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Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-ish and Beyond
With iconic imagery and engrossing text, Black TV is the first book of its kind to celebrate the groundbreaking, influential, and often under-appreciated shows centered on Black people and their experiences from the last fifty years.
Over the past decade, television has seen an explosion of acclaimed and influential debut storytellers including Issa Rae (Insecure), Donald Glover (Atlanta), and Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You). This golden age of Black television would not be possible without the actors, showrunners, and writers that worked for decades to give voice to the Black experience in America.
Written by veteran TV reporter Bethonie Butler, Black TV tells the stories behind the pioneering series that led to this moment, celebrating the laughs, the drama, and the performances we’ve loved over the last fifty years. Beginning with Julia, the groundbreaking sitcom that made Diahann Carroll the first Black woman to lead a prime-time network series as something other than a servant, she explores the 1960s and 1970s as an era of unprecedented representation, with shows like Soul Train, Roots, and The Jeffersons. She unpacks the increasingly nuanced comedies of the 1980s from 227 to A Different World, and how they paved the way for the ’90s Black-sitcom boom that gave us The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Living Single. Butler also looks at the visionary comedians—from Flip Wilson to the Wayans siblings to Dave Chappelle—and connects all these achievements to the latest breakthroughs in television with showrunners like Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay, and Quinta Brunson leading the charge.
With dozens of photographs reminding readers of memorable moments and scenes, Butler revisits breakout performances and important guest appearances, delivering some overdue accolades along the way. So, put on your Hillman sweatshirt, make some popcorn, and get ready for a dyn-o-mite retrospective of the most groundbreaking and entertaining shows in television history.
Over the past decade, television has seen an explosion of acclaimed and influential debut storytellers including Issa Rae (Insecure), Donald Glover (Atlanta), and Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You). This golden age of Black television would not be possible without the actors, showrunners, and writers that worked for decades to give voice to the Black experience in America.
Written by veteran TV reporter Bethonie Butler, Black TV tells the stories behind the pioneering series that led to this moment, celebrating the laughs, the drama, and the performances we’ve loved over the last fifty years. Beginning with Julia, the groundbreaking sitcom that made Diahann Carroll the first Black woman to lead a prime-time network series as something other than a servant, she explores the 1960s and 1970s as an era of unprecedented representation, with shows like Soul Train, Roots, and The Jeffersons. She unpacks the increasingly nuanced comedies of the 1980s from 227 to A Different World, and how they paved the way for the ’90s Black-sitcom boom that gave us The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Living Single. Butler also looks at the visionary comedians—from Flip Wilson to the Wayans siblings to Dave Chappelle—and connects all these achievements to the latest breakthroughs in television with showrunners like Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay, and Quinta Brunson leading the charge.
With dozens of photographs reminding readers of memorable moments and scenes, Butler revisits breakout performances and important guest appearances, delivering some overdue accolades along the way. So, put on your Hillman sweatshirt, make some popcorn, and get ready for a dyn-o-mite retrospective of the most groundbreaking and entertaining shows in television history.
- GenresNonfictionHistoryTv
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2023
9 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 28, 2024
This is a well written history/commentary on Black television. I would go as far to say it is a must read. And to quote Issa Rae, "I'm still rooting for everybody Black."
December 30, 2024
Really enjoyed this. I wish there was a Latino version. Well done.
December 9, 2023
Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-ish and Beyond by Bethonie Butler is in bookstores today courtesy of Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. Inside, readers will find a thoughtfully curated and delightfully presented history of the most important television shows created by Black storytellers and focused on Black people and their experiences from the last fifty years. The result is a rich and vibrant text which is interesting and engaging from cover to cover.
