At the beginning of Giselle Bailey and Phil Bertelsen’s illuminating two-part HBO doc series “Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television,” the directors follow actress Tracee Ellis Ross, one of the leads of the successful sitcom “Black-ish,” to the set of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” where she and co-star Anthony Anderson celebrate the show’s series finale after 8 seasons. The triumphant ending stands in stark contrast to the way Tracee’s prior show, “Girlfriends,” was unceremoniously dropped by the network with no opportunity to shoot a finale. These experiences illustrate the highs and lows that Black Americans have experienced working within an industry that first ignored Blacks altogether and then pushed them to the side whenever it suited the networks’ whims.

Giselle and Phil join Ken to discuss the evolution of Black representation on TV, the hard won gains and periodic setbacks for Black creatives and the pathbreaking individuals who have ushered in a new era of Black television. Through the stories and revolutionary acts of Nichelle Nichols, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, the Wayans brothers, Shonda Rhimes, Lena Waithe, Issa Rae, and others, who took big risks by betting on themselves and being true to who they are, “Seen & Heard” shows that Black ownership and creative control are the keys to ensuring that there is no going back.

“Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television” is streaming on HBO Max.

Hidden Gems:

Giselle: “Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti”, “Armed Only With a Camera”

Phil: “Natchez”

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