David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves in "Lawmen: Bass Reeves."
Lauren Smith/Paramount+
Black History Month is a great chance to watch and support Black TV.
"Lawmen: Bass Reeves," "Kingdom Business," and "The Ms. Pat Show" are all worth watching.
Here are 10 shows to start supporting Black actors, writers, and producers.
Black History Month is a time for intentionally supporting the Black arts — whether through donations, time, or highlighting artists' standout work across genres.
We identified 10 TV shows for viewers to start this week before the end of Black History Month. The shows are led by Black talent, created by Black artists, or give glimpses into Black history or experiences. Some have multiple seasons, and some are only one season long, but they're all worth a watch.
From comedy to murder mystery, here are 10 shows to watch this Black History Month.
"Black Cake"
Image of Mia Isaac as Coventina in the Hulu Original "Black Cake."
Hulu/James Van Evers
"Black Cake" is a murder-mystery drama based on the book "Black Cake" by Charmaine Wilkerson. The Hulu Original tells the unique life story of Eleanor Bennett, a half-Jamaican, half-Chinese girl.
After Eleanor dies from cancer, it's up to her children to find out who she really was and to put together the pieces of her life with the clues she has left them. Oprah Winfrey and Marissa Jo Cerar produced the show, which initially aired on November 1, 2023.
The series has been nominated for multiple awards this year, including for outstanding limited or anthology series at the GLAAD Awards, and for outstanding drama series and outstanding writing in a drama series for Cerar at this year's NAACP Awards.
"The First Wives Club" depicts the story of college friends who have entered a new phase of life. Navigating kids, marriage, divorce, and friendship, the three leading ladies — played by Jill Scott, Michelle Buteau, and Ryan Michelle Bathe — must lean on each other.
This show, which was inspired by the original 1996 movie, "First Wives Club," highlights the realities and difficulties of being a "first wife." So far, it's proven popular with BET viewers.
According to Klein Felt from The Direct, "Across its three seasons, [The] First Wives Club has averaged 0.52 million viewers per episode. This number may not look like much, but BET's viewership peak for 2023 came during the annual BET Awards ceremony with a meager 2.8 million viewers (per Yahoo). "
"The First Wives Club" is streaming on Netflix and BET+.
"The Vince Staples Show"
"The Vince Staples Show."
Netflix
"The Vince Staples Show" is a series about the life of a semi-celebrity rapper, Vince Staples, who is navigating the twists and turns of life in his hometown of The Beach.
It stars Staples, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and Andrea Ellsworth, with Staples doubling as a producer.
The New York Times' James Poniewozik called the show, which was released on February 15, "mordantly funny and visually arresting."
"Kingdom Business" is a peek behind the scenes at the gospel-music industry. It follows an exotic dancer turned singer who transitions into the gospel genre, revealing corruption in the music industry and the church.
Between murder, attempted suicide, and secret children, there's no shortage of drama in the show, which stars Yolanda Adams, Serayah, Chaundre Hall-Broomfield, Michael Jai White, and Michael Beach.
"'Kingdom Business' isn't only fun to watch, but the smooth soundtrack is sumptuous too," wrote Nadja Sayej for Shondaland.
Two seasons are available on BET+ and through premium subscriptions on other streaming platforms.
"Lawmen: Bass Reeves"
David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves in "Lawmen: Bass Reeves."
Lauren Smith/Paramount+
Paramount+ describes this Golden Globe Award-nominated Western drama as "the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West: Bass Reeves."
David Oyelowo plays Reeves, who transitions from enslavement to law enforcement as one of the first Black US Deputy Marshals west of the Mississippi. The show takes inspiration from the real-life story of Bass Reeves, who was born in 1838 and died in 1910.
"David Oyelowo gave an unimpeachable performance as Reeves, focused and intense and emotionally true," wrote Mike Hale of The New York Times. "And the show's creator, Chad Feehan, and his directors, Christina Alexandra Voros and Damian Marcano, put onscreen a notably handsome and visually credible evocation of the American West in the 1870s."
The reality series follows real-estate investors and married couple Krystal and Dedric Polite, who flip houses in Burlington, North Carolina, with the goal of creating affordable housing. They flip homes with less than $50,000 in under 50 days — what they call their "50/50 flip strategy."
"Unlike any other 'flipping' show, the Polites share valuable insight on how to acquire property at a discount, secure funding and determine whether to hold or sell the homes they've bought and renovated," according to an A&E press release when the first season was released in 2022, People reported.
"50/50 Flip" is in its second season, which isn't readily available on A&E, but Hulu released all episodes on February 7, 2024.
The Emmy-nominated series "The Ms. Pat Show" stars actor and stand-up comedian Patricia "Pat" Williams in a fictionalized version of her life in suburban Indiana.
Now in its third season, the show's first season has a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
"For anyone who's ever watched classic sitcoms and felt like their family wasn't represented on TV, 'The Ms. Pat Show' is here to highlight your experiences, while making you hysterically laugh out loud," wrote Stephanie Holland for Tell-Tale TV.
Some critics have warned the jokes might not be for everyone — Decider likened it to "Roseanne," "if 'Roseanne' were uncensored."
Although "The Ms. Pat Show" is a BET+ Original, it's available on the Roku Channel, DIRECTV, Apple TV, or Prime Video, as well as BET+.
"Survival of the Thickest"
Michelle Buteau in "Survival of the Thickest."
Netflix
"Survival of Thickest" is the portrayal of bouncing back after a bad breakup. Mavis Beaumont, played by Michelle Buteau, is an eager stylist who faces the struggle of being plus-size in an industry that is not kind to curvier women, but she finds the opportunity to start over in life, love, and redefine her happiness.
"At first, it seems as though Survivalwill be a rom-com chronicling how Mavis gets her groove back. As comfortable as she is in her skin, Mavis understands all too well how much of the world sees plus-size women," wrote Judy Berman at Time.
The show is also inspired by Buteau's 2020 book, also titled, "Survival of the Thickest."
In this sit-com, the McKellan family moves from Seattle to Atlanta after Anthony Alabi's character Moz McKellan's football career ends. In Atlanta, they live with his mother and navigate their new life under her traditional household rules.
Also starring Loretta Devine and Tia Mowry, the show tackles many big issues, including racial profiling.
"'Family Reunion' is definitely old-fashioned in many ways," wrote Joel Keller for Decider. "But it's also got some fine performances, occasionally smart writing, and it discusses issues that will make you and your kids think between the laughs."
The show had a total of five seasons and is rated TV-PG.
This Hulu Original thriller tells the story of how an editorial assistant, Nella, portrayed by Sinclair Daniel, is sick of being the only Black girl at work. She's delighted when Hazel is hired, but as Hazel has success on the job, Nella spirals out and figures out something bad is going on at the company.
In addition to Sinclair Daniel, the show stars Ashleigh Murray and Brittany Adebumola.
This series, which Variety called "deliciously unhinged," is based on the 2021 book "The Other Black Girl" by Zakiya Dalila Harris.
