Issa Rae Goes To Church For ‘The Choir’, Her Latest Web Series

For her newest project, the Awkward Black Girl is stepping behind the camera. Issa Rae is the director in charge of The Choir, a web series about a church musical group that is, to say the least, untraditional.

The Choir lives on Alright TV, a multicultural, faith-friendly YouTube channel that has previously debuted series featuring notable figures like Glozell and Deion Sanders. While many of Alright’s other shows only relate to the church obtusely, The Choir‘s characters make up a young group of performers trying to liven up their congregation. The resulting spectacle is a satirical look at modern black churches.

While Rae has served as executive producer for several interesting series through her personal production company, The Choir is her first writing and directing credit since The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl last aired back in March. Though the characters show a lot of promise, it ultimately feels like a safe, pleasant appetizer as Rae (who previously wrote a TV script for Shonda Rhimes) prepares for an HBO TV series in tandem with Larry Wilmore. Nonetheless, Issa Rae’s ‘safe and pleasant’ is ultimately more enjoyable than many web directors best work.