Top 10 Black Sitcoms
Everybody reading this post is a fan of at least one black sitcom. That's just being modest. I don't care how young you were or if you were too poor to keep your cable on, you were still gettin' it poppin' with the black entertainment. I'm not going to go into TOO much detail, because I simply don't feel like it. I will, however, give you brief and adequate explanations for each. With that being said, let's get into the list.
10. The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is one of the most classic black sitcoms of all time. It paved the way for many of the other black sitcoms we have watched, and still watch today. Truth is, though....it wasn't really all that. I don't know about you all, but sitting through a Cosby Show Marathon would be the equivalent of listening to a Curren$y mixtape. I wouldn't make it through. With all due respect to Mr. Cosby, I don't find him to be that funny. He out here making all those noises with his mouth like he's from Ethiopia. That might have been funny in the 1800s, but not now, pimp. I do respect him for being able to generate laughs cleanly, though. Also, I respect this show because Bill would get his messages through to his kids without having to beat them. He showed an effective way of teaching the right principles to your kids (even though it's just television). Finally, you see how Rudy looks now?
9. The Jamie Foxx Show
I never understood why their studio audience treated Jamie like a special guest every time he walked out of that elevator. Let that man breathe. Man had to stand there and move back and forth for 30 minutes until the audience got done screaming. Nevertheless, The Jamie Foxx Show was one of my favorite black sitcoms. All of the characters have their own unique character that contributes to the story line (of course), and Fancy made the show even more worth watching. My mom wasted so much money on Aloe Vera hand lotion because of her. Anyway, what also made the show more intriguing were the numerous and prolific special guests he had on the show, from Gary Payton, to Ice Cube, to the late Gerald Levert. They also played pivotal roles in the episodes. However, what made the show most intriguing was Jamie's North African thirst for Fancy. Bruh really did get curved EVERY episode. In the end, we all know where that got him.
8. Everybody Hates Chris
I honestly don't even know what made this show so good. It was just good anyway. Chris Rock used this show to tell the story of his life in a way that lot of people could relate. From him getting beat up by a fat ginger, to his brother being a better human being than him, Chris lived that struggle life. He could never win. Maybe that's what made the show so interesting. Black people love to see each other struggle. I kid, but Chris Rock really did a good job of making his struggle funny. I'll give him that. Nowadays, you can find Tyler James Christopher (I believe that's his name) rapping on Disney Channel. LMAOOO!
7. A Different World
A Different World is somewhat of a spin-off from The Cosby Show, so it's automatically good by default. It's just more entertaining, by far. To me, however, A Different World was better as the years passed than it was in '87 and '88. For instance, Jada Pinkett (Lena) was a better character than Lisa Bonet (Denise Huxtable). I don't care what you think. A Different World was a show that was not only entertaining, but attacked socio-cultural issues as it was one the first shows of all time to address HIV and AIDS. Respect. The special guests in this show made the show all the better. They had some of the most prolific guests in black television: Tupac, Whoopi Goldberg, Heavy D, En Vogue, Halle Berry, and many more. Who didn't enjoy watching Tupac come onto the show and scrub the dance floor with Lena's boyfriend? Come on, son.
6. My Wife and Kids
The Wayans family may not be composed of the best comedians, but they make damn good sitcoms. My Wife and Kids was a showed a black man living a nice lifestyle, while raising his 3 kids right. On top of that, the parents were together. I'm just going to leave that one in the air. Annnnywho (pun intended), this show is perfect for the family, and good laughs can be brought from this show. It's as simple as that.
5. The Wayans Bros.
The Wayans Bros. is kind of my favorite sitcom on this list. I grew up watching it and had died laughing at stuff on here that I wasn't supposed to even know about at that age. However, I can't put this at the top the list. The story lines were somewhere in the range of sub par to trash. How come we never saw Shawn and Marlon's mom, yo? Now I gotta assume that their mom and Big Shirley are the same person. Also, Shawn's dry humor wasn't good enough for black people. EYE though Shawn was funny, but the rest of the black community thought he was maaaad corny. I will say he's the corniest in the Wayan's family though. Regardless, the show overall was funny as hell. I was ecstatic when they got rid of that token white lady security guard as a character. Dee added flavor to the show. This show was one of a kind, yo.
4. Sanford and Son
Without question, Sanford and Son is one of the best sitcoms of all time. Some call it overrated. Some are stupid. Redd Foxx alone was one of the best comedians in that era, then they gave him a television show. Imagine Kevin Hart with his own show (or whoever else you think is a drop-dead funny comedian). We all remembered Redd Foxx on this show for his near-death experiences where he would hold his chest and say something stupid. That's timeless. This show is nothing short of classic.
