Synopsis

Wrong Kind of Black, set in the 60s and 70s is based on experiences from the extraordinary life of Boori Monty Pryor, author and storyteller, who grew up in Townsville before moving to Melbourne to pursue modelling and DJing.

Wrong Kind of Black is a 4-part comedy-drama that brings a rare perspective to a tumultuous era in Australia's history.

At the height of the '70s disco inferno, Monty is Melbourne's hottest DJ. Dubbed the "The Black Superman" spinning tunes at the Albion Charles hotel, he and his younger brother Paul rub shoulders with a motley crew of Russian mobsters and Aussie yobbos alike.

The afro and flares seem like worlds away from their childhood on remote Palm Island – but beneath the surface not much has changed. Aboriginal culture is still not welcome in white society, and the price of its preservation can be deadly.

As tensions rise and trouble follows, Monty decides to take his future into his own hands and stand against the tide of Australian racism.

Although Wrong Kind of Black takes us back to the 1960s and 1970s, this personal account is as much the story of Aboriginal Australia today as it was back then. It is a story of extremes – heartbreak and triumph, unconditional love and blind hatred, innocence and wisdom, black and white – told with great humour and an enduring sense of hope.

From the cops and crocs of Queensland, to the disco dance floors of Melbourne, this is a hilarious, inspiring and heart breaking story of an Aboriginal man who stood against the tide of Australian racism, refusing to be labeled 'the wrong kind of black’.

Episode guide

Episode 1: Hedging Your Bets

In the 1970s, DJ Monty and his brother Paul find themselves stuck between a cop and a hard place - and not for the first time.

Episode 2: Lover Not A Fighter

Monty gambles everything and moves to Perth, but it's not the break he thought it was. Now he must fight, though not with his fists.

Episode 3: Trouble Makers

Back in Melbourne, Monty is hailed a 'human rights champion' but his Mum keeps his ego in check and Paul masks his own troubles.

Episode 4: Story Keeper

Monty is left to face his greatest challenge and a trip home takes him in a new direction.