The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Senna, Danzy. Colored Television. Riverhead Books, 2024.

Danzy Senna's novel Colored Television is written from the third-person limited point of view and primarily set in Los Angeles, California. The novel traces the life of struggling writer Jane Gibson as she tries to prove herself to be a successful novelist with the ability to secure financial stability for her family. This guide relies on the present tense and a linear mode of explanation for the sake of clarity.

Jane Gibson is living in LA with her husband Lenny and two children Ruby and Finn. When her friend from graduate school, Brett, goes to Australia for work, Jane agrees to house-sit for him. She and Lenny are both struggling artists and cannot afford a home of their own. Living at Brett's palatial residence is an ideal arrangement. Jane is also thrilled she can use Brett's private office to finish her second novel while on sabbatical from the university where she teaches. Once she finishes, she will get tenure and make more money. She and Lenny will put a down payment on a house in a nice neighborhood.

Jane works tirelessly on her novel. It is a book about biracial, or mulatto individuals throughout American history. She has been working on it for nearly a decade. Finally, one night, she finishes the project. Feeling hopeful, she sends it off to her agent Honor. Honor swiftly sends it to Jane's editor Josiah.

Proud and delighted, Jane starts celebrating the success of her second book prematurely. She and Lenny drink wine and have sex. She throws an extravagant birthday party for Ruby, buys her an expensive doll, and takes the family to an open house in the coveted Multicultural Mayberry neighborhood. Shortly thereafter, however, Jane hears from Honor that she and Josiah cannot publish Jane's book.

A devastated Jane shoves her manuscript in Brett's desk, vowing never to write again. She sees Brett's television agent Marianne's card on the desk. Panicked and desperate, Jane reaches out to Marianne inquiring about screenwriting opportunities.

Marianne puts Jane in touch with a television bigwig Hampton Ford. Jane and Hampton start working on a prospective comedy about a mulatto family. Jane does not believe in the idea but hopes she can at least make some money off the project. Meanwhile, she lies to Lenny about what she is doing. She says she is only spending so much time in Hollywood to perform research for her novel, which Honor now believes in again.

Over time, Hampton becomes frustrated with Jane for failing to come up with better ideas for the show. He stops by Brett's house to scold her one day. There he finds her manuscript and begins reading. Jane allows him to take the draft, read it, and give her notes. Weeks pass with no word from Hampton. In the meantime, Brett returns home and Jane and her family are forced to move into a retirement community. Then one day, Brett calls her over to see a screenplay he is editing which reminds him of her unpublished novel.

A horrified Jane discovers that Hampton used her manuscript to write a new show called Swirl. She shows the draft to Lenny and tells him everything. She swears she will sue Hampton, but her lawyer informs her she will never be able to take down someone as influential as Hampton. Jane admits defeat and ends up watching Hampton's show. Meanwhile, she hopes that in a few years she will write a new novel and buy a house for her family.