Diarra from Detroit

2024 American TV series or program

Diarra from Detroit

Genre|

* Comedy-drama
* Mystery

Created by| Diarra Kilpatrick
Starring|

* Diarra Kilpatrick
* Morris Chestnut
* DomiNque Perry
* Claudia Logan
* Bryan Terrell Clark
* Shannon Wallace
* Jon Chaffin
* Phylicia Rashad

Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
No. of seasons| 1
No. of episodes| 8
Production
Executive producers|

* Diarra Kilpatrick
* Kenya Barris
* Miles Orion Feldsott

Camera setup| Single-camera
Production companies|

* BET Studios
* Khalabo Ink Society

Original release
Network| BET+
Release| March 21, 2024 (2024-03-21) –
present

Diarra from Detroit is an American mystery dark comedy drama television series created by Diarra Kilpatrick and executive produced by Kilpatrick and Kenya Barris. The series stars Kilpatrick as a divorced schoolteacher who believes that she has been ghosted by her rebound Tinder date. Her search for the missing man pulls her into old mystery involving the Detroit underworld.[1]

The series premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival on June 14, 2023.[2][3] It premiered on March 21, 2024, on BET+ to positive reviews from critics.[4] In April 2025, the series was renewed for a second season.[5]

## Cast and characters

[edit]

### Main

[edit]

* Diarra Kilpatrick as Diarra Brickland
* Morris Chestnut as François "Swa" Brickland
* DomiNque Perry as Aja
* Claudia Logan as Moni
* Bryan Terrell Clark as Mr. Tea
* Shannon Wallace as Chris
* Jon Chaffin as Danger
* Phylicia Rashad as Vonda
* Christina Gordon as young Vonda

### Recurring

[edit]

* David Zayas as Marshall[6]
* Julio Macias as Young Marshall[6]
* Harry Lennix as Walter Harley[6]
* Paul Ben-Victor as Zervas[6]
* Bechir Sylvain as Roman[6]
* Kash Doll as Maisha[6]
* John Salley as Tony Kincaid[6]
* Icewear Vezzo as Leroy[6]
* T.L. Flint as Spider[6]
* Teéa Loreál as Nia

## Episodes

[edit]

No.| Title| Directed by| Written by [7]| Original release date| BET air date [8]| U.S. linear viewers
(millions)

|
|
|
|
|
|

1| "Chasing Ghosts"| Chioke Nassor| Diarra Kilpatrick| March 21, 2024 (2024-03-21)| March 16, 2024| N/A
2| "The Russian"| Chioke Nassor| Diarra Kilpatrick| March 21, 2024 (2024-03-21)| January 8, 2025| N/A
3| "The One That Got Away"| Brennan Shroff| Diarra Kilpatrick & Mark Ganek| March 21, 2024 (2024-03-21)| January 15, 2025| N/A
4| "All In"| Brennan Shroff| Diarra Kilpatrick & Jacob Copithorne| March 28, 2024 (2024-03-28)| January 22, 2025| N/A
5| "Snapshots of a Rendezvous"| Sadé Clacken Joseph| Doug Hall & Lisa McQuillan| April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)| January 29, 2025| N/A
6| "Fishbones"| Sadé Clacken Joseph| Esa Lewis & Helen Krieger| April 11, 2024 (2024-04-11)| February 5, 2025| N/A
7| "A Course In Miracles"| America Young| Teleplay by : Diarra Kilpatrick & Miles Orion Feldsott
Story by : Diarra Kilpatrick & Miles Orion Feldsott & Ester Lou Weithers| April 18, 2024 (2024-04-18)| February 12, 2025| N/A
8| "The House On Blaine"| America Young| Miles Orion Feldsott & Ester Lou Weithers| April 25, 2024 (2024-04-25)| February 19, 2025| N/A

## Production

[edit]

On March 21, 2023, it was announced that BET+ ordered eight-episode straight-to-series project Diarra from Detroit created by Diarra Kilpatrick.[9] The series produced by BET Studios and Khalabo Ink Society.[10] In June, Morris Chestnut, DomiNque Perry, Claudia Logan, Bryan Terrell Clark, Phylicia Rashad, Shannon Wallace and Jon Chaffin have joined the main cast.[11][12]

Principal photography began in February 2023 in Secaucus, New Jersey and Moonachie, New Jersey.[13][14]

On April 28, 2025, BET+ renewed the series for a second season.[5]

## Reception

[edit]

### Critical response

[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a rating of 100% based on 13 reviews.[15] Aramide Tinubu from Variety gave it positive review writing: “Diarra From Detroit is multilayered, and might have been a hodgepodge of confusion in less capable hands. However, Kilpatrick and her writers execute the dramedy flawlessly... Diarra From Detroit works because it’s unlike anything seen on television in recent years. As much as the audience wants to know what happened to Chris and whether Diarra misread Francois’ intentions, questions and revelations concerning the cold case also make for a spectacularly paced whodunit, especially as Diarra begins pulling her reluctant friends into her fatigued-fueled shenanigans. Refreshing, captivating and unapologetically Black, the series is about finding the courage to actively participate in your own life even when that means doing the absolute most."[16] Angie Han from The Hollywood Reporter also gave it positive review praising Kilpatrick' performance.[17] Nandini Balial from RogerEbert.com also praised performances, especially from Kilpatrick, Clark, Perry and Logan, writing and creative costumes.[18]

