Television
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Former Pro Football Player and Republican Congressman J.C. Watts Spearheads First Black News Channel, Launching Nationally This Week
Did it really take a former Republican congressman to finally launch the first black news network? Apparently so. He’s a former professional football player, too. If that matters. The groundbreaking Black News Channel — the same one that The Root’s very own Michael Harriot wrote “looks pretty conservative” last year — will finally hit television…
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Cherish The Day: Ava DuVernay, Xosha Roquemore and Alano Miller Discuss the Day that Changed Their Lives
In her hit song, “Cherish the Day,” Sade croons about “deep love” and how she won’t be caught “running” from it. Easier said (or sung) than done, right? Cue OWN’s upcoming love anthology, aptly titled, Cherish the Day. Late last year, a group of journalists were invited to the lovely ARRAY Creative Campus in Los…
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Billy Porter Graces Sesame Street with Legendary Academy Award Tuxedo Gown and Pro-Life Petitioners Go Apes**t
Billy Porter went from one of the world’s most famous streets to another. The Broadway superstar will be making an appearance on Sesame Street during its 51st season. And the Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-winner has taken his famous frock along for the journey. He will be wearing his showstopping 2019 Oscars outfit—a tuxedo gown,…
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'The Game' Over Before It Was to Begin Again? The CW Will Not Move Forward With Mara Brock Akil's Beloved Sitcom
Looks like The Game has been called off; at least for the time being. Fans who have been anticipating the reboot of Mara Brock Akil’s popular sitcom The Game will have to wait much longer because according to Deadline, the CW network—on which the original show aired—has decided not to move forward with the one-hour…
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Sundance 2020: Insecure Is Very Secure in How It Truly Showcases Diversity on Set
In addition to settling into a dark theater to watch a bunch of independent films, Sundance Film Festival is a time to network at a bunch of exclusive dinners and parties. Since we’re about that black-ass life over here, I decided to make sure to poke my head into events dedicated to black folks. The…
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Chance the Rapper Tapped for New Streaming, 'Mobile First' Version of Punk'd
Three-time Grammy Award winner Chance the Rapper has been tapped to host a reboot of Punk’d—the hidden-camera, celebrity-driven prank show that was wildly popular in the early aughts. The new iteration of Punk’d will appear on Quibi, a new streaming service set to debut in April of this year. On Friday, the streamer promoted the…
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Getting the Last Laugh, Mo’Nique Finally Has Another Stand Up Comedy Special
To the chagrin of the many detractors who continue to write her off, Mo’Nique has rebounded in a big way. The Academy Award, Golden Globe and NAACP Image Award-winning funnywoman will host her first stand-up special in almost 10 years. On Friday, Showtime announced that Mo’Nique & Friends: Live from Atlanta will air Feb. 7…
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Watchmen Is Getting the F*ck Up Off the Pool and Will Not Return for a Second Season
A network and a show creator walk into “Abar”… and decide to end their popular and acclaimed show on a high note. It’s official, show creator Damon Lindelof is stepping away from Watchmen and will not be pursuing a second season of the series. USA Today reports: Lindelof told USA TODAY this week that he’s…
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Insecure Returns for Its Fourth Season This Spring
Wow, y’all. It’s been over a whole-ass year since we’ve last seen the misadventures of Issa, Molly and the rest of the Insecure crew. Fear not, though, the drought is soon to be over. A trailer was released today revealing that the Issa Rae-led show will return for its fourth season on Sunday, April 12.…
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Under the Skin: Tattoos, Trauma, and Tackling Stigma on Black Ink Chicago
Much has been finally been made and explored in terms of this notion of trauma—what it is, who experiences it most, what its effects are. But the scary part about trauma is that if it happens too often; too frequently, it can start to feel normal, which can be dangerous. Your body’s fight-or-flight response, triggered…