If you haven’t tuned in to Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show, Netflix’s new sketch comedy series, then you’re missing out on some of the newest Black comedy talent to slide onto the small screen in 2019.
Set up like a reality show, equipped with confessionals, bizarre roommate situations, and (faux) drama, the series peppers in a bunch of hilarious sketches in between the comics’ reality TV life.
Every episode in the first season explicitly tackles a subject near and dear to to the Black community, or touches on something related to Black culture. As the Astronomy Club is the Upright Citizens Brigade’s first all-Black troupe, it’s fitting. It’s also fitting since it’s the brainchild of black-ish creator Kenya Barris.
This must-see sketch that demonstrates the life or death seriousness of keeping your edges laid in the humidity of the summer while at a Drake concert will have you laughing and also running for the Hicks pomade. If you’ve ever had a snatched wig (and not in a good way) then you completely understand.
Another sketch that plays on the old adage “Black don’t crack,” will also have you floored, and stocking up on your Fenty just to be safe. And while Ice Cube Day is neither a sketch, or about beauty like the aforementioned, it’s another part of the series that showcases the absurdity and talent of these eight comedians. They all make you think of how much you love your people and the limitlessness of our creativity, especially when it comes to poking fun at our culture.
Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show stars Shawtane Bowen, Jonathan Braylock, Ray Cordova, Caroline Martin, Jerah Milligan, Monique Moses, Keisha Zollar, and James III. Season one includes six episodes and is available on Netflix now.