(ThyBlackMan.com) If you are on the hunt for some good black British tv shows right now then you are definitely in luck. Thanks to the Internet, it is easier than ever to log on and find something amazing to watch. Whereas you used to have to hunt for something good, more and more dramas and comedies are being penned and brought to the screen featuring the lives of black Brits. Here are some of the best programs you can currently find.
Why is It So Difficult to Find Black British TV?
For many years, it has been a major criticism that there aren’t enough wholly black TV shows appearing on the mainstream British TV channels. When screenwriters have gone to pitch their ideas to production offices, the question has always been about whether or not it will appeal to the predominantly white populations in most of the UK.
It has been rare that a black program has been given the chance to shine. However, we are now able to find opportunities to watch the best shows online. If you are in the States, you may be wondering how to watch British TV in the USA. Sites like BBC iPlayer do not usually work outside the UK but a VPN can help you overcome these issues. Whether you love all British TV or you want to find some brilliant new TV to watch, here are some of the best black British programming you could watch.
Venus vs. Mars
Starring Letitia Hector, this witty comedy is about a single girl trying to navigate the London dating scene. It is a warm and hugely popular comedy drama from acclaimed playwright Baby Isako. She has been around the London scene for quite some time and she is well-known for her excellent dialogue and her rich and detailed characters.
Chewing Gum
Written by and starring Michaela Coel, Chewing Gum navigates the world of shop assistant Tracey Gordon. She is religious, a little naïve, and desperate to learn more about the world. The story stretches over two series and twelve episodes and netted a couple of BAFTA wins when it originally aired; Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme and Breakthrough Talent for Michaela Coel.
Desmond’s
Filmed in Peckham and featuring a predominantly British Guyanese cast, Desmond’s is still one of the UK’s most beloved black sitcoms. It is mainly set in the barber shop of the titular Desmond Ambrose and it offered an insight into black family life in a way that few shows had done before. With the show focusing on the aspirations of the main family and their interactions with some of the customers who came into the shop, there was plenty of material for scriptwriters to play with. Desmond’s is also worth noting because it also had a predominantly black crew in addition to its cast.
Kerching!
One for the kids, Kerching! is a children’s show which ran on the BBC’s children network CBBC. It follows the adventures of emerging internet entrepreneur Taj Lewis as he tries to make it big. This show helped to launch the careers of a number of different British TV stars and it is still fondly remembered by people who rushed home after school to watch it when they were children. It will quickly become a show your family loves.
No Problem!
Voted one of the best sitcoms in the UK, this fun sitcom focused on a Jamaican family living in Willesden Green in London. It was made to showcase the lifestyle of the British black community and controversially chose to focus on humour over any race issues present in Britain then. In the show, the parents had gone back to Jamaica and left their five adult children to fend for themselves in the British capital. It is a show that you should watch if you want an insight into the daily life of the community and it is still loved even today.
Why Watch?
The USA has so many shows about the lives of African Americans that you will rarely want to think about what is available across the pond. However, there are lots of shows which can give some clear insight into both Britain and the lives of its people there. If you are looking for some perspective of life in another country and would like to view it through a black lens, looking at what TV shows they offer can often be a good start. You never know what amazing shows you may be able to find this way. You could even find one which ranks amongst your favourites, one that you are happy to return to again and again.
The time is ripe for you to take a look at the TV shows other countries have to offer. Grab yourself a VPN and settle down to watch some of these favourites we have listed above.
Staff Writer; Larry Ford