### Accolades

[edit]

Award  | Year  | Category  | Nominee(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Black Reel Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Diarra from Detroit | Nominated  | [19]
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series | Diarra Kilpatrick  | Nominated
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series | Chioke Nassor  | Nominated
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series  | Phylicia Rashad  | Won
Independent Spirit Awards | 2025 | Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series  | Diarra Kilpatrick  | Nominated  | [20]
Best New Scripted Series | Diarra from Detroit | Nominated
NAACP Image Awards | 2025 | Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series  | Diarra Kilpatrick  | Nominated  | [21]
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)  | Diarra Kilpatrick  | Nominated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Callahan, Yesha (April 28, 2023). "Diarra Kilpatrick Is Detroit Through and Through". BET.
2. ^ "Diarra from Detroit | 2023 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca Film Festival.
3. ^ Frederick, Candice (June 20, 2023). "This Was The Unexpected Standout At Tribeca Film Festival". HuffPost.
4. ^ "BET+ Unveils Trailer for Upcoming Series Diarra from Detroit Starring Diarra Kilpatrick, Morris Chestnut, Phylicia Rashad and More". Blex Media. February 1, 2024.
5. ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (April 28, 2025). "Diarra From Detroit Renewed For Season 2 At BET+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Video: BET+ Original Series - "Diarra From Detroit" - Trailer". BET. February 1, 2024 – via The Futon Critic.
7. ^ "Diarra from Detroit". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
8. ^ "Shows A-Z – Diarra from Detroit on BET+". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
9. ^ Cordero, Rosy (March 21, 2023). "Diarra Kilpatrick Strikes Overall Deal With BET, Lands Straight-To-Series Order For Dark Comedy At BET+". Deadline Hollywood.
10. ^ Obie, Brooke (April 7, 2019). "The Best Of Enemies, Worst Of White Savior Movies [Review]". Blavity.
11. ^ Petski, Denise (June 6, 2023). "Morris Chestnut, DomiNque Perry, Claudia Logan & Bryan Terrell Clark Join BET+'s Diarra From Detroit". Deadline Hollywood.
12. ^ Petski, Denise (June 8, 2023). "Phylicia Rashad, Shannon Wallace & Jon Chaffin Join BET's Diarra From Detroit". Deadline Hollywood.
13. ^ Baldwin, Carly (February 23, 2023). "Diarra From Detroit Movie Filming At AJ's In Secaucus". Patch Media.
14. ^ James (March 17, 2023). "Upcoming BET show Diarra From Detroit, shot here in Moonachie and throughout New Jersey". The Ridgewood Blog.
15. ^ "Diarra From Detroit: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com.
16. ^ Tinubu, Aramide (March 21, 2024). "BET+'s Hilariously Chaotic 'Diarra From Detroit' Is a P.I. Drama With Flair: TV Review".
17. ^ Han, Angie (March 20, 2024). "'Diarra From Detroit' Review: BET+'s Mystery-Comedy Serves as a Sparkling Showcase for Creator-Star Diarra Kilpatrick". The Hollywood Reporter.
18. ^ Balial, Nandini (March 21, 2024). "BET+'s Diarra from Detroit Successfully Blends Comedy & Mystery | TV/Streaming | Roger Ebert". rogerebert.com.
19. ^ Complex, Valerie (June 14, 2024). "Black Reel TV Awards Unveils 2024 Nominees: Nat Geo's 'Genius: MLK/X' Tops The Crop With 14".
20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 4, 2024). "Spirit Awards Best Feature Nominees Include 'Anora', 'I Saw The TV Glow', 'Nickel Boys', 'Sing Sing' & 'The Substance'".
21. ^ "'The Piano Lesson' Laps Film Field with 14 NAACP Image Awards Nominations – Full List". January 7, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Diarra from Detroit at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

BET+ original programming

Current|

| Original|

* Ruthless (since 2020)
* The Ms. Pat Show (since 2021)
* All the Queen's Men (since 2021)
* Zatima (since 2022)
* The Impact: Atlanta (since 2022)
* Average Joe (since 2023)
* Churchy (since 2024)
* Diarra from Detroit (since 2024)
* The Family Business: New Orleans (since 2025)
* Divorced Sistas (since 2025)

|

Continuations|

* The Family Business (since 2020)
* College Hill: Celebrity Edition (since 2022)
* Haus of Vicious (since 2024)

Ended|

| Original|

* Bigger (2019–2021)
* First Wives Club (2019–2022)
* American Gangster: Trap Queens (2019–2022)
* Bruh (2020–2023)
* Sacrifice (2021)
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* Love You to Death (2023)
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* The Michael Blackson Show (2023)
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|

Continuations|

* The Rich and the Ruthless (2021)

Films|

* Carl Weber's Influence (2020)
* B-Boy Blues (2022)
* Block Party (2022)
* Bid for Love (2022)
* The Reading (2023)
* Call Her King (2023)
* Ruined (2023)
* Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy (2023)
* First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story (2023)
* Whatever It Takes (2023)
* Kemba (2024)
* Brewster's Millions: Christmas (2024)

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