3. Martin
Laughs. Laughs. Laughs. Laughs. That's all you're going to get from this show. There is nothing not funny about this show. Humor alone puts this show in the top 3 sitcoms of all time. It had a bit of story line to it also, with Gina and Martin's relationship. We also had the mystery of who the hell Big Shirley was. We got to see Pam and Martin flame each other with jokes every episode. Tommy was living on unemployment checks, and Cole....just Cole. What's not to like about this show. If you didn't like Martin, you're sense of humor is trash and you are a boring human being. I kid, somewhat.
2. Good Times
This really goes without saying. This really could be number 1, but number 1 is number 1, so no. The only downside about this show is that it makes you feel poorer than you are. When I moved into the suburbs in middle school, I felt like I already won life. Good times. Anyway, I think I laughed at this show for different reasons than everyone else. I laughed at how they made black people look. Just look at JJ. Look at em'. On top of that, they made him look mad goofy and coonish in the show. (lmao @ how coonish is actually a word and my computer didn't correct me). Look at Florida's neck (oh my bad...). They had the dad throwing chairs at the wall. Come on, son. But Thelma though. Regardless of how they made us look, this show, as a whole, was timeless. We can sit here 30 years later with a completely different sense of humor and still get good laughs. This is one of the greatest sitcoms ever.
1. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Speaking of greatest sitcom ever, did you really come on this list expecting this to NOT be number one? That's just foolish, pimp. This is the all-around best black sitcom of all time. It's even up there when you mention sitcoms period. Fresh Prince > Friends. This show made you die of laughter, it was family friendly, great story lines, not JUST humor (Will's dad), and they even broke the fourth wall from time to time. The only flaw in this show was the Aunt Viv switch. That was childish, bruh. The pain from that switch can still be felt today. I was spiteful and chose the picture above with the dark-skinned Aunt Viv. Let me get out of my feelings though. Anyway, if I went into deep detail, I would have enough writing for an equally long blog post as this one. Just know that this show is G.O.A.T. Will getting beat out of Philly was the best thing to ever happen to us.
Didn't make the cut.
The Parkers: This show was mad corny. Simple and plain. The best part of this series was the final few episodes when Nikki had to make her decision. To top this off, Lil Zane was a special guest. Case closed.
One on One: I liked One on One, but I had to be real with myself and admit that it was corny. It was cheesy and we're all tired of that "Daddy's little girl" gimmick, too. When Kyla (I forgot her character's name) moved out, it just got worse.
Hanging With Mr. Cooper: It's simply not better than the top 10.
Living Single: Came very close to making the list, I must admit.
The Jeffersons: This is actually interchangeable with The Cosby Show. I battled with myself on which one I would put on the list.
The Parenthood: Laaaaaaaame.
If there is a show I'm missing, let me know in the comment box below. Follow the L!ve Li Li page on Twitter @LiveLiLiBlog
-@CjayTheGreat.
10. The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is one of the most classic black sitcoms of all time. It paved the way for many of the other black sitcoms we have watched, and still watch today. Truth is, though....it wasn't really all that. I don't know about you all, but sitting through a Cosby Show Marathon would be the equivalent of listening to a Curren$y mixtape. I wouldn't make it through. With all due respect to Mr. Cosby, I don't find him to be that funny. He out here making all those noises with his mouth like he's from Ethiopia. That might have been funny in the 1800s, but not now, pimp. I do respect him for being able to generate laughs cleanly, though. Also, I respect this show because Bill would get his messages through to his kids without having to beat them. He showed an effective way of teaching the right principles to your kids (even though it's just television). Finally, you see how Rudy looks now?9. The Jamie Foxx Show
I never understood why their studio audience treated Jamie like a special guest every time he walked out of that elevator. Let that man breathe. Man had to stand there and move back and forth for 30 minutes until the audience got done screaming. Nevertheless, The Jamie Foxx Show was one of my favorite black sitcoms. All of the characters have their own unique character that contributes to the story line (of course), and Fancy made the show even more worth watching. My mom wasted so much money on Aloe Vera hand lotion because of her. Anyway, what also made the show more intriguing were the numerous and prolific special guests he had on the show, from Gary Payton, to Ice Cube, to the late Gerald Levert. They also played pivotal roles in the episodes. However, what made the show most intriguing was Jamie's North African thirst for Fancy. Bruh really did get curved EVERY episode. In the end, we all know where that got him.
8. Everybody Hates Chris
I honestly don't even know what made this show so good. It was just good anyway. Chris Rock used this show to tell the story of his life in a way that lot of people could relate. From him getting beat up by a fat ginger, to his brother being a better human being than him, Chris lived that struggle life. He could never win. Maybe that's what made the show so interesting. Black people love to see each other struggle. I kid, but Chris Rock really did a good job of making his struggle funny. I'll give him that. Nowadays, you can find Tyler James Christopher (I believe that's his name) rapping on Disney Channel. LMAOOO!
