Black Shows to Tune Into
Let us begin by calling out the elephant in the room. People of Color, especially Black people, are not represented well enough, nor enough at all on television. If you’re looking to tune into something other than Empire, Love & Hip-Hop, or Power, below are a number of great Black TV shows that bring more to the table.
Atlanta
Atlanta is FX Network’s surreal comedy series that stars Donald Glover, Lakeith Stanfield, and Bryan Tyree Henry. The show details the happenings of up and coming Atlanta rapper, “Paper Boi”, and his cousin/manager “Earn” through their journey through the music industry. Several bogus but hilarious events take place throughout the show but not without reason. Atlanta does not only make you laugh but it makes you think. Don’t be surprised if you catch yourself saying “damn” at the funny but true euphemisms the series touches on. Stream it today on HULU.
Random Acts of Flyness
HBO does it once again by adding Random Acts of Flyness to its hit-filled roster. HBO describes it as a “fluid, mind-melting stream-of-conscious response to the contemporary American mediascape.” A late-night show, the Terence Nance production delves into race, gender, and sexuality. With no real synopsis, characters, or timeline, Random Acts of Flyness is just that, random, which makes it equally as fun to watch as it is hard to follow. Catch it on HBO GO and HBO NOW.
Insecure
Another HBO hit, Insecure is a drama-comedy that follows millennial “Issa Dee” around Los Angeles. A television adaptation of creator Issa Rae’s YouTube series, Awkward Black Girl, Insecure explores everything from “Issa’s” personal highs and lows to her friendships, relationships, and work-life. Like Atlanta, Insecure is wildly funny but absolutely relatable and realistic. The episodes are just thirty minutes, you won’t regret it. Insecure is available on HBO GO and HBO NOW as well.
Greenleaf
Set in Memphis, Tennessee, Greenleaf catalogs the lives of a wealthy Black pastor and his family. Family, lies, deceit, christianity and scams prove that the Black bourgeois are just as entertaining as the typical soap opera. The only thing that separates Greenleaf from Days of Our Lives is that it is actually good. The writing is exceptional and it’s so dramatic that it’s funny. You can tune into the Greenleafs on OWN TV.
Iyanla: Fix My Life
Iyanla: Fix My Life is another star hailing from the OWN TV camp. Yoruba priestess and life coach, Iyanla Vanzant assists African-American families in unveiling the deepest scars of their spirit to help them recover and free themselves. What makes Vanzant so compelling to watch is that she is a master of doing away with the taboo. You’ll lose count of the amount of times she blows the lid off of a sexual molestation a family was playing around the pound about. Iyanla uses her formal teachings and life experience to aid in the healing process of her subjects. Positive, compelling, and uplifting reality television? How many times can one say, “yes?”
Black Love
Another OWN TV production, Black Love is a docu-series that follows the romance of several Black couples in sports and entertainment. The lovers reveal intimate details about their relationship such as, how they met, their highs and lows, their journey down the aisle, and their experience being married. Black Love is a beautiful show to have in a time where the Black couple seems like a rarity on television and in media. This show is honest and raw but not exploitative. If you’re ever in the mood to watch some feel good tv, give Black Love a view.
