There a number of Black shows debuting or returning to the air and streaming services. Here are returning and new Black TV shows to check out.
Over the past few decades, Canada has been sporadic with its offering of Black TV shows. Not only has the selection of shows from Black Canadian creators been few and far between, but we’ve also struggled to gain access to many Black shows available in the United States.
Of course, there were some attempts and success stories over the years. There was Vision TV’s Lord Have Mercy!. set in Toronto’s Eglinton West neighbourhood, which aired in 2003. Although co-starring a young Russell Peters and d’bi Young, it only lasting one season. There was Trey Anthony’s Da Kink In My Hair, also set in Eglinton West, which aired on Global in 2007 for two seasons. It’s considered the first Canadian comedy series on a national private mainstream broadcaster created by and starring Black women.
More recently, things came full circle when Lord Have Mercy! star Arnold Pinnock and long-time actor Bruce Ramsay co-created the award-winning and critically-acclaimed series The Porter. The show was cancelled after one season after BET+ pulled out of the project, but the show, alongside CBC’s Diggstown, marked the beginning of a new era in Black Canadian programming.
Now Canada appears to be on a bit of a run as more Black writers and producers are bringing the Black experience to the small screen. And we’re also seeing more networks and streaming services bringing shows from the UK and United States to the Canadian airwaves.
From the Legacy Awards and Robyn Hood to Young Love and Lupin, here’s a look at what’s new and coming soon in Black TV in order of release date.
Hit ‘Next” to see the list.
