Denise Di Novi and Nina Tassler are bringing another female leader’s story to the small screen. The PatMa Productions founders already have limited series about Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor slated, and now there’s word that they’re working on an FX drama series inspired by former Senator Barbara Boxer. Deadline broke the news.
Titled “Run,” the series is about “a woman launching a highly improbable bid for Congress.” It’s loosely based on Boxer’s congressional campaign and eventual experiences in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Andrew Lenchewski (“Royal Pains”) is writing and will exec produce with Di Novi, Tassler, Boxer, and Boxer’s daughter, documentary producer Nicole Boxer (“The Hunting Ground”).
Barbara Boxer worked as a stockbroker before running for elected office. In 1970 she lost her first bid for the Marin County Board of Supervisors, but ran again in ’76 and ended up serving for six years. She successfully ran for Congress in 1982 and served for five terms. During her tenure in the House of Reps, Boxer lobbied for the Senate Judiciary Committee to take Anita Hill’s accusations of sexual harassment against Clarence Thomas seriously. She was elected to the Senate in 1992 and remained in her post until the beginning of 2017, when she retired. (She was succeeded by Kamala Harris.) Women’s rights, human rights, the environment, and healthcare were among the issues Boxer fought for during her political career.
Launched in January, PatMa Productions is dedicated to creating more diverse, gender-balanced content. The company has already partnered with organizations that share its passion for gender equality and inclusivity, such as the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, Center for Popular Democracy, and Planned Parenthood.