In the introduction, Butler outlines the text’s criteria for which programs are featured in the text: “This is a celebration of shows that center Black people and their experiences, without tethering those experience to the white people in their midst… Our focus is primarily on sitcoms and dramas that aired during prime time, in addition to variety/sketch/late-night series that helped increate the visibility of Black entertainers.” With those criteria in mind, all of the stars readers would expect, such as Red Foxx, Richard Pryor, Arsenio Hall, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and so many more are covered along with their groundbreaking contributions to television. The book begins with Julia, which premiered in 1968 and starred Diahann Carroll, which actor and director Tim Reid says gained in popularity through word of mouth through the “personal net” such as families, churches, or social organizations which saw Black communities rooting for Black entertainers appearing on prime time and supporting them by tuning in. It’s moments like these— interesting quotations from veterans in the field and experts alike— which really make Butler’s text come to life for readers.
The chapters of Black TV are organized and presented in a fashion which helps the reader understand both the general timeline during which each of the shows and performers broke new ground throughout television history, and they also bring in important topics which span multiple decades, or some events or titles which are too big to fit into a chapter focused on multiple programs. There’s a specific chapter for Roots, and other milestones such as ’80s Sitcoms and ’90s Sitcoms get their own chapters as well. As a person who grew up in the ’90s, I particularly enjoyed reading the chapter on UPN and the WB and learning about such shows as Sister, Sister, The Wayans Brothers, and The Jamie Foxx Show. Butler finds the perfect balance in being entertaining in the presentation of the material and also bringing an analytical and historical authority to the text which makes it shine.
In addition to the engaging text, Black TV features an amazing variety of photographs to make the book interesting to look at on every page. There are TV Guide covers, publicity stills, and images from all of the television shows covered in the book. The book is colorful and vibrant, and it’s enjoyable just to sit down with it and thumb through the pages and take in all of the photographs.
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers did a great job with the delivery of Black TV. Featuring thick hardcover binding with a sharp dust jacket, the book feels very sturdy and nice to hold in one’s hands. The paper used in production has a nice semi-gloss feel to it which makes both the images and the text pop vibrantly. I like how they chose a mid-size format for this text, which is large enough to house some impressive and detailed images without becoming too cumbersome. It’s a nice book to carry around the house and ultimately place on your bookshelf.
With Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-ish and Beyond, Bethonie Butler crafted an important text which deserves a spot on any serious fan of television’s bookshelf and a perfect starting point for anyone who would like to learn more about the history of Black television entertainers and the groundbreaking programs they created.
Read more reviews right here: https://conskipper.com/
In the introduction, Butler outlines the text’s criteria for which programs are featured in the text: “This is a celebration of shows that center Black people and their experiences, without tethering those experience to the white people in their midst… Our focus is primarily on sitcoms and dramas that aired during prime time, in addition to variety/sketch/late-night series that helped increate the visibility of Black entertainers.” With those criteria in mind, all of the stars readers would expect, such as Red Foxx, Richard Pryor, Arsenio Hall, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and so many more are covered along with their groundbreaking contributions to television. The book begins with Julia, which premiered in 1968 and starred Diahann Carroll, which actor and director Tim Reid says gained in popularity through word of mouth through the “personal net” such as families, churches, or social organizations which saw Black communities rooting for Black entertainers appearing on prime time and supporting them by tuning in. It’s moments like these— interesting quotations from veterans in the field and experts alike— which really make Butler’s text come to life for readers.
The chapters of Black TV are organized and presented in a fashion which helps the reader understand both the general timeline during which each of the shows and performers broke new ground throughout television history, and they also bring in important topics which span multiple decades, or some events or titles which are too big to fit into a chapter focused on multiple programs. There’s a specific chapter for Roots, and other milestones such as ’80s Sitcoms and ’90s Sitcoms get their own chapters as well. As a person who grew up in the ’90s, I particularly enjoyed reading the chapter on UPN and the WB and learning about such shows as Sister, Sister, The Wayans Brothers, and The Jamie Foxx Show. Butler finds the perfect balance in being entertaining in the presentation of the material and also bringing an analytical and historical authority to the text which makes it shine.
In addition to the engaging text, Black TV features an amazing variety of photographs to make the book interesting to look at on every page. There are TV Guide covers, publicity stills, and images from all of the television shows covered in the book. The book is colorful and vibrant, and it’s enjoyable just to sit down with it and thumb through the pages and take in all of the photographs.
