Black Web Series
In alphabetical order. Annotated descriptions continually added. Updated 1/28.
Below is a list of scripted web shows (or webisodes), starring, marketed to or produced by black and people of color.
Please send suggestions and comments — especially if you want your series listed or if there is a mistake on your listing — to my email address (aj(at)ajchristian(dot)org) or in the comments section. Some of the descriptions come from my article on this topic for The Root, which I’d like to think of as the first serious consideration of these shows.
For more shows — including some Spanish language series — check out the many networks launching to curate shows: RowdyOrbit, GLO TV (black gay programming), Better Black TV (family-oriented), VisionTube (independent filmmakers), BWE Network (black women), Zora TV (black women), Chapter3 TV (black women), Black & Sexy TV, MyCulture TV, Plenty Pennies, WNWP, and Q3030.
The Facebook group “Black Web Series” also updates a lot faster than I can (here’s their list), and Shadow and Act curates a number of the best ones.
I’ve starred** personal favorites, popular series or ones worth checking out — though I haven’t seen every series in full, so please explore!
8 Days a Week, http://www.bet.com/shows/8-days-a-week.html**
BET’s first in-house produced web series follows a group of young people in Los Angeles trying to make it in hip hop. Based on the book series The Come Up by Lyah Beth LeFlore.
9ine, http://pic.tv/9ine**
From the website: “9INE provides a powerful spotlight on the decisions teens face when confronted with pregnancy. Viewers are directed to resources and information that take into account many diverse perspectives.”
12 Steps to Recovery (creator: Tony Clomax), http://12stepswebseries.com**
A well-shot romantic comedy about Parrish, who, dumped by his girlfriend, goes on 12 blind dates. The problem: “one friend is secretly in love with Parrish and selects “not-so-great” dates, in hopes of coming in and winning his heart in the end.”
For my interview with the creator, click here.
Afro-Arabian Nights: http://www.youtube.com/AfroArabianNights
Afro City, http://afrocitytv.com
Four fabulous women deal with life and love. For more info, see here: “Well, as an avid fan of SATC, the TV series (not so much the films… blaah), Afro City looks the closest in spirit to being on a par with SATC as anything else I’ve seen, with the added bonus that it has it’s own unabashed flair, wit, style and individuality that only an afrocentric slant could lend to it.”
Anacostia (creator: Anthony Anderson), http://www.anacostia-thewebseries.com**
A soap opera about the Washington, D.C. neighborhood, including issues of marital problems, violence and same-sex love. Anthony Anderson, quoted in the Examiner, says the show is a throwback to the 80s primetime soaps: “The show is escapism…It shows Anacostia in a completely different way that I don’t think people get a chance to see. People usually see ‘local teen gets shot’, but, they don’t see everyday that there are people out there working, striving and have great lives.”
Ahshe, http://www.ahshe.com
Bandwagon, http://www.youtube.com/bandwagonification
Web series about Emma’s journey to self-discovery starring Emma Caufield, and in the second season Tracie Thoms (Devil Wears Prada, Rent) and Yvette Nicole Brown (Community).
Bachelor Pad, At Our House, Our First Date, Make Me Over (creator: Frank B. Goodin, II), http://blackdimensionstv.com
Black Dimensions TV has four web series around issues of the family and dating, in such settings as the black barbershop.
Blind Date (creator: Melanie Hamilton), http://www.minglemediatv.com/BlindDateWebSeries.html
A woman goes on a series of bad blind dates. For more information, see this story.
Blood Brothers (creator: Von Ware), http://www.youtube.com/BloodBr0thers
Blue Belle (creator: Perry Lang): http://www.3minutepictures.com/bluebelle**
A teacher moonlights as a prostitute in this drama.
BN4Real, http://www.bn4real.tv
Booster Club (creators: Malaku McCray and Dwayne Barnes)
NBA player Rashad McCants stars as a bisexual, cross-dressing leader of a high-end shoplifting ring. Former porn star Traci Lords also stars. More at Tubefilter.
