{{short description|Sitcom starring a predominant African American cast}} {{distinguish|Black comedy}} [[File:The Jeffersons Sanford Hemsley Evans 1974.jpg|thumb|right|Cast of ''The Jeffersons'', clockwise from top: Mike Evans, Sherman Hemsley, and Isabel Sanford (1975)]]
A '''Black sitcom''' is a sitcom that principally features Black people in its cast. Prominent Black sitcoms to date typically come from the United States with African American casts, forming a branch of African American comedy. Although sitcoms with primarily Black characters have been present since the earliest days of network television, this genre rose to prominence in the 1990s, mostly then on upstart networks outside the Big Three.<ref name="skewed">{{cite book|last=Dalton|first=Mary M.|author2=Laura R. Linder|title=The sitcom reader: America viewed and skewed |publisher=Suny Press|year=2005|pages=142|isbn=0-7914-6569-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s8ARc_7-NtUC&q=%22Black+sitcom&pg=PA142}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= TELEVISION/RADIO; The Shrinking Life Span of the Black Sitcom |work= The New York Times|date=February 25, 2001|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/25/arts/television-radio-the-shrinking-life-span-of-the-black-sitcom.html|accessdate=2010-11-09|first=Robert F.|last=Moss}}</ref><ref name="Bogle">{{cite book|last=Bogle|first=Donald|title=Primetime Blues: African Americans on Network Television|publisher=Farrar Straus Giroux|year=2001|isbn=0-374-12720-4}}</ref>
== History == ===Early twentieth century=== {{See also|Dialect comedy}} In the early days of television, Black actors were often cast in stereotypical roles, often as comic clowns in a tradition tracing back to the genre of black minstrelsy popular in the early 20th century through the late 1940s or as servants, usually maids.<ref>{{cite web |title=Breaking Barriers |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/pioneers-of-television/pioneering-programs/breaking-barriers/ |website=PBS |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref> In 1948, the sitcom, ''The Laytons'' starred singer and actress, Amanda Randolph. It was the first time a Black actor was a series regular on a network TV series in the United States. Randolph portrayed a problem solving maid to a white suburban family.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kurp |first1=Joshua |title=America's First Sitcom and Other Forgotten Comedies on Dumont the Lost Network |url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/05/americas-first-sitcom-and-other-forgotten-comedies-on-dumont-the-lost-network.html |website=Vulture |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=DeBerry |first1=Debra |title=The Clerk's Black History Series |url=https://www.dksuperiorclerk.com/mt-content/uploads/2020/02/csc-black-history-facts-amanda-randolph.pdf |website=DeKalb County Superior Clerk |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref>
===1950s=== The first television sitcom to principally portray black people, ''Amos 'n' Andy'', was widely popular among diverse audiences. The actors on the original radio show were both White, but the 1951–53 CBS television show portrayed them with Black actors, and represented Black individuals as businesspeople, judges, lawyers and policemen. After over seventy episodes, it was taken off the air after protests from the NAACP and others who alleged that the show engaged in stereotyping.<ref name="family fun"/> ''Beulah'', a CBS radio sitcom 1945–54 and ABC television sitcom 1950–53, centered on a female Black character in a racially mixed cast and faced similar criticism.
===1960s=== ''Julia'' (NBC, 1968–71) and ''Room 222'' (ABC, 1969–74) each had a black performer as first-billed lead of a racially mixed cast. ''The Bill Cosby Show'' (NBC, 1969–71) had Cosby as its sole billed star. For her portrayal of Julia, actress Diahann Carroll became the first black woman to receive an Emmy nomination.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ocana Perez |first1=Damarys |title=8 Boundary-Breaking Black TV Shows |url=https://www.history.com/news/black-tv-shows-culture |website=History.com |publisher=A+E Networks |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref> Otherwise, after ''Amos 'n' Andy'' there were no new sitcoms with an all or mostly black permanent main cast in the U.S. until the 1970s.
