A Black Lady Sketch Show renewed for a fourth season at HBO

Bad bitches seeking the perfect support group, look no further: A Black Lady Sketch Show has officially been renewed for a fourth season at HBO. The show wrapped up its third season on May 13.

The sketch comedy series, which stars Robin Thede, Gabrielle Dennis, Ashley Nicole Black, and Skye Townsend, mines a topic gravely underrepresented on the small screen: Black women’s experiences. Through offbeat sketches, the four stars navigate a surreal, comical world that both upends and interrogates real-world hierarchies based on race, class, and gender.

“Robin, Gabrielle, Ashley, and Skye brought so much life to each character they portrayed in every sketch,” said Amy Gravitt, the executive vice president of programming at HBO. “We’re beyond excited to explore even more comedic worlds with a fourth season.”

Adding to the already-whip-smart series’ singular voice are guest spots from comedy juggernauts like Issa Rae and Quinta Brunson (for first-time viewers, look no further than the “Courtroom Kiki” sketch series for a masterclass in the show’s vision.)

“A Black Lady Sketch Show has created an indelible mark thanks to the trust and support of the incredible team at HBO,” Thede, who also serves as creator, executive producer, and writer on the show, said. “We are ecstatic to be heading into a fourth season that means so much to our cast, crew, and the dedicated audience who so passionately loves our show.”

A Black Lady Sketch Show’s dedication to putting Black women onscreen, behind the camera, and at every step of the way in the series’ production is essential to connecting with its devoted fanbase in a meaningful way. In 2020, director Dime Davis became the first Black woman to receive a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series.

Thede previously told The A.V. Club that although the series’ monumental firsts are exicting, she called the series A Black Lady Sketch Show and not “The” Black Lady Sketch Show for a reason.

“I’m not out here to prove that women are funny, because that has been proven time and time again by all of our heroes who have come before us,” she explained. “But I am here to show that we can be funny in a way that’s different, and in a way that’s going to challenge what you believe Black women in comedy can be.”