My All-Time Favorite African American Sitcoms

Back in the day, television was the only thing that seemed to interest me. Movies and classic sitcoms were the only thing that kept me from going completely nuts. Some of my favorite TV shows with memorable characters are long gone, but the memories and the constant laughter they brought will never be forgotten. Here are some of my favorite African American Sitcoms of all-time.

Sanford & Son
Red Foxx will always be remembered as one of the greatest comedians of all-time, but he gained his notoriety from the hit 70's sitcom Sanford & Son. The hit show was before my time, but I was still able to enjoy the character Fred G. Sanford clash with his son Lamont, Aunt Esther, Bubba, and Julio. Fans of this show are familiar with phrases like "Watch it Sucka" and "You Big Dummy".

Good Times
In my honest opinion, Good Times was blaxploitation at it's finest. It seemed to me that the creators of this show tried to portray the way all black people lived, in the "hood", broke, and always kept down. However, there were many life lessons that could be found in this sitcom like family unity and perseverance regardless of the obstacles. It also helped that J.J. was as funny and entertaining as he was. DYNOMITE! Oh, I had a crush on Thelma too.

Martin
When Martin Lawrence's hit show first aired on Fox in the early 90s, it brought back the type of comedy that was missing since the shows in the 70's and the early 80's. Just about every episode of Martin is hilarious. All the characters he portrayed could have a sitcom of their own. Jerome, Martin's Mother, Sheneneh, Otis, and Dragonfly Jones were my favorite. Supporting characters like Tommy, Cole, and Pam were only a plus to an already classic sitcom.

The Cosby Show
Over the years, I've heard a lot of black people voice criticism towards the show, stating that the show wasn't believable because black families didn't act like that. Are you kidding me? So, I guess that a black family should be dysfunctional with the daddy missing while momma tries to support five kids with welfare checks and food stamps.

The Cosby Show is exactly what black people needed to see during the 80s. While the media continuously portrayed African American families as a lost cause, the Cosby Show showed the world that there are close-knit black families with both parents involved in their children's lives. Besides, Bill Cosby was an absolute riot. Hilarious.

A Different World
The Spin-off to the Cosby Show didn't seem like much when it first hit the screen in 1987. As the show progressed, it became a hit with stars like Dwayne Wayne, Ron Johnson, Whitney Gilbert, and Freddy Brooks. The Show attacked many topics that other shows were afraid to address at that time like racism, sexual harassment, and the gulf war. In my opinion, the connection between Whitley and Dwayne is what kept the show so popular. Ron Johnson and Freddy Brooks kept me laughing throughout the years.

The Jefferson's
The Jefferson's was the first show that I remembered based on a successful black business man and his family. George Jefferson played by Sherman Hemsley, kept folks laughing with his strutting and curt attitude. It was good entertainment. Louise (Weesey's) voice annoyed me, while Florence rebellious attitude towards George made for great T.V.

What's Happening
Raj, Rerun, and Dwayne were as tight as friends could be on the hit sitcom "What's Happening". Raj's baby sister Dee's sarcasm would take over the show at times. Shirley was my favorite, tough, sassy, and rude. What's Happening used to come on at 5pm everyday (forgive me, I don't remember the network) and I made sure I was in front of the T.V. after school, "Hey, Hey, Hey".

Family Matters
I don't know too many people who didn't watch Family Matters when they were young. It was one of those refreshing sitcoms that you could watch over and over again and never get tired of it. Jaleel White would transform into the nerdy Steve Urkel who harassed his neighbors, the Winslows.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Young rapper Will Smith broke into the show business with the hit NBC sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Will plays an energetic and charismatic teenager who always seems to get in a situation to big for him. He also loves to crack jokes on his uncle Phil about his weight and his cousin Carlton about his height. I still laugh at every repeat episode as much as I did back in the day.