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers did a great job with the delivery of Black TV. Featuring thick hardcover binding with a sharp dust jacket, the book feels very sturdy and nice to hold in one’s hands. The paper used in production has a nice semi-gloss feel to it which makes both the images and the text pop vibrantly. I like how they chose a mid-size format for this text, which is large enough to house some impressive and detailed images without becoming too cumbersome. It’s a nice book to carry around the house and ultimately place on your bookshelf.
With Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-ish and Beyond, Bethonie Butler crafted an important text which deserves a spot on any serious fan of television’s bookshelf and a perfect starting point for anyone who would like to learn more about the history of Black television entertainers and the groundbreaking programs they created.
Read more reviews right here: https://conskipper.com/
December 25, 2025
An educational and necessary book in the pantheon on books on Black television and movie excellence. 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑 covered decades of Black achievement and excellence in a way that any person, even those who know nothing about Black TV history could understand.
Author Bethonie Butler wanted to educate her people (us Blacks) on our TV history with this book, but she also wanted to make us and other cultures who read the book understand that white people aren't the only race who can write, act in, produce, and direct good and great television. Black people, we are a VERY talented culture and race and books like this are needed as to show the world what we can do when given a chance by TV and movie studios.
I really enjoyed reading this book because I grew up with a lot of the TV shows she chronicled in this book such as 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙨., 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙚𝙡-𝘼𝙞𝙧, 𝙈𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙖, 𝙄𝙣 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙮 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙬, and more.
You could tell in a way where this book was headed or what demographic was going to be praised or written about in depth when on page 11, Butler started off her writing on Black TV shows with 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙖, a show that ran on NBC from 1968 to 1971. Yes, 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑 was about Black excellence in television but the author of this book made sure throughout this book to headline, champion, and praise the efforts of Black women in TV history. You can always tell a lot about a book from what is written in chapter 1 of any book.
Meanwhile, the writeup on 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙖 was 13 pages (of text) and 14 pages in total (which includes two pages with a still shot taking up a whole page). No other TV show had more pages written about them in this book than 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙖 which means the author of this book really, really liked that show and/or she felt that the show was groundbreaking for Black women in television which it was at the time and still is to this day. But don't think Butler fawned over that show or thought it was the greatest show ever in her mind, no, she was critical of some elements of the show, and she made that clear in different parts of the show's writeup. Read the book and you'll see what I mean.
There were so many kernels of information for readers of the book to snack on, such as on page 57 when Butler wrote about the Black Panthers visiting the set of 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 because they were looking for the show's creator Norman Lear. Their main gripe with Lear was that the show's depiction of a Black family was written and produced through the lens of a white man. I also didn't know that 227 (page 83) throughout its run was underrated and underappreciated by its own network NBC. And I also didn't know that the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, was a fan of 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙣 (page 86). He watched that show religiously while he was serving time in jail over a high-speed police chase in 1988.
If there was a gripe that I had with 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑 it was that in Butler's analysis or criticism (the latter fits better) of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙨. TV show, she spent more time discussing the negatives surrounding the show (Black empowerment groups' dissatisfaction with the show, it's lack of big-time ratings, its eventual cancelation, and etc.) than the positives from the show. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙨. throughout its run touched on topics akin to Black culture or the Black experience such as struggles on finding work, struggling with entrepreneurship, struggling to pay rent, job politics, hiring Blacks for government grants, rap music, and more. But Butler didn't care about that or write about any of that. She dismissed 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙨. as a minstrel show or a show that stereotyped us. She couldn't be further from the truth in how she felt about that show, but at the end of the day it was her book.
