Color Adjustment

"A History of African American Portrayal on Television"

1992 1h 20m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 13

DocumentaryHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

From Amos 'n' Andy to Nat King Cole, from Roots to The Cosby Show, black people have played many roles on primetime television. Brilliantly weaving clips from classic TV shows with commentary from TV producers, black actors and scholars, Marlon Riggs blends humor, insight, and thoughtful analysis to explore the evolution of black/white relations as reflected by America's favorite addiction.

“A History of African American Portrayal on Television”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Ruby Dee
Narrator
Norman Lear
Self
Tim Reid
Self
Daphne Maxwell Reid
Self
Steven Bochco
Self
Diahann Carroll
Self
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Self
Hal Kanter
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Marlon Riggs
Writers: Marlon Riggs
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

34 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Marlon Riggs, shot by Rick Butler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Deborah Hoffmann shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ruby Dee and Norman Lear and Tim Reid carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A History of African American Portrayal on Television".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0103984 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Marlon Riggs directs. Rick Butler behind the camera. Deborah Hoffmann cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
234 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Marlon Riggs, shot by Rick Butler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Deborah Hoffmann shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ruby Dee and Norman Lear and Tim Reid carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A History of African American Portrayal on Television".
8IMDB entry: tt0103984 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 13 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.