Champion

This show started off pretty strong but it quickly turned into a series of cliché storylines straight out of a soap opera handbook.

The doomed love story, the family drama, the best friend feud, the dead relative, the bad decisions, the stereotypes characters, the disneyfied version of the music industry... It's a bit much.

The music is the only thing that's keeping me going at this point but as the episodes drone on, there's less and less of it.

I feel like there could be endless seasons of this show, they'd just find new and creative ways to add unnecessary drama but you'd keep on watching because the songs are all bangers.

Champion offers a great perspective from the journey of a British Jamaican musical family in London and the conflicts they face with Bosco dealing with his issues while pursuing a musical career and Vita his younger sister always being the one he depends on. Every single actor did a great job on this production, the visuals to this show is quality, glad that bbc is taking the black representation in multicultural London seriously.

Now I must say, not sure if Champion is created from an existing IP, it did not need to be a series, a movie would have been fine as it feels the story was too stretched out, 8 episodes could have been wrapped up in a 90 to two hour film. Some of the writing felt too repetitive and on the nose, the dialogue could have been better, still great job to cast and crew, would still recommend.

Vita Champion has always lived in the shadow of her brother, world famous, but troubled rapper Bosco Champion, but one day the worm turns, and she starts working on her own, but will both careers thrive, or will one suffer?

Very relevant, politically and socially it felt like it needed to be put out, and not at some obscure time slot on BBC4, it feels a little padded at times, eight episodes is way too long, and it does lag in the middle, four episodes would have been so much better.

It's very well acted, it's very nicely produced, a great mix of music, it showcases the talents of Malcolm Kamulete and Déjà J Bowens, they're excellent. I loathed Beres, but Ray Fearon is great.

One issue I have, apart from Vita and Lennox, every other character is loathsome, Bosco, Beres, Aria, Mark, Honey, even Dawn, they're all utterly selfish, greedy, and ready to step all over one another. There's no good in any of them, I'm not too sure that's a fair representation.

I read one silly comment somewhere, about it lacking diversity, personally I've argued for years that I wanted to see dramas focusing on British Carribbean families, finally!!! Great to see, more of this please BBC.

7/10.

This may not be everyone's cup of tea but it masterfully embodies black British culture in London. The struggle, our love of music, family and friction with the police. There is beautiful tale of sibling love intertwined in an immersive and truly authentic sound track.

It's gritty, cinematic, gentle and rough all at the same time. The scenes in Jamaica had me smiling from ear to ear. The music is just on another level, so much talent on display. And I just knew Ghetts had to be behind Bosco.

After ending on a cliff hanger, you'll be hoping they come back with season 2! This is one of the best things I have seen from the BBC in a very long time!

The storyline kept me entertained and the actors were good throughout. I thought Bosco, Vita and the dad were all great actors and I'll be keeping an eye out for more work. The only issue for me (stressing that this is my personal taste) was that it focused a bit too much on the bad in people and everyone trying to snake each other. Maybe that is a true representation of how people are? But I just feel it would have been a better watch if it was more lighthearted at times. Without a doubt the best thing about the show was the soundtrack and musical performances though, they popped off I can't lie!