Lost media refers to any type of recorded media — whether it’s television shows, films, or music — that remains inaccessible to the public. In the digital age we’re in, where much of our media is stored online, the concept of “lost” might seem outdated. However, for decades, countless pieces of media have disappeared or been erased from our consciousness, leaving behind this mystery about what’s happened to it. This is particularly true for many Black television shows and movies, where cultural, racial, and historical factors have often played a role in their erasure or obscurity.
The history of Black representation in film and television has often been marked by marginalization and limited opportunities. In the early days of Hollywood, Black actors were relegated to stereotypical stories or denied access to leading roles altogether. For much of the 20th century, the portrayal of Black people in popular culture was controlled by predominantly white studios, networks, and creators. As a result, Black film and TV history from the early to mid-20th century, remains fragmented, with many films and television shows either forgotten, lost, or hidden from mainstream. There is also an issue of many Black films from the 1920s and 1930s not being archived properly, so much of that rich history is gone forever.
While many Black television shows and movies are completely unavailable on streaming services, a perception might arise that diverse content, particularly Black cinema, is often not readily accessible on mainstream platforms like Netflix or Hulu, requiring people to subscribe to dedicated streaming services like ALLBLK which focus specifically on Black film and television to access a wider variety of Black media.
I’ve identified five significant Black films that are no longer accessible. These works are important pieces of Black culture and, I believe in some ways present a larger issue with the entertainment industry: the erasure of Black narratives.
Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
Diana Ross “The Boss” stars in the story of the life of legend Billie Holiday. Assaulted as a young girl, worked in a Harlem brothel, Holiday was then encouraged to take on a singing career. She rises as high as it is possible to go in the white-controlled world of show business in the 1930s, but struggles through the pressure and turns to drugs. Ross is amazing as Billie Holiday, and highlights the woman who would come to be known as “Lady Day.” This film is a classic and nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Ross for a performance that would come to define her career as an actress.
Strange Days (1995)
Director Kathryn Bigelow directed this science fiction action thriller can be purchased on Blu-ray but is impossible to track down on streaming. It was a commercial failure upon release that has since developed a massive cult following, Strange Days stars Ralph Fiennes and one of our favorites Angela Bassett as a former police officer who get drawn into a police conspiracy involving a murder and a device that allows people to experience the memories of others. Bigelow was inspired by the 1992 Los Angeles riots, creating an anti-police film that leans heavily into critiques of systemic corruption and racism that still feels radical today. But even without its political context, Strange Days offered up quality performances from Fiennes and Bassett, and it’s heralded as some of Bigelow’s most accomplished filmmaking.
Soul Food (2000-2004)
If not for Soul Food, there would be no The Chi, Empire, Power or many other Black dramas on television. It proved that shows about Black life could sustain a loyal audience at a time when there were hardly any on television. The series was an extension of the 1997 film. The Showtime series gave us storylines about sexuality, drug use, and domestic abuse, and proved they could be crafted without network censor. The show was allowed to tell stories of modern Black life in a way that hadn’t really been seen on television before. Then it just disappeared. BET aired reruns in the 2000s, and it popped up on TV One a couple of times, but never made it to streaming.
The Wanda Sykes Show (2009-2010)
If you were lucky enough to catch Wanda Sykes’ late night show in 2009, you know it was funny as she only she can do. She provided commentary on the issues and topics of the day and interviewed celebrities and newsmakers. No, her show was not a film. But I think in ways even more significant with Sykes being a Black queer woman, in the late-night space. The show tried to fill the void left on the Fox schedule by the cancellation of MAD TV which I didn’t think was fair. It was hard for the show to stand in those shoes, as if they were setting her up to fail.
Let’s go way back to 1946 for this final one. While we will miss the others, this one will stay in never-never land where it belongs.
Song of the South
Song of the South remains the most controversial film in the history of Walt Disney motion pictures. Disney, for real, closed the vault on this one. You’ll never it again in this lifetime. Disney CEO Bob Iger made that clear back in 2020, even before the racial politics of classic movies returned heavily to discussion around the Black Lives Matter movement’s impact on entertainment later that year. The film was set in Reconstruction-era American south just as the Civil War and slavery ended. There is a painful legacy here that we just don’t need to see anymore. As a result of the film’s controversial legacy, Disney has not released Song of the South on any home video format in the United States, and the film has never been available on its streaming platform Disney+.
As we reflect on the films and television shows that have never made it to streaming, it’s clear there are missed opportunities to celebrate and understand the full scope of Black creativity. There is also an understanding of why some things need to stay lost.
