Episode notes
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podcast
Then, Now, Next
Annika Allen · History · English
70 years of Black British television, told by the people who built it. 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 multic
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S1 · E4 · 7 Oct 2026 · 50 min
4. Music TV; The Mobos, The Lick and Channel U
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…
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S1 · E3 · 30 Sep 2026 · 33 min
3. Joy As Resistance: The Impact of Desmond’s
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…
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S1 · E2 · 23 Sep 2026 · 30 min
2. Making Space: The Rise of Channel 4’s Multicultural Unit
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…
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S1 · E1 · 16 Sep 2026 · 32 min
1. Breaking Through
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"…
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