Tyler Perry filming new Netflix drama in metro Atlanta about firefighters

The always busy Tyler Perry is jumping into the fire with “Where’s the Smoke,” his second scripted series for Netflix.

The drama series, shooting now in metro Atlanta, will have 16 episodes in its first season. Perry is writing, producing and directing “Where’s the Smoke” out of Tyler Perry Studios.

This series follows his first Netflix drama, the soapy “Beauty in Black,” which has had a successful two-season run to date and was recently greenlit for a third season.

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The “Where’s the Smoke” cast includes Tyler Lepley (“Ruth & Boaz,” “Tyler Perry’s Duplicity,” “Pushed Off a Plane and Survived”); Mike Merrill (“Straw”); Da’Vinchi (“BMF,” “All American”); Eltony Williams (“If Loving You is Wrong”); Brock O’Hurn (“The Righteous Gemstones”); and Joe Hunter, a real firefighter who finished in third place on Season 48 of “Survivor” and is currently competing on Season 50.

Credit: CBS

Credit: CBS

Firefighting has become a dramatic staple on broadcast TV in recent years, with shows including NBC’s “Chicago Fire”; ABC’s “Station 19”; CBS’ “Fire Country”; and both “9-1-1″ (Fox, then ABC) and Fox spinoff “9-1-1: Lone Star.”

Netflix has remained committed to metro Atlanta even as other streamers and broadcast networks have moved more productions to other states and countries.

Besides the recently concluded “Stranger Things” and massive limited series crime hit “His & Hers,” Netflix last year filmed a new faith-based film “’Tis So Sweet” in metro Atlanta starring Taraji P. Henson. Its relationship drama “Sweet Magnolias,” shot heavily in the Covington area, will also be returning June 11.

Netflix has two other new scripted series shooting in the area right now: the dark drama “All the Sinners Bleed,” based on the S.A. Cosby novel of the same name, and a reboot of the sitcom “A Different World.” The 12th and 13th seasons of the reality dating show “Love is Blind” will also be producing the pod portions of those seasons in metro Atlanta.

Perry has a deal with Paramount Skydance for TV series on BET and BET+ and a separate film deal with Amazon.

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