“Brown Sugar,” the documentary series on black...

“Brown Sugar,” the documentary series on black female performers, was a great idea for a show but unfortunately it was way too crowded to give us the necessary details of the fascinating lives covered. Four hours was just not enough time, and the series ended up either glossing over or totally skipping such important figures as Ella Fitzgerald, Ruby Dee, Big Mama Thornton, Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan. Too bad.

Frank Malfitano, Los Angeles