We’ve gathered some of our favorite content highlighting Black voices and stories into a free-to-watch playlist on Shout! Factory TV! With an array of titles, there’s something for everyone, including a few additions that are unmissable.
The Flip Wilson Show, which pushed the boundaries of network television, is a sidesplitting new addition to our television library. The ’70s variety and sketch show was notable for its irreverent humor, diverse cast, and legendary musical guests. Wilson featured many other Black performers on the show and often included musical guests in the sketches. The Jackson 5, Ray Charles, and Harry Belafonte are just a few who joined in on the fun, often with Wilson’s beloved character, Geraldine Jones. A recurring character, Geraldine was a sassy woman who also appeared on Saturday Night Live and coined catchphrases like, “when you’re hot, you’re hot; when you’re not, you’re not,” “the devil made me do it,” and “what you see is what you get.” Watch a few episodes and see if you can pick up the Flip Wilson handshake.
It’s not just your imagination – Emmy-winning miniseries The Temptations takes the viewer back to the origins of the beloved Motown group. Based on singer and bandmember Otis Williams’s book, Temptations, the series takes viewers through the tumultuous journey of a dream come true and the struggle to keep that dream alive. Everyone knows the hits of The Temptations, with tracks topping the pop and R&B charts that include “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” “My Girl,” and “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone.” This two-part miniseries features more than 40 songs! The star-studded cast was lauded for their committed portrayals, with Charles Malik Whitfield, D.B. Woodside, Terron Brooks, Christian Payton, Leon, Tina Lifford, and Jenifer Lewis all taking on major roles.
Revisit the award-nominated performance of Alfre Woodard in the Savannah-set fantasy film The Wishing Tree. Woodard plays Clara, an attorney who returns home to Savannah after her mother’s death where she recounts the matriarch’s legendary storytelling abilities. Blair Underwood dazzles as the local legend, “Magic Man,” whose tale captivates Woodard as she explores her roots.
Where We’re From: Rise of L.A. Underground Hip Hop is an exploration of the emergence of L.A.’s “underground” hip hop culture of the late 1990s-early 2000s, recounted firsthand by some of its architects – the creators of Club Elements. This documentary chronicles that vibrant time in Los Angeles’ underground Hip Hop scene and shows a side of L.A.’s subculture that is responsible for an independent movement that spawned a slew of widely recognized and celebrated artists. The film features archival performance footage from Club Elements and interviews with hip hop luminaries Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Hieroglyphics, The Beat Junkies, Planet Asia, Defari and more.
Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg star in Good Fences, a dramedy from director Ernest R. Dickerson about an attorney (Glover) who moves his family out of their mixed lower-middle-class town and into the posh enclave of Greenwich, Connecticut after winning a big case. The family contends with issues of identity as the American dream becomes more of a nightmare in this adaptation of a novel by Erika Ellis. Mo’Nique rounds out the cast.
Woman In Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek And The Remaking Of NASA is a must-watch documentary. It explores the revolutionary work of the late Nichelle Nichols with NASA. The Star Trek actress took on the daunting task to launch a national blitz for the agency, recruiting 8,000 of the nation’s best and brightest, including the trailblazing astronauts who became the first African American, Asian and Latino men and women to fly into space. Nichols changed the face of space travel with her important contributions, which have continued to inspire.
The Black History Month collection is available during the month of February for viewing on demand on ShoutFactoryTV.com; Shout! Factory TV’s Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and Android apps; and on various Shout! Factory TV branded channels including Tubi, Amazon Prime Channels, and the Roku Channel. Shout! Factory TV will also be featuring content celebrating Black History Month programmed throughout the month of February on its linear channels.