Time of Essence (2023)

Season 1

This documentary series highlights the ways Essence has informed and reflected Black culture in America over the past 50 years with firsthand commentary from the icons and trailblazers, never-before-seen footage and exclusive behind-the-scenes moments.

Released Aug. 18, 2023 Episode 41 min None+

Genres: Documentary

Keywords: mdblist.has-trailer

Watch Providers: Spectrum On Demand, Discovery +, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Discovery+ Amazon Channel, HBO Max Amazon Channel + 3 more, HBO Max, Philo, YouTube TV

Production Companies: 51 Minds Entertainment, Essence Studios

Network: OWN

Country: United States
Languages: English

IMDb

7.8

/46/

Trakt

TMDb

Caroline Wanga
Self

S1E1 - Chapter One: The 1970s

At the dawn of the '70s, as Black women yearn for representation in media and politics, Essence magazine is born. During this turbulent era, while there are wars on the outside for the soul of America, there are also battles taking place within Essence.

Aug. 18, 2023, midnight

S1E2 - Chapter Two: The 1980s

In the 1980s, Black women are thriving both personally and professionally, yet President Reagan's "welfare queen" stereotype poisons America's perception. Essence works tirelessly to portray Black women accurately while also dealing with internal turmoil.

Aug. 25, 2023, midnight

S1E3 - Chapter Three: The 1990s

In the 1990s, Essence subscribership is soaring, and the team fearlessly embraces hard-hitting stories about the power of Black women. But with this success comes competition, and Essence misses the mark on a cultural movement they didn't see coming.

Sept. 1, 2023, midnight

S1E4 - Chapter Four: The 2000s

In the early 2000s, Black women are driving culture, but is their magazine losing its way? A takeover by the predominantly white-led media giant Time Inc. alters the DNA of the magazine, alienating some of the demographic Essence was created to empower.

Sept. 8, 2023, midnight

S1E5 - Chapter Five: 2010 Onwards

In the 2010s, Essence is a household name but is buried in a vast library of Time Inc. publications. Change is on the horizon when Essence is brought back into Black ownership, but external challenges and internal issues test the company's resilience.

Sept. 15, 2023, midnight

Watch Trailer

OWN

41 min/ep

208 min

Aug. 18, 2023

Sept. 15, 2023, midnight

Ended