In the 90s Black music was everywhere and was moving from the underground scene to the mainstream, all through radio the rise of music television in the UK. Music TV quickly became one of the most visible spaces for Black British culture and introduced a new generation of presenters, performers and cultural taste makers to mainstream audiences.

In this episode we pay homage to the figures that paved the way in making Black music popular in the UK. We hear from former Channel Manager of MTV Base, Shurwin Beckford and Trevor Nelson who together built MTV’s UK’s longest running RnB Show, The Lick. We hear from Rikki Bleu, founder of Since 93 Records, but back in 2004 he was managing Channel U; the TV station dedicated to UK Grime, giving Black working class sounds and experience a mainstream platform. We also pay a special tribute to the late Kayna King, founder of the Mobo Awards.

Then, Now, Next traces seven decades of Black British life on screen, shaped by the people who made it both in front of and behind the camera.

Host Annika Allen Gray (All3Media's Head of Diversity) talks to the presenters, producers and commissioners, who fought for space on the small screen, and the ones now building their own platforms instead of waiting for a green light. Each episode moves through a different chapter: the fight to be seen, the fight to be heard, and the fight to own the story.

You can watch the interviews with the contributors in full in the Black Leaders in TV YouTube Channel.

For more information visit blackleadersintv.com/ and follow us on Instagram @blackleadersintv

Then, Now, Next is funded by the Royal Television Society's Shiers Trust Award.

Hosted by Annika Allen Gray (@annikaallen) and produced by Leanne Alie (@leannealie).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 80s saw a real transformation of Black representation on TV - instead of the assimilationist TV of the 70s that poked fun at ethnic minorities, Black stories were taking centre stage on the small screen and making a huge impact.

It was on his way to a pitch meeting that Trix Worrell had the idea for Desmond’s - the show they authentically represented a slice of Black British life in one of the few spaces where people could authentically be themselves: the Barber Shop,

In this episode we hear from Trix himself, the creator of Desmonds, on how he pitched the idea, working with Norman Beaton, how the show travelled to America and became a mainstream hit with 5 million viewers and 71 episodes, as well as the show’s untimely ending.

We also hear from former Commissioning Editor of Channel 4’s Multicultural unit, Farrukh Dhony on why we haven’t had a Black British sitcom with the same longevity as Desmond’s since the 80s.

Then, Now, Next traces seven decades of Black British life on screen, shaped by the people who made it both in front of and behind the camera.

Host Annika Allen Gray (All3Media's Head of Diversity) talks to the presenters, producers and commissioners, who fought for space on the small screen, and the ones now building their own platforms instead of waiting for a green light. Each episode moves through a different chapter: the fight to be seen, the fight to be heard, and the fight to own the story.

You can watch the interviews with the contributors in full in the Black Leaders in TV YouTube Channel.

For more information visit blackleadersintv.com/ and follow us on Instagram @blackleadersintv

Then, Now, Next is funded by the Royal Television Society's Shiers Trust Award.

Hosted by Annika Allen Gray (@annikaallen) and produced by Leanne Alie (@leannealie).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 80s was a time of deep tension and transformation for the Black community in Britain. Tragic events such as the New Cross Fire and the lack of response from the police showed that the institutions that were supposed to protect the community were not working in service of us. The Brixton riots led to a catalyst for change as a public enquiry was commissioned that stated that racial disadvantage was a current fact of British life.

Following the public enquiry, for the first time Black people became leaders of councils, politicians and community activists, were given the opportunity to authentically tell our stories on television, both in front of the camera and behind, and this was spearheaded by the formation of Channel 4.

During this time Lenny Henry was progressing within the TV industry, starring in pioneering shows such as The Fosters which was the first British television sitcom to feature an entirely Black cast, yet behind the scenes there wasn’t a single person of colour.

In 1982 Channel 4 was created to shake things up in the TV world, with a specific remit to stimulate the UK’s independent production sector, champion diversity, and take creative risks. One of the ways they championed diversity was through their Multicultural unit which was run by Indian born writer Farrukh Dhondy for 13 years.

In this episode we hear Farukh’s story; how he went from being a part of the Race Today collective, to writing plays to becoming the Commissioning Editor of the Multicultural Unit at Channel 4, spending £8M a year on groundbreaking programmes such as The Bandung File and Desmond’s.

Then, Now, Next traces seven decades of Black British life on screen, shaped by the people who made it both in front of and behind the camera.

Host Annika Allen Gray (All3Media's Head of Diversity) talks to the presenters, producers and commissioners, who fought for space on the small screen, and the ones now building their own platforms instead of waiting for a green light. Each episode moves through a different chapter: the fight to be seen, the fight to be heard, and the fight to own the story.

You can watch the interviews with the contributors in full in the Black Leaders in TV YouTube Channel.

For more information visit blackleadersintv.com/ and follow us on Instagram @blackleadersintv

Then, Now, Next is funded by the Royal Television Society's Shiers Trust Award.

Hosted by Annika Allen Gray (@annikaallen) and produced by Leanne Alie (@leannealie).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.