This series about feckless community support officers infiltrating a drug gang is a pitch-perfect, star-packed joy. It spotlights racism while being a brilliantly fresh farce
Between the institutional racism, the institutional misogyny and the institutional homophobia, the Metropolitan police isn’t exactly steeped in hilarity. Can a new sitcom really mine some primetime BBC One belly laughs from the beleaguered institution?
It’s a big ask, but the answer – pretty miraculously – is yes. Black Ops follows two community support officers: the clever but unambitious Dom (Gbemisola Ikumelo) and the naive, uber-religious Kay (Hammed Animashaun). Their jobs are predictable, low-risk and questionnaire-centric – until they’re convinced to infiltrate a local gang as part of an “off the books” undercover operation. From there, Black Ops merges broad comedy with bent copper crime drama to hilarious and nail-biting effect. I won’t give away any of the myriad plot twists, but suffice to say there are some malevolent forces at play in the force itself. Or as Dom economically puts it: “This is some Line of Duty shit!”
Black Ops is on BBC One and iPlayer
