Despite the eerily gloomy weather in Kigali these days, what the pop culture calendar refers to as summer, is just around the corner and there’s no better time to explore new things, take some much needed time off, cozy up with loved ones, and one of the best ways to enhance the experience is screenplays you can watch and talk about all summer. Here are some suggestions for your summer watchlist
Never have I ever
"Never have I ever” is a sitcom currently on its fourth and final season on Netflix, and it has just the right amount of drama, delusion, realism and family dynamics to maintain the viewer’s attention span, maybe even provoke a laugh or two. The four seasoned sitcom centers around Devi, an Indian teenager navigating highschool and social norms amidst her father’s death. Devi shares a home with her mom, cousin Kamala, and in further seasons, her grandma. Throughout the series, she and her two best friends are on a quest to reinvent their social status from unapproachable nerds to cool kids, and the questionable decisions Devi makes to achieve them, and the consequences, make for a good laugh, but none of that tops her dynamic with her mother, making for some good satire.
Grown-ish
If you’ve cozied up to Kenya Barris’ hit show Blackish, you might’ve hitched on to Zoey’s (Yara Shahidi) college ride, and got reintroduced to actors such as Trevor Jackson that has become a fan favorite, or Chloe and Halle Bailey, the sisters that have wowed the world with their talents. In its final seasons, the series transitioned more into Junior’s perspective and hasn’t disappointed, not with stars such as Justine Skye on the call sheet atleast. The star studded tv show will be returning for a final season on June 28 and its one to watch.
Power Book II: Ghost
Much like its predecessor, Power Book II has worked its way into becoming one of the most streamed TV series on the globe, despite having a main character that isn’t exactly a fan favorite. To an extent, the show’s great success can be attributed to Curtis "50 cent” Jackson’s affiliation to it, but the karmic and intriguing storylines Tariq’s life has been woven into have the makings of a good crime show, and having characters like Method man and Mary J Blige as series regulars only adds to its appeal. Watching the play by play without waiting a week or two to know what happens next sounds like a good idea, especially now that the season has wrapped.
The Perfect Find
Filed on socials under the hashtag StrongBlackLead, The Perfect Find, coming out June 23, is a movie based on a book by the same name. The plotline features the quest of a 40 year old woman whose life, biological clock and career are hanging on by a thread, and yet she doesn’t bat an eye before adding a secret romance to the complicated mix. Besides the unspeakable fact that all screenplays based off books are worth the time and resources, one of the biggest selling points of this film is the cast. The Perfect Find features the likes of Gabrielle Union, Lala Anthony, Keith Powers, Gina Torres (Jessica from Suits) and renowned comedian Niecy Nash, and if that’s not reason enough to watch, I don’t know what is!!
The Little Mermaid
Remaking legendary screenplays has become an initiative for creators these days, and alongside animations like The Lion King that were turned into movies is The Little Mermaid, featuring Halle Bailey as Ariel. The movie received a lot of ridicule for casting a person of color to play that role however the soundtrack the glowing reviews have continuously displayed the movie as a must watch, and it really wouldn’t hurt to try
The reality television has been just as out and about as scripted screenplays, and here’s some shows for your viewing pleasure this summer.
Young Famous and African
It’s no surprise the star studded African themed reality show was given a second season, considering its reach amidst the series premiere. Despite seeming heavily scripted to the masses, the show, featuring quite a number of African socialites, has significantly contributed to Africa’s inclusion into the reality television scene, thus becoming a notable. Young, Famous & African features the likes of Diamond Platnumz, Zuri Hassan, Nadia Nakai and Annie Idibia, to mention but a few.
The Bachelorette
The Bachelorette is 20 year old spinoff of the renowned competitive reality TV show, the bachelor, featuring 30 men vying for the love of one woman. The franchise is predominantly white but every once in a while, like the next season coming later this month, they cast a black lead. The next season of the bachelorette featuring Charity Lawson premieres on June 26, and if the previews did it any justice, it ought to be a good watch, and an interesting addition to the group chats
Selling Sunset
This reality TV series features a group of women that work in the Oppenhiem group, a real estate firm in Los Angeles, California. Now streaming its sixth season on Netflix, Selling Sunset has the makings of the movie part of a girl’s night, and cast members such as Chrishell Stause, The Oppenheim twins, Heather Rae and the infamous Christine contribute significantly to the show’s appeal.