B-Rock, http://www.youtube.com/user/BRockProd
An animated satire of President Obama, who morphs into a secret ghetto superhero when he doesn’t get his cigarettes.
Buppies (creator: Julian Breece), http://buppies.bet.com
Buppies is a “mad-cap romp” through a day in the life of Quinci, played by Fresh Prince’s Tatyana Ali, a socialite and publicist enduring lots of drama amidst L.A.’s black upper crust. During this very bad day, she and her friends face issues of sexuality, pregnancy, dating, race, and careers and, most importantly, handle them in fabulous clothes!
Among the many web series by and about people of color released in the past couple of years, Buppies is the highest profile and most heavily marketed.
For more on Buppies, see my review and interview with Tatyana Ali.
byChance, http://www.youtube.com/byCHANCEboston
The Cabonauts (creator: Hayden Black), http://www.cabonauts.com
Celeste Bright (creator: Sonya Steele), http://celestebright.com**
Well-shot and deliberately paced, this thriller delves into a legal and financial mystery, at the center of which is investment banker Celeste Bright, whose loans to wealthy individuals has drawn the attention of the FBI.
See my interview with Sonya Steele here.
The Celibate Nympho Chronicles, (creator: Tanjareen Chere’ Martin), http://celibatenympho.com**
A web series about a nympho who abstains from sex before she finds Mr. Right. It won a bunch of awards at LA Webfest and features such stars as Malik Yoba, Wesley Jonathan, and Tony Rock.
The Chadwick Journals, http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDLChronicles
A prequel to here! TV’s DL Chronicles, from the creators of the show: “The Chadwick Journals is a four part web mini-series which centers on The DL Chronicle‘s narrator, Chadwick Williams, in the beginning of his research into men who lead double lives. Fueled by a hidden painful past, Chadwick interviews various men who have answered his classified ads and takes us on a deeper journey into the DL, as he tries to right his past.”
Champion Road, http://www.youtube.com/directorsdiary
Via Clutch: “Written, directed and produced by R.L. Scott (Touye Pwen) and starring many familiar faces, Champion Road looks like it’ll be one of my new favorites this year. Billed as “an action drama… surrounding a middle class Black family with a positive message depicting images of strong Black Men,” this show fills a void of what’s currently lacking from network TV. Peep the pilot episode.”
Chick (creator: Kai Soremekun), http://whoischick.com**
Chick, a new web series Soremekun self-financed, airs on web series network Koldcast.tv and RowdyOrbit, a new site distributing web series by and about people of color.
In the series, the protagonist Lisa leaves her loser boyfriend to pursue loftier dreams. She hears about a secret academy that trains superheroes, and the story progresses from there. While obviously a narrative of female empowerment, Soremekun does not want to scare off men; she wanted to story to have multiple layers.
For more on Chick see my interview with creator Soremekun.
Christopher Street TV, http://www.christopherstreettv.com
Christopher Street, created by Dwight Allen O’Neal, explores black gay men as urban performers.
The Chronicles, http://www.thechroniclestv.com
Chrysalis, (creator: Nia Malika Dixon), http://facebook.com/ChrysalisSeries**
Chrysalis, whose title refers to the cocoon an insect creates before it transforms, tells the story of Jamal, a young Muslim man living in Baltimore with an infant child and a less-than-desirable career choice: drug dealing. For my interview with the creator, click here.
Chump ChangeS, http://www.youtube.com/user/asharpebgm
BlackWebSeries speculates this was the first black web series.
Confessions, http://confessions55.com
The Couple, http://www.youtube.com/blackandsexytv
Via: “From the creators of Black & Sexy TV (and the film A Good Day to Be Black and Sexy), The Couple takes a look the ‘idiosyncrasies of dating and living together.’”
The Cube Life, http://thecubelife.tvoneonline.com
TVOne tries to compete with BET (Buppies, Shop Talk) in the web series game with this Office riff (very popular in web series, for obvious reasons) about workplace petty dramas.
