HBO Creator Robin Thede will be joined by a core cast of black women on HBO's new series, "A Black Lady Sketch Show."
Robin Thede (The Rundown with Robin Thede, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore) is making her way to HBO with A Black Lady Sketch Show, the first sketch comedy series written by, directed by, and starring black women. Thede will be joined by a core cast of black women as well as celebrity guests, in addition to having an all-black women writers room.
A Black Lady Sketch Show premieres Friday, August 2, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. If you don’t have cable or don’t have HBO, you can watch the movie live or on-demand on your computer, phone, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or other streaming device via one of the following live-TV streaming services:
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Once you’re signed up for both Amazon Prime and the HBO channel, you can then watch A Black Lady Sketch Show either live as it airs or on-demand anytime after. With either option, you can watch on your computer via the Amazon website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or another streaming device via the Amazon Video app.
Whether you already have Hulu or you want to sign up for a new subscription, HBO is available as an add-on to either Hulu or Hulu with Live TV.
Once signed up, you can watch A Black Lady Sketch Show live as it airs, or you can watch it on-demand anytime after. With either option, you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 (on-demand only), Nintendo Switch, Echo Show or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
Whether you already have PlayStation Vue or you want to start a free 5-day trial of PlayStation Vue, you can watch live and on-demand HBO content through the HBO add-on, which comes with a free 7-day trial.
Once signed up, you can watch A Black Lady Sketch Show either live as it airs or on-demand anytime after. With either option, you can watch your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app.
‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’ Series Premiere Preview
In today’s media landscape, representation matters. That’s why A Black Lady Sketch Show‘s all-black women writers room is a big deal. The show, created by, written by, and executive produced by Robin Thede, will feature narrative sketches performed by a core cast of black women including Thede, Ashley Nicole Black, Gabrielle Dennis, and Quinta Brunson. In fact, the show’s writers room and cast are landmark achievements in television, both groundbreaking ideas coming directly from Thede.
“That’s how I pitched it,” Thede said a panel at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour. “I said to them, ‘You know what we should do? Something that’s never been done before.’ So yeah, I was aware.”
HBO picked up the series in January of this year with Issa Rae (Insecure) executive producing via her Issa Rae Productions. With the pickup came heaps of creative freedom, far more than she was alotted on basic cable; BET canceled Thede’s late-night talk show, The Rundown with Robin Thede, after just one season.
Thede said: “[Executive VP, HBO Programming] Amy [Gravitt] was like, ‘Do more. Be crazier.’ It was great. We pushed it. I have never ever worked with a team this supportive of a vision of mine and it’s so ridiculously fun.”
According to Thede, the six-episode first season of A Black Lady Sketch Show plays like individual short films. The season begins tonight and will air for six consecutive weeks finishing its run on September 6. Celebrity guests who appear in the trailer include Angela Bassett, David Alan Grier, and Laverne Cox. In addition the roster also includes Tia Mowry, Aja Naomi King, Patti Labelle, Lena Waithe, Amber Riley, Yvonne Orji, Loretta Devine, Gina Torres, Lil Rel Howery, Jermaine Fowler, Deon Cole, Natasha Rothwell, Marsai Martin, Khandi Alexander, Larry Wilmore, Yvette Nicole Brown, Kelly Rowland, and Rae.
Thede was head writer and performer on HBO’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. She held the head writer position from 2015-2016 and became the first black woman to hold the position of head writer on any late-night talk show. Before that, she was head writer on The Queen Latifah Show and staff writer on the first two seasons of BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood. The short-lived The Rundown with Robin Thede followed shortly after.