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[Mesousa]

I think House of Payne, which came out in the 00's, is the longest running black sitcom by episodes. Its garbage, but honestly most sitcoms are.

 

[tkscz]

There's no reason they can't all co-exist. I understand the appeal of a tv show that resonates with your lifestyle or upbringing.

That's what I was getting at.

It's first few seasons are really good. Really good. Perfect blend of positive messages and humor.

The later seasons went a little dumb with the humor, though. I believe it started in the season that Franklin was introduced.

How many seasons of this show exist? I only started watching it during it's re-runs.

 

[ChaosZeroX]

Fun fact the girl that played his daughter was actually Eastern European

Didn't know that lol

Shes fine as hell too though.

Pic of her all grown up.

 

[kirblar]

Demographic targeting.

Yup.

 

[Bgamer90]

Reality shows took over.

Blackish (though I still don't really like the name of the show) is great though. This decade's Fresh Prince in my opinion.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

That is an interesting thing to think about.

 

[Bleepey]

It's not that they're "not black", but that the premises are universal and you don't feel they target specifically black people.

For example, Fresh Prince did have episodes where racial issues were explored (the episode in which Carlton didn't realize he was being racially profiled is one of the best episodes in the show to me), but in the end it was a fish out of water story of a poor dude from the hood moving with his rich relatives, which for me was easier to relate to than average white families on tv with white people problems.

Get what im saying? Not saying it's not legit Black entertainment, im saying is very universal AND it featured a black cast as the protagonists.

Did anyone else find it interesting that there was never an episode on interracial dating? And i mean between either Carlton/Will and a non black girl. There was an episode with an aunt bringing a white guy back.

 

[kirblar]

seems like there's a lot more diversity on now with stuff like

Masters of None
Angie Tribeca
Black-ish
Fresh off the Boat
Jane the Virgin
Dr Ken
Mindy Project

there are a TON of Disney/Nick shows like Victorious, Pair of Kings, Austin & Alley, etc that are all diverse casts.

and of course when you factor in drama it explodes dramatically. The list you gave also covered like a decade, i'm sure if you did that for 2010-now the list would be even bigger.

In the 90s a show basically was all white, had a token black actor, or was all black. Now you see really diverse casts in pretty much every new show, barring period comedies like Goldbergs.

ABC deliberately made a push to course correct here and being back these mass audience shows w/ minority leads that had gone away. (We can probably thank Shonda Rhimes for that.) Demographic targeting led to mass-audience shows being removed in place of shows targeted very specifically at audience subsets. Previously, you'd have a show like Fresh Prince aimed at everyone (but which happens to have black people starring), but w/ the targeting, suddenly, you get White People Shows Starring White People and Black People Shows Starring Black People, and the mass-audience shows cease to exist.

 

[PadWarrior]

Speaking of fresh prince, one of the most powerful episodes I remember was when his dad showed up only to leave again at the end.

 

[tkscz]

Did anyone else find it interesting that there was never an episode on interracial dating? And i mean between either Carlton/Will and a non black girl. There was an episode with an aunt bringing a white guy back.

Wait, I thought there was an episode where Hillary was dating a white guy.

Speaking of fresh prince, one of the most powerful episodes I remember was when his dad showed up only to leave again at the end.

Speaking of this, the internet spread that the ending was Will crying about his actual father leaving him, that was not true. Will's dad had and still is a big part of his life.

 

[MrCunningham]

Sitcoms in themselves have dwindled in numbers due to a shift in the demographic. Seriously, I can't even name as many sitcoms as you just listed in general, let alone black based ones.

Yeah, the classic sitcom format is more or less dead for the most part. It died out for reality TV shows in the 00's and now reality TV shows have been replaced by higher budget drama and off beat comedies (at least for American TV).

 

[Vice]

Did anyone else find it interesting that there was never an episode on interracial dating? And i mean between either Carlton/Will and a non black girl. There was an episode with an aunt bringing a white guy back.

Black men dating white women in TV/Film was super taboo until pretty recently.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Black sitcoms got way too monotone. I believe things like Girlfriends, Wayans Bros, and Living Single were the best Black sitcoms because they weren't trying to force the "We're a Black Family and you should be too" thing.

Doesn't help that so many Black sitcom after Girlfriends ended decided to go back and try to model themselves after The Cosby Show.

