Black TV Series to Watch This Fall

Oct 09, 2021 09:00AM ● By Nana Ama Addo

Black woman sitting on couch watching TV

(Image by Andre Ayrton via Pexels )

The weather is changing, and cozy blankets, hot chocolate, or tea and snacks may be how you want to spend your Friday night. Pair this with your favorite tv-series and you have a perfect night in. Here are some Black tv series to binge-watch while having a night at home this fall.

(Image by @lovecrafthbo via Instagram)

Lovecraft Country, developed by Misha Green and executive produced by Green and Jordan Peele, is a 2020 HBO series based on Matt Ruff’s novel, which was based on the book by H.P. Lovecraft. This show chronicles the journey of Atticus Freeman, a veteran who returns to his hometown, Chicago, in search of his missing father. As the season unfolds, Tic and his crew realize they have been sucked into a world of magic, drawn in by Tic’s bloodline being tied to descendants of an enslaved African American woman and white warlock slave owners. Although this show was not renewed for a second season, it takes readers on a wild ride through concepts of magic, racism, the fight for survival, and the pervasiveness of inequality. Cast members include Johnathan Majors, Journee Smollett, the late Michael K. Williams, Wunmi Mosaku, Aunjanue Ellis, Courtnee B. Vance, and more.

(Image by @bloodandwaternetflix via Instagram)

Blood & Water, the South African drama, tells the story of a young girl who transfers to an elite school in South Africa to recover the identity of her long-lost twin. This Netflix-hosted drama, which gives insight into South African talent, elitism, and culture, features Ama Quamala, Khosi Ngema, Thaband Molana, and more. Watch the intriguing two seasons on Netflix.

(Image by @firstwivesclub via Instagram )

First Wives Club, a BET-produced show created by Tracey Oliver, chronicles the lives of three women in New York who set out to find their worth post-marriage while maintaining a strong friendship. This entertaining and refreshing show, a spin-off of the First Wives Club featuring Goldie Fawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keating, stars Jill Scott, Michelle Buteau, and Ryan Michelle Bathe. The show currently has two seasons.

(Image by @theugrailroadtv via Instagram)

Underground Railroad, directed by Barry Jenkins, is a 2021 Amazon miniseries based on Colson Whitehead‘s book of the same name. The series chronicles an enslaved young woman named Cora and her journey fighting for freedom through the legendary ‘Underground Railroad’, except in this story, the Underground Railroad is an actual train that operates underground. This historical fiction novel, full of twists and turns, gives a riveting reimagination of the strength of the enslaved, and of the complex identities of human beings, including the enslaved and Underground Railroad conductors. Cast members include South African Thuso Mbedu as Cora, Black-British Aaron Pierre, breakout youth Chase Dillon, British-Ugandan model Sheila Atim, and African American actor William Jackson Harper.

(Image by @poseonfx via Instagram)

POSE FX, the pivotal FX series that explores the expansion of ball culture in NYC in the 1980s, gave a voice to Afro-Latinx, Afro-Caribbean, and African American LGBTQ life, realities, and joy. Ball culture includes traditions that establish and develop community within LGBTQ+ populations. Houses, which are adopted families that provide community and shelter, and gather under a matriarch, showcase their style, individuality, movement, and dance skills at house balls. Watch POSE to learn about the culture and to catch a vibe.

(Image by @insecurehbo via Instagram)

Insecure, the global phenomenon that was born from Issa Rae’s YouTube sensation ‘The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl’, chronicles Isaa (played by Issa Rae) and Molly (played by Yvonne Orji) and their voyages to solve problems in their lives. The series will premiere its fourth and final season on October 4th on HBO Max. The show was created by Issa Rae and Larry Whitmore.

(Image by @queensugarown via Instagram)

Queen Sugar, the OWN Network-produced show, created and directed by Ava Duvernay, follows a Black family in Louisiana fighting to preserve an 800-acre sugar plantation after the father dies and leaves it to the family. This critically acclaimed show has six seasons, so if you are looking to binge watch, this show might be the one! Cast members include Rutina Wesley, Kofi Siriboe, Dawn Lyden-Gardner, Bianca Lawson, Nicolas L. Ashe, and more.

Nana Ama Addo is a writer, multimedia strategist, film director, and storytelling artist. She graduated with a BA in Africana Studies from the College of Wooster, and has studied at the University of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Nana Ama tells stories of entrepreneurship and Ghana repatriation at her brand, Asiedua’s Imprint ( www.asieduasimprint.com ).