---
title: "Dreaming Whilst Black"
year: 2021
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/dreaming-whilst-black"
fi1m_id: "dreaming-whilst-black"
imdb_id: "tt14488438"
tmdb_id: 231279
wikidata_id: "Q115840547"
fi1m_score: 81
critics_score: 86
critics_reviews: 6
published: "2026-09-12"
updated: "2026-09-16T00:46:34.891462+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dreaming Whilst Black (2021)

Created by Max Evans, Adjani Salmon, Natasha Jatania, Laura Seixas · MPA TV-MA · Comedy, Drama

## Identity

Dreaming Whilst Black

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/dreaming-whilst-black
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** dreaming-whilst-black
- **IMDb ID:** tt14488438
- **TMDB ID:** 231279
- **Wikidata ID:** Q115840547
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14488438/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/231279, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115840547

**Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 86 from 6 reviews

*In a sentence:* Making a film is hard enough without everyone offering helpful thoughts about your race

> Adjani Salmon gives *Dreaming Whilst Black* a warmth that survives its sharpest jokes about prejudice and ambition. Some film-industry targets are familiar, but the cast and the romance make this a comedy worth spending time with.

## Synopsis

Adjani Salmon plays Kwabena, an aspiring Black filmmaker trying to pursue his ambitions while dealing with money worries, workplace microaggressions and personal relationships. His hopes of making films bring him up against the industry’s barriers, while romance and the demands of everyday life compete for his attention. The comedy-drama moves between his daily frustrations and surreal daydreams, following his experiences as a Black man in Britain. Dani Moseley plays Amy, Rachel Adedeji plays Funmi, Babirye Bukilwa plays Vanessa and Demmy Ladipo plays Maurice.

## Review

*Dreaming Whilst Black* takes an aspiring filmmaker seriously without treating his ambitions as everyone else’s emergency. Kwabena, played by Adjani Salmon, wants to make films and has money worries, workplace prejudice and personal relationships to contend with along the way. The comedy is sharp and warm, and we recommend it with a reservation about some familiar industry targets. Its willingness to spend time on the people around Kwabena is a substantial part of the appeal.

Salmon shares the writing credits with Ali Hughes, Yemi Oyefuwa and Thara Popoola, and the scripts keep practical problems in view. Funding worries sit alongside workplace slights, so the difficulty of getting anything made never feels remote. The workplace microaggressions are funny because the comedy notices how much patience they demand of the person receiving them. We laughed at those small slights, then felt cross on Kwabena’s behalf. Having to deal with them while trying to earn a living makes his frustration easy to share.

Directors Joelle Mae David, Koby Adom, Sebastian Thiel and Jermain Julien have a useful comic device in the surreal daydream sequences. The switches between fantasy and everyday life let us see how Kwabena thinks, and bring some variety to the familiar business of being frustrated at work. They also let the programme interrupt the ordinary rhythm of a workplace comedy without abandoning the troubles that make it recognisable. The humour survives the return to reality, where money and other people still need dealing with.

Salmon’s charm does a good deal of work here, though it never makes the obstacles seem trivial. A struggling filmmaker is hardly a new television proposition, but he makes Kwabena someone worth spending an evening with even when his troubles are predictable. The romance helps, giving us something to care about beyond a possible professional breakthrough. These scenes could have felt like pauses between the jokes about prejudice, but the chemistry makes us happy to stay with them.

Dani Moseley’s Amy, Rachel Adedeji’s Funmi and Babirye Bukilwa’s Vanessa matter to that sense of a life beyond work. The women have stories of their own, and the series gives them attention that a comedy organised around one man’s ambitions might easily withhold. Their presence keeps the conversations from circling back endlessly to whether Kwabena will get his chance. The ease between the actors helps the cultural conversations feel at home alongside the jokes and the romance.

The film-industry satire is less consistently inventive. Prejudice and funding trouble provide worthy targets, but a few jokes settle for pointing out a problem we have already understood. Salmon and his fellow writers get more out of letting the people around Kwabena pursue their own concerns. There is enough warmth and oddness here to keep a comedy about getting a break from feeling like a long complaint. Watch it for the company, and allow the occasional obvious target.

*Fi1m score 81, published 12 September 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is Dreaming Whilst Black worth watching?**

*Dreaming Whilst Black* is worth watching for anyone who likes a comedy with warmth as well as bite, and we scored it 81. Adjani Salmon makes an aspiring filmmaker good company, and the women around him have stories of their own. Some jokes about the film industry settle for pointing out a problem you have already grasped.

**How long is Dreaming Whilst Black, and what is it rated?**

*Dreaming Whilst Black* is rated TV-MA by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and drama series.

**Where can I watch Dreaming Whilst Black in the US?**

*Dreaming Whilst Black* is streaming on Paramount+, Apple TV, The Roku Channel, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to buy from Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Dreaming Whilst Black, and is it suitable for children?**

*Dreaming Whilst Black* is not violent or frightening; it is a comedy-drama about work, money and romance, rated TV-MA in the United States with no UK certificate. The adult rating reflects language and grown-up themes rather than anything alarming. It suits teenagers and adults, and the workplace prejudice it depicts may sting more than it shocks.

