Catch up TV

Series 1: Episode 1

Actor David Harewood takes us on a journey across America to meet his heroes, and discover some of the true stories behind the incredible artists who captivated and inspired him, and changed the course of his life. Along the way he discovers how these African American performers, film-makers and writers have come to transform popular culture around the world. \n \nIn the first episode, David takes us from the decade of his birth, the 1960s, to the birth of hip-hop in the 1990s. With songwriter Eddie Holland (Heatwave) he discusses how Motown’s creator, Berry Gordy, turned the sound of Black America into the sound of young America. Smokey Robinson reveals the label’s surprising links with the Civil Rights movement. Motown's legacy, including Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross, David discovers, had a profound effect on taking America on a journey towards integration. \n \nDavid follows the story of actor Sidney Poitier, who inspired his own choice of career, using his box-office power to change the script for In the Heat of the Night to enable his character, Virgil Tibbs, to make a stand against southern racism. Poitier’s co-star, Lee Grant, talks about the electric moment it created, and how people on the film set reacted with shock. \n \nDavid encounters fellow actor John Amos, who played Kunta Kinte in the groundbreaking TV series Roots, and together they discuss how the series rewrote history and forced America to reckon with its past. This resulted in a new conversation about race, power and violence, and the country could never look at itself the same way again. And meeting Blaxploitation star and Bond girl Gloria Hendry, David learns how Blaxploitation films redefined the movie business. \n \nThe extraordinary moment that saw Michael Jackson’s Thriller video released to a global audience is unpacked with Jackson’s co-star in the video, Ola Ray, and David gets dancing tips from the man who taught Jackson the Moonwalk, Shalamar’s Jeffrey Daniel.

Source: BBC 2