Seven TV Shows With Black Women Leads in 2025

From Black coming-of-age stories to mockumentary, find a new favorite or rediscover an old one among the season and series premiers

Through writing strikes and cancellations, Black women have continued to create and star in some of the best media available, but there are so many options now that it can be hard to choose. This breakdown of season premiers intends to make the process a bit easier. 

For teen drama fans of all ages:

"Forever" (Season 1, Netflix)  

Netflix’s "Forever" is a reimagining of the Judy Blume novel of the same name, a story of first love. Set in Los Angeles, the series follows two Black high schoolers as they learn about themselves, each other and the world around them.   

Split into two halves, the first episode introduces the audience individually to main characters Keisha and Justin as well as their relationship. Sweet, clumsy and painfully awkward at times, their dynamic is true to the teenage experience. 

Black women we know and love:  

Lovie Simone (Keisha Clark) 

Karen Pittman (Dawn Edwards) 

Xosha Roquemore (Shelly Clark) 

Maya Brock Akil (writer)

For lovers of shows that are funny and fashion heavy:

"Survival of the Thickest" (Season 2, Netflix) 

The second season opener easily matches the energy of the first installment. Main character Mavis Beaumont shines as the season picks up where the first ended. She explores romance and a new city, foreshadowing a season of social connection. Both self-centered (as protagonists are) and down-to-earth in a way that provides realism, Mavis is a character you want to root for. She’s true to herself, motivated by love and wears one hell of an outfit.  

Black women we know and love:  

Michelle Buteau (Mavis Beaumont, creator, writer, producer) 

Tasha Smith (Marley)  

Garcelle Beauvais (Natasha Karina)

For those with a penchant for the weird or an interest in architecture: 

"Ugliest House in America" (Season 6, HGTV) 

This show is a fun twist on the home and garden genre, complete with a Halloween-themed spinoff. Each season showcases contestants with unique and dysfunctional houses competing for the title of Ugliest House and a renovation at HGTV’s expense; the sixth season starts in Ohio with a cave-like structure, a converted bank, and a brick home with an odd layout.  

Black women we know and love: Retta (host)

For a fresher, Blacker take on the mockumentary:  

"Abbott Elementary" (Season 5, ABC) 

Season five promises to be just as witty and wholehearted as the previous, with a kickoff episode that features the teachers on a rare day without students in the building. A fantastic reintroduction to the cast and their relationships, the energy of this opener is hopeful and exploratory. It establishes an era of trying new things for everyone while remaining true to the way they’ve been written in the past, all delivered to the audience hilariously.  

Black women we know and love:   

Quinta Brunson (Janine Teagues, creator, writer, producer)  

Janelle James (Ava Coleman)  

Sheryl Lee Ralph (Barbara Howard) 

Fans of the absurdity of "Glee" and "Scream Queens":  

"9-1-1" (Season 9, ABC) 

In an era of reboots and remakes, this show is one of a kind in a delightfully ridiculous way. Segmented into several storylines, the first episode is a rollercoaster of an experience that deals with everything from gas leaks to space travel. It’s cheesy and shocking, while still providing depth to the characters and laying groundwork for the larger plots of the upcoming season.  

Black women we know and love:  

Angela Bassett (Athena Grant-Nash) 

Aisha Hinds (Henrietta Wilson) 

Tracie Thoms (Karen Wilson) 

For those who grew up with soap operas playing in the house: "Beyond the Gates" (Season 1, CBS/Paramount+)

Bringing all the tropes we love back to the screen, the premier season opens by laying the groundwork for the relationships within the featured Dupree family and the first conflict: a cheating scandal. The pilot is well paced and heavy with exposition, leaving the audience with very few questions moving forward. Whether you find soaps nostalgic or just love corny, uncomplicated media, this show should be on your watch list.  

Black women we know and love:  

Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree) 

Daphnée Duplaix (Nicole Dupree Richardson) 

Karla Mosley (Danielle Dupree) 

Marquita Goings (Hayley Lawson) 

Colby Muhammad (Kat Richardson) 

Arielle Prepetit (Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne) 

RhonniRose Mantilla (Chelsea Hamilton) 

Michele Val Jean (creator, producer, writer)

The suspense of Bones plus the drama of "Grey’s Anatomy": "Watson" (Season 2, CBS/Paramount+) 

The "Sherlock Holmes"-inspired show is back for its second season with a star-studded cast and skillful writing that welcome the audience in with ease. In this universe we follow Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut) and the mysteries are medical in nature. We’re launched into the season as Watson juggles a difficult case and several interpersonal dilemmas, doing so with an ease that foreshadows burnout.  

Black women we know and love:   Rochelle Aytes (Dr. Mary Morstan) 

Juanita Jennings (Elizabeth Morstan) 

Rryla McIntosh (Madelyn Weaver) 

Tika Sumpter (Laila Bynum) 

Brittany Palmer (Miles’ Wife)