Admit it: when I say documentary, you assume you’re in for a world of misery, murder and general despair. Not so, though, with the BBC’s new series, which aims to shine a bright and shining light on Africa, home to the youngest and most culturally diverse population on the planet.

Under the careful guidance of Afua Hirsch, we join the journalist and broadcaster on a journey across the continent as she sets out to meet some of the young creatives responsible for its boom.

“This is an Africa we don’t usually see,” she promises. “An Africa on its own terms – and in full voice.”

The resulting series is that rare thing: a documentary that is somehow simultaneously joyful and compelling.

Watch the trailer for Africa Rising With Afua Hirsch below:

Africa Rising With Afua Hirsch: this new BBC documentary promises to show us a very different side of Africa