Image Alt: | This is the title card for A Black Lady Sketch Show. The type is large and sans serif and the font color is white; the background is light pink and each letter has a drop shadow. |
Genre: | Sketch comedy |
Creator: | Robin Thede |
Opentheme: | "Hot Girl" by Megan Thee Stallion (season 1) "Fine Azz" by KaMillion (season 2) "Fortune" by Tia P (season 3) "I Told Em" by Doechii (season 4) |
Country: | United States |
Language: | English |
Num Seasons: | 4 |
Num Episodes: | 24 |
Runtime: | 26 minutes |
Network: | HBO |
A Black Lady Sketch Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by Robin Thede for HBO. The show consists of comedy sketches performed by a main cast of Black women, consisting of producer and creator Thede, Gabrielle Dennis, and Skye Townsend. Alumni cast members include Quinta Brunson, Laci Mosley, and Ashley Nicole Black. The show has featured guest stars such as Issa Rae, Vanessa Williams, Angela Bassett, Laverne Cox, Nicole Byer, Amber Riley, Miguel, Omarion, Raven-Symoné, Kelly Rowland, Tia Mowry, Tahj Mowry, Gabrielle Union, Kyla Pratt, Wanda Sykes, Yvette Nicole Brown and Patti LaBelle.
A Black Lady Sketch Show premiered with a season of six episodes on August 2, 2019, to "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic. The first season received a 2020 TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sketch/Variety Shows and season two won three Black Reel Awards. Seasons one and two hold a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The second season premiered April 23, 2021 after being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] [2] [3] In May 2021, the series was renewed for a third season, which debuted on April 8, 2022.[4] In June 2022, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on April 14, 2023.[5] [6] In July 2023, the series was cancelled after four seasons.[7]
Actor | Season | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
Robin Thede | colspan="4" | |||
Ashley Nicole Black | colspan="1" | |||
Gabrielle Dennis | colspan="4" | |||
Quinta Brunson | colspan="1" | |||
Skye Townsend | colspan="2" | |||
Laci Mosley | colspan="2" | |||
DaMya Gurley | colspan="1" | |||
Tamara Jade | colspan="1" | |||
Angel Laketa Moore |
Guest stars that have appeared in multiple episodes.
In the summer of 2018, Robin Thede invited her close friends and fellow comedians Quinta Brunson, Ashley Nicole Black, and Gabrielle Dennis to help her develop a comedy series.[8] Thede then pitched the series to HBO as a way to address the dearth of Black women's representation in the American comedic landscape. Thede was encouraged by HBO executives to push boundaries and take risks with the show.
The show was originally titled The Black Lady Sketch Show but the name was changed to communicate to audiences that the series is a single representation of Black women in comedy. The show is thought to be the first sketch comedy series written, produced by, and starring Black women.[9]
On January 28, 2019, it was announced that HBO had ordered a half-hour sketch show, A Black Lady Sketch Show, written and created by Robin Thede.[10] Issa Rae is the co-executive producer with Thede through Issa Rae Productions, known as Hoorae as of 2021.[11] The season one director is Dime Davis. Season two was directed by Lacey Duke and Brittany Scott Smith. Bridget Murphy Stokes is the third season's director.
On August 27, 2019, HBO announced that A Black Lady Sketch Show had been renewed for a second season. Filming of the second season was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but on March 23, 2021 it was announced that the six-episode season would premiere on April 23, 2021.
On May 24, 2021, HBO renewed the series for a third season.[12]
On June 2, 2022, HBO renewed the series for a fourth season.[5]
On July 6, 2023, it was announced that HBO cancelled the series after four seasons.[7]
On May 24, 2019, it was announced that the show would star Thede along with comediennes Ashley Nicole Black, Gabrielle Dennis, and Quinta Brunson. Angela Bassett, Gina Torres, and Marsai Martin were announced as three guest stars.
On March 23, 2021, it was announced that Brunson would not appear in season 2 due to scheduling conflicts. Additional changes for season 2 included the casting of Laci Mosley and Skye Townsend as main cast members. Confirmed guest stars include Gabrielle Union, Jesse Williams, Miguel, Skai Jackson, Laz Alonso, Omarion, Kim Wayans, Ayesha Curry, Lance Gross, and Wunmi Mosaku.
