On Juneteenth, these 10 shows won't disappoint
Choose from these 10 positive, comical or historical shows to enjoy over the holiday weekend
You may have already planned to attend the Juneteenth flag raising ceremony, the Juneteenth music concert, the Juneteenth parade, the Juneteenth educational ceremony or maybe a local park meetup in your town. But at some point, you’re going to want to sit down with your red treat (watermelon, strawberries, barbeque, red velvet cake) or your “good luck” foods (collard greens with red peppers, black-eyed peas, red rice) and enjoy your day off.
Here are 10 historical, hilarious and dramatic (in a positive way) shows that will keep you entertained. Some are new. Some have released within the past 365 days. All of the above are worth it — even if you slept through them the first time.
RECOMMENDATION #1
TV Show or Movie: G20
Who All There? Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin
Where Can I Watch It? Amazon Prime
Why Should You Watch It? U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Academy Award® winner Viola Davis) becomes the number one target during the G20 summit. After evading being captured, she has to figure out how to outsmart the enemy while saving the first family.
Any “Meh” Moments? I hate when actresses try to mirror FLOTUS Michelle Obama’s movements. The accent, the facial expressions and the body language is very much her own. If you’re not from Chicago, fake accents stand out like cheetah-print pants. I originally had no interest in seeing anything else presidential from Davis after Showtime’s “The First Lady,” but I gave it a shot by accident while trying to watch something else. Playing the president instead of a FLOTUS this time, I realized she is really good at action movies. The fight scenes were incredible. However , I couldn’t totally get into Martin trying to be the scrappy, pouty daughter. I don’t know why she pulled it off so well on “Black-Ish,” but it looked forced in this movie. I also suspect I’m being too hard on her after seeing her in yet another Anderson-Martin father-daughter dynamic.
RECOMMENDATION #2
TV Show or Movie: Paradise
Who All There? Sterling K. Brown, Krys Marshall, Aliyah Mastin
Where Can I Watch It? Hulu
Why Should You Watch It? A Secret Service agent investigates the murder of a former president, who he had a friendly relationship with until a startling decision was made.
Any “Meh” Moments? If the movie has Julia Roberts in it, I’m watching it. And then she decided to star in a movie produced by former President Barack H. Obama. That was a win two times. I thought “Leave the World Behind” was going to be one of one, but then all these other bunker-hidden-world movies started releasing. With Trump trying to destroy everything since January, I want as many tips as I can get. Downside? I realized I loved all the main actors in “Leave the World Behind” (including Mahershala Ali, who can actually dance although he purposely danced terribly in this film) so every scene was good. In “Paradise,” the episodes started to drag whenever Brown wasn’t in a scene.
RECOMMENDATION #3
TV Show or Movie: One of Them Days
Who All There? SZA, Keke Palmer, Janelle James, Gabrielle Dennis, Lil rel Howery, Vanessa Bell Calloway
Where Can I Watch It? Amazon
Why Should You Watch It? Best friends and roommates Dreux and Alyssa are about to have one of their worst days. After Alyssa's boyfriend spent all their rent money, even though he was supposed to pay the landlord, these two try to find ways to get a job super fast and avoid eviction — and manage to get in more chaos along the way.
Any “Meh” Moments? Minus talking about Clair Huxtable, Keke Palmer has always been a blast to me. I could easily see her in a comedy. But I’ve been neutral on SZA since her first single — not a fan, not a foe, more like indifferent. However, people love her music and seem to be as ecstatic about her as Kendrick Lamar on tour. I just didn’t get it with all the wiggling around at the Super Bowl. But then I watched “Hot Ones,” and it was the first time I actually really paid attention to how bubbly and funny she is. I reevaluated watching this movie, saw it and was pleasantly surprised. SZA was as good as Keke Palmer in this one, even when they got beat up by a butt. (Yes, I typed that exactly how I intended to.) Do yourself a favor, and get a few laughs at these two hilarious R&B singers. Although I have lost all respect for Katt Williams, this movie made me go back and listen to SZA's music again with more enthusiastic ears.
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RECOMMENDATION #4
TV Show or Movie: Forever
Who All There? Michael Cooper Jr., Lovie Simone, Xosha Roquemore, Wood Harris, Karen Pittman, Niles Fitch
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
Why Should You Watch It? Former elementary school associates Justin and Keisha who reunited in their high school years, try to fight for a relationship in a social-media-obsessed world with busybody parents and a messy ex.
Any “Meh” Moments? I felt attacked. Not only do I fit into the “Scorpio” stereotype that was the excuse for overreacting, blocking people at lighting speed and giving people the silent treatment, but I also started reevaluating some of those moments in my head. The past is the past, but this teen rom-com may have grown-ups reliving their life choices. (Spoiler: The prom decision was — not a decision I would have made. That was not realistic to me.) And who knew Fitch would become extra charismatic after being so straight-and-narrow in “This Is Us”? He was like Dwayne Wayne’s Ron Johnson — but Ron if he was half Larenz Tate and half Idris Elba. I was trying to pay attention to the two main stars, but I kept waiting on an episode about Fitch's character Darius!
RECOMMENDATION #5
TV Show or Movie: The Residence
Who All There? Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Al Mitchell, Isiah Whitlock Jr. Susan Kelechi Watson
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
Why Should You Watch It? A bird-watching eccentric detective must solve a murder in the White House residence — where the staff and guests at a state dinner are all suspects and the staff doesn’t want them to know the crime happened at all.
