Ethan Hawke as a scuzzy, schizzy, beard-combing version of abolitionist John Brown…why not, right? Daveed Diggs as Frederick Douglas, who did in fact meet with Brown in August 1859, right before the climactic Harper’s Ferry raid. They’re costarring in a seemingly broad, comedically flavored six-part miniseries, The Good Lord Bird (Showtime, 10.4).

Based on the 2013 novel (also comedic) of the same name by James McBride. L.A. Times book reviewer Hector Tobar: “Those looking for verisimilitude or gravitas in their historical fiction might want to avoid ‘The Good Lord Bird.'”

The big worry for me is that Jason Blum, whose Blumhouse horror brand is synonymous in my mind with dumbed-down, Millennial-pandering sludge that represents the absolute opposite of elevated horror, was a key partner with series co-creators Hawke and Mark Richard. Beware of all things Blumhouse.