7. A Different World
A Different World is somewhat of a spin-off from The Cosby Show, so it's automatically good by default. It's just more entertaining, by far. To me, however, A Different World was better as the years passed than it was in '87 and '88. For instance, Jada Pinkett (Lena) was a better character than Lisa Bonet (Denise Huxtable). I don't care what you think. A Different World was a show that was not only entertaining, but attacked socio-cultural issues as it was one the first shows of all time to address HIV and AIDS. Respect. The special guests in this show made the show all the better. They had some of the most prolific guests in black television: Tupac, Whoopi Goldberg, Heavy D, En Vogue, Halle Berry, and many more. Who didn't enjoy watching Tupac come onto the show and scrub the dance floor with Lena's boyfriend? Come on, son.
6. My Wife and Kids
The Wayans family may not be composed of the best comedians, but they make damn good sitcoms. My Wife and Kids was a showed a black man living a nice lifestyle, while raising his 3 kids right. On top of that, the parents were together. I'm just going to leave that one in the air. Annnnywho (pun intended), this show is perfect for the family, and good laughs can be brought from this show. It's as simple as that.
5. The Wayans Bros.
The Wayans Bros. is kind of my favorite sitcom on this list. I grew up watching it and had died laughing at stuff on here that I wasn't supposed to even know about at that age. However, I can't put this at the top the list. The story lines were somewhere in the range of sub par to trash. How come we never saw Shawn and Marlon's mom, yo? Now I gotta assume that their mom and Big Shirley are the same person. Also, Shawn's dry humor wasn't good enough for black people. EYE though Shawn was funny, but the rest of the black community thought he was maaaad corny. I will say he's the corniest in the Wayan's family though. Regardless, the show overall was funny as hell. I was ecstatic when they got rid of that token white lady security guard as a character. Dee added flavor to the show. This show was one of a kind, yo.
4. Sanford and Son
Without question, Sanford and Son is one of the best sitcoms of all time. Some call it overrated. Some are stupid. Redd Foxx alone was one of the best comedians in that era, then they gave him a television show. Imagine Kevin Hart with his own show (or whoever else you think is a drop-dead funny comedian). We all remembered Redd Foxx on this show for his near-death experiences where he would hold his chest and say something stupid. That's timeless. This show is nothing short of classic.
3. Martin
Laughs. Laughs. Laughs. Laughs. That's all you're going to get from this show. There is nothing not funny about this show. Humor alone puts this show in the top 3 sitcoms of all time. It had a bit of story line to it also, with Gina and Martin's relationship. We also had the mystery of who the hell Big Shirley was. We got to see Pam and Martin flame each other with jokes every episode. Tommy was living on unemployment checks, and Cole....just Cole. What's not to like about this show. If you didn't like Martin, you're sense of humor is trash and you are a boring human being. I kid, somewhat.
2. Good Times
This really goes without saying. This really could be number 1, but number 1 is number 1, so no. The only downside about this show is that it makes you feel poorer than you are. When I moved into the suburbs in middle school, I felt like I already won life. Good times. Anyway, I think I laughed at this show for different reasons than everyone else. I laughed at how they made black people look. Just look at JJ. Look at em'. On top of that, they made him look mad goofy and coonish in the show. (lmao @ how coonish is actually a word and my computer didn't correct me). Look at Florida's neck (oh my bad...). They had the dad throwing chairs at the wall. Come on, son. But Thelma though. Regardless of how they made us look, this show, as a whole, was timeless. We can sit here 30 years later with a completely different sense of humor and still get good laughs. This is one of the greatest sitcoms ever.
1. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Speaking of greatest sitcom ever, did you really come on this list expecting this to NOT be number one? That's just foolish, pimp. This is the all-around best black sitcom of all time. It's even up there when you mention sitcoms period. Fresh Prince > Friends. This show made you die of laughter, it was family friendly, great story lines, not JUST humor (Will's dad), and they even broke the fourth wall from time to time. The only flaw in this show was the Aunt Viv switch. That was childish, bruh. The pain from that switch can still be felt today. I was spiteful and chose the picture above with the dark-skinned Aunt Viv. Let me get out of my feelings though. Anyway, if I went into deep detail, I would have enough writing for an equally long blog post as this one. Just know that this show is G.O.A.T. Will getting beat out of Philly was the best thing to ever happen to us.
Didn't make the cut.
The Parkers: This show was mad corny. Simple and plain. The best part of this series was the final few episodes when Nikki had to make her decision. To top this off, Lil Zane was a special guest. Case closed.
One on One: I liked One on One, but I had to be real with myself and admit that it was corny. It was cheesy and we're all tired of that "Daddy's little girl" gimmick, too. When Kyla (I forgot her character's name) moved out, it just got worse.
Hanging With Mr. Cooper: It's simply not better than the top 10.
Living Single: Came very close to making the list, I must admit.
The Jeffersons: This is actually interchangeable with The Cosby Show. I battled with myself on which one I would put on the list.
The Parenthood: Laaaaaaaame.
If there is a show I'm missing, let me know in the comment box below. Follow the L!ve Li Li page on Twitter @LiveLiLiBlog
-@CjayTheGreat.
Nice list, Living Single should've been up there instead of my wife and kids
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