Any “Meh” Moments? If you were having trouble disassociating Aduba from Crazy Eyes (“Orange Is the New Black”), this detective series will erase that from your memory bank for the time being. Cordelia Cupp is a blast in every scene. The last episode dragged on far too long to figure out who the killer was, but all of the other episodes were a lot of fun.
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RECOMMENDATION #6
TV Show or Movie: Sinners
Who All There? Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Saul Williams, Tenaj L. Jackson, Andrene Ward-Hammond, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Delroy Lindo
Where Can I Watch It? Amazon
Why Should You Watch It? Trying to leave a sketchy exit in Chicago, twin brothers return to their hometown to start a juke joint, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Escaping outside vampires is one thing, but trying to navigate loved ones as vampires gets complicated.
Any “Meh” Moments? About the only time you’ll ever get me to look away from a Michael B. Jordan is if he’s enticed to let a woman literally drool on him. That scene was disgusting. I covered my eyes through that, but I watched all the horror scenes in wide-eyed joy. The whole cast was amazing, and Jordan seamlessly pulled off being a twin.
RECOMMENDATION #7
TV Show or Movie: Black Barbie
Who All There? Lagueria Davis, Shonda Rhimes, Misty Copeland, Gabourey Sidibe, Rep. Maxine Waters
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
Why Should You Watch It? Discover the untold story of the first Black Barbie and the role that three women at Mattel had in creating a doll who looked like them.
Any “Meh” Moments? I’ve played with so many Barbie dolls as a kid. At one point, I had at least 23 Barbie dolls, a few Kens, one Skipper and a massive amount of mansions, hotels, cars and clothes. I even wrote an article about a Black woman psychologist who consulted Mattel, Inc. I was invested from the moment I pressed play, and my eyes lit up to see psychology was involved again with the creation of these dolls. However, I could’ve gone without the snarky “What does Ja Rule think?” remark from a Black man who is not the target audience of Barbie nor someone who would take Barbie’s anti-racism stance into consideration (read: young, white girls) anyway. I also got tired of multiple anti-Barbie comments from another Black woman who was essential in creating the film. Adding anti-Barbie people to the conversation makes as much sense as me volunteering to be a sports commentator. If that’s not your thing, sit this one out. When Barbie enthusiasts were back on the screen, the movie picked up tremendously. And I’m 100% in support of Rep. Waters getting “a very mature” Barbie too!
RECOMMENDATION #8
TV Show or Movie: Disaster Holiday
Who All There? Kenneth Nkosi, Tina Jaxa, Kopano Mahlasi, Lubabalo Tala, Yeya Ralarala, Lunathi Mampofu, Selai Ralarala
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
Why Should You Watch It? Joseph and his ex-wife Dora are at odds before a family trip to Zanzibar. Dora is tired of her ex-husband prioritizing his marketing job over their kids. And while he’s still proving her right, he also has to sneak in work while dealing with a very entertaining family: an overachieving, boy-crazy, teen daughter Zamo; a sorta-cool-but-bratty son Junior; and a hyperactive daughter Lily. Nandi, his new wife of three years, just wants to keep the peace. When Dora threatens a custody battle, a mediator gives Joseph a chance to prove himself during this family trip.
Any “Meh” Moments? Although the film has a Christmas theme, you can watch it on Juneteenth and still crack up at all the ridiculous moments, including a police officer flexing over her viral dance moment. I didn’t know any of these actors, and I was highly entertained watching this. Although the ending was predictable and nothing I haven’t seen before (minus eye-catching scenes in Johannesburg and South Beach in Durban), me not knowing the cast is what made the movie fun to watch. Their comedic timing was always on point.
RECOMMENDATION #9
TV Show or Movie: The Six Triple Eight
Who All There? Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Pepi Sonuga
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
Why Should You Watch It? Based on a true story in early 1945 during the Second World War, 855 women teamed up to resolve the three-year backlog of undelivered mail to soldiers. Faced with discrimination, war devastation, a filthy work environment and rats galore, they managed to sort more than 17 million pieces of mail ahead of time with leadership from Major Charity Adams.
Any “Meh” Moments? Tyler Perry movies are exhausting. You have to really be in the mood to see a plethora of “ain’t shit” men (and sometimes women) to sit through shows like “Beauty in Black” and a plethora of others. But every blue moon, there’s a film he’s “written” that is the complete opposite of what he’s known for. This was one of those films. I’d seen Obsidian in “Sistas,” and her acting skills in this film showed off her versatility in a way that doesn’t come across on the drama series. And I never get tired of seeing her surprised reaction during the Spirit Tunnel. This was a memorable history lesson I knew nothing about.
RECOMMENDATION #10
TV Show or Movie: Shirley
Who All There? Regina King, Lance Reddick, Terrence Howard, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Reina King, Brad James
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
Why Should You Watch It? Shirley Chisholm makes a trail-blazing run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination after becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress.
Any “Meh” Moments? I can’t decide whether I was just too irritated to watch this movie after the November 2024 results because I was mad at nonvoters, conservatives, third-party voters and delusional Black men who thought Trump was going to help Black people. But this movie wore me out at first. I was annoyed with the way other Black women treated Chisholm, didn’t buy King’s accent (until I heard Chisholm’s speaking voice again) and bummed out that one of my favorite actors from “The Wire” had died in 2023. But I gave this movie another shot a few months after it released and realized this was so underrated. It was solid straight through. Reina, Regina’s sister, did a good job in her role too. This movie also filled in a few blanks that I didn’t already know from my own rundown of the former presidential candidate.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the weekly posts every Wednesday. Thanks for reading!