Basically Black
| Company type | Television pilot |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Comedy television program |
Basically Black represents a 1973 Australian TV comedy, distinguished as the inaugural television program authored and developed by Indigenous Australians. It was created as part of a pilot collection titled The Comedy Game.
This standalone 30-minute sketch comedy episode drew inspiration from a satirical political revue originally staged by the National Black Theatre at Sydney's Nimrod Theatre the year before. It aired on 7 July 1973 via ABC Television as one among multiple comedy pilot episodes.
Certain portions of the original script faced censorship by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, leading to what Gary Foley referred to as a "politically watered-down" adaptation compared to the live performance. Despite the pilot's favorable reception, ABC chose not to expand it into a series.