For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf (1982, TV Movie)

"For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf" (1982) was a Broadway play aired on PBS and originally premiered in 1976 as a theatre piece by the playwriter Ntozake Shange. The stageplay's style is a "choreopoem," a form of dramatic expression combining poetry, dance, music, and song. Shange tells the story of several black women's experiences in a world where they must deal with many adversities while understanding their inner selves. Each monologue is unique for the women's expressing their truths. Some topics include maternity, sexuality, abortion, abuse, trauma, love, relationships, and sisterhood.

The play stars an incredible cast of actresses, which include Ntozake Shange, Lynn Whitfield, Alfred Woodard, Carol Maillard, Crystal Lilly, Laurie Carlos, and Trazana Beverley. At the time, most of these actresses were primarily in theatre. Woodard was the only one of the few with previous experience in film and television.

Overall this film offers an emotional experience of tough topics are many black women experience worldwide. 

Director: Oz Scott

Writer: Ntozake Shange

Starring Ntozake Shange, Lynn Whitfield, Alfred Woodard, Carol Maillard, Crystal Lilly, Laurie Carlos, Trazana Beverley, Roger Hill, Sarita Allen, Gregory T. Daniel, Charles Weldon, Brent Jennings

Storyline

This explosive, vivid "choreopoem" illuminates the story and struggle of black women in America. The seven women share their exuberance for life and their ability to begin again, no matter how ridiculous the odds.

King (1978, Part Three) [TV Movie]

"King" (1978, Part III)  is the third and final installment of the NBC made-for-television miniseries about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. written and directed by Abby Mann.

After the first episode of the miniseries performed poorly in the National Neilson Ratings, there was a slight improvement for the last two episodes. However, NBC had already accepted the fate of the miniseries not achieving the same success as "Roots." Nevertheless, the show received several Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress for Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson. Mann also received nominations for Outstanding Writing and Directing in a Drama Series. Unfortunately, none were able to earn an Emmy Award.

Paul Winfield gave an excellent performance as Dr. King. While the film suffers in historical accuracy, people can correct the information to fill in the holes. Dick Anthony Williams portrays Malcolm X in an iconic scene between him and King. In the Miami Herald, Wednesday, February 15, 1978, in an article written by Terry Ann Knopf, Mann stated that he obtained information about the meeting directly from King before he died and from Bernard Lee, one of King's aid. But the when and where of the discussion could have been more evident in the movie. Their actual meeting occurred in 1964 in Washington, D.C.

Overall, episode three was an outstanding performance by everyone involved. This movie would benefit many looking to gain some understanding of Dr. King's life.

Director: Abby Mann
Writer: Abby Mann

Starring Paul Winfield, Cicely Tyson, Ernie Hudson, Howard E. Rollins, Al Freeman Jr., Roscoe Lee Browne, Ernie Lee Banks, Ossie Davis, Steven Hill, Lonny Chapman, Cliff De Young, Clu Gulager, William Jordan, Warren J. Kemmerling, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Kenneth McMillan, David Spielberg, Dolph Sweet, Dick Anthony Williams, Art Evans, Frances Foster, Charles Robinson, Roger Robinson, Sheila Frazier, Tony Bennett, Julian Bond, Bill Cobbs

Storyline
Part two of a three-part biographical portrait of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. concludes with his direct involvement in urban housing and unemployment, his meeting with Malcolm X, his stand against the Vietnam War, and his 1968 assassination.

King (1978, Part Two) [TV Movie]

"King" (1978, Part II) is the second installment of the NBC made-for-television miniseries about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Written and directed by Abby Mann, the first episode of "King" suffered in the National Neilsen Ratings coming in 64th out of 64 shows. Dead last. 

The lack of viewership was due to multiple factors. For example, "King" aired against Burt Renyolds' "Gator" on CBS and "How the West was Won" on ABC. Both shows brought in large audiences more interested in the entertainment factor. "King" was an honest portrayal of a civil rights leader killed in recent American history. However, just a year before, "Roots" ranked as one of the highest-rated television shows for that year. Plus, "King" had events that were still ongoing in American society. As good as the cast was for "King," "Roots" had more extensive and relatable characters in comparison. While two different shows, these major network companies look to demographic information when greenlighting certain films.

Part II of "King" was driven mainly by Windfield, while everyone else seemed to have faded into the background a little more. Still, the movie addressed critical issues with valuable historical context, which draws you into the film's story. So, perhaps, the film serves better today than when NBC aired it because that history was fresh; that same history today, at least the details of it, is slowly withering into the abyss of time.

Director: Abby Mann

Writer: Abby Mann

Starring Paul Winfield, Cicely Tyson, Ernie Hudson, Howard E. Rollins, Al Freeman Jr., Roscoe Lee Browne, Ernie Lee Banks, Ossie Davis, Steven Hill, Lonny Chapman, Cliff De Young, Clu Gulager, William Jordan, Warren J. Kemmerling, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Kenneth McMillan, David Spielberg, Dolph Sweet, Dick Anthony Williams, Art Evans, Frances Foster, Charles Robinson, Roger Robinson, Sheila Frazier, Tony Bennett, Julian Bond, Bill Cobbs

Storyline

Part two of a three-part biographical portrait of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. chronicles his leadership of the Birmingham desegregation campaign, arrest following protest demonstrations, his 1964 Nobel Peace prize, and his famed Selma-to-Montgomery march.