Top 10 Black Sitcoms of All Time

Are Black sitcoms on the verge of extinction?

Movieline.com recently published an intriguing article on its Web site titled "Who is Killing the African-American Sitcom?," suggesting if conditions don't change drastically in the television industry their days are numbered.

Only two Black sitcoms, Brothers and the animated series The Cleveland Show, are airing this fall on the four major TV networks, ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX.

That's right, two.

Though the mid-'70s through '80s represented the Golden Era of Black sitcoms, it was only five years ago the future of the shows seemed promising with quality programs like All of Us, Girlfriends, My Wife & Kids, and Everybody Hates Chris.

While some TV critics blame the swift decline of Black sitcoms on networks like the CW, others point the finger at us -- the viewers -- for not tuning into the good ones religiously when they aired.

Whatever the case, I dearly miss the good old-fashioned Black sitcom. So without further ado, here's my list of the Top 10 Black sitcoms of all time.

10). The Bernie Mac Show (2001-2006). This is the only Black sitcom from the 2000s to make my Top 10 list. Loudmouth comedian Bernie Mac talked tough, but he was a caring, devoted fill-in father for his sister's three kids: Vanessa (Camille Winbush), Jordan (Jeremy Suarez) and Bryana (Dee Dee Davis). Bernie Mac, 44-years-old at the time, was long overdue to have his name attached to a show and took full advantage of the opportunity. The show's unconventional humor, like him talking directly into the camera at the audience, made moments even more entertaining to watch.

9). Family Matters (1989-1998). Nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) gets most of the pub nowadays when remembering the hit television series. However, parents Harriette (Jo Marie Payton) and Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson) and the older kids Eddie (Darius McCrary) and Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) naturally did their part also to depict everyday stories that all American families could relate to, not just Black ones. The show ran remarkably for nine seasons.

8). Living Single (1993-1998). Sexy. Smart. Funny. Producer Yvette Lee Bowser took a different angle than the family-centered sitcom by focusing on four single women and two single guys bonding in New York City. It's now hard to image any other women portraying the diverse roles as perfectly as Queen Latifah (Khadijah), Kim Coles (Synclaire), Ericka Alexander (Maxine) and Kim Fields (Regina). The widely-popular show put Black women in a much needed positive light on television but was unfortunately canceled after five seasons.

7). The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996). Not many thought the show would last six episodes let alone six seasons on television. The premise was a street -smart kid, rapper Will Smith, of Philadelphia, Pa., moving to Bel-Air, Calif., with his rich relatives, the Banks family. It sounded like a mess, but it worked. From the giddy up, Will Smith showed that "it" factor for the camera, and the sitcom's supporting cast featuring James Avery (Philip), Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton) and Tatyana Ali (Ashley) smoothed out the rough spots.

6). Diff'erent Strokes (1978-1985). Arnold Jackson (Gary Coleman) may perhaps be the funniest kid ever portrayed on any sitcom. "What'choo you talkin' bout, Willis?" to his older brother Todd Bridges (Willis Jackson) put TV viewers in stitches during the early '80s as well as today in reruns. The sitcom touched on serious issues, too, most noticeably Black kids being reared in a White household and widower Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) parenting Arnold, Willis and Kimberly (Dana Plato) on his own for most of the series.

5). Sanford & Son (1971-1977). Fred (Redd Foxx) and his loyal son, Lamont Sanford (Demond Wilson), were the stars of the hilarious '70s sitcom, but it was the supporting cast that made it a Top 5 Black sitcom on my list. It would be hard to name another television program with the quantity and quality of everyday sidekicks who frequented the Sanford home. Endearing characters like Bubba (Don Bexley), Grady (Whitman Mayo), Officer Hoppy (Howard Platt) and Aunt Ester (LaWanda Page) added that extra kick for viewers to tune into it every week.

4). Good Times (1974-1979). The Evanses were one of the closest-knit families in television history. Although members Florida (Esther Rolle), James (John Amos), J.J. (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) and Michael (Ralph Carter) didn't have much, they had each other. The writers oftentimes touched on relevant, social issues during shows, coinciding with the times. The charismatic J.J. was the fan favorite, but the sitcom lost plenty steam when the father James departed after Season 4. When the Evans family was fully intact, Good Times could tangle with the best of them.

3). Martin (1992-1997). Unlike Different Strokes and Good Times, little social commentary can be found on the '90s hit program. This was straight up raw comedy from start to finish. Martin may be the funniest show on my Top 10 Black sitcoms of all-time list. Comedian Martin Lawrence did what he does best, making folks laugh. He not only portrayed the foolish Martin Payne, but also clowns like Shenenah, Old Otis and Jerome. Martin was the man, but you can't sleep on what the sitcom's co-stars Tisha Campbell (Gina), Tichina Arnold (Pam), Carl Anthony Payne II (Cole) and Thomas Mikal Ford (Tommy) brought to the stage.

2). The Jeffersons (1975-1985). A direct spin-off of the classic series All in the Family, The Jeffersons was the longest-running (11 seasons) Black sitcom ever on television. Despite pleas from his sensible wife, Louise (Isabel Sanford), there was no stopping George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) and his outrageous antics. George tussled with everyone in his way: his maid, Florence (Marla Gibbs), friends Helen (Roxie Roker) and Tom Willis (Franklin Cover), as well as his enemies. At times controversial, the show confronted bigotry and racism head on, including the interracial marriage of Helen and Tom. The in-your-face approach of the highly-rated show is what possibly made it so appealing to all for so many seasons.

1). Cosby Show (1984-1992). Was there any doubt? Despite the love shown to the other Black sitcoms on my Top 10 list, none can measure up to the entertainment value and ultimate success of the Cosby Show. The series had a specific direction from Day 1.The show's executive producers, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner, wanted to introduce American television viewers to something foreign at that time -- a high-middle class Black family. Enter Heathcliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) and his charming family of Clair (Phylicia Rashad), Sondra (Sabrina La Beauf), Denise (Lisa Bonet), Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam). Some Blacks questioned the show's authenticity, claiming they didn't know any families like the Huxtables. Well that was the point: Blacks, particularly younger viewers, needed to clearly see and know Black families like them absolutely did exist in our country.

If you enjoyed this, please check out:
My Best and Worst Black TV Talk Shows of All Time
My Top 10 Philadelphia Rappers of All Time
My Top 10 Songs by Will Smith

Sources of Top 10 Black sitcoms of all time

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bernie_Mac_Show, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Matters, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Single, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_prince_of_bel_air, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diff%27rent_Strokes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanford_and_son, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Times, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_(TV_series), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jeffersons, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosby_Show