On the other hand, 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑 as I've said before was on point about the Black TV experience on television since the 1970s. Another example of that was on page 174 when Butler discussed how cogent and needed the 1987 film 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙡𝙚 was to Black culture. The first two paragraphs of Butler's analysis of the WB TV show 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 '𝙃𝙤𝙤𝙙 (Robert Townsend created 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙡𝙚 and 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 '𝑯𝒐𝒐𝒅) was some of the best writing in the book and should be required reading for anyone who wants to further understand how demeaning and condescending these Hollywood TV and movie studios were to Black actors and actresses in the 1970s and 1980s with their blatant stereotyping-----thinking that the only roles Black actors and actresses were capable of playing was that of criminals or other characters within the annals of street life.
Pros of 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑: More than 230 pages of information on the Black TV culture from the 1970s to the 2020s. Butler gave every TV show she analyzed in this book enough space (pages and paragraphs) and attention as to give you the reader what you needed to know about these shows. There were shows that ran for a season or less were given their due in this book and I appreciated that.
Cons of 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑: The book had an agenda besides its analysis of Black TV history, and that was for Butler to highlight Black females in TV history and there's nothing wrong with that. A lot of TV shows with Black female leads got more pages and attention than some other shows that didn't have Black female leads and I guess that was her (Butler) intent.
In conclusion, 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑 is a must read for Black TV history aficionados like me. If you can get past the Black female girl power pervading throughout this book you will see that the book is actually a good TV history book for our culture. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Black TV history or those who are curious about the origins as well as the current landscape of Black television.
Author Bethonie Butler wanted to educate her people (us Blacks) on our TV history with this book, but she also wanted to make us and other cultures who read the book understand that white people aren't the only race who can write, act in, produce, and direct good and great television. Black people, we are a VERY talented culture and race and books like this are needed as to show the world what we can do when given a chance by TV and movie studios.
I really enjoyed reading this book because I grew up with a lot of the TV shows she chronicled in this book such as 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙨., 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙚𝙡-𝘼𝙞𝙧, 𝙈𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙖, 𝙄𝙣 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙮 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙬, and more.
You could tell in a way where this book was headed or what demographic was going to be praised or written about in depth when on page 11, Butler started off her writing on Black TV shows with 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙖, a show that ran on NBC from 1968 to 1971. Yes, 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑 was about Black excellence in television but the author of this book made sure throughout this book to headline, champion, and praise the efforts of Black women in TV history. You can always tell a lot about a book from what is written in chapter 1 of any book.
Meanwhile, the writeup on 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙖 was 13 pages (of text) and 14 pages in total (which includes two pages with a still shot taking up a whole page). No other TV show had more pages written about them in this book than 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙖 which means the author of this book really, really liked that show and/or she felt that the show was groundbreaking for Black women in television which it was at the time and still is to this day. But don't think Butler fawned over that show or thought it was the greatest show ever in her mind, no, she was critical of some elements of the show, and she made that clear in different parts of the show's writeup. Read the book and you'll see what I mean.
There were so many kernels of information for readers of the book to snack on, such as on page 57 when Butler wrote about the Black Panthers visiting the set of 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 because they were looking for the show's creator Norman Lear. Their main gripe with Lear was that the show's depiction of a Black family was written and produced through the lens of a white man. I also didn't know that 227 (page 83) throughout its run was underrated and underappreciated by its own network NBC. And I also didn't know that the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, was a fan of 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙣 (page 86). He watched that show religiously while he was serving time in jail over a high-speed police chase in 1988.
If there was a gripe that I had with 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑 it was that in Butler's analysis or criticism (the latter fits better) of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙨. TV show, she spent more time discussing the negatives surrounding the show (Black empowerment groups' dissatisfaction with the show, it's lack of big-time ratings, its eventual cancelation, and etc.) than the positives from the show. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙨. throughout its run touched on topics akin to Black culture or the Black experience such as struggles on finding work, struggling with entrepreneurship, struggling to pay rent, job politics, hiring Blacks for government grants, rap music, and more. But Butler didn't care about that or write about any of that. She dismissed 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙨. as a minstrel show or a show that stereotyped us. She couldn't be further from the truth in how she felt about that show, but at the end of the day it was her book.
