Welcome to 2023! January blues hitting yet? I know, this month should be sponsored by the colour grey it’s that dreary. What we all need is something to look forward to, don’t you think? Well, look no further, I got you. 15 things from Black creators in TV, Film and Music coming in 2023 for you to whack in the calendar and get excited about.

TV:

Dreaming Whilst Black, BBC
Dreaming Whilst Black started it’s life as a web series, before being picked up for a pilot episode by the BBC back in 2021. Since then, writer and lead actor Adjani Salmon has starred in Doctor Who, won a BAFTA, and been recognised with the Royal Television Society's 2022 Breakthrough Award. And in 2023 a full 6 part series is coming to the BBC, being co-produced by Big Deal Films and A24. There’s no exact release date yet, but to tide you over, check out the pilot episode here, and the trailer below!

The Other Black Girl, Hulu
The Other Black Girl is being adapted from the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Zakiya Dalila Harris. It follows Nella, an editorial assistant - and the only Black girl - at Wagner Books. Tired of being the only one, she is delighted when Hazel is hired. But as Hazel’s begins to level up, Nella starts to spiral out and discovers everything isn’t quite what it seems at the company. Production on the series began in October 2022, will star Ashleigh Murray, Brittany Adebumola, Hunter Parrish, and Sinclair Daniel, and is being described as Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada.

Then You Run, Sky Original
Then You Run follows a close-knit group of rebellious London teenagers enjoying a getaway in Rotterdam. When the estranged father of Tara is discovered dead, though, they are forced to go on the run across Europe to find her mum, with three kilos of heroin and a host of deadly criminals snapping at their heels. Filming began way back in 2021, and it is due out on Sky and NOW later in 2023.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Prime Video
That’s right, it’s a reboot of the 2005 film that created one of the decades big pop culture moments: The birth of Brangelina. It’s being penned by Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover, with Donald Glover also set to star as Mr Smith. Maya Erskine will be his Mrs Smith, and other cast include Michaela Coel, John Tuttoro and Paul Dano. It was originally supposed to hit screens in 2022, but after original collaborator Phoebe Waller-Bridge departed the project, it has been pushed to 2023. But we are sure it will be worth the wait!

Champion, BBC
Champion is being penned by one of the stars of the literary world in recent years, author of smash hit Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams in her TV debut. The plot looks at what happens when fame and family collide, following Vita and Bosco Champion. Ever since she can remember, younger sister Vita has been her brother Bosco’s personal assistant, running around after him, getting him out of trouble and hiding his various misdemeanours. Bosco, a UK rap sensation before he was jailed – is home from prison, and he’s ready to dominate the music industry once more. But when Vita’s own talent is discovered by Bosco’s rival, Bulla, she steps out of her brother’s shadow to become a performer in her own right, setting the Champion siblings against one another in their quest to reach the top spot in the charts and to be the star of the family.

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Film:

Rye Lane
Rye Lane comes from the minds of Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, and it is well and truly part of the rom-com renaissance. With a timeless quality that makes it feel like you could be watching one of the greats out of the golden age of rom-coms (the 90s), this is an uplifting rom-com set in South London, about meeting the right person at the worst possible. It stars Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson, and will have its premiere on March 17th.

Till
Till tells the true story of Emmett Till, and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley's relentless pursuit of justice when he is horrifically murdered in 1955 when visiting his cousins in Mississippi. The film currently holds a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is due for release in the UK on January 6th.

The Little Mermaid
It’s been months and I still find myself smiling, thinking about those videos of little Black girls seeing the trailer for this movie. One of the most anticipated films of the year will see Halle Bailey taking on the iconic role of Ariel in this live action adaptation of the 1989 Disney animated classic. If you haven’t watched it recently, give the teaser trailer another watch, because the film’s not due out until May 26th.

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Cast your minds back if you will to 2018. Marvel had started the year with the cultural moment that was Black Panther, and Sony pictures said hold my drink and wrapped up the year with the only Marvel Comics adaptation to win an Academy Award: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The visuals were stunning, the voice actors brilliant, and the soundtrack was banger after banger. And 5 years later, after a Covid induced delay, the sequel is finally here. It’s due for release on June 2nd, and the official trailer looks GOOD.

The Color Purple
Stick with me here. The Color Purple is an upcoming musical drama adapted for screen from the 2005 Broadway musical, which was based on the 1985 Spielberg movie, that was adapted from the 1982 Pulitzer Prize winning Novel by Alice Walker. It’s been adapted by Marcus Gardley and directed by Blitz Bazawule, with a cast including Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Fantasia, Danielle Brooks, H.E.R., Ciara and more. It’s a bit soon to be thinking about December, but it is due out on December 22nd. There’s no trailer yet, but with a cast like that, and with Quincy Jones, Steven Spielberg and Whoopi Goldberg producing, it promises to be special.