Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.
{{Short description|2024 American TV documentary series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Stax Soulsville USA.png
| image_size =
| genre = Documentary
| director = Jamila Wignot
| writer =
| opentheme =
| country = United States
| num_seasons =
| num_episodes = 4
| music =
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Ezra Edelman
- Caroline Waterlow
- Nigel Sinclair
- Nicholas Ferrall
- Scott Pascucci
- Sophia Dilley
- Michele Smith
- Jody Gerson
- David Blackman
- Charlie Cohen
- Ron Broitman
- Nancy Abraham
- Lisa Heller
- Tina Nguyen
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Jamila Wignot
- Kara Elverson
}}
| cinematography = Bryan Gentry
| editor =
| language = English
| runtime = 50–62 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
- HBO Documentary Films
- White Horse Pictures
- Laylow Pictures
- Concord Originals
- PolyGram Entertainment
- Warner Music Entertainment
}}
| network = HBO
| first_aired = {{Start date|2024|5|20}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2024|5|21}}
}}
Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. is an American documentary series directed and produced by Jamila Wignot. It corrects the history of Stax Records.{{cite web
|url=https://slate.com/culture/2024/05/stax-records-hbo-max-documentary-memphis-soul.html
|title=A Great New Documentary Corrects the Record About One of Music’s Most Important Chapters
|access-date=2024-06-11
|last=Hamilton
|first=Jack
|date=2024-05-20
|work=Slate
}}
The documentary had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2024, where it won the TV Premiere Audience Award.{{cite web|url=https://www.sxsw.com/film/2024/dev-patels-monkey-man-headlines-2024-sxsw-film-tv-festival-and-more-exciting-lineup-additions/|title=Dev Patel's Monkey Man Headlines 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival and More Exciting Lineup Additions|website=South by Southwest|access-date=April 27, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://schedule.sxsw.com/2024/events/FS17173|title=Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.|website=South by Southwest|access-date=April 27, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/sxsw-audience-award-winners-2024-monkey-man-bob-trevino-likes-it-1235861564/|title=‘Bob Trevino Likes It,’ Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man,’ A24’s ‘Sing Sing’ & Dramedy ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ Among SXSW Audience Award Winners|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Matt|last=Grobar|date=March 18, 2024|access-date=April 27, 2024}} It premiered on May 20, 2024, on HBO.{{cite web|url=https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/whats-new-max-may|title=What’s New On Max This May|website=Warner Bros. Discovery|date=April 24, 2024|access-date=April 27, 2024}}
Premise
The series follows Stax Records, a record label that ushered in artists, Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Staple Singers and Sam & Dave; The label went from being an outsider to one of the most influential producers of music, with an impact even after the label has gone.{{cite news |last1=Farber |first1=Jim |title=‘It became a beacon of hope’: the incredible story of Stax Records |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/may/20/stax-records-story-otis-redding-isaac-hayes |access-date=11 June 2024 |publisher=The Guardian |date=20 May 2024}}
Episodes
{{Episode table |total_width= |background=#000000 |overall= |title= |director= |airdate=|country=U.S.|episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|Title = Cause I Love You
|DirectedBy = Jamila Wignot
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|5|20}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|Title = Soul Man
|DirectedBy = Jamila Wignot
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|5|20}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|Title = Respect Yourself
|DirectedBy = Jamila Wignot
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|5|21}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|Title = Nothing Takes the Place of You
|DirectedBy = Jamila Wignot
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|5|21}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
}}
Production
In May 2022, it was announced Jamila Wignot would direct and produce a documentary series revolving around Stax Records for HBO Documentary Films, with Ezra Edelman set to executive produce.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/stax-records-docuseries-set-at-hbo-jamila-wignot-ezra-edelman-1235014317/|title=Stax Records Docuseries Set At HBO From Jamila Wignot & Ezra Edelman|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Peter|last=White|date=May 3, 2022|access-date=April 27, 2024}} Rob Bowman served as a consultant on the series.{{cite web|url=https://staxrecords.com/news/hbo-documentary-films-in-production-on-stax-a-multiple-part-documentary-series-revealing-the-extraordinary-story-of-stax-records/|title=HBO Documentary Films in production on Stax, a multi-part documentary series revealing the extraordinary story of Stax Records|website=Stax Records|access-date=April 27, 2024}}
Reception
=Critical reception=
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|100|8.00|10|}}{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes|id=stax_soulsville_usa|title=Stax: Soulsville USA|type=tv|season=1|access-date=June 10, 2024|publisher_hide=y}}{{cbignore}} On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".{{Cite Metacritic|id=stax-soulsville-usa|title=Stax: Soulsville USA|type=tv|season=1|access-date=May 23, 2024|publisher_hide=y}}{{cbignore}}
Nina Metz of Chicago Tribune gave the series three out of four stars, writing: "A story of musical genius but also racism, personal tragedies and corporate greed."{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/05/16/stax-soulsville-usa-review-record-label-otis-redding-isaac-hayes/|title=Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.’ review: The rise and fall of the record label that gave us Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes|website=Chicago Tribune|first=Nina|last=Metz|date=May 16, 2024|access-date=May 23, 2024}} John Anderson of Wall Street Journal also praised the series writing: "Stax may have been of a particular place and time, but Ms. Wignot resurrects it all gloriously, and grittily, and with the personality and precision of the M.G.s rhythm section."{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/television/stax-soulsville-u-s-a-review-hbo-documentary-5f034139|title=‘STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.’ Review: Story of the Memphis Sound|website=Wall Street Journal|first=John|last=Anderson|date=May 16, 2024|access-date=May 23, 2024}}
Accolades
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Ceremony ! Category ! Result ! class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Ref.|References}} |
|---|
| rowspan="4" |2024
|TV Premiere Audience Award |{{won}} |
| 40th IDA Documentary Awards
|Best Limited Series |{{nom}} |
| rowspan="2" |76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
|Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series |{{nom}} |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Non-Fiction Program
|{{nom}} |
| 2025
|Documentary |{{nom}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDB title|tt31193632}}
{{Stax Records}}
{{HBO documentaries}}
{{HBONetwork Shows}}
Category:2020s American documentary television series
Category:2024 American television series endings
Category:Documentary television series about music
Category:HBO original programming
Category:Television series by Home Box Office