As a longtime fan of pro wrestling, I love a sneaky good gimmick. Netflix has come up with a solid one for promoting their upcoming series, Turn Up Charlie, which features actor and well-regarded master of the 1s & 2s Idris Elba. A day after it was announced Elba would be DJing a set at one of the world’s largest music fests, Coachella, here come the first images of him spinning wheels in Turn Up Charlie. Coincidence? Probably not.
Netflix has announced the comedy series, which Elba co-created and will star in, debuts on March 15th. The show finds Elba playing the title character, a longtime DJ and eternal bachelor, who gets one final shot at success when he reluctantly becomes a “manny” to his best friend’s problem-child daughter, Gabby. The series co-stars JJ Feild, Piper Perabo, and Frankie Hervey.
Elba’s career as DJ Big Driis has been more integrated into his acting over the years, but this is the most overt crossing over yet. I don’t give a shit about Coachella, but I dig Netflix using it as a springboard to Elba’s series. Here’s hoping it pays off and the show is worth the bump in attention.
