Stage 13, the award-winning content studio that is a division of Warner Bros. Digital Networks, continues to premiere its unique and relevant original programming with the streaming debut and series launch of “Family Style” on Monday, May 13. The show will launch on Stage 13’s site and YouTube channel and on Facebook Watch during Asian Pacific American Heritage month. The original 12-episode, unscripted series offers a lively look at not just Asian food, but the history and culture that bring the food to the dish.
Shot in Vietnam, China and the Philippines as well as Hawaii and Los Angeles, the food and travel series is produced by Stage 13 and production company YOMYOMF, with Executive Producers Philip W. Chung, Marie Jamora and Jason McLagan.
The series is led by the Foodie Fam – eight talented friends bound together by their knowledge and love for culture, cuisine and sharing family moments around the table. The cast includes Stacy Fan (contributing Editor at Harper’s Bazaar, China and founder of the “Eurasian Vogue” blog); Lana McKissack (actress/singer/producer, “Shameless,” “Criminal Minds,” “Transformers: Titans Return”); Gilbert Galon (actor/comedian), Amanda Suk (“The Runaways”), Arvin Lee (Korean-American actor/filmmaker/musician), Anthony Ma (Taiwanese-American actor/writer/filmmaker; “Dear White People,” “NCIS: Los Angeles”); Oates Wu (Chinese writer/director), and Sujata Day (actress/model/screenwriter, “Insecure”).
The series will premiere original episodes twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays with the season ending the week of June 17. On May 13, the series kicks off with two exciting episodes:
- Episode one – “Family”: Daniel Dae Kim (“Hawaii Five-O” and “The Good Doctor”) takes a cooking lesson at a family-owned restaurant in Hawaii; while on the U.S. mainland, “Fresh off the Boat” actor Hudson Yang makes it a true family affair as he explores his Taiwanese culture with his father, CNN journalist Jeff Yang. Also the Foodie Fam visits Wong Fu Productions founder Philip Wang’s new boba shop Bopomofo.
- Episode two – “Nose to Tail”: Crazy Rich Asians and “Shadowhunters” star Harry Shum Jr. and our Foodie Fam work their way through a table of ‘offal’ dishes, demonstrating the nose-to-tail movement; also, the Foodie Fam examines the origins of the hugely popular mystery meat, SPAM.
Other highlights of the first season include a visit to the Night Markets of Saigon, Singapore and Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley; how to make Kare Kare, the Philippines’ revered hearty stew; the legend of the Pork Highway in Oahu; Sri Lankan, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Burmese cuisine and more. The season’s finale will be the episode “Sharing,” featuring a trip to a treehouse food court in the Philippines for a sampling of unique dishes with local artists, and a visit with “Crazy Rich Asians’” director Jon M. Chu.
“At Stage 13 we love to champion storytellers who see the world through a rich, multidimensional lens,” said Shari Scorca, VP of Unscripted Development at Stage 13. “When YOMYOMF presented us the concept of celebrating Asian food and pop culture from the perspective of a diverse, all Asian cast, with Asian filmmakers, we were excited to start filming!”
“There are a lot of food shows but most are centered around ‘experts’ educating the audience,” said Executive Producer Philip W. Chung. “But I’ve learned the most interesting things about food and culture from simply sharing stories with friends while enjoying a great meal. I wanted to see a show with that vibe–where the audience felt like a member of our Foodie Fam and could share in these food adventures together.”
The show will have a special sneak peek screening Sunday, May 5 as part of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. There will be a three-episode screening followed by a panel and a Q&A.
About YOMYOMF
YOMYOMF is an award-winning digital production company founded by director Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Star Trek Beyond, the Fast & Furious franchise) dedicated to telling stories from Asian Pacific American and other underrepresented voices. YOMYOMF started the Interpretations Film Initiative through its nonprofit, YOMYOMF Foundation, to support Asian American filmmakers partnering with Comcast/NBCUniversal on its latest iteration, produced Google’s first 360 VR film Help (directed by Justin Lin), and is currently producing the trans-centric horror feature Moonshadow with Gunpowder & Sky, among other projects.
About Stage 13
Stage 13 is an award-winning, fearless, original content studio showcasing a new generation of inspired talent and voices in scripted and unscripted storytelling. The brand’s series are available on the Stage 13 platform, Facebook, YouTube, as well as its distribution partners including Netflix, CW Seed and HBO. Creating dynamic series for a multidimensional audience, Stage 13 is part of Warner Bros. Digital Networks.
