‘Number One On The Call Sheet’ Unpacks The Complex Title In Black Hollywood — Sort Of

The two-part documentary succeeds in exploring the journeys of today’s Black leading men and women but misses the chance to dig deeper into its premise.

In the past decade or so, there have been a handful of documentary iterations that have retraced the rich history of Black Hollywood back and forth and back again.

Whether celebratory or educational, our appetite for these cultural explorations seems insatiable. That’s, in large part, because the enduring impact of Black creativity in entertainment can never be overstated (at least for those who truly appreciate it). So we eagerly devour these expansive, often sprawling offerings, even when they feel familiar.

Films like Elvis Mitchell’s 2022 documentary “Is That Black Enough for You?!?” meticulously recalled the evolution — and revolution — of Black cinema’s landmark eras, while 2024’s “Hollywood Black” looked back at the struggles and triumphs of Black film pioneers, both in front of and behind the camera. And let’s not forget 2020’s “They’ve Gotta Have Us” docuseries, which reexamined a similar cinema legacy with insight from some of our biggest film stars, though with a more scattered focus.

The latter may be what prompted Apple TV+ to rehash the subject once more in “Number One on the Call Sheet,” a two-part documentary exploring the trailblazing roles of leading Black actors and actresses. It premiered on the streamer on Friday.

That, or simply knowing that assembling a roster of over two dozen Black A-listers to relish in their screen careers would generate enough buzz to breathe new life into a well-worn topic, especially when it’s backed by several industry giants. Co-producers for “Black Leading Men in Hollywood” are Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart, while executive producers for “Black Leading Women in Hollywood” include Angela Bassett, Whoopi Goldberg, Viola Davis and Halle Berry. All of them also contribute interviews.