Kevin Hart is bringing a two-part documentary to A&E this summer on the history of Black comedians.
Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution, will air on Wednesday, June 29 at 9 p.m. and Thursday, June 30 at 9 p.m.
The documentary, executive produced by Hart’s HartBeat Productions and Time Studios, explores the history of Black comedy and its legacy of driving social change across the 20th and 21st centuries.
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The film will trace Black comics from Redd Foxx, Moms Mabley and Dick Gregory during the civil rights movement, to Richard Pryor in the 1970s, Eddie Murphy and Whoopi Goldberg in the 80s, to the power of In Living Color and Def Comedy Jam in the 90s. It also shows Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle in the 2000s, and groundbreaking modern-day comedians and creators like Key & Peele, Issa Rae, Amber Ruffin and Tiffany Haddish.
The two-night event features interviews with comedy veterans, and it will reveal the personal stories and challenges faced by many Black performers in finding greater acceptance.
In the trailer, Hart says, “No one tells jokes like us.” Aisha Tyler adds, “Black comics speak truth to power.”
Alonzo Bodden takes on cancel culture with, “If you’re comfortable, we’re not doing our jobs.”
[Watch the video below]
Across four hours, the documentary also explores how each generation of comedians built upon the foundations created by their predecessors to help evolve and push the boundaries of comedy as a means for social change.
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Other interviewees include: Katt Williams, D.L. Hughley, Michael Che, Tony Woods, Steve Harvey, Michael Harriot, Amanda Seales and Sherri Shepherd.
Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution is produced by Time Studios for A&E Network. Mario Diaz and Jessica Sherif are co-directors and executive producers. Ian Orefice, Loren Hammonds and Alexa Conway serve as executive producers for Time Studios. Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley, Pookey Wigington and Mike Stein serve as executive producers for Hart’s production company, Hartbeat
Watch the trailer below.
