The French Broad Revival: A Prestige Drama Series Inspired by Asheville's Recovery After Hurricane Helene
PRESS RELEASE
July 9th, 2026
New Television Series The French Broad Revival Seeks to Preserve the Story of Asheville’s Recovery After Hurricane Helene
Screenwriter and producer Angela Savidge, who spent four weeks inside Mission Hospital during Helene’s aftermath, announces nationally recognized eight-episode limited drama series set in Asheville
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Screenwriter and producer Angela Savidge has announced the development of The French Broad Revival, an eight-episode limited drama series inspired by the extraordinary acts of compassion, resilience, and mutual aid that emerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.
“On September 27th, 2024, Hurricane Helene brought historic flooding and devastation to Asheville, North Carolina — my home. The city was unprepared. Most residents, including myself, dismissed the severity of the warnings, believing a hurricane could never cause such sustained damage in a mountain town.
During that time, my husband was hospitalized in critical condition — unrelated to the storm —and for four weeks I spent my days inside Mission Hospital as it struggled to function, witnessing the exhaustion, compassion, and quiet heroism of ordinary people holding everything together. (My husband has since made a full recovery.)
The French Broad Revival was born from that experience — from grief and gratitude, and from the haunting beauty of a community learning to rebuild.”
— Angela Savidge, Creator, Writer & Producer
Set in the weeks following the disaster, the series centers on Colt McCrae, a mountain musician trying to escape his family's dark legacy, who is pulled back in to save his young niece — and left critically injured in the attempt. The woman who loves him, Tallulah, steps into the wreckage to raise the child, only to discover that what lies buried on McCrae land may cost them everything they're trying to become.
Their story unfolds against a larger portrait of Asheville in recovery — a historically Black congregation, a Cherokee elder, and a community of LGBTQ artists whose lives become intertwined as the city begins the long work of rebuilding. As homes, businesses, and neighborhoods recover, so do the people who discover that the strongest communities are often the ones built in moments of greatest need.
“Something profound happens after disasters,” Savidge said. “There is a rare window when people instinctively become the community they’ve always needed. Nobody cares what you do for a living or what your political views are. People simply begin helping one another because someone needs them. The tragedy is that we forget.”
The French Broad River, which has shaped these mountains for centuries, becomes the thread connecting communities that might otherwise never meet. A mountain hollow, a Southside church, the River Arts District, neighborhood taverns, shelters, and front porches all become part of a larger portrait of a city rediscovering itself through acts of generosity both large and small.
Music forms an essential part of the storytelling. From generations of Appalachian front-porch picking to the soaring traditions of Black gospel, from contemporary Americana to Southern rock, music becomes more than a soundtrack — it becomes another language of healing. The season culminates in a community benefit concert — a celebration of resilience, remembrance, and the possibility of joy after profound loss.
“The French Broad Revival is ultimately a story about what happens after the headlines fade,” Savidge said. “It’s about the people who continue showing up for one another long after the television cameras leave.”
Inspired by the real events of Hurricane Helene, The French Broad Revival is not a dramatization of actual individuals or specific events. While every character and storyline is fictional, the community spirit that inspired them is entirely real.
The pilot screenplay has received national recognition, including being named a Finalist at the 2025 Big Apple Film Festival and earning Official Selection honors from the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, the Vail Film Festival, and The Great Pitch Competition. Coverage from The Black List noted the project’s “huge, urgent market potential” and cited its “deep, lived” rendering of Asheville and its surrounding communities.
The French Broad Revival is currently in active development. All eight episodes are written.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
Angela Savidge is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts who began her career at EUE ScreenGems Studios in Wilmington, NC — at the time the largest motion picture studio outside of Los Angeles — as assistant to the Vice President of Studio Operations. She went on to serve as Executive Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer at EUE ScreenGems’ corporate offices in New York City, followed by a position with legendary producers Dino and Martha De Laurentiis at their offices on the Universal Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles.
Savidge later served as Executive Producer’s Assistant to Schindler’s List producer Branko Lustig on Ridley Scott’s Hannibal, working on location in Florence, Italy, and in Asheville, North Carolina, where she directly helped to oversee the film’s $80 million budget.
After more than a decade working in New York City and Los Angeles, she returned to writing with the intention of creating stories rooted in place, history, and community. That effort has culminated in The French Broad Revival, her first series as creator, writer, and producer.
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