Like it or not, summer TV is winding down. Many shows have already called it a season. But don’t worry, fall is right around the corner. Next month you’ll be reunited with faves such as Black-ish, Empire, and How to Get Away With Murder. The best thing about the upcoming season is the new wave of diverse shows. Looking for more projects led by black actors? Here are 11!
Ringside
Ringside Trailer from TV One, LLC on Vimeo.
Spend Labor Day weekend with the TVOne original movie, Ringside. Tyler Lepley (The Haves and the Have Nots) plays as a boxer struggling to balance his high-pressure career with his rocky personal life. The film is directed by veteran radio personality, Russ Parr and co-stars Jackie Long (ATL), Tequan Richmond (General Hospital), and singer Sevyn Streeter.
Premiere Date: Sept. 4
Network: TVOne
Time: 7/6c
Loosely Exactly Nicole
Nicole Byer (Girl Code) stars in Loosely Exactly Nicole, a comedy inspired by her adventures as an actress in Hollywood. Almost every episode features “a nugget” from her real life. The show also boasts a diverse group of writers. According to Byer, “Half the [writers’] room is black.”
Premiere Date: Sept. 5
Network: MTV
Time: 10:30/9:30c
Atlanta
Donald Glover’s Atlanta has been a long time coming. The show centers on two cousins looking for a come-up in Atlanta’s competitive rap scene. Glover (Community) stars, directs, writes, and executive produces the series which has one objective: Show people how it feels to be black.
Premiere Date: Sept. 6
Network: FX
Time: 10/9c
Queen Sugar
Queen Sugar follows the estranged Bordelon siblings. After tragedy strikes, Nova (Rutina Wesley, True Blood), Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Unforgettable), and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe, Awkward) must put their differences aside to run the family’s sugarcane farm. Creator Ava DuVernay went above and beyond to showcase diversity in front of and behind the camera. Every episode of Queen Sugar was directed by a woman. Now, who says inclusion is hard?
Premiere Date: Sept. 6/7
Network: OWN
Time: 10/9c
Lethal Weapon
Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids) returns to television in the role of Roger “I’m too old for this sh-t” Murtaugh. His veteran detective is paired with the unstable Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford, Rectify) to clean up the crime-ridden streets of L.A. The series is a modern-day take on the Lethal Weapon films, which dominated the ’80s and ’90s.
Premiere Date: Sept. 21
Network: FOX
Time: 8/7c
Pitch
Who runs the world? Girls! Pitch’s Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury, Under The Dome) is about to make history as the first female pitcher in Major League Baseball. Viewers follow her struggle of going from relative unknown to sports icon. The series co-stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Franklin & Bash), Mo McRae (Sons of Anarchy), and Michael Beach (The 100).
Premiere Date: Sept. 22
Network: FOX
Time: 9/8c
Secrets and Lies
Technically, Secrets and Lies isn’t a new show. But it is an anthology that’s got a new leading man. The second season centers on Eric Warner (Michael Ealy, The Following), a successful newlywed who becomes the prime suspect in his wife’s murder. Detective Andrea Cornell (Juliette Lewis, Wayward Pines) is on the case and plans to uncover what really happened. Secrets and Lies co-stars Mekia Cox (Impastor ), Charlie Barnett (Chicago Fire), and Terry O’Quinn (Lost).
Premiere Date: Sept. 25
Network: ABC
Time: 9/8c
Marvel’s Luke Cage
Sweet Christmas! Luke Cage will bring Harlem to the forefront of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Mike Colter’s (The Good Wife) Cage is the only thing standing between his neighborhood and crime boss Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (Mahershala Ali, House of Cards). Thanks to music journalist-turned-showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, Luke Cage is infused with legit hip-hop flavor. The cast includes Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave), Simone Missick (Wayward Pines), Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy), and Rosario Dawson (Marvel’s Daredevil).
Premiere Date: Sept. 30
Network: Netflix
Time: Midnight
Insecure
Issa Rae is about to go from internet darling to bonafide TV star. The actress, writer and producer headlines Insecure, an HBO comedy partially based on her popular web series, The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl. Rae co-created the show with Larry Wilmore (The Nightly Show), who also serves as an executive producer. Insecure stars Yvonne Orji (Love That Girl!), Jay Ellis (The Game) and Lisa Joyce (Billy & Billie).
Premiere Date: Oct. 9
Network: HBO
Time: 10:30/9:30c
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) is ready to do the time warp. The actress will slip into Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s fishnets and headline The Rocky Horror Picture Show. For more than 40 years, the musical has been a Halloween staple. Cox will be joined by Reeve Carney (Penny Dreadful), Christina Milian (Grandfathered), Ben Vereen (Pippin), and OG Frank-N-Furter, Tim Curry.
Premiere Date: Oct. 20
Network: FOX
Time: 8/7c
People of Earth
Comedian/writer Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show) is on a space case. In People of Earth, he plays Ozzie, a journalist investigating a support group for alien abductees. Yep, that’s the premise. Expect a talking deer, shadowy figures and green men to make an appearance. People of Earth is a sci-fi comedy that fully embraces its weirdness. The series co-stars Ana Gasteyer (Grease: Live), Oscar Nuñez (The Office), and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Ghost the Musical).
Premiere Date: Oct. 31
Network: TBS
Time: 9/8c