 

[Two Words]

Wait, I thought there was an episode where Hillary was dating a white guy.

I think she was engaged to a guy that looked possibly half-black half-white. But he did look pretty white.

 

[Ovid]

The networks build their brands (and coolness) by putting out quality black programming. When they eventually build their base, they cut them loose.

Happened with FOX, WB and UPN. Basically all of the shows you mentioned where on those channels lol.

Martin is my favorite but it was only good until Season 3. Shit went downhill after that. Obviously I didn't realize that back then.

 

[Sou Da]

Half and Half had me sprung for Rachel True.

 

[Sapiens]

It peaked at Homeboys in Space.

 

[Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!]

Larry David lived with a (the) black family for one season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

 

[Trojita]

It is weird that after the 90s diversity just went to shit on tv. Even in the 90s Nick had black sitcoms Kenan and Kel, my cousin skeeter, etc

My Brother and Me!

Goo Punch!

 

[hbkdx12]

Speaking of fresh prince, one of the most powerful episodes I remember was when his dad showed up only to leave again at the end.

You aint seen fresh prince if you haven't seen that episode.

I don't think there's anyone who doesn't remember that episode.

 

[teruterubozu]

Sitcoms in general have largely decreased.

Yup. Plus they're so bad today that networks have to tell you the shows are funny with terrible network slogans like "ABC Funny" or "TBS, Very Funny."

 

[Two Words]

Wait, I thought there was an episode where Hillary was dating a white guy.



Speaking of this, the internet spread that the ending was Will crying about his actual father leaving him, that was not true. Will's dad had and still is a big part of his life.

That is a really gross thing to spread around. I'm sure people ate it up, too.

 

[Slayven]

My Brother and Me!

Goo Punch!

Damn I was trying to remember My Brother and ME

 

[Goro Majima]

Sitcoms have been replaced by cop dramas and music contests.

 

[cirrhosis]

UPN had the best black sitcoms in the late 90s

give me more stuff out of left field like "Homeboys from Outer Space" and "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer"

they were straight up bad but i loved watching them

 

[Ovid]

seems like there's a lot more diversity on now with stuff like

Masters of None
Angie Tribeca
Black-ish
Fresh off the Boat
Jane the Virgin
Dr Ken
Mindy Project

there are a TON of Disney/Nick shows like Victorious, Pair of Kings, Austin & Alley, etc that are all diverse casts.

and of course when you factor in drama it explodes dramatically. The list you gave also covered like a decade, i'm sure if you did that for 2010-now the list would be even bigger.

In the 90s a show basically was all white, had a token black actor, or was all black. Now you see really diverse casts in pretty much every new show, barring period comedies like Goldbergs.

I always wonder what if Scandal and Empire didn't blow up? Would there be as much diversity on those channels?

I'll give ABC credit though, casting Eva Longoria in Desperate Housewives really helped jump start their minority casting. Ugly Betty was another one.

UPN had the best black sitcoms in the late 90s

give me more stuff out of left field like "Homeboys from Outer Space" and "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer"

they were straight up bad but i loved watching them

I really liked The Parkers when it was syndication. During it's first run, I thought it was garbage.

I admit that I didn't give it a chance.

Sitcoms have been replaced by cop dramas and music contests.

Reality television and shows like X-Factor are cheaper to produce. They also draw a larger audience.

 

[Alex_Mexico]

Back when I was a 10 year old in elementary I didn't miss an episode of Fresh Prince. Oh my goodness was that show so fucking good. It barely registered to me they were all black. And I was a young kid in Mexico with no preconceived notions of anything and evidently that show was a huge hit. The thought that "it won't sell because it doesn't star a white man" was a self fulfilling prophecy, wasnt it?

 

[UnemployedVillain]

because yall abandoned Brandy in favor of trash.


buy "Two Eleven" on iTunes to repent and maybe she'll bestow upon us an entirely new golden era of black sitcoms.

Moesha had run its course tho

 

[Zoe]

Wait, I thought there was an episode where Hillary was dating a white guy.

That was one of the aunts. After the huge deal was made out of it, I think it was revealed that they broke up with a throwaway line later on.

I think she was engaged to a guy that looked possibly half-black half-white. But he did look pretty white.

I don't think Trevor was intended to be any more white than Hilary.

 

[Two Words]

That was one of the aunts. After the huge deal was made out of it, I think it was revealed that they broke up with a throwaway line later on.



