Described as a comedy drama,[1] the series is based on Pryor's life and experiences growing up in northern Melbourne in the 1960s and 1970s,[2] far away both literally and figuratively from his childhood on Palm Island.
[5] It is directed by Catriona McKenzie,[3][5] produced by Melanie Brunt, Kelly West and Andrea Denholm, and made by Princess Pictures.
[5] There is comedy, drama, tragedy, music and 1970s fashion and disco life in the film, but its underlying theme is political, showing the extent of overt racism in Australia at the time.
[5][9] The Wrong Kind of Black was first shown to a live audience as part of "Series Mania Melbourne" at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) on 19 July 2018, premiered on 5 August on ABC iview as a four-part series, and was shown as a one-hour telemovie on ABC Television that same evening.
[4] All episodes were released on 5 August 2020, and were named as follows:[6] The series received accolades in The Guardian for its sense of humour, handling of issues surrounding racial violence, and scripting.