DEADLOCKED: HOW AMERICA SHAPED THE SUPREME COURT Coming to Showtime

As the country reflects on the one-year anniversary of the historic Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that effectively overturned Roe v. Wade, and as the Supreme Court Justices increasingly are under the microscope, SHOWTIME TODAY announced that its timely four-part docuseries DEADLOCKED: HOW AMERICA SHAPED THE SUPREME COURT (previously announced as CONFIRMED) will  make its streaming debut on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME on Friday, September 22, and premiere that day at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

From Emmy®-winning director Dawn Porter (The Way I See It, John Lewis: Good Trouble), DEADLOCKED traces the modern history of the Supreme Court and examines the people, decisions and confirmation battles that have shaped the Court into what it is today. 

Weighing in on all rights protected by the Constitution, the nine unelected Justices of the Supreme Court have the final word on issues that impact our democracy and daily lives, including the right to privacy and access to the ballot.

DEADLOCKED premieres at a profoundly consequential time, as Americans grapple with a Supreme Court drastically remade by former President Donald Trump;  the historic confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson; the unprecedented leak from inside the Court’s chambers; and the aftershock of the landmark Dobbs decision’s effective reversal of Roe v. Wade.

To understand this critical moment, the series travels back to the 1950s when Chief Justice Earl Warren heralded an era of progressive legal decisions spurred by the nation’s changing values, paving the zigzagging path the country is still walking today. DEADLOCKED reveals how the Supreme Court’s ideological balance has shifted over the years to reflect the hopes – and fears – of American citizens, exploring the interconnectedness between the Court’s and the nation’s future.

“The United States Supreme Court is one of the most powerful institutions in the world, determining the rights we all rely on. In this series, I wanted to explore the history that led us to this moment where we have a Court issuing rulings in a manner that appears more ideological than legally sound,” said Porter. “Whether they are ignoring precedent, cherry picking history to overrule long-standing precedent or deciding an unprecedented number of cases on the emergency docket without opinion, this Court is unlike any from the modern era.”

Porter’s latest film The Lady Bird Diaries is an all-archival documentary about Lady Bird Johnson that debuted at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, winning the Lone Star Award. Her recent work includes 37 Words, The Me You Can’t See, executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry, Emmy-nominated The Way I See It, John Lewis: GOOD TROUBLE and Gideon’s Army, for which she was nominated for an Emmy and a Film Independent Spirit Award as director. She also won an Emmy for the multi-platform project Un(re)solved, which investigated civil-rights era cold cases. 

DEADLOCKED: HOW AMERICA SHAPED THE SUPREME COURT is produced for SHOWTIME by Trilogy Films. In addition to directing, Porter is an executive producer, along with Eli Holzman, Vinnie Malhotra and Aaron Saidman.

About Paramount+

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Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, the service's cornerstone plan, is also home to SHOWTIME content including scripted hits, critically acclaimed nonfiction projects, SHOWTIME SPORTS® (including industry-leading SHOWTIME Boxing) and films. This premium plan includes unmatched events and sports programming through the local live CBS stream, including golf to basketball and more, plus streaming access to CBS News Network for 24/7 news and CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis.  

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