Series synopsis
Genius is an American animation sci-fi & fantasy action & adventure drama comedy television series that premiered on National Geographic on April 25, 2017. It ended on February 22, 2024. It was created by Kenneth Biller, Noah Pink, Suzan-Lori Parks, Jeff Stetson. It stars Aaron Pierre, Geoffrey Rush, Antonio Banderas and Kelvin Harrison Jr..
The seven short films making up GENIUS PARTY couldn’t be more diverse, linked only by a high standard of quality and inspiration. Atsuko Fukushima’s intro piece is a fantastic abstraction to soak up with the eyes. Masaaki Yuasa, of MIND GAME and CAT SOUP fame, brings his distinctive and deceptively simple graphic style and dream-state logic to the table with “Happy Machine,” his spin on a child’s earliest year. Shinji Kimura’s spookier “Deathtic 4,” meanwhile, seems to tap into the creepier corn ...
Premise
The seven short films making up GENIUS PARTY couldn’t be more diverse, linked only by a high standard of quality and inspiration. Atsuko Fukushima’s intro piece is a fantastic abstraction to soak up with the eyes. Masaaki Yuasa, of MIND GAME and CAT SOUP fame, brings his distinctive and deceptively simple graphic style and dream-state logic to the table with “Happy Machine,” his spin on a child’s earliest year. Shinji Kimura’s spookier “Deathtic 4,” meanwhile, seems to tap into the creepier corners of a child’s imagination and open up a toybox full of dark delights. Hideki Futamura’s “Limit Cycle” conjures up a vision of virtual reality, while Yuji Fukuyama’s "Doorbell" and "Baby Blue" by Shinichiro Watanabe use understated realism for very surreal purposes. And Shoji Kawamori, with “Shanghai Dragon,” takes the tropes and conventions of traditional anime out for very fun joyride.
Premise: Martin Luther King Jr / Malcolm X. Two minds, one movement.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Aaron Pierre as Malcolm X
- Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein
- Antonio Banderas as Pablo Picasso
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin
- Jayme Lawson as Betty Shabazz
- Weruche Opia as Coretta Scott King
- Clémence Poésy as Françoise Gilot
Supporting cast
- Gary Carr as Clyde X
- Hubert Point-Du Jour as Ralph Abernathy
- Malcolm Barrett as Ted White
- Ron Cephas Jones as Elijah Muhammad
- Alex Rich as Pablo Picasso
- Samantha Colley as Dora Maar
- Patrice Covington as Erma Franklin
- Rebecca Naomi Jones as Carolyn Franklin
- David Cross as Jerry Wexler
- Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Ruth Bowen
- Emily Watson as Elsa Einstein
- Shaian Jordan as young Aretha 'Little Re' Franklin
Guest cast
- Johnny Flynn as Albert Einstein
- Michael McElhatton as Philipp Lenard
- Beau Gadsdon as Françoise Gilot
- Anna Savva as Suzanne Ramié
- Bernice Stegers as Marie Cuttoli
- Alessio Scalzotto as Pablo Picasso
- Daisy May as Marie Laurencin
- George Lenz as Captain Muller
- Martin Umbach as Dr. Talmut
- Nikki Hahn as Mileva Marić
- Taylor Frost as Paul Winteler
- Joshua Hogan as Mathias Winteler
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 36 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 10 | April 25, 2017 | June 27, 2017 |
| Season 2 | 10 | April 24, 2018 | June 19, 2018 |
| Season 3 | 8 | March 21, 2021 | March 24, 2021 |
| Season 4 | 8 | February 1, 2024 | February 22, 2024 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chapter One The story of Albert Einstein, seen through glimpses of his twilight years and flashbacks to his time as a student in Munich and Zürich in the 1890s. |
April 25, 2017 |
| 2 |
Chapter Two After butting heads in class, Einstein falls in love with the determined Mileva Maric. Their affair raises eyebrows. |
May 2, 2017 |
| 3 |
Chapter Three Einstein struggles to support his pregnant wife and land an academic post in a rigid world of tradition and protocol. |
May 9, 2017 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chapter One Pablo Picasso confronts the threat of fascism in Spain, and Young Pablo rejects traditional painting to search for his own voice. |
April 24, 2018 |
| 2 |
Chapter Two Picasso's relationship with Dora Maar is strained by war. Young Pablo succeeds by imitating the masters, but struggles to be original. |
April 24, 2018 |
| 3 |
Chapter Three Picasso meets his great love Franoise Gilot. Young Pablo begins his Blue Period after the suicide of his friend. |
May 1, 2018 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Respect Desperate for a hit, Aretha travels to Muscle Shoals in 1967 to record her first album with Atlantic Records. After suffering the loss of her surrogate mother, Little Re braves her first solo in 1953, in her father’s, C.L. Franklin, church. |
March 21, 2021 |
| 2 |
Until the Real Thing Comes Along Struggling to find her sound, Aretha catches the attention of Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records in 1966. Meanwhile, Little Re has her first touring experience on the Gospel Circuit in 1954 with C.L. Franklin and meets her idol, Clara Ward. |
March 21, 2021 |
| 3 |
Do Right Woman Aretha juggles her music career and her commitment to the civil rights movement, led by Martin Luther King Jr., in 1967 and 1968. Meanwhile, Little Re leaves behind her newborn child to return to the Gospel Circuit in 1955, meeting with music legends James Cleveland and Little Sammie Bryant. |
March 22, 2021 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Graduation An intense focus on the formative years of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X and their experiences and relationships as young children and teens that shape and influence the iconic figures they would become. Malcolm’s release from prison and King’s graduation from Boston University begin their respective journeys that will one day change the nation, but also begin a budding rivalry. |
February 1, 2024 |
| 2 |
Who We Are Malcolm is introduced to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who takes him under his wing after recognizing his potential with the NOI, but temptations from an old flame and the bonds of family test his strength. Martin introduces and brings Coretta into the King family. Martin finds his voice within the church and is faced with a career decision that will alter his relationship with Daddy King. |
February 1, 2024 |
| 3 |
Protect Us Malcolm builds space for Muslims in the Harlem community, meeting new member Betty Saunders. As romance builds between the two, a confrontation with the police puts Malcolm in the spotlight. As the Montgomery bus boycott intensifies, Martin and his new family are faced with concerns about their safety. In the end, both find themselves ascending to heights they could have never imagined. |
February 8, 2024 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | National Geographic |
|---|---|
| First aired | April 25, 2017 |
| Last aired | February 22, 2024 |
| Runtime | 43 minutes |
| Status | canceled |
| Schedule | Thursday at 20:00:00 |