On March 2, 2022, it was announced that Mosley would not appear in season 3 due to scheduling conflicts.[13] Guest appearances include Ava DuVernay, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Raven-Symoné, Wanda Sykes, David Alan Grier, Kyla Pratt, Jemele Hill, and Holly Robinson Peete.[14]
New cast members Angel Laketa Moore, DaMya Gurley and Tamara Jade were announced for season 4 on March 21, 2023.[15]
Lauren Ashley Smith was the show's head writer for the first two seasons. Additional writers for season one are Brittani Nichols, Rae Sanni, Holly Walker, Amber Ruffin and Akilah Green.[16] [17] Cast member Ashley Nicole Black also wrote for the show. It is the first television series to have a writer's room entirely composed of Black women. For the second season, Ruffin, and Nichols left the writer's room, and Kindsey Young, Shenovia Large, and Kristin Layne Tucker joined as additional writers. The season three writer's room retained Large and brought on new writers.
The series premiered on August 2, 2019. The second season premiered on April 23, 2021 on HBO and HBO Max.[18] Season three premiered on April 8, 2022. Season four premiered on April 14, 2023.
The first season of A Black Lady Sketch Show received critical acclaim. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of A Black Lady Sketch Show holds an approval rating of 100%, with an average rating of 8.88/10 based on 20 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Singular, subversive, and simply hilarious, A Black Lady Sketch Show finds universal humor in specific spaces to craft quick-witted sketches that perfectly showcase Robin Thede and her talented cast."[19] According to review aggregator Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the first season received an assigned score of 89 out of 100 based on reviews from 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". In a review by Ali Barthwell for The A.V. Club, she wrote, "A Black Lady Sketch Show possesses a confidence in its first season that suggests the show is not interested in being chopped up into easily consumable chunks. A Black Lady Sketch Show seems more interested in creating a whimsical, loving world for its leads."[20] Writing for Vulture, Jen Chaney stated: "A Black Lady Sketch Show isn't just funny. Its sketches are consistently clever and surprising, often concluding with twist endings that add a whole other layer to the jokes that had us rolling a couple of minutes ago."[21]
In 2020, the show became the first Black women-led sketch show to receive a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.[22]
The second season also received positive reception. It holds a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on eight critics' reviews.[23] IndieWire journalist Kristen Lopez said that the season "once again delivers hilarity and absurdity in equal measure."[24] Margaret Lyons of the New York Times wrote that the show "has such a fun ear for specifics and lyricism, and the new season grows seamlessly into itself; the show's recurring characters are back, and Robin Thede, its star and creator, is as dynamic as ever."[25] Danette Chavez of The A.V. Club noted the show "has an air of reinvention" and "retains the cohesion, rapid-fire energy, and mix of culturally specific and universal humor that made the first season uproarious and a joy to watch."
The second season received five Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Variety Sketch Series and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Sketch Series.[26] Daysha Broadway, Stephanie Filo, and Jessica Hernández received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming, the first all-women of color ensemble to receive the award in Emmy history.[27] Season two was named to "best" year-end lists published by Paste, The A.V. Club, The Root, and NPR.[28] [29] [30] [31]
The season holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on six critics' reviews.[32] Kristen Baldwin of EW rated the season an A− and hailed it as "consistently, ridiculously funny."[33] Similarly, The A.V. Club
Award | Year | Category | Nominee | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Cinema Editors Awards | 2022 | Best Edited Variety Talk/Sketch Show or Special | Daysha Broadway, Stephanie Filo, and Jessica Hernández (for "Sister, May I Call You Oshun?") | [35] | |
2024 | Stephanie Filo, Malinda Zehner Guerra, and Taylor Joy Mason | [36] | |||
Art Directors Guild Awards | 2022 | Excellence in Production Design for a Variety, Reality or Competition Series | Cindy Chao and Michele Yu (for "If I'm Paying These Chili's Prices, You Cannot Taste My Steak!") | [37] | |
2023 | Excellence in Production Design for a Variety, Reality or Competition Series | Cindy Chao, Michelle Yu | [38] | ||
