Ranker’s Top 5 TV Shows from Black Creators
Photo: HBO
Noting the tremendous success of movies like Moonlight and TV shows like Atlanta, writer and actor Lena Waithe proclaimed in 2019 that Hollywood is in the middle of a new Black Renaissance. Calls to bring greater diversity to the slate of shows and films we see each year have clearly made an impact: the work of young Black creators like Issa Rae, Donald Glover, Ava DuVernay, and Jordan Peele is being celebrated by both audiences and critics. Waithe writes that “people of color are a commodity right now” in Hollywood. As a result, there is more content being produced by Black Americans, performed by Black Americans, and depicting the historical and social experiences of Black Americans on TV today than ever before.
To celebrate Black History Month, we’re taking a look at the TV shows from creators of color that audiences love most. Our list of the Best Current Black TV Shows features over 25K voters, and gives us a strong sense of which of the dozens of new series from black storytellers and actors resonates most with mainstream audiences. Here are the shows our reader have put in their Top 5:
Photo: Showtime
#1: The Chi
One of Lena Waithe’s biggest contributions to the new Black Renaissance tops the list. The Chi is a coming-of-age story about a group of friends living in the South Side of Chicago, and while it deals with deadly serious themes like police violence and poverty, it manages to do so with an optimistic, joyful tone. This nuanced depiction of the Black working class in America’s Second City is also ranked #10 on our list of TV Shows that best represent life in America today.
Photo: HBO
#2: Insecure
Issa Rae’s breakout web-series Awkward Black Girl made big waves in the early 2010s, and Hollywood took notice. HBO picked up Insecure as a partial adaptation of Rae’s web-series, but she has used the time and resources of a major network to grow the show into something even more complex, ambitious, and unique than her original work. With an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%, Insecure is undoubtedly one of the most critically celebrated comedies on the air today. According to Ranker Insights, Insecure is especially popular with viewers who also love Hulu’s Shrill and Netflix’s GLOW.
Photo: FX
#3: Snowfall
Co-created by the late, great John Singleton, Snowfall’s depiction of the first crack epidemic in Los Angeles is rightfully celebrated for its attention to detail. The show takes pains to accurately portray not just the conditions that created and exacerbated this national crisis of addiction and death, but the humanity of the people who suffered through it. It’s not only the #3 Current Black TV Show, but also the #13 Best Drama on Cable.
Photo: FX
#4: Atlanta
Despite the fact that it hasn’t aired a new episode in almost three years, Atlanta has remained a phenomenon in the TV world. This surreal comedy breaks all the rules, balancing goofy humor and sharp political insights in a way that seeks to simultaneously comfort and provoke its audience. Starring show creator Donald Glover and rising star LaKeith Stanfield, this series about the rap scene in Atlanta is beloved by fans of Master of None, Broad City, and The Righteous Gemstones. It’s also #2 on our list of Best Current Shows that Deal with Millennial Stuff.
Photo: ABC
