7 amazing TV shows to watch this month to celebrate Black History Month

Black History Month falls this month in the UK and to mark the occasion, big channels like Channel 4, ITV and beyond are keen to dedicate space on their platforms with some brilliant programmes, from fictional series to documentaries, all shining a light on Black communities and culture in Britain.

The below programmes are brilliant and important all year round, not just in October, but if the milestone month has got you looking for some fresh content to enjoy, take a look at our pick of titles that celebrate Black voices as well as provide important lessons in history. 

Fresh Cuts: Our NHS with Dr Zoe Williams

ITVX

Television viewers will recognise Zoe Williams thanks her friendly face popping up regularly on ITV's This Morning offering her expert medical advice. And now, the doctor has fronted her own documentary which is exploring the past 75 of the NHS and will feature important conversations with pioneering Black doctors who have had a huge impact on the institution.

© ITV

Judi Love: Black, Female and Invisible

Channel 4

Another TV regular fronting their own documentary is Judi Love. The Loose Women panellist and comedian is shining a light on young Black schoolgirls. The synopsis explains that Judi will delve into the lives on young Black females and how their journeys in life differ to their white counterparts when it comes to health, education and beyond.

Fresh Cuts: Our Jubilee

ITVX

Fresh Cuts first premiered on ITVX in 2022 and is returning this year with more stories. In addition to the aforementioned NHS documentary with Zoe Williams, ITV have released Our Jubilee, which will feature young Black Britons sharing their experience and stories from the 2022 Platinum Jubilee.

Three Little Birds

ITVX, from October 22nd

Sir Lenny Henry is the man behind this new drama series coming to ITV later this month. It features rising stars in the cast including Rochelle Neil, Yazmin Belo and Saffron Coomber and tells the story of sisters Leah and Chantrelle and their friend, Hosanna, as they board a cruise ship from Jamaica bound for the UK in post-Windrush 1957.

© Matt Towers

My Super-Rich Holiday

 Stream or watch live on Channel 4 from 10pm Thu 26 Oct

Eddie Kadi might be making waves on Strictly Come Dancing right now, but he'll soon be fronting his own Channel 4 documentary exploring the glossy, high-end, exclusive side of Ghana. Eddie becomes tour guide as he takes fellow stand-up Guz Khan into the exclusive world of Ghana's capital, Accra: a millionaires' playground for the likes of Idris Elba, Naomi Campbell, Ed Sheeran and Stormzy. 

The synopsis reads: "This is the world of the 1% where the glitzy, glamorous and beautiful set hang out, a place full of rich culture and cutting-edge innovation. Eddie knows all the places worth going and all the incredible people worth celebrating, from lavish retreats and extravagant restaurants to billionaire business stories of success, the new generation of socially conscious entrepreneurs, multi-millionaire playboys and Afrobeats megastars."

© Channel 4

Small Axe

BBC

Steve McQueen directed this anthology series which starred the likes of Stars Wars actor John Boyega and Black Panther's Letitia Wright. Each film in the collection tells a different story from Black British history.

© BBC

White Nanny, Black Child

Channel 5

This Channel 5 film premiered at the beginning of the month and sees a group of Nigerians fostered by white families in the 1970s share their heartfelt and challenging upbringing. "Between 1955 and 1995, over 70,000 West African children were fostered by white Britons, in a practice known as 'farming'," explains the synopsis.

"Many of these individuals then had to live, often in silence, with the long-lasting impact of this controversial official policy. Nine of those raised this way were invited to a workshop retreat, under professional guidance, to discuss their experiences."