Black Cake (TV series)

Last updated
Black Cake
Created byMarissa Jo Cerar
Based onBlack Cake
by Charmaine Wilkerson
Starring
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Oprah Winfrey
  • Marissa Jo Cerar
  • Aleksander Krutainis
  • Carla Gardini
  • Brian Morewitz
Running time54–61 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Hulu
ReleaseNovember 1 (2023-11-01) 
December 6, 2023 (2023-12-06)

Black Cakeis an American drama television series. [1] It is based on Charmaine Wilkerson's novel of the same name and premiered on Hulu. [2] It stars Chipo Chung, Mia Isaac, Adrienne Warren, Ashley Thomas and Glynn Turman. [3] It is produced by Harpo Productions and shows Oprah Winfrey as one of the main executive producers. [4] [5]

Contents

The show received generally positive reviews from critics, [6] [7] being nominated at the NAACP Image Awards and GLAAD Media Award.

The series was canceled after one season. [8]

Premise

Two siblings learn about their late mother's dark past after she leaves her recordings to them.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byTeleplay byOriginal air date
1"Covey" Natalia Leite Marissa Jo CerarNovember 1, 2023 (2023-11-01)
2"Coventina"Natalia LeiteTeleplay by: Heather Jeng Bladt
Story by: Marissa Jo Cerar & Heather Jeng Bladt
November 1, 2023 (2023-11-01)
3"Eleanor"Natalia LeiteMarissa Jo Cerar & Ihuoma OfordireNovember 1, 2023 (2023-11-01)
4"Mrs. Bennett" Tara Nicole Weyr Kara SmithNovember 8, 2023 (2023-11-08)
5"Mother"Tara Nicole WeyrHayley TylerNovember 15, 2023 (2023-11-15)
6"Ma" Mario Van Peebles Yasmin AlmanaseerNovember 22, 2023 (2023-11-22)
7"Birth Mother" Zetna Fuentes Marissa Jo Cerar & Hayley TylerNovember 29, 2023 (2023-11-29)
8"Nine Night"Zetna FuentesMarissa Jo CerarDecember 6, 2023 (2023-12-06)

Release

The trailer of Black Cake was released on October 2, 2023. [9] The television series premiered on Hulu in the United States, Disney+ under the Star banner internationally and Star+ In Latin America. on November 1, 2023. [10]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.80/10. The website's consensus reads: "Cleverly plotted and viscerally well-acted, Black Cake is an engrossing drama that can have its surprising twists and eat them, too." [11] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 68 out of 100, based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [12]

Ronda Racha Penrice of TheWrap described Black Cake as groundbreaking and entertaining, praised the performances of the cast, and said, "It cracks open the door for never-ending narrative possibilities for truly diverse and dynamic stories." [13] Judy Berman of Time stated Black Cake is one of the few examples of a show in which the "floridly emotional tone serves the story," praised the performances of the actors, and complimented how the television series approaches the concept of family secrets. [14]

Accolades

At the 55th NAACP Image Awards Black Cake was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, while Marissa Jo Cerar was nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series. [15] At the 35th GLAAD Media Awards Black Cake was nominated for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. [16]

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References

  1. Andreeva, Nellie (June 2, 2022). "'Black Cake': Mia Isaac To Headline Hulu Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood .
  2. Giorgis, Hannah (November 9, 2023). "A Show About the Secrets Parents Keep From Their Children". The Atlantic . Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  3. Behzadi, Sofia (July 20, 2022). "'Black Cake': Lashay Anderson, Faith Alabi & Ahmed Elhaj Join Hulu Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  4. Sarner, Lauren (November 2, 2022). "Oprah Winfrey's 'Black Cake' is 'so much pressure,' showrunner says". New York Post . Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (September 22, 2021). "'Black Cake' Drama Series From Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey & Aaron Kaplan Ordered By Hulu". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  6. Tinubu, Aramide (October 27, 2023). "Hulu's Oprah-Produced Mystery 'Black Cake' Is Most Enticing When It Looks Toward the Past: TV Review". Variety . Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  7. Watkins, TanChun (November 7, 2023). "Why Hulu's Newest Mystery Series Should Be Your Next Watch". Collider . Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  8. Andreeva, Nellie (September 27, 2024). "'Black Cake' Canceled By Hulu After One Season". Deadline. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  9. Larasati, Dyah Ayu (October 29, 2023). "'Black Cake': Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Everything We Know". Collider . Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  10. Narayanan, Varsha (September 13, 2023). "Black Cake Season 1 Streaming Release Date: When Is It Coming Out?". ComingSoon.net . Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  11. "Black Cake: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  12. "Black Cake". Metacritic . Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  13. Penrice, Ronda Racha (October 31, 2023). "'Black Cake' Review: Tale of Family Secrets Centers Caribbean Diaspora". TheWrap . Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  14. Berman, Judy (November 1, 2023). "Hulu's 'Black Cake' Is a Remarkably Rich Family Melodrama". Time . Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  15. "Nominees Announced for the 55th NAACP Image Awards | NAACP". National Association for the Advancement of Colored People . January 25, 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  16. Pedersen, Erik (January 17, 2024). "GLAAD Media Awards Nominations Revealed". Deadline Hollywood .