Chocolate News is a satirical news

News satire

thumb|right|220px|[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]] is a news satire program.News satire, also called fake news , is a type of parody presented in a format typical of mainstream journalism, and called a satire because of its content...

 show hosted and head written

Head writer

A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...

 by David Alan Grier

David Alan Grier

David Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...

 with an emphasis on African American culture

African American culture

African-American culture, also known as black culture, in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of Americans of African descent to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The distinct identity of African-American culture is rooted in...

. The show aired on Wednesday nights at 10:30 PM on Comedy Central

Comedy Central

Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....

 as a lead-in to their other news satire programs, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. The show also aired in Canada on The Comedy Network

The Comedy Network

The Comedy Network a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media specializing in comedy programming.The channel operates two time shifted feeds, East and West ....

. On March 10, 2009 a Comedy Central representative confirmed that Chocolate News would not be renewed for a second season.

Format

Chocolate News aired satirical pieces and sketches about current events and news stories. The show satirized these stories with a focus on how Grier thinks typical African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

s view them. In an interview with the New York Times, Grier asked "Are you laughing with me because you get the joke, or am I giving you license to laugh at me in a derogatory, dehumanizing way?" When the series was first pitched to studio executives at NBC, they were initially reluctant to produce and develop a pilot for the show due to the negative racial connotations associated with the term "Chocolate", It was only with the intervention of actors Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen

Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...

 and William Shatner

William Shatner

William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...

 that the studio decided to proceed with the pilot and eventually to commission the show.
Sketches were directed by Rusty Cundieff

Rusty Cundieff

George Arthur "Rusty" Cundieff is an American film/television director, actor, and writer. His notable credits are as director/writer of and lead actor in the This Is Spinal Tap-like rap satire Fear of a Black Hat, as writer of the second installment to House Party, and as director of the horror...

, who directed most of the sketches on Dave Chappelle's Chappelle's Show

Chappelle's Show

Chappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...

.

Episodes

• Episode 1: Original Air Date—15 October 2008
• Episode 2: Original Air Date—22 October 2008
• Episode 3: Original Air Date—29 October 2008
• Episode 4: Original Air Date—5 November 2008
• Episode 5: Original Air Date—12 November 2008
• Episode 6: Original Air Date—19 November 2008
• Episode 7: Original Air Date—26 November 2008
• Episode 8: Original Air Date—3 December 2008
• Episode 9: Original Air Date—10 December 2008
• Episode 10: Original Air Date—17 December 2008

Cast

• David Alan Grier
  David Alan Grier
  David Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
  
  
• Tangie Ambrose - Alicia Sanders
• Alphonso McAuley
  Alphonso McAuley
  Alphonso McAuley is an American actor who played Bucky in the Fat Albert movie. He also played Orsten Artis in the 2006 movie, based on the true story of the Texas Western Miners in Glory Road and Walt in the movie Pride. He went on to co-star with Tatyana Ali in the sitcom Love That Girl!...
  
   - Ronnie Tucker
• Chris Tallman
  Chris Tallman
  Chris Tallman is an American actor and comedian best known for his regular appearances on the Comedy Central programs Crossballs and Reno 911!. Tallman was also the creator of the popular Channel 101 series Time Belt which he wrote, directed, co-produced and starred in...
  
   - Alan Boda
• Jordan Peele
  Jordan Peele
  Jordan Peele is an American actor and comedian known as a cast member on MADtv from 2003–2008 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Brian on the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital...
  
  - Kelvin Melvin

External links

• Official website
• Palm Beach Post - Does "Salon" Think Black People Don't Read It?, October 15, 2008
• Boston.com - 'Chocolate News' is edgy, but can it be funny?, October 15, 2008
• NY Times - As Election Nears, a Black Voice Enters Comedy Fray, October 15, 2008