Cursed, http://www.angelontherise.blogspot.com
A Demon’s Destiny: The Lone Warrior, http://lonewarriorshow.com
Diary of a Single Mom, (creator: Cheryl West), http://www.pic.tv/diary-of-a-single-mom**
This Robert Townsend -produced series stars Monica Calhoun as a single mother looking to start her life over, not so glamorously. The series pulls in high profile guest stars like Billy Dee Williams and Richard Roundtree.
I wrote up a story on Townsend and Single Mom for Tubefilter here, and published a full transcript of my interview with Townsend here.
Diary of a Wedding Planner, (creator: Brandi Ford) http://www.diaryofaplanner.com
Diary of a Wedding Planner” is a scripted comedic webseries about a loveable wedding planner named Khristy who moves from a small town to Los Angeles in order to “play in the big leagues” and find love herself.
Different Daze, http://www.youtube.com/DifferentDaze05
Dirty Laundry, http://www.myspace.com/dirtylaundrywebseries (also @RowdyOrbit)
Dominion, http://dominionseries.com
This noir detective series starts with a mystery of shady “shimmer men.” Episodes — and lots of minisodes — available here.
Dorm Diaries, (creator: Issa Rae), http://www.issarae.com/dorm-diaries
Drama Queenz, (creator: Dane Joseph), http://dramaqueenztheseries.com**
Drama Queenz, which is about three gay men trying to make it as actors and singers, is just one of several shows aimed at the underserved black gay and lesbian markets online. After the cancellation of television’s marquee gay and lesbian shows over the years—Queer As Folk, The L Word and Noah’s Arc, the only all-black show—Web producers have moved in to fill the gap.
“I didn’t want to wait around for somebody to greenlight my dream,” said Drama Queenz creator, director and writer Dane Joseph, who funds the series out of his pocket. “It’s not a show about being gay or being black. Our show is more about our travails and trying to make it.”
For more on Drama Queenz, see my post.
Dubplate Drama, http://www.youtube.com/user/DubplateDrama
A British series about the world of hip hop with lots of drama. Distributed by MTV Base and Channel 4.
Dwelling, http://watchdwelling.com**
Three people willingly share a house, but unwillingly share their lives. Written by Office alum Anthony Q. Farrell, the series won the Metacafe/Strike TV contest and will have its second season made.
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Eeazy, http://bennydemus.com
An urban crime drama.
Eighty-Six, http://www.youtube.com/EIghtySixTheSeries
Everything’s Coming Up Ro’ses, http://www.youtube.com/RoettaCollins
Fail, http://failshow.com
Via Shadow and Act: “The web sitcom ‘chronicles the random misadventures of six college students who form a study group in an attempt to improve their grades, but ends up spending more time in each other’s social circles than in their books.’”
Fake It ‘Til You Make It, http://www.youtube.com/WatchFakeIt
The story about a former child star trying to make it again in Hollywood. Written and starring Jaleel White.
The Fly Guys Present The “F” Word, http://flyguysbaby.com**
Funny web series about three musicians trying to make it.
The Girls Bathroom, http://chapter3.tv/girls-bathroom
The series is described as a weekly bird’s eye view of four black teenagers entering their senior year of high school. Each episode follows the conversation after assembly, as the girls get ready for the day.
Guidance, http://www.youtube.com/user/GuidanceSeries
Howton U., http://www.howtonu.com/index.html
Human Resources, http://www.youtube.com/hrtheseries
Via Shadow and Act: “Human Resources is a ‘workplace comedy web series’ with a sci-fi spin, that uses puppets and voice-actors for its cast.”
Is It Me?, http://www.isitmetv.com
Jay’s Life, http://thisisjayslife.com
Johnny B. Homeless, (creator: Al Thompson) http://www.JohnnyBHomeless.tv**
Johnny B Homeless explores the comic adventures of a young man who migrates from couch to couch. Conceptually inspired by Quantum Leap, each episode has Johnny B. waking up on a different couch, at times needing to remember how he got there. It took the People’s Choice award at the New York TV festival, and Kenan Thompson, of Saturday Night Live, joined to film an episode. Al Thompson, the series creator and star, also has another series, Lenox Avenue.
