Champion series one review: A highly underrated electrifying masterpiece, yet so full of turmoil.

Rating:

Let us all stand and applaud writer Candace Carty-Williams, because she truly deserves her flowers for the profound storytelling demonstrated throughout this series, Champion, produced by New Pictures and Balloon Entertainment. An award winning author of The Sunday Times bestselling novel: Queenie, it is not surprising to see her continue to honour her prestigious title and surpass our expectations.

Champion, a musical drama set in South London was released on the 1st of July this year, available both on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The 8 episode series not only showcases black talent and UK rap culture, but also embraces Black British and Jamaican culture, which is refreshing to see as an underrepresented POC myself. The show follows the journey of rapper Boscoe Champion, (starring Top Boy’s Malcolm Kamulete) an ex-convict recently released from prison) and his sister Vita Champion - (played by rising star Deja J Bowens) singer and songwriter who has always been her ‘brother's shadow’ but plays a crucial role in his success as it is revealed that she writes all his music for him.

Some mentionable nuts and bolts gathered from the show is the writer’s deliberate choice (as confirmed in her published YouTube interview with BFI) and her skill at fusing realistic and delicate issues into an otherwise upbeat show. Issues like police brutality and PTSD which Boscoe experiences due to his time spent at prison) as well as anxiety and depression (that both Boscoe and Vita visibly suffer with). Williams's commendable effort to highlight mental health issues has made it possible for all of us to empathise with the characters and relate the programme on a deeper level because of our shared understanding of these difficulties. Overall, the show seldom has a dull moment attributable to its themes of toxic masculinity, industry sexism, and sibling rivalry.

The characters' continual, carefree cannabis smoking in practically every scene, however, is something that needs to be critiqued because it promotes a damaging perception of drug usage by downplaying its effects and instead depicting it as a means of escapism.