**How does Dreaming Whilst Black compare to We Are Lady Parts?**

*Dreaming Whilst Black* is the warmer and more grounded of the two, following one aspiring filmmaker through money worries and workplace slights, while [*We Are Lady Parts*](https://film.one/tv/we-are-lady-parts) is quicker, ruder and built around a band. Both earn their laughs from an ensemble whose company is the point. Choose *Dreaming Whilst Black* for romance and everyday frustration, *We Are Lady Parts* for songs and speed.

**What should I watch after Dreaming Whilst Black?**

After *Dreaming Whilst Black*, try [*The Forty-Year-Old Version*](https://film.one/film/the-forty-year-old-version) (2020, Fi1m 80): Another artist negotiating money, compromise and the inconvenience of other people. Then [*We Are Lady Parts*](https://film.one/tv/we-are-lady-parts) (2021, Fi1m 80): Creative ambition, cultural expectations and an ensemble whose company earns the laughs; and [*Sorry to Bother You*](https://film.one/film/sorry-to-bother-you) (2018, Fi1m 81): Workplace racism and financial pressure push another comedy towards stranger territory.

### Reviews we read (6)

- **Evening Standard**, Precious Adesina (90/100, inferred): The review describes the series as funny, engaging and incredibly Black, noting that its jokes and anecdotes ring true to Black experiences. It singles out the central roles given to Black women characters and their fully realised stories. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/dreaming-whilst-black-bbc-comedy-review-b1098699.html)
- **The Guardian** (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the series as a hilarious and inventive sitcom that feels fresh and new by ripping up comedy formulas. It singles out the surreal daydream sequences and cameos for adding liveliness and imagination to its exploration of ambition, race and class. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jul/24/dreaming-whilst-black-review-this-bafta-winning-show-is-ripping-up-the-rules-of-comedy)
- **The Times**, Carol Midgley (★★★★☆): The critic finds it a fresh and funny new voice with a clever comedy about an aspiring filmmaker facing funding difficulties and microaggressions. It singles out the witty catalogue of micro-prejudices and the switch between fantasy and reality. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/the-british-meat-miracle-review-gregg-wallace-qpb50rp0w)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the series smart, distinctive, and very funny, highlighting its observant take on an aspiring Black filmmaker navigating industry barriers, microaggressions, finances, and personal relationships. They single out the warm cast chemistry and wry, confident comic voice that makes the exhausting realities feel celebratory rather than a drag. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/dreaming-whilst-black-review-1235585178/)
- **Radio Times**, Morgan Cormack (4/5): The critic praises the series for delivering effortless humor, authentic cultural conversations, and sweet romance while building on the 2021 pilot. They single out the strong writing, cast chemistry, and skillful blend of comedy with insights into Black British experiences and workplace microaggressions. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/dreaming-whilst-black-bbc-review/)
- **The Telegraph** (4/5): The review calls the series a refreshingly nimble and nimble-witted comedy that balances serious points about discrimination with humour and heart. It highlights Salmon’s charismatic performance and the show’s different take on the black British experience. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2023/07/24/dreaming-whilst-black-bbc-one-review-adjani-salmon/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Max Evans, Adjani Salmon, Natasha Jatania, Laura Seixas
- **Creator:** Max Evans, Adjani Salmon, Natasha Jatania, Laura Seixas
- **Director:** Koby Adom, Joelle Mae David, Sebastian Thiel, Jermain Julien
- **Writer:** Ali Hughes, Adjani Salmon, Yemi Oyefuwa, Thara Popoola
- **Cast:** Adjani Salmon as Kwabena; Dani Moseley as Amy; Rachel Adedeji as Funmi; Babirye Bukilwa as Vanessa; Demmy Ladipo as Maurice; Isy Suttie as Helen; Tom Stourton as Jamie; Will Hislop as Lewis
- **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA
- **Release (the US):** 19 April 2021
- **Genres:** Comedy, Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9301pH4d4qg

## Where to watch in the US

- Paramount+: add-on
- Apple TV: add-on, uhd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Apple TV: buy, sd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy, sd

*Checked 2026-09-12.*

Also available in: GB, IE, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Hollywood Shuffle* (1987): A Black actor’s ambitions meet an industry with painfully limited ideas.
- *The Forty-Year-Old Version* (2020), Fi1m 80: Another artist negotiating money, compromise and the inconvenience of other people. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-forty-year-old-version.md)
- *We Are Lady Parts* (2021), Fi1m 80: Creative ambition, cultural expectations and an ensemble whose company earns the laughs. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/we-are-lady-parts.md)
- *The Disciple* (2020): A quieter, sterner look at artistic ambition and the cost of persistence.
- *Sorry to Bother You* (2018), Fi1m 81: Workplace racism and financial pressure push another comedy towards stranger territory. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/sorry-to-bother-you.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/dreaming-whilst-black