Blair Underwood. Photo courtesy of IMDb.com

A  well-respected Hollywood writer and producer is interested in joining Blair Underwood’s proposed foster care and social work television series team, which would  give the project an added boost, a member of the writing team said.

Underwood does not want to reveal the name of the writer and producer at this time, said Rob Woronoff, a former Child Welfare League staffer who studied drama with Underwood at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh and is a screenwriter on the project.

A major network passed on the project last year. Woronoff said Underwood’s team could be ready to re-pitch the project to television networks by this summer.

Actor, producer and director Underwood has long been an advocate for foster children. He is interested in doing a television series that takes a realistic look at why children are in foster care and how social workers and others help them.

One of the central characters of the series would be “Derrick Jackson,” a 40-something black male who was successful in the corporate world but decides he wants a more meaningful career so becomes a social worker.

Jackson will go to work for a female licensed clinical social worker who runs a small, non-profit foster care agency. “Shannan Marsh” has been in the business for 25 years and knows the ropes.

The fresh newcomer and experienced social worker will pool their talents and resources to find good homes for vulnerable foster children. The episodes will be based on true-life incidents in the social work and foster care field.

“We are committed to having positive stories told,” Woronoff said.

SocialWorkersSpeak.org first covered the Blair Underwood project in May 2011. To read that article click here.