2024 | Cindy Chao, Michelle Yu | [39] | |||
Artios Awards | 2021 | Live Television Performance, Variety or Sketch Comedy | Victoria Thomas | [40] | |
2024 | Live Television Performance, Variety, or Sketch – Comedy, Drama, or Musical | Erica A. Hart | [41] | ||
Black Reel Awards for Television | 2021 | Outstanding Comedy Series | A Black Lady Sketch Show | [42] | |
Outstanding Actress, Comedy Series | Robin Thede | ||||
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy Series | Gabrielle Dennis | ||||
2022 | Outstanding Variety, Talk or Sketch - Series or Special | Robin Thede | [43] | ||
Outstanding Actress, Comedy Series | |||||
Outstanding Guest Actress, Comedy Series | Quinta Brunson | ||||
2023 | Outstanding Variety, Talk or Sketch - Series or Special | A Black Lady Sketch Show | [44] | ||
Outstanding Lead Performance, Comedy Series | Robin Thede | ||||
Outstanding Guest Performance, Comedy Series | Issa Rae | ||||
Outstanding Cinematography | Kevin Atkinson | ||||
Outstanding Costume Design | Michelle Page Collins | ||||
Outstanding Make Up and Hairstyling | Jacqueline Knowlton, Shavonne Brown | ||||
Celebration of Black Cinema and Television | 2021 | Showrunner | Robin Thede | [45] | |
Costume Designers Guild Awards | 2023 | Excellence in Variety, Reality-Competition, Live Television | Michelle Page | [46] | |
Hollywood Creative Alliance Creative Arts TV Awards | 2023 | Best Variety Series or Special | A Black Lady Sketch Show | ||
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | 2021 | Best Broadcast Network or Cable Sketch Series, Variety Series, Talk Show, or Comedy/Variety Special | [47] | ||
Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy | Robin Thede | ||||
2022 | Best Broadcast Network or Cable Variety Sketch Series, Talk Series, or Special | A Black Lady Sketch Show | [48] | ||
2023 | Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy | Robin Thede | [49] | ||
Primetime Emmy Awards | 2021 | Outstanding Variety Sketch Series | Robin Thede, Issa Rae, Tony Hernandez, Brooke Posch, Dave Becky, Jonathan Berry, Lauren Ashley Smith, Dime Davis, Deniese Davis, Montrel McKay, John Skidmore, and Linda Morel | [50] | |
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series | Lauren Ashley Smith, Robin Thede, Ashley Nicole Black, Akilah Green, Shenovia Large, Rae Sanni, Kristin Layne Tucker, Holly Walker, and Kindsey Young | ||||
2022 | Outstanding Variety Sketch Series | Robin Thede, Issa Rae, Tony Hernandez, Brooke Posch, Dave Becky, Jonathan Berry, Tracey Ashley, Bridget Stokes, Chloé Hilliard, Deniese Davis, Montrel McKay, John Skidmore, and Linda Morel | [51] | ||
2023 | Outstanding Scripted Variety Series | A Black Lady Sketch Show | [52] | ||
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 2020 | Outstanding Variety Sketch Series | Robin Thede, Issa Rae, Tony Hernandez, Brooke Posch, Dave Becky, Jonathan Berry, Lauren Ashley Smith, Dime Davis, Deniese Davis, Montrel McKay, John Skidmore, and Erin Owens | [53] | |
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series | Dime Davis (for "Born at Night, But Not Last Night") | ||||
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Angela Bassett (for "Angela Bassett is the Baddest Bitch") | ||||
2021 | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Yvette Nicole Brown (for "But the Tilapias Are Fine Though, Right?") | [54] | ||
Issa Rae (for "My Booty Look Juicy, Don't It?") | |||||
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming | Daysha Broadway, Stephanie Filo, and Jessica Hernández (for "Sister, May I Call You Oshun?") | ||||
2022 | Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series | Bridget Stokes (for "Save My Edges, I'm A Donor!") | |||
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series | Tracey Ashley, Robin Thede, Alrinthea Carter, Michelle Davis, Sonia Denis, Jonterri Gipson, Chloé Hilliard, Shenovia Large, and Natalie McGill | ||||
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming | Stephanie Filo, Bradinn French, Taylor Joy Mason, and S. Robyn Wilson (for "Save My Edges, I'm A Donor!") | ||||
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Reality or Competition Series | Cindy Chao, Michele Yu, and Lizzie Boyle (for "Anybody Have Something I Can Flog Myself With?") | ||||
2023 | Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Reality or Competition Series | Cindy Chao, Michele Yu, and Lizzie Boyle | [55] | ||
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming | Stephanie Filo, Malinda Zehner Guerra, Joy Mason | ||||
Television Critics Association Awards | 2020 | Outstanding Achievement in Sketch/Variety Shows | A Black Lady Sketch Show | [56] | |
2021 | Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch | [57] | |||
2022 | [58] [59] | ||||
2023 | [60] | ||||