On the other hand, 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑 as I've said before was on point about the Black TV experience on television since the 1970s. Another example of that was on page 174 when Butler discussed how cogent and needed the 1987 film 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙡𝙚 was to Black culture. The first two paragraphs of Butler's analysis of the WB TV show 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 '𝙃𝙤𝙤𝙙 (Robert Townsend created 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙡𝙚 and 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 '𝑯𝒐𝒐𝒅) was some of the best writing in the book and should be required reading for anyone who wants to further understand how demeaning and condescending these Hollywood TV and movie studios were to Black actors and actresses in the 1970s and 1980s with their blatant stereotyping-----thinking that the only roles Black actors and actresses were capable of playing was that of criminals or other characters within the annals of street life.
Pros of 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑: More than 230 pages of information on the Black TV culture from the 1970s to the 2020s. Butler gave every TV show she analyzed in this book enough space (pages and paragraphs) and attention as to give you the reader what you needed to know about these shows. There were shows that ran for a season or less were given their due in this book and I appreciated that.
Cons of 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑: The book had an agenda besides its analysis of Black TV history, and that was for Butler to highlight Black females in TV history and there's nothing wrong with that. A lot of TV shows with Black female leads got more pages and attention than some other shows that didn't have Black female leads and I guess that was her (Butler) intent.
In conclusion, 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙑 is a must read for Black TV history aficionados like me. If you can get past the Black female girl power pervading throughout this book you will see that the book is actually a good TV history book for our culture. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Black TV history or those who are curious about the origins as well as the current landscape of Black television.
April 29, 2024
Soooo good! Cool facts from shows I grew up with. A fact that almost broke me--Tim Reid only watched 4 episodes of Sister, Sister. Plus, he didn't really care too much for the show itself. WHAT. WHAAAAAAAAT. He's one of the best TV dads!
I also didn't know he had a sitcom in the 80s so. This book is just gold.
Anyways, a very good book to have! Hope there are many more shows to come to add to a future compilation. One suggestion: Craig of the Creek for the animated portion!
Thanks for ignoring the Cleveland Show, too. c:
I also didn't know he had a sitcom in the 80s so. This book is just gold.
Anyways, a very good book to have! Hope there are many more shows to come to add to a future compilation. One suggestion: Craig of the Creek for the animated portion!
Thanks for ignoring the Cleveland Show, too. c:
May 13, 2024
Probably a lot of people walking through a book store or a library might wonder who is Isenberg? And probably some people will not know much about “Casablanca.” (And it was and is a real place in Europe. It was a place where a lot of things were happening in the middle of the early steps of the Second World War in Europe.
Author Noan Isenberg tells a little about the war in 1940, just before the real war starts. The major theme is about how people deal with such an event.
Author Noan Isenberg tells a little about the war in 1940, just before the real war starts. The major theme is about how people deal with such an event.
December 29, 2023
An extremely thorough and smart journey through the history of Black television by my Washington Post colleague Bethonie Butler -- the shows you remember and the shows you ought to remember, which broke their own ground but were cancelled too soon or faded from the collective memory. Beautifully presented, too.
March 9, 2025
Butler provides an interesting if not comprehensive overview of Black led tv shows. I was slightly disappointed What's Happening!! only got a sentence or two since childhood me would take reruns of that over reruns of Good Times any day. Also surprising that Fat Albert didn't get mentioned since that was the first Black show a lot of people my age watched.
February 24, 2024
Very thorough and well done. Thank you for the memories as I have experienced all five decades of “black TV” described in this book. The sentiments of each time are expressed appropriately from my stand point!!
Good reference material. Beautiful pictures!
Good reference material. Beautiful pictures!
Read
February 28, 2024Good book. Not exactly what you think it is. Instead of discussing the plots to the TV shows it discussed why they were important in the great scheme of black TV. I did not remember all of the shows but it was fun to read about old favorites, like the Flip Wilson Show.
May 3, 2024
This book gives incredible backstories (origins) of various groundbreaking television shows that featured black ensemble casts throughout the past decades. The author of this particular book has done a wonderful job of researching.
December 25, 2024
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews