New Golden Age of Black Television
posted by Ja'Shawn Steward-Johnson | March 2, 2018 | In Arts and CultureOn January 11, Living Single returned to our televisions– through Hulu. The return of Living Single hearkened back to a time where Black television was abundant in broadcast prime time. Shows such as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin, A Different World, and The Cosby Show helped the ‘90s become the golden age of Black television by catering to the Black viewer, and making us laugh and have serious discussions that still remain funny and powerful today.
Who could forget the great, Black lineup that UPN blessed us with from 1995 to 2006? Shows such as Moesha, Girlfriends, and Everybody Hates Chris were part of ten concurrently running Black sitcoms on UPN. In 2006, UPN and WB merged to form the CW, and most of the Black programming were left to whittle. Roughly half of the Black sitcoms were picked up by the CW, and two years later, only two shows had remained. With the end of UPN, the golden age of Black television had reached its demise.
Fast-forward to 2018, it appears that we are reaching a new golden age of Black television and Black film. For Black television, the ABC sitcom Black-ish is largely (and rightfully) credited for leading the charge of Black programming to the Black audience. The show has been applauded for tackling a host of issues and social commentary while earning several Emmy and Golden Globes nominations. Black-ish even earned its “A Different World”-esque spin-off called Grown-ish.
Thanks to the work of Black creatives, Black programming have increased even more in numbers. Issa Rae went from making skits on YouTube to landing a first-look HBO deal and her own show, Insecure. Lena Waithe is the creative force behind the Showtime drama, The Chi and John Singleton is the creator of Snowfall. Spike Lee and Justin Simien turned hit movies into series, She’s Gotta Have It and Dear White People, respectively.
Even rappers have showcased their versatility into television and film. 50 Cent’s Power is regarded as one of the best shows on television, and Atlanta is a highly acclaimed sitcom by Donald Glover.
However, you can’t speak on Black television without mentioning three juggernauts created by powerful showrunners. Tyler Perry might be the biggest figure in reintroducing Black programming. He went from writing and directing plays, to amazing movies (and the Madea franchise), to great television series, such as House of Payne. First with TBS, he now partners with Oprah who went from a talk show host to heading her television network that features even more Black programs like Queen Sugar and Greenleaf, shows that she helped produced. Shonda Rhimes, with ABC and Lee Daniels of FOX are two other juggernauts, creating shows such as Scandal and Empire.
The golden age of Black television has also extended to the big screen. On February 16, arguably one of the most anticipated movie ever features a predominantly Black cast, and was directed by a Black director, Ryan Coogler, Black Panther. Coogler also directed the movie Creed. The spin-off of Rocky starred Michael B. Jordan, and gave new life to the franchise.
Last year, Jordan Peele directed possibly the most-talked about movie of the year with the thriller, Get Out. The movie earned a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and four Academy Awards.
For years, most networks (especially, the big networks) ignored Black programs and many of the successful Black programs set on the shelves for years being passed over. The thinking was that Black shows and movies don’t sell enough. Today, it is ridiculously clear that there is a large market for Black shows, Black stories, and Black creatives. Hopefully, this golden age is less of a peak, and a new standard for diversity and representation.
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