For the past several years, the number of webseries out there has been on the rise. Why wouldn't they be? They're extremely accessible to viewers and allow creators to have more control over their work. For black creators, black actors, and black audiences, webseries can offer an extra added benefit: representation. There are tons of black webseries out there today that have turned the media landscape into one that's dynamic and diverse. All hilarious, informative, and entertaining, here's a list of the seven webseries that every black person should watch:
"The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl," by Issa Rae
This show is often seen as the one that started the trend we're experiencing now, so why not include it! Usually called "Awkward Black Girl," the show came out in 2011 on Issa Rae's YouTube channel and lasted two full seasons - earning a number of accolades - before Issa moved on to bigger things, like working with HBO to create a comedy series similar in nature to "ABG" (set to air soon, fingers crossed!). "Awkward Black Girl" follows J, played by Issa Rae, throughout her awkward excursions in life, work, and love. Each episode makes you feel like J is your homegirl and that her awkwardness is something that we all probably have a bit of.
"Strolling," by Cecile Emeke
More of a docu-miniseries, filmmaker Cecile Emeke speaks to men and women in the African diaspora. Each episode can be up to 20 minutes long and follows one person in their city as they cover a number of topics related to their experience with blackness. Originating in London, the series has now reached several more cities, including Milan, Amsterdam, Paris, and most recently, New York City (which I'm so excited about!). This aspect makes for a well-rounded and thorough look at blackness globally. For black Americans, who have been criticized for their disregard of issues faced by the rest of the diaspora, this is a really great way to get insight into how other black people's experience differs from our own.
"Ackee & Saltfish," by Cecile Emeke
Another series by Cecile Emeke, Ackee & Saltfish is a light comedy series. The series was first introduced by a short film of the same title that follows British Jamaican friends, Olivia and Rachel, on a quest to find some ackee and saltfish for breakfast in their gentrified neighborhood. The webseries just follows the girls during their everyday shenanigans. One episode, for example, simply captures the ruckus the girls make while carpet shopping. I like to think of it as a show about nothing that's about everything. The series approach is very different, making it even easier to feel like they could be you and your friends on any random day.
"Hello Cupid," by BLACK&SEXYTV
"Hello Cupid" is about two friends in the world of online dating. The darker-skinned woman in the friendship decides to conduct an experiment by switching her profile picture to that of her lighter-skinned friend to see how men respond. The show moves on from there as they get caught in a ton of complications, starting with the Catfish issue. BLACK&SEXYTV recently formed an agreement with BET to air the show on its network for a limited time, so the show definitely has a following.
"RoomieLoverFriends," by Black&SEXYTV
"RoomieLoverFriends" is another one of the few BLACK&SEXYTV shows that got picked up by BET for a short time. It starts when two roommates end up sleeping together one night and the lines of their friendship are blurred from then on. It's a bit more typical than the other shows (very Scandal-esque) but it's still worth a watch.
"Black Actress," by Andrea Lewis
Andrea Lewis, most known for her role as the token black girl Hazel in "Degrassi: The Next Generation," created the comedy series Black Actress to address the struggles of black actresses as they try to make their dreams happen. Following Kori (played by Andrea), we get to see all the chaos in the industry from going on auditions to battling stereotypical roles. To make episodes that much richer, each one features snippets of interviews with successful, working black actresses, such as Erica Hubbard, Jenifer Lewis, and Tatyana Ali.
"The Unwritten Rules," by Aasha Davis
A comedy series written and produced by Aasha Davis (from "South of Nowhere" and the independent film "Pariah"), "The Unwritten Rules" is about Racey as she deciphers the unspoken, yet established codes set for black people in the workplace. Racey starts off each episode with a monologue detailing the frustrations of her work life that most black people have probably gone through. It's now deep into it's third season.
Keep in mind while enjoying these shows that you might eventually be asked to donate to production and filming. Considering that webseries usually have less funding than shows on cable networks, it's necessary to look for outside funding from audiences in order to keep these series going. Since we don't like to pay for much of anything, it could be irritating, but if you truly appreciate the content - think about it.
