Netflix typically seems to know when it has a hit on its hands, but a new documentary released last week seems to have surprised Netflix and audiences with its breakout performance. The emotional movie debuted on Monday, July 21st, and made waves among fans of music and history online, while racking up some rave reviews from critics. It’s especially impressive at such a busy time for streamers, with summer blockbusters and conventions ruling the news cycle.
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Netflix’s hit new doc is called Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan. It’s about the part this variety show played in the popularity of Motown music, and by extension, the changing attitudes towards Black Americans in the arts and in popular culture. It features interviews with Harry Belafonte, Berry Gordy, and Somkey Robinson, all of whom attest to the way Sullivan and his team used their influence to affect social and artistic growth.
Critics are loving this 90-minute history lesson. The New York Times‘ Lisa Kennedy praised the movie for balancing its entertaining moments with the inevitable heartache of seeing the recent history of racism in the U.S. spelled out so starkly. Mashable‘s Robert Daniels noted that Sunday Best was “politically simple,” choosing to focus on the music itself and let viewers consider the nuance of the social issues for themselves.
The Ed Sullivan Show aired on CBS on Sunday nights from 1948 to 1971, featuring performances by all kinds of musicians, as well as comedians, dancers, circus acts, and even dramatic monologues performed by actors. The format was reminiscent of vaudeville, and many considered it the last living remnant of that medium during its time on TV.
Sunday Best is all about the show’s treatment of Black artists and its impact on pop culture. Sullivan insisted on featuring promising Black artists on his show, and doggedly refused to compromise with sponsors, network executives, and critics watching at home. The result was heartening — despite outspoken bigots, these appearances helped get these artists in front of a national audience, increasing demand for their work and launching careers for acts like The Supremes.
The documentary’s subjects make a compelling case that this nationwide exposure was essential to changing attitudes in the U.S. in the decades that followed. Many critics find this message particularly inspiring in the modern era, reasoning that continued persistent work like this could have a similar impact on today’s viewers.
It’s notable that this documentary hit hard with viewers this week, as CBS has just canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert amid a rising tide of political criticism. The Late Show is recorded in The Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, and some have drawn attention to its history in recent weeks.
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan is streaming now on Netflix.
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