The Black Behind the Camera

Not long ago I was complaining about the lack of Black programmes on TV. Well it seems as though someone was listening to me because we now a good selection of Black shows currently on the networks or about to hit the small screen. The most prominent of them is The Game which made it's widely anticipated comeback two weeks ago much to a lot of excitement. Running for four seasons on CW, The Game was suddenly axed but after having witnessed the sudden departure of Girlfriends in 2008, the African American viewers were not going to sit back and let the same happen to The Game. So on 11th January BET aired the fifth season of the popular sitcom. That night The Game was followed by brand new sitcom, Let's Stay Together which is about five friends who are juggling relationships in their different stages. We have Tasha and Jamal who are married with a little boy, Stacy and Charles who are recently engaged and Kita who is taking a break from dating. Lets Stay Together is produced by Queen Latifah under her company, Flavor Unit Productions.

Over on TV One we have Love That Girl starring Tatyana Ali. Tatyana plays a divorcee who moves back home with her family in order to get her life back on track. The four part series is created by a predominately Black crew including Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kylie Evans while Tatyana acts as producer. This is Tatyana's second producing role - you might remember that she created the web series Buppies with her sister in 2009 and Lawrence and Evans have worked together before on Martin and The Jamie Foxx Show. Coming soon is Single Ladies which is another Queen Latifah joint and is a dramedy about three best friends who live in Atlanta. Starring Lisa Raye, Lauren London and Stacey Dash, the series covers sex and relationships set to the background of music, fashion and celebrity. Not surprIsingly. Single Ladies has been compared to Girlfriends and of course Sex and the City. The series has been picked up by VH1 and will air on 30th May in the USA with a special two hour pilot and will feature celebrities such as Common, Chilli, Eve and Kim Porter. The actual series starts in July. I cannot tell you how great it is to see so many TV projects starring Black talent in fuition. Even more pleasing is the amount of Black talent behind the camera. This is what everyone has been going on about; that in order to make a change we need more people of colour in powerful positions. Let's not forget that The Game might be produced by Kelsey Grammer but it is actually the brains of Mara Brock Akil. It looks like 2011 is going to be a great year for Black people behind the camera.

You can watch full episodes of Love That Girl here.

This Christmas

Christmas is a season when all the cheesy films are put upon us, duds like Jingle All The Way, Home Alone and various sequels of sequels all come out for an airing. Frankly Christmas is a time when I avoid the cinema like the plague. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel due to the release of a film called This Christmas. Before you turn your nose up, hear me out. This Christmas is a warm film about the Whitfield family who for the first time in four years are set to spend Xmas together in their LA family home. The Whitfields are a large clan and like most big families they come with their dramas. The head of the family is Shirley 'Ma'Dere' played by Loretta Devine who awaits the emotional gathering of her beloved three daughters and three sons. Eldest of the clan is Lisa played by Regina King is an unfulfilled housewife who has sacrificed her own happiness for her family. She is married to an ambitious businessman who is pressuring her to persuade her family to sell the dry cleaning business that their mother runs. Eldest son, Quentin played by Idris Elba is a talented jazz musician who is on the run from gambling debts so seeks refuge at the family home. Kelli played by Sharon Leal is a hard nosed business women who comes to blows with Lisa and her husband. Claude played by Columbus Short is an active duty Marine who is harbouring a dark secret while younger brother Baby played by R&B singer, Chris Brown longs to break out of the family nest and pursue a musical career of his own. Youngest daughter Mel played by Lauren London is an unfocused college student who brings home her boyfriend, Devean played by Keith Robinson. Then there is Joseph played by Delroy Lindo - Ma'Dere' long time partner who clashes with Quentin on several ocassions. With the secrets and tensions at bay you wonder if the Whitfields will ever sit down and enjoy a Merry Christmas.

This film is extremely heart warming and really portrays what Christmas is like for Black families in the US and UK. The main elements are drama, food, laughter, music, dancing and more food. The film is written and directed by Preston A. Whitmore who also has a short part in the film. ER star, Mekhi Phifer is an Executive Producer here and plays a love interest to Lisa. This Christmas is very enjoyable and if you are a Tyler Perry fan or like classics such as Soul Food and Love Jones then you will adore this film.

This Christmas is released on 30th November.