Five Black comedy documentaries to stream right now

By Jared Alexander, theGrio

Dick Gregory, Moms Mabley and more get highlighted in these documentaries on the history of Black comedy in America.

From A&E’s new limited series “Right to Offend” to various deep dives into the lives of Richard Pryor, Moms Mabley and others, theGrio has picked five notable comedy documentaries to stream right now.

Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution

First up is “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution” on A&E, an intimate look at the history of Black comedy in the United States. Unlike other documentaries highlighting just one or two great comedians of the past, “Right to Offend” specifically draws the line linking late legends like Mabley and Redd Foxx to the biggest comedians of today like Tiffany Haddish and Key & Peele.

Outside of comprehensive dives into the lives of comedians from Pryor to Dave Chappelle, “Right to Offend” also features contemporary comics sharing how certain icons have impacted their lives and often times inspired their careers. Voices in the series include Kevin Hart — who produced the project through Hartbeat, his company, and Time Studios — Haddish, W. Kamau Bell, Michael Che, Steve Harvey, Sherri Shepherd, Wayne Brady, Aisha Tyler, Amber Ruffin and Katt Williams.

“Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution” is available to watch now on A&E.com.

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Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy

Available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video, “Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy” is a must-watch for comedy fans. Looking back on the famed all-Black comedy night of the same name that launched at The Comedy Store in 1995, “Phat Tuesdays” shines a light on a time that birthed the careers of some of the biggest names in comedy today.

“It was one of the great renaissances of Black comedians being ushered in,” Cedric the Entertainer recalls in the trailer for the series. With confessionals from stars like Anthony Anderson, Steve Harvey, Regina King, Snoop Dogg and more, the series takes things back to the 1990s in an inspiring and uplifting way.

Check it out now on Amazon Prime Video.

Discover the rest of the documentaries.

For more serious documentaries, check out Black Art or Say Her Name.

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