I don't think Trevor was intended to be any more white than Hilary.

Well, he looked mixed. I don't know if the actress that plays Hilary is mixed, but Hilary isn't supposed to be mixed.

 

[theusedversion]

One on One was so good. I would pay good money to get this series on Blu Ray.
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0284770/

 

[JAV Actress]

Sitcoms are somewhat dead outside of Big Bang and uhhhh mike and Molly? Lmfao. It has very little to do with race and more to do with what's hip. Honestly I hate forced laughter bullshit so good riddance.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

It is weird that after the 90s diversity just went to shit on tv. Even in the 90s Nick had black sitcoms Kenan and Kel, my cousin skeeter, etc

Makes you wonder how The Proud Family got past the idea phase.

 

[Parallax]

the wb built its foundation on a bunch of them and seemingly dropped them all at once

 

[Cipherr]

The networks build their brands (and coolness) by putting out quality black programming. When they eventually build their base, they cut them loose.

Happened with FOX, WB and UPN. Basically all of the shows you mentioned where on those channels lol.

Martin is my favorite but it was only good until Season 3. Shit went downhill after that. Obviously I didn't realize that back then.

This. I mean it happened to most of the channels those shows were on. UPN got popular on a lot of those shows then they were bought out or merged with someone and the rate at which they jettisoned ALL the black shows was pretty fucking fast. I mean DAMN.

 

[BattleMonkey]

Homeboys in Outerspace was the GOAT

 

[Enzom21]

That was one of the aunts. After the huge deal was made out of it, I think it was revealed that they broke up with a throwaway line later on.

Yeah the first actor was this guy:

Then he was this guy:

Foreshadowing of what would happen to Aunt Viv.

 

[Tuck]

Man Smart Guy was awesome.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

George Lopez' show was underrated. Hilarious and it went a lot of places other sitcoms would never dare, specifically George's relationship with his mother. The wife was BANGING too. I think it suffered because it came on at the end of the era of the mainstream family sitcom. It would kill now that the genre has returned.

Also, holy shit George Lopez had an amazing head of hair.

That was one of the aunts. After the huge deal was made out of it, I think it was revealed that they broke up with a throwaway line later on.

Nope they stayed married and even had a baby. You just never saw that aunt again.

 

[King Tubby]

I used to watch Family Matters, Fresh Prince, Jamie Foxx, and Wayans Bros. growing up, but nowadays I don't even know anybody who watches any broadcast TV.

 

[AbortedWalrusFetus]

On the bright side Blackish is a good show.

 

[davepoobond]

for the general public, there are better things to watch on TV than sitcoms. everything is about long, twisting Game of Thrones/House of Cards-type storylines.

 

[Namikaze]

There was one of them on Nick/TBS pretty recently called Instant Mom iirc. It's cancelled now though.

 

[Kickz]

One on One was so good. I would pay good money to get this series on Blu Ray.
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0284770/

Was trying to remember this one, this was my jam in juniorhigh/highschool

 

[dlauv]

Steve Harvey, Fresh Prince, and Family Matters are all top tier.

Everybody Hates Chris wasn't that good.

I think sitcoms just mostly suck now so they're in smaller numbers. They're like bad adult cartoons rather than "For All Ages."

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Sitcoms disappeared similar to how music on MTV disappeared: you're no longer their audience.

 

[Rapscallion]

I think it has to do with the rise of cable/satellite being the dominant way viewers get their television. TV can now be segmented because there's channels catering to a specific audience and if a show doesn't appeal to a specific audience they can then change to one of the other 500 channels and see something that does.

It has its pros and cons, with the major negative being that viewers are not getting a true representation of American culture because they're selecting out the stories and perspectives they don't want to see. It's the same thing we're seeing with news channels catering to specific ideologies that only breed ignorance of the other side.

 

[Instro]

UPN got shut down.

 

[Walpurgis]

TV has definitely whitened over the years. I can't imagine The Proud Family airing today. It would be seen as a black show instead of the kid's show that people saw before.

My Wife and Kids was a thing...

But yeah, reality shows hit sitcoms pretty hard.

I still can't forget how they randomly switched the actress of the daughter and acted like nothing happened.

 

[hypernima]

It peaked at Homeboys in Space.

Im due for a rewatch of this UPN classic.