The Fosters

There was one or two.

I think there was a programme called The Fosters and Love Thy Neighbour, nonsense things like that.

And I always wanted to do that.

And my parents scraped together...

But at the time, you know, back then, honestly, when I grew up, there really absolutely was nothing.

And it feels when I say that to my children and they laugh and I say, but actually, I said there really wasn't.

There was one program on a Thursday, The Fosters, and we all rushed and sat around the telly watching it because it was so funny.

And I said, so at the time, my father was like, you'll never make any money and you need to earn a living.

Say my name, say my name.

We know him and love him for The Lenny Henry Show, The Fosters, and being the co-founder of Comet Relief and also two production companies.

But he also established the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity at Birmingham City University to legally and practically push for greater inclusion behind and in front of the camera.

Every year, Lenny Henry gives a lecture at his Centre for Media Diversity, where he brings together diversity and inclusion professionals from across the media landscape to reflect on what we can practically do to move the industry forward.

This led to several opportunities, some progressive and some regressive.

Between 1975 to 1979, Lenny Henry made guest appearances on the Black and White Minstrel Show, a show whose whole concept centred racist caricatures and a reflection of the lack of opportunities at the time.

He was then cast in The Fosters in 1976, which was Britain's first all-black sitcom.

It was the British adaptation of the American show Good Times.

A victim of internal BBC politics, lack of promotion and poor viewing figures.

Although the BBC has produced very little black-led TV drama series since then, Emperor Road lay the foundations of future series to come, such as The Fosters, which starred up-and-coming comedian at the time Lenny Henry, who we will hear a little bit more from in the next episode.

The first big thing I ever did was The Fosters, which was the first all-black sitcom on British television.

And there were no people of color behind the scenes, no producers, no writers, no directors.

We had a mixed-race makeup lady.