Today is black takeover day on channel 4

[ImperialLeather00]

Good afternoon everyone!
Mark it in your diaries and share with you friends September 10th Channel 4 will have 24 hours of all black fronted programming. Channel 4’s entire programming schedule will be fronted by Black talent as part of the Channel’s ongoing commitment to improve Black representation both on and off screen. The day’s programming will reimagine some of Channel 4’s biggest flagship shows including Celebrity Gogglebox, Countdown and the Channel 4 News with an all-Black presenting and reporting team. Hollyoaks will be an hour-long special written, directed and performed by its Black talent and Mo Gilligan will front a one off special of The Big Breakfast. 🙎🏽‍♀️🙎🏾‍♀️🙎🏿‍♀️🙎🏽🙎🏾🙎🏿✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

I have just watched Mel B present the Friday lunch time show. She did a good job, I thought. The content of the show was good and was interesting for me. I was like wow, where did the years go, when they did the Desmond's bit. I did not know about it being black takeover day. Is that how they have advertised it? Anyway it is good to see black people on Countdown for a change.

Countdown is a marked improvement to the usual presenters!

I'm enjoying countdown, only caught glimpses of the big breakfast and it seemed a bit chaotic. Looking forward to gogglebox later!

Watched some of the Big Breakfast. I used to love that show back in the day. AJ Odudu and Mo Gilligan made me laugh and some of the in jokes were just too funny. Really enjoyed it

I didn't know this about Ch 4 until I saw this thread.
Off to investigate!

Wow! I missed Lemn Sissay on Countdown!
Off to catch up.....

I noticed there were zero white faces on C4 this evening and googled whether I’d missed some big occasion.

Best thing about this for me is the actual tangible realisation of how black or other minority groups must feel when watching TV generally. Nowhere near enough representation. Specially enjoyed the love it or list it presenters, hope to see more of them.

Side note, Mo should get loads more mainstream presenting jobs, he’s brilliant

I am watching Gogglebox and only clocked about 5 mins ago all the participants were black. Then I saw this thread

This “awareness” thing has not been well advertised has it ?

I only found out mid-morning. Caught some of it but will enjoy on catch up tomorrow.

Do I hear the sound of spontaneous combustion somewhere in the far distance? 😁

Not publicised much was it?? Who knew?

I’ve not watched Gogglebox before and probably won’t tune into the regular shows.

So pleased that they extended the takeover to the adverts. But can’t help wondering if this one day in September is in lieu of Black History Month.

I agree with the previous poster that watching an all black episode of Gogglebox, together with all black adverts made me realise just how othered minority groups are on TV.

Well, that was interesting!

Thanks for posting OP, I would have totally missed it without you flagging it up. Countdown was so different. Catching up on other things tomorrow.

Are we going to see some real change on the back of this I wonder? Or will it be just this one day a year.

( Although this one day will be sufficient to get certain people combusting DeeCee.)

I am white and middle aged and absolutely bloody love C4 for this. More please!

AnyFucker I think the whole idea of it was to NOT overly advertise what they were doing.......ive seen a nod to it on SM but on the whole theyve just gone on and done it to make people sit up and think.

It's quite sad that we do sit up and notice all black shows because we're so used to seeing white faces. And that's ridiculous in 2021.

Even the adverts had predominantly Black people in it was great!

I was out all day so the only full show I managed to watch was Highlife, which I loved.

Gutted to have missed Desmonds, Big Brother and Mel B's show.

I wonder if C4 will now commission more shows made by Black people, and advertisers more adverts which are inclusive, or if this was some kind of one-off gimmick?

I love Lemn Sissay. I've downloaded yesterday's episode of Countdown to enjoy later. Lemn and Trevor McDonald!

We watched big brother (it was chaotic but that's what big brother is!) plus Mel b. My other half didn't spot that all the adverts were also black fronted until I pointed it out.

And none of the adverts were "new" as such, all were ones I have seen in general rotation across channels.

I only found out about Big Breakfast by the coverage after it had finished! Shoddily promoted..

I didn't know about this, only found out via this thread but what a great idea.
Hope they do it again

I would have liked to have watched more of this but was at work. Would be nice if they could do it on a weekend when more people have time to watch TV.

This is a nice summary of the day:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/sep/11/from-the-big-breakfast-to-gogglebox-channel-4s-black-to-front-day-reviewed-in-full?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other