In the golden age of Black Hollywood, which spanned the late 1990s to the early 2000s, we could flip to channels like UPN and BET to see ourselves reflected on a variety of Black television shows. Despite Hollywood’s halfhearted push towards diversity (and the subsequent backlash to this push), it would take years before we’d happen across such widespread mainstream representation again. The 2016 season premiere of HBO original series Insecure ushered in an important new dawn for the industry. The show, which starred Issa Rae as its chaotic lead, portrayed millennial Blackness without gimmicks or pandering. Over the course of its five seasons, Insecure quickly became a cornerstone of Black culture, and its controversial series finale left many of us wondering, “What’s next?”
We may never have another Insecure — though I’d take a cast reunion or a two-hour film, please and thank you! — but luckily for us, Blackness isn’t a monolith, which means that there are limitless relevant stories about our different experiences just waiting to be told. And just in time, a new crop of talented storytellers has emerged to keep us entertained. Whether you’re looking for steamy romance, historical takes, horror anthologies, or reboots of the classics, the current TV landscape is bustling with unique narratives that touch almost every aspect of the culture.
Here are some of the best new Black shows that you should definitely be adding to your watchlist this winter. (Now you really can’t say that there’s nothing good to watch on TV.)
Clean Slate
We've been waiting for Laverne Cox to be back on our screens (aside from slaying red carpets) and this heartfelt Norman Lear comedy looks like just what we've been waiting for. It follows Harry (George Wallace), an old-school car wash owner in Alabama who has a lot of soul searching to do when the child he thought was a son returns as a proud, trans woman, Desiree (enter Laverne Cox). As Prime Video teased, "Her homecoming brings together a hilarious cast of friends, coworkers, and love interests, as Desiree and Harry try to get it right the second time around." We're so excited to watch a fun comedy starring a trans woman that doesn't revolve around trauma.
Who’s in it? Laverne Cox, George Wallace, Philip Garcia, Keith Arthur Bolden
After Harlem ended on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger in Season 2, fans were thrilled that they were only a few weeks away from reuniting with their girls Camille, Quinn, Angie, and Tye. What audiences weren't ready for (and still aren't!) was the announcement that the third season would be its last. Last season, the characters' lives were just as messy as ever. And from the first looks of the trailer, this season promises to deliver that same energy with even more twists and turns. As the ambitious foursome embarks on this new chapter of their lives, creator Tracy Oliver summed up the era that the women are collectively entering in one word: "growth." We are SEATED.
Morris Chestnut. Oh, you need us to say more? I mean, OK. Morris Chestnut is still fine like he has been our whole lives. Wait, you want to know what the show is about? OK, fine! Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic character Dr. John Watson is reimagined in this series starring Chestnut as the titular character. In this intriguing series, Watson leads a medical clinic tackling rare disorders while confronting his past just six month after the death of his beloved friend Sherlock Holmes. But most importantly, Morris Chestnut.
Who’s in it? Morris Chestnut, Tati Gabrielle, Alan Ritchson.
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Harlan Coben, Missing You follows detective Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar), after she sees her ex-fiancé on a dating app... 11 years after he disappeared. Netflix teased the limited series like this: "Josh's reappearance will force [Kat] to dive back into the mystery surrounding her father’s murder and uncover long-buried secrets from her past." The addictive mystery-thriller unfolds over five episodes and you should clear a whole weekend because once you start, you won't stop.
Who’s in it? Rosalind Eleazar, Jessica Plummer, Stacy Embalo, Ashley Walters, James Nesbitt, Mary Malone.
Where can I watch it? Now streaming on Netflix.
Paradise
This Is Us hive, we up! Paradise is a new political drama that reunites This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman with Sterling K. Brown. And the good news is, our tear ducts may not get as much as a workout as they did when we were keeping up with the Pearsons. As Agent Xavier Collins, Brown is a Secret Service operative entangled in a conspiracy following the death of President Cal Bradford, played by James Marsden. I know I had you at Sterling K. Brown but now you are locked in, right? Julianne Nicholson also stars. Plus, this series is the kind of high-stakes political escapism we need to take our minds off the mess happening in the real White House.
Who’s in it? Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, Julianne, Nicholson
We all know everything Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, does makes people lose their minds and hate on her for the sake of it. Seriously, what has this woman done to y'all? But you know what our other American royalty says, "You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation." And so, that's exactly what Markle is doing. Minding her business and being well-moisturized, beautiful, extending her interests as a lifestyle guru (real ones remember The Tig) to a cooking show on Netflix, and causing a whole lot of conversation.
In the series, Meghan will take viewers with her as she tends to a beehive, to arranging flowers at a shop, trying various recipes and hosting a mix of friends and celebrity guests. Listen, there may be things to critique a rich, royal-adjacent celebrity for, but starting a lifestyle show doing things she did before she was a royal ain't it. We'll be watching with open minds and hungry stomachs!
Who’s in it? Meghan Markle, Mindy Kaling, Tracy Robbins
The show's official synopsis goes like this: "Based on Dennis Tafoya’s book Dope Thief, the series follows long-time Philly friends and delinquents who pose as DEA agents to rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to have their small-time grift become a life-and-death enterprise, as they unwittingly reveal and unravel the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern Seaboard." Those friends are Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura and it's an eight-episode crime drama on Apple TV+, the most slept-on streaming service. Sign us up!
Who’s in it? Brian Tyree Henry, Wagner Moura, Nesta Cooper, Liz Caribel
Where can I watch it? Streaming on Apple TV+ on March 14.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?