Three Black-Led 2025 Series You’ll Want to Binge; Netflix Cancels 'The Residence' After One Season; 'Martin' In CIC Classic TV Series Spotlight
Top Story: Black TV Shows Launched This Year to Stream Over the July 4 Holiday Weekend
The first half of 2025 saw the debut of several standout series featuring Black talent, both in lead roles and ensemble casts. Here are three original shows perfect for a July 4 holiday weekend binge.
—Paradise (Hulu)
Sterling K. Brown plays a Secret Service agent searching for the truth behind the U.S. President’s murder while facing growing suspicion himself. The political thriller, which also stars James Marsden, Julianne Nicholson, and Sara Shahi, has already been renewed for a second season. The eight-episode Paradise initially debuted on Hulu in January and has also aired on ABC and FX.
—Government Cheese (Apple TV Plus)
David Oyelowo leads this 1960s-set comedy as Hampton Chambers, a recently released ex-con navigating life back home. He hopes to win back his family’s trust, but his past threatens to catch up with him. Simone Missick, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, and Bokeem Woodbine star in the 10-episode series, which debuted in April.
—Forever (Netflix)
Based on the best-selling Judy Blume book of the same name, Forever follows two childhood friends and athletes who fall in love as teenagers, navigating the complexities of their first romance. Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr., star in the eight-episode, Mara Brock Akil-produced drama series, which has already been renewed for a second season.
Stories You May Have Missed This Week:
Netflix’s Cancels ‘The Residence’ After One Season
Shonda Rhimes’ original series, The Residence, has been cancelled after one season, according to reports. Netflix’s mystery series starred Uzo Aduba as a detective investigating a murder at the White House. Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, and Susan Kelechi Watson also star in the series, which drew 6.4 million views in its opening week this past March, finishing second on Netflix’s English TV Top 10 list. The high cost of producing the show was one of the factors contributing to its cancellation, reported Deadline. The Residence joins a growing list of cancelled shows featuring Black leads or predominantly Black casts in 2025 that includes Prime Video’s Clean Slate and Harlem, and CBS’ The Equalizer and Papa’s House.
Disney Plus Renews ‘The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder’ for Fourth Season
Animated comedy series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder has been renewed for a fourth season on the heels of its third season premiere in August. The Disney Plus series continues to follow the crazy, comedic exploits of teenager Penny Proud and her close-knit family and friends. Guest voices set to appear in season three include Janelle James, Sanaa Lathan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lynn Whitfield, and Kirk Franklin. The series stars Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, Jo Marie Payton, and Cedric the Entertainer.
Comedian Earthquake Subject of New Fox Sitcom
Veteran comedian Earthquake (a.k.a. Nathaniel Stroman) will be the focus of a new series for Fox. Comedian Bill Burr is developing a half-hour comedy based on the life and career of Earthquake, who has appeared on TV shows such as The Neighborhood and Everybody Hates Chris, and currently hosts a radio show on SiriusXM, per Variety.
TV Celebrity Birthdays (June 28-July 4)
June 28: Tichina Arnold (Martin, The Neighborhood). June 30: David Alan Grier (In Living Color, St. Denis Medical). July 1: Amanda Seales (Insecure). July 3: Montel Williams (The Montel Williams Show), Audra McDonald (Private Practice, The Gilded Age), Corey Reynolds (The Closer, Resident Alien). July 4: Alex Hibbert (The Chi), Ed Bernard (The White Shadow).
CIC Classic TV Series Spotlight: ‘Martin’
Series Debut: August 1992
Number of Seasons: 5
Series Stars: Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II, Thomas Mikal Ford, Tichina Arnold
Series Synopsis: Martin revolves around the life and comic exploits of Martin Payne (Lawrence), a radio talk show host and his girlfriend (and eventual wife) Gina Waters (Campbell). The couple was surrounded by their best friends Tommy (Ford), Cole (Payne), Pam (Arnold), as well as such supporting and recurring characters as Bruh-Man (Reginald Ballard), Hustle Man (Tracy Morgan), Reverend Love (David Alan Greer) and Varnell Hill (Tommy Davidson). Lawrence also played other, often hilarious roles, including neighbor Sheneneh Jenkins and security guard Otis.
Awards/Acknowledgements: Martin is one of the most successful and memorable Black sitcoms in television history. The series averaged 11 million viewers in its first season and, along with other shows such as In Living Color, Living Single, and New York Undercover, helped establish the Fox broadcast network during the 1990s. The series won seven NAACP Image Awards, including the 1995 award for Outstanding Comedy Series. The Martin cast (minus Thomas Mikal Ford, who passed away in 2016), reunited for a BET Plus reunion special in 2022 and appeared together as presenters at the 75th Emmy Awards. A Martin spinoff series, Varnell Hill, starring Davidson, will stream on BET Plus, although a premiere date has not been announced.