Habesha Life, (creator: Ambessa Jir Berhe), http://habeshalife.com
An artistically shot web series that explores the personal and romantic lives of young Habesha.
Keith Powell Directs a Play, http://powelltothepeople.net
From Tubefilter: “Co-written by Powell and Flynn (who also directs and features), the series begins as actor Keith Powell, playing actor ‘Keith Powell,’ meets with his agent to discuss upcoming roles. However, Powell’s agent is having trouble finding him work because, since being cast on 30 Rock, Powell is ‘difficult to work with’ and ‘fussy’ about his roles. The only work his agent can find him is in Connecticut. For a repertory theater production of Chekov’s Uncle Vanya. As its director.”
Kindred, (creators: Jessica Hartley, Maureen Aladin, Ella Turenne), http://kindredseries.com
Originally pitched to HBO and Showtime, Kindred garnered some corporate interest, but its trio of producers and actresses decided to take it online after confronting the lack of demand for black shows on television. The show follows three black women—an artist, public servant and executive—as they deal with family, particularly their mothers, relationship problems, body issues, racial identity problems and career obstacles.
“After being involved in the industry, each of us over a decade really, we were concerned about what we’ve seen on television,” co-producer and star Ella Turenne said of the need for shows about black women “supporting each other.”
“These are real lives. It’s not The Office. Real life is dealing with the good the bad and the ugly,” said Jessica Hartley, co-producer and star.
For more on Kindred, see my post.
The Lebrons, http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLeBrons
An animated web series based on characters from James’ Nike commercials.
Left Unsaid, (creator: Nelson George), http://leftunsaidseries.com**
Per the website: “Left Unsaid begins with a woman using Facebook to invite a large group of women to her new Brooklyn apartment for Sunday brunch. Marisol, recently separated from her music executive husband, has just landed in the Fort Greene area from Manhattan and seeks out new friends in this trendy, rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.Social networking is the engine that brings this multicultural group of women together and it is a thematic link that holds together the various conversations and confrontations that happen on one long afternoon.”
Lenox Avenue, (creator Al Thompson), http://www.lenoxaveseries.com**
Al Thompson’s dramatic series follows the lives of three friends living in the “new” Harlem. Each man is at a different stage in his life romantically: one has a “friend with benefits,” a relationship he never made official; one has a longtime girlfriend he is considering proposing to; and the other is relatively uncommitted. The show’s leads are financially secure but personally maturing. Thompson grew up in Harlem. The series debuts in 2010.
Life, Love & Hollywood, http://llhtv.com
Life with Alicia, http://www.youtube.com/user/StLewisProductions
Lovers and Friends Show, http://www.insyteproductions.com/The_Lovers_%26_Friends_Show**
The Lovers and Friends Show, which has a substantial following on YouTube, focuses on a large ensemble of lesbian and bisexual women of color, most of them black. The series tries to be more than a show, aiming “to build an online community in which people can feel free to express themselves and their sexuality,” according to its Web site.
Make It Happen, http://makeithappenhollywood.com
Make Love Not War, http://www.makelovenotwartheseries.com
The Married Bachelor, http://www.youtube.com/marquie007
Matumbo Goldberg, http://www.matumbogoldberg.com
Me and My Old Man, http://www.meandmyoldman.com
Meet the Adebanjos, http://meettheadebanjos.com
Meet the Adebanjos follows a larger than life Dad struggling to instill his old fashion Nigerian values in his Black British household in Peckham South London.
Melody Set Me Free (creator: Kalup Linzy), http://www.youtube.com/kklinzy
Artist Kalup Linzy’s videos meld the conventions of soap opera, melodrama, black theater, queer camp and performance into amusing narratives.With cameos from artists like Wardell Milan and scholar Frank Leon Roberts.
M.E.N, http://www.youtube.com/user/MEN10THESERIES
Milk + Honey, http://www.milkandhoneyseries.com**
Via: Milk + Honey is a web series, starring Lance Gross and former FAME star, Debbie Allen, based on the story of four African-American women living and working in Hollywood, Los Angeles, as they strive for success as well as dealing with many trials and tribulations in both their professional and personal lives. Co-produced by Idris Elba.
Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, (creator: Issa Rae), http://awkwardblackgirl.com**
A really funny sitcom about, as the title suggests, an awkward, newly-single black woman.
For more information, check out my interview with the creator here.
The Misadventures of Clayton Thomas, http://www.youtube.com/ImClaytonThomas
Money Power & Respect, http://www.tpn1.com/webisode.html
My Roomate the…, http://myroommatethe.com**
Humorous series about Lou, whose roommates are a never-ending parade of social impropriety and inconveniences.
The New Twenties (creators: Tracy Taylor, Mauriece Dwyer), http://www.new20stv.com
The New 20s is the brainchild of filmmaker Tracy Taylor and premiered recently at the New York Television Festival. The series explores the lives of a number of black professionals transitioning from the 20s to their 30s. The show tells its story in a semi-realistic way, forgoing one-liners and slapstick bits and focusing on intimate conversations.
“The most important thing about the show is that it be real and relatable and dramatic and funny,” Taylor said in an interview with Black Planet. “Who doesn’t know a single dad or someone who is still struggling to get their career off the ground after 30? I just wanted to show real grown-ups dealing with adult issues.”
The Next Day, (creator: Al Robbins), http://thenextday.blip.tv**
From Shadow and Act: “The Next Day…looks at one particular relationship between a black man and a black woman, founded on what could be considered relationship quicksand – a capricious binge of hedonism – and following that couple on to the next day… and beyond.”
Odessa, (creator: Al Thompson), forthcoming
Odessa follows the story of a father and daughter migrating from small town to small town, escaping a “program” which performed experiments on them. Thompson describes it as Enemy of the State meets The X-Files. The series will last for ten episodes, each about six minutes. Creator Al Thompson describes it as Enemy of the State meets The X-Files. The series will last for ten episodes, each about six minutes. Previously picked up by BET.com, it recently won big at NYTVF.
On the Stoop, (creator: Stephanie Parrott), http://www.stephanieparrott.com
On the Stoop, which released two episodes earlier in 2009 and will release five more, is most inspired by the ’80s show 227, but is really a throwback to many of the classic black sitcoms of that era. “It was one of my favorite shows when I was younger and as an actress, that’s the kind of comedic work I’d love to do, however, as you can see, shows such as 227, Cosby Show,Amen, etc., don’t really exist for us anymore,” creator Stephanie Parrott told me. “So, I figured, why not write it myself? As my acting career progresses, I plan to do more comedic web series and bring on more talented minority actors.”
The Online Gamer, http://www.recklesstortuga.com**
A sitcom about online gamers.
00bama, (creator: Todd Berger), http://www.atom.com
Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden, http://orangejuiceinbishopsgarden.com
A teen web series set in DC in the 90s. It features a lesbian couple, which has been popular with fans.
Orlando’s Joint, (creator: Terence Anthony), http://orlandosjoint.com.
Lo-fi web series Orlando’s Joint is about a young man who inherits a second-rate coffee shop .Orlando’s Joint — as in a shop, but also, you know, that other kind of joint — is a comedic series that explores running a local urban business, growing up and being not-so-rich in contemporary Los Angeles. Orlando Reed, our protagonist, is a “stoner” (something of a slacker), but he inherits an coffee shop — that isn’t Starbucks — and clearly intends to reinvigorate it with the help of two friends a few kooky characters.
For my interview with the creator, see this post.
Osiris, (creator: Donnie Leapheart), http://blip.tv/osiristheseries**
Part detective series, part supernatural thriller, the eponymous lead in Osiris resurrects roughly thirty minutes after fatal attacks. The series will run for ten episodes starting this month. Episodes can be found here.
For my interview with the creator, click here.
The PuNanny Diaries, http://www.punannydiaries.com
Queen Hussy, http://www.youtube.com/user/TheQueenHussy
The RAs, http://www.youtube.com/kajslare
Six RAs get into hijinks.
