Mission Motherland

Airing on Channel 5, BET docuseries Mission Motherland follows a group of black British celebrities as they travel to the countries their parents emigrated from to reconnect with their roots. These include Radio One broadcaster Clara Amfo, rapper AJ Tracey, and actor Jimmy Akingbola (with the final episode set to feature singer Alesha Dixon). While the series frames itself as a response to the rise of anti-immigration rhetoric within the UK, each episode has very little to do with that topic. Instead, the celebrities revisit family homes, meet distant relatives, and learn a little about their heritage. It’s very familiar territory for the format, but it still makes for an entertaining and informative watch.

Unlike other celebrity travel shows where participants take part in elaborate activities that have been set up by fixers, everything about this docuseries feels as grounded as possible. There are no huge budgets or grand drone shots taking in the scenery here. Instead, episodes predominantly consist of sharing memories within rural villages and hearing stories about parents or grandparents. This small-scale approach to production makes each instalment come across as authentic, as if viewers were strolling down the streets alongside them.

In addition to delivering some genuinely emotional moments, with one touching scene seeing Amfo and her brother going to their father’s grave, there are also some interesting insights to be gleaned. These include hearing the fascinating history behind the steel drums or learning about the traditional Egungun ritual in Nigeria. The first episode likewise touches upon broader social issues as Amfo speaks to activists from Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community alongside those pushing for representation in the media. There’s enough content packed into each episode for it to be its own series. However, these sequences are far too brief, functioning more as broad snapshots than in-depth explorations.

Mission Motherland doesn’t do anything to break the mould. What it is, though, is a light-hearted and engaging docuseries that provides an intimate look into different cultures and the lives of those on camera.