13 Black Supporting TV Characters Who Absolutely Deserved Their Own Show

These iconic characters deserve a starring role. TV producers, get on it.

1. Donna Meagle, Parks and Recreation

NBC / Hulu / Giphy / Via gph.is

It's time to ~treat. yo. self~ to endless humor from Pawnee's one, the only, the beloved: Donna.

2. Winston Bishop, New Girl

Fox / Hulu / Giphy / Via gph.is

While Lamorne Morris is now starring in Woke, I'm sure New Girl fans would rally behind a Winston-centric show in a heartbeat. Your move, Fox.

3. Tommy Vega, 911 Lone Star

Kevin Estrada / © Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

She was a standout star on this action-packed show — can you imagine how amazing a Gina Torres–led plot would be? The world needs this.

4. Rosalind Walker, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Netflix

In this new show, Roz is the main character and escapes off into another dimension to a town called Purpledale...

5. Kate Contessa, Wynonna Earp

Syfy

This powerful, mysterious character didn't get enough screen time and totally deserves her own fierce feminist-centric show.

6. Chidi Anagonye, The Good Place

NBC / Global TV / Via gph.is

In an ideal spinoff of the NBC sitcom, Chidi would embark on a solo adventure of his own.

7. Simone Garnett, The Good Place

NBC / Via tgpgifs.tumblr.com

She spends eternity running various studies and conducts endless experiments on her own terms — sounds like the perfect plot for a TV show to me!

8. Erica Sinclair, Stranger Things

Netflix / Via giphy.com

Erica's comedic genius on Stranger Things is simply unmatched. The show could be a whole Sinclair family sitcom from Erica's perspective.

9. Shirley Chisholm, Mrs. America

FX Networks / Sabrina Lantos

She was the first Black candidate from a major party to seek the US presidency, and the first African American woman in Congress! C'mon! She does have an autobiography, Unbossed and Unbought, available here.

10. Veronica Fisher, Shameless

Showtime / Via giphy.com

It's time for V to shine with her own show! She's a great addition to the Shameless world, but she's a starring lady in her own right. Who's with me?

11. Jabbar Trussell, Parenthood

NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Imagine this: A young adult Jabbar goes off to college, and upon moving back home, he reconnects with the whole Braverman troupe. High jinks ensue.

12. Joss Carter, Person of Interest

CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection

(Spoiler!) Sure, she gets killed off in Season 3, but in TV land, we can pretend that Joss is really still alive — and that it was arranged to look as if she died — so she could take on a new alias and start anew. Works for me!

13. Annie, Tess, and Deja Pearson, This Is Us

NBCU / Getty Images

I mean, you know they can hold a dramatic scene all on their own. Beth and Randall (aka TV's best couple) can even make a cameo or two.

I know I'm probably missing some, so fill me in: What Black supporting characters do you think deserve their own show?

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Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed