I Didn’t Expect to Cry Watching This Netflix Doc About Ed Sullivan—But I Did (And You Probably Will Too)

Sunday Best delves into some of those moments, while also giving you some background on Sullivan’s early years and career as a sports journalist, how he developed his show into becoming the platform it did and the many trials and tribulations he faced along the way, including dealing with the criticism he received from showcasing Black artists during a tense time of segregation and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

From the beginning, the documentary is packed with archival footage in the highest quality it's ever been seen in. Within the first 20 or so minutes, you get a recap of Sullivan’s professional start as a young sportswriter, when he criticized N.Y.U.’s football program for benching a Black player when the University of Georgia came to town. Of the experience, Sullivan is heard telling David Frost in an interview, “My parents knew these things were wrong … it wasn’t broad-minded, it was just sensible.”

That attitude was one the legendary host kept throughout his entire career, extending fairness and kindness to everybody. Additional gems include interviews conducted with Smokey Robinson and Harry Belafonte before his passing in 2023, alongside an interview conducted with Jackie and Tito Jackson before the latter’s passing in late 2024, as they recalled The Jackson 5’s first time performing on the show. You also see black and white clips of The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Elvis performing for the first time, and all of it is enough to make you tear up while also making you smile over the historic nature of it all as you bop to all the classic tunes.

Everybody was a newcomer within their respective careers, including Sullivan himself, who, during his very first broadcast, was so bad his family had to quit reading the newspaper because of all the criticism he was receiving. With a runtime of just over one hour, Sunday Best isn’t too much of a time commitment, and there are so many wonderful gems to enjoy. Or as Robinson says it best, “Music is the international language. It’s the barrier breaker.” I just wish Jenkins had been able to see the final cut of the masterpiece he put together.

Update: I received word that, thankfully, Jenkins did, indeed, get to see a final version of the documentary, and was very excited about it coming to Netflix.

You can stream Sunday Best on Netflix now.

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