The end of summer means the end of mostly good things: sunshine, no school, warm weather ... you name it, we’ll miss it. But summer tends to be a wasteland for good television, and in that regard, we can’t wait for fall.
This month in particular is exciting, mainly due to four much-hyped shows that bring a variety of complex black protagonists to our screens.
First up is “Queen Sugar,” a cable drama produced by Actual Hollywood Queens Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey that premiered Tuesday night on OWN.
While the show itself is progressive in its own right — telling the story of a Southern black family dealing with some serious family issues — DuVernay’s approach to the series has been even more groundbreaking.
Going out of her way to assemble an all-female directing roster, DuVernary shot two of the 13 episodes herself and left the rest to the other seven female directors (mostly women of color.)
Reviews for “Queen Sugar” have been mixed so far, but here’s to DuVernay for setting yet another example of much-needed inclusivity in Hollywood.
Donald Glover’s “Atlanta” also premiered Tuesday night, airing its first two episodes in succession on FX. Glover combines his comedy roots (“Community”) with his hip-hop background (as rapper Childish Gambino), creating what he has called an homage to “being black in America.”
The show will deal with issues of black identity and cultural appropriation, especially within the world of rap. If you only pick one new show to watch this fall, make it “Atlanta.”
Network TV is getting worse and worse these days, but of all the fall TV pilots, FOX’s “Pitch” seems worth a watch. Premiering Sept. 22, “Pitch” tells the story of the first woman to play Major League Baseball.
Starring newcomer Kylie Bunbury as the Padres’ latest pitching acquisition, the show follows Ginny Baker as she deals with racism and sexism during her first MLB season.
Finally, on Sept. 30, Marvel’s “Luke Cage” hits Netflix in a big way. Mike Colter returns from his fan-favorite appearance on “Jessica Jones,” now starring in his own story.
In a time where black men are shot on the street for little more than looking threatening in a sweatshirt, the image of Colter’s “hero in a hoodie” struck a chord with viewers of the show’s early trailers.
Thanks to his impenetrable skin, Luke Cage can’t be shot and can’t be killed — by police or anyone else.
He’s the hero Harlem needs, and we’re willing to bet the rest of the world could use his help right now too.
