The reality for the Windrush generation arriving in Britain from the 1950s was a harsh one; there was a the fight for jobs, for affordable and livable housing and basic dignity; and that hostility shaped what audiences saw on screen. For years, the only "representation" Black Britain got was The Black and White Minstrel Show, painting Black people as caricatures on prime time TV. That changed in 1968, when Barbara Blake Hannah became Britain's first Black broadcaster; until backlash from audiences pushed her off air with no apology, no compensation, nothing. In the 70s, "assimilationist" sitcoms like Love Thy Neighbour and Mind Your Language took over, built on racial slurs that feel like a different planet by today's standards. Yet that same show launched Rudolph Walker into a decades-long career, from Empire Road; the BBC's first Black-led drama, to more than 20 years in EastEnders. We also pay tribute to Sir Trevor McDonald, one of British TV's pioneering news anchor. It's proof that media doesn't just entertain; it decides who gets to belong.We pay homage to the figures that came before us then, who lead the path of those coming up now in the future.This episode contains strong language.Then, Now, Next traces seven decades of Black British life on screen; from the first Black reporter on screen, Barbara Blake Hannah and the racist caricatures of The Black and White Minstrel Show, through Channel 4's multicultural unit who had £8M to spend on Black and Asian programming, the era defining Desmond's, and the rise of Black women as commissioners and show runners, the popularity of music television, including MTV's The Lick, to the making of today's Black led shows such as Supacell and Dreaming Whilst Black.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 @blackleadersintvThen, 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).
Welcome to Then, Now, Next. The 8 part documentary series telling the story of 70 years of Black British television, told by the people who built it. The series drops on 16th September 2026.
