Starting with early pioneers such as Charlie Williams and Josh White, black men who braved the tough northern men's working clubs in the 1960s and 70s, the show also marks the start of Lenny Henry's own career.

The show acknowledges the undeniable influence of the African-American cabaret club circuit as a training ground for a host of black comedians including the great Richard Pryor.

Buoyed by the work of Pryor and Eddie Murphy in the 1980s, a new generation of British comedians including Curtis Walker, Angie Le Mar and Stephen K. Amos started to emerge. By the start of the millennium, black and Asian comedians were commonplace.

There are also contributions from Shazia Mirza, Shappi Khorsandi and Gina Yashere on the challenges of being a woman of colour in stand-up.