Rhyme Animal, available at Koldcast**
Via: “An ambitious hip-hop DJ rides the coattails of an up-and-coming rapper. One problem: the rapper might also be a cannibalistic serial killer.” Finalist at numerous web series competitions and awards, including Indie Intertube, Clicker, ITVF, NATPE, and HBO/NYILFF.
Road to the Altar, http://www.roadtothealtar.com
Sellout, http://visiontube.tv/sellout_pages/sellout.html
Semi-Dead, (creator: Chris Wiltz), http://www.semi-dead.com
Chris Wiltz, a young filmmaker, created this horror-comedy, spending his own money filming this buddy comedy about two roommates in living in Los Angeles after its been overrun with zombies. Each guy has a very different reaction to the event: one, Joe, “goes into survival mode,” while the other Chris, goes about his life as if nothing has happened.
For my interview with the series creator, see this post.
Sheroes, http://sheroesinproduction.com
Shop Talk, http://shoptalk.bet.com
Malik Yoba takes his son to a barbershop, as discussions of men and manhood begin.
Shitty Fabulous Lives, http://www.shittyfab.com
This series follows best friends MinDog (Amina Robinson) & Metch (Maechi Aharanwa) as they navigate single life, marriage, motherhood, acting careers, too many feelings, changing bodies, several fears and every other joyous, hellish moment life can bring.
Side Kick Girls, http://www.youtube.com/SideKickGirlsTV
Sista Wives, http://sistawives.com
A comedy about a polygamist. Via website: “Jacob Jones is a a black polygamist who lives in Utah with his three wives – Sarah, Abigail, and Rachel. Jacob recently decided to look for the fourth Ms. Jacob Jones.”
Six of One, http://www.sixofone.tv
Status Kill, http://www.statuskill.com
A three-part action-comedy series distributed by My Damn Channel and nominated in the Clicker Awards.
Stirred, Not Shaken, http://stirrednotshakentv.wordpress.com
Stream, http://www.fearnet.com/shows/stream/index.html
While not specifically focused on “black” experiences, Stream, FEARNet’s sci-fi psychological thriller, stars one of the greatest black actresses today, Whoopi Goldberg. Goldberg’s character experiences a confusing psychological event, blurring her ideas of time and space.
Tickles, http://tickles.tv
Urban guerrilla sketch comedy. From the website: “Tickles.tv is a new market place that celebrates this niche phenomenon, providing a platform to take unconventional risks that challenge stereotypes, stimulate intellect and celebrate urban culture.”
Touye Pwen, (creator: RL Scott), http://www.youtube.com/directorysdiary
Truth, http://www.jdcfilmsonline.com
The Tyrone Experience, http://www.youtube.com/thelayer006
Venice Boulevard, http://funnyordie.com/veniceboulevard
Vexika, http://www.vexika.com
Per the website: “Vexika™ follows Victoria Bloom, an ambitious Channel 4 TV reporter who loves playing games on her console, is secretly engaged to her cameraman and is also DARPA’s only successful experimental nanoid-hybrid biological cyber-enhanced supersoldier. She must hunt down the deranged failed rejects of the project every month to feed her fatal nanoid adrenaline build up.”
Wed-Locked, (creators: Lawrence and Shay Saint-Victor), http://saint-victor.net
From the website: “Follow this newly married couple on their first hysterical year of being married. Wed-Locked features The Guiding Light’s very own Karla Mosley and Lawrence Saint-Victor, directed by Christina Faison. ‘Getting Married Is Only The First Step.’”
Which Way, http://whichwayshow.com**
Vibrant, multicultural series about a group of artistic New York high school students who sing, dance and play for the dreams. Think Fame (2011).
The World of Cory & Sid, http://coryandsid.com
*Disclaimer: There is some folly in labelling a series “black.” Some of the shows below would take that label, some would not. What is a black web series? These are more my best guesses. Some of the shows below have only one major black lead and white side characters; some only have one but it’s a major star; and some have people of color behind the camera. In general, I’m keeping my definition as open as possible.
