Cast And Director of ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’ Discuss The Historical Significance of the Show

The cast and director of HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show recently joined Variety’s Streaming Room to speak on the show’s historical impact, guest stars, and future plans.  Robin Thede, Gabrielle Dennis, Ashley Nicole Black, Quinta Brunson, director Dime Davis and guest star Angela Bassett all tuned in for the virtual Q&A. 

Thede, who created the show, also serves as the executive producer and a main character. “When I was creating ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show,’ I wanted to make a narrative sketch series where Black women could live grounded experiences in a magical reality,” said Thede. “So for us it was a playground where we could create these sketches, and live these three dimensional characters, and tell these stories that could recur throughout the season and throughout the series.”

Being the first show to have a writer’s room consisting of all Black women, the historical significance is evident. What makes A Black Lady Sketch Show even more unparalleled is how each writer brings different past experiences and their own unique identities to the table. Therefore, the characters we watch come alive in the show also have differing personalities and subtleties. 

Davis, the show’s director, highlighted the importance of creating space for Black women to thrive in comedy. “I really strive to tell stories about the women I knew growing up … and I’m always trying to say like, “You’re important. You’re beautiful. You’re amazing,” Davis said. “But with this I also got to say “You’re funny.” 

And with the entire cast being Black women, there’s no room for the problematic “token Black girl.”  Cast member Gabrielle Dennis spoke about how refreshing and rewarding this is. “I’ve been on another sketch series but as the one singular Black girl,” she said. “And you’re vying for that opportunity, you’re vying for that moment, but here the moments just keep coming. There are no moments that aren’t beautiful and that you can’t just dive into.”

The second season was written before the pandemic, but production is undoubtedly delayed. The script is surprisingly predictive and has apocalyptic undertones, so there’s no need to modify it to keep up with the times. “Season 2 is going to be bigger and better. It’s our sophomore album so we gotta come back strong,” Thede said. “And we already predicted this whole quarantine situation so that storyline will continue and still be relevant.”

Watch the full Q&A on Variety.