Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court is an American documentary miniseries directed and produced by Dawn Porter. Loosely based on the nonfiction book The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America by Michael Waldman. It explores the modern history, people, decisions and conformations of the Supreme Court of the United States. It premiered on September 22, 2023, on Showtime.
| Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary |
| Based on | The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America by Michael Waldman |
| Directed by | Dawn Porter |
| Music by | Paul Brill |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Showtime |
| Release | September 22 – October 13, 2023 |
Premise
editExplores the modern history, people, decisions, and conformations of the Supreme Court of the United States.[1]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Hearts of Men Can Be Changed" | Dawn Porter | September 22, 2023 | N/A |
| 2 | "A Conservative Revolution" | Dawn Porter | September 29, 2023 | N/A |
| 3 | "The Rule of Five" | Dawn Porter | October 6, 2023 | N/A |
| 4 | "Crisis of Legitimacy" | Dawn Porter[2] | October 13, 2023 | N/A |
Production
editShowtime Documentary Films asked if Dawn Porter would be interested in making a project revolving around the Supreme Court, to which Porter agreed.[3][4] Initially, titled Confirmed, the project primarily focusing on how justices are confirmed, however, once the court began making conservative decisions, it was expanded to show how the court became political.[5] Porter wanted the series to make people understand what is happening and how we got here.[6][7] Over several thousand pieces of archive were looked over to construct the series.[8] Porter reached out to justices for comment, but all declined to participate.[9] News of gifts from wealthy donors to Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito does not appear in the series, as the news came once the series was completed.[10]
In June 2022, it was announced Porter would direct and executive produce a documentary series revolving around the Supreme Court of the United States for Showtime.[11]
Release
editThe series first episode premiered at DC/Dox on June 18, 2023.[12][13] It premiered on September 22, 2023, on Showtime.[14]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10.[15]
References
edit- ^ "SHOWTIME ANNOUNCES PREMIERE DATE FOR DEADLOCKED: HOW AMERICA SHAPED THE SUPREME COURT". Paramount Pictures. August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "Crisis of Legitimacy". Showtime. 22 September 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Danoff, Owen (September 18, 2023). "Dawn Porter On Her New Series Deadlocked: How America Shaped The Supreme Court". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Naranjo, Jesse (September 22, 2023). "How we got today's Supreme Court". Politico. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Ito, Robert (September 8, 2023). "With 'Deadlocked,' Dawn Porter Expands Her Canvas". The New York Times. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Fraley, Jason (September 20, 2023). "Dawn Porter dishes on Showtime series 'Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court'". WOTP News. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Munroe, Jill (September 18, 2023). "'Deadlocked: Unveiling the Supreme Court's Impact on Modern America'". Eur Web. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Bernstein, Abbie (September 22, 2023). "DEADLOCKED: HOW AMERICA SHAPED THE SUPREME COURT: Filmmaker Dawn Porter on new four-part Showtime series – Exclusive Interview". Assignment X. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Noel, Melissa (September 3, 2023). "'Deadlocked' Docuseries Explores Concerns Over The Impact And Diminishing Trust In The Supreme Court". Essence. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ "Dawn Porter Delves Into The Supreme Court With "Deadlocked" Docuseries". Shoot Online. September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (June 28, 2022). "Dawn Porter Explores Supreme Court In Showtime Docuseries 'Confirmed'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Morfoot, Addie (June 15, 2023). "Heartbroken Over the Departure of AFI Docs, Two of Its Alums Are Launching DC/Dox Fest With 'Joan Baez: I Am a Noise'". Variety. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court". DC/DOX. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Ted (August 1, 2023). "'Deadlocked' Trailer: Dawn Porter's Showtime Docuseries Explores What Led To The Tumult And Waning Trust In The Supreme Court". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 12 May 2024.