  5. "Prix Jeunesse International 2020". Prix Jeunesse. Archived from the original on 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  6. "TBI's Content Innovation Awards 2020 – The Winners!". TBI Vision. 2020-12-03. Archived from the original on 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  7. "Mipcom - Diversity & Inclusion in the entertainment industry". www.mipcom.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  8. "2020 NOMINATIONS". www.joeyawards.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  9. "2020 Canadian Screen Awards Nominees". Academy.ca. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  10. "YouTube Sets Originals Slate Focused on Black Voices, Racial Justice After Establishing $100M Creator Fund". 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  11. Pinto, Jordan (July 3, 2020). "Family Channel acquires Sinking Ship's Lockdown". Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  12. "Lockdown - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  13. 1 2 "Lockdown – Listings". The Futon Critic . Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  14. "Lockdown - TV Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. 2020-07-15. Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  15. "Reviews: 'Lockdown'". Cablefax. 2020-11-19. Archived from the original on 2020-12-05. Retrieved 2020-11-25.