HISTORY in the making

SIR LENNY HENRY on exploring the impact of Caribbean culture in the UK

- IAN MACEWAN

LENNY HENRY'S CARIBBEAN BRITAIN

NEW WED, 9PM, BBC2 FACTUAL (BOX SET, BBC iPLAYER)

Brought up in the West Midlands in a Jamaican household, the young Lenworth Henry was exposed to a mix of British and Caribbean culture that would shape his life and career.

Now, the 63-year-old knight of the realm, who went from doing impressions of Frank Spencer to creating black British and Jamaican comedy characters in his own, long-running BBC1 series, is taking a look at the interaction between these two worlds, from calypso and ska to black theatre, activism and art, for a two-part BBC2 documentary.

Along the way, he'll be talking to some famous faces, including presenter Floella Benjamin, singer Billy Ocean and Reggae Reggae Sauce entrepreneur Levi Roots, who'll share their experiences of life as a black Briton.

Talking to TV Times from a Caribbean restaurant in north London, here, Sir Lenny takes us on a whistle-stop tour around Lenny Henry's Caribbean Britain...

What's your new series about?

This is about Britain from 1957 onwards, and how people coped with diaspora. We've got comedian Judi Love, actress Carmen Munroe, Soul II Soul musician Jazzie B, and everything from grime music to the [70s] TV show Love Thy Neighbour.

It's meant to be an enjoyable two hours of TV - a walk down memory lane, with some history thrown in.

You were the first person in your family to be born in the UK. How Jamaican was your upbringing?

We spoke with the Jamaican dialect in our house, ate Jamaican food, and acted Jamaican. Then, when I was about seven, my mum said, 'Everybody must "hintegrate" [with the British]! Eat their food, watch their TV programmes, listen to their music!'