===1970s=== Several popular black sitcoms appeared in the 1970s, including ''Sanford and Son'', ''Good Times'', ''That's My Mama'', ''The Jeffersons'', and ''What's Happening!!'' While the sitcoms were widely popular among diverse audiences, celebrated black culture and addressed social issues,<ref name="family fun" /> they were critiqued for an excess of loud and buffoonish characters, mostly in lower socioeconomic classes with the exception of ''The Jeffersons''.<ref name="changing image">{{cite journal |last1=Cummings |first1=Melbourne S. | year=1988 |title=The Changing Image of the Black Family On Television |journal=Journal of Popular Culture (Bowling Green, Ohio) |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=75-85 |doi=10.1111/j.0022-3840.1988.2202_75.x |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1297352428 |access-date=15 October 2023 |id={{ProQuest|1297352428}} |language=en|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Impressed with child actor Gary Coleman, the president of NBC created the sitcom ''Diff'rent Strokes'' specifically as a vehicle for him. Coleman would eventually become NBC's highest paid actor on a comedic series during its run.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rossen |first1=Jake |title=13 Things You Might Not Know About Diff'rent Strokes |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65158/13-things-you-might-not-know-about-diffrent-strokes |website=Mental Floss |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref> Although the series starred two black child actors and addressed social issues mainly from their perspective, it featured an otherwise all white cast and in retrospect has been criticized by some as a White Savior narrative.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Walter |first1=Susa |title=In 'Diff'rent Strokes,' a model for courage with our own families |url=https://www.amestrib.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2021/11/20/diffrent-strokes-model-courage-our-families/8680780002/ |website=Ames Tribune |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=TV Needs To Tune Into The Needs of Black America |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1992/11/15/tv-needs-to-tune-in-to-the-concerns-of-black-america/ |website=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref> ''Good Times'' was adapted into the British sitcom ''The Fosters'' (ITV, 1976–77), one of the first British series with an all black cast.
===1980s=== In the 1980s sitcoms such as ''The Cosby Show'', ''A Different World'', ''227'', and ''Frank's Place'' challenged stereotypical portrayals of black people, with subtler comedy and characterization and much increased representation of the black middle class. These series were well received with diverse audiences.<ref name="family fun"/><ref name="changing image"/> ''The Cosby Show'' became the most-watched series of any genre on television for five consecutive seasons and in the top 20 for all its eight seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tvtalkingheads.com/2016/12/13/a-history-of-tvs-1-ranked-programs/|title=What 29 TV Shows Have Been #1 in the Annual Nielsen Rankings?|last=Heads|first=TV Talking|date=December 13, 2016|website=TV Talking Heads|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317234937/https://tvtalkingheads.com/2016/12/13/a-history-of-tvs-1-ranked-programs/|archive-date=March 17, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
===1990s=== After the 1980s, the major American television networks appeared to lose interest in black sitcoms. In the 1990s, newer networks such as Fox, The WB and UPN, anxious to establish themselves with a black audience, featured black sitcoms such as ''Martin'' and ''Living Single'', which drew high ratings among black households and were profitable even with a limited white viewership.<ref name="family fun"/><ref name="salon-pjs">{{cite news | url= http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/mill/1999/01/25mill.html | title= Movin' on down | author= Joyce Millman | work= Salon.com | date= January 25, 1999 | accessdate= February 18, 2010 | url-status= dead | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101023073334/http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/mill/1999/01/25mill.html | archivedate= October 23, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="boston">{{cite news | url= http://archive.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2006/05/10/black_sitcoms_may_lose_home/ | title= Black sitcoms may lose home | author= Suzanne C. Ryan | newspaper=The Boston Globe | date= May 10, 2006 | access-date=February 18, 2010}}</ref><ref name="nyt-anna">{{cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/03/arts/l-tv-s-black-world-amos-n-andy-are-not-villains-014489.html?scp=6&sq=%22black%20sitcoms%22&st=cse | title= A TV Generation Is Seeing Color | author= Nancy Hass | newspaper=The New York Times | date= February 22, 1998 | accessdate=February 18, 2010}}("In fact, over all, there is astonishingly little overlap between the most-watched shows among blacks and those among whites.")</ref> Several black sitcoms of the 1990s were successful with both black and white audiences, especially family, adolescent, and young adult oriented series like ''Family Matters'', ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', ''Moesha'', and ''Sister, Sister''. ''Roc'', about a working-class family, was critically acclaimed for combining comedy and drama with a cast led by theater veterans.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zurawik |first1=David |title=Too stark for network TV, BET airs 'lost' 'Roc' show |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-10-28-1994301150-story.html |access-date=15 October 2023 |work=Baltimore Sun |date=28 October 1994}}</ref>
The WB released multiple sitcoms such as ''The Jamie Foxx Show'', ''The Parent 'Hood'', ''Smart Guy'', ''The Wayans Bros.'', and ''The Steve Harvey Show''. ''The Famous Jett Jackson'' also debuted on the Disney Channel along with ''Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'' on ABC.<ref name="ComplexTop">{{cite web |last1=Kimble |first1=Julian |last2=Lewis |first2=Alyson |title=The 30 Best Black Sitcoms of All Time |url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/julian-kimble/best-black-sitcoms |website=Complex |access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref> Beyond the sitcom format, ''In Living Color'' and ''Kenan & Kel'' innovated in sketch comedy, and ''Def Comedy Jam'' showcased black stand-up comedians. In Britain, ''Desmond's'' (1989–94) became the longest-running sitcom by number of episodes to originate on Channel 4.
===2000s=== Black sitcoms in the 2000s experimented with genre conventions. ''The Bernie Mac Show'' and ''Everybody Hates Chris'' used single-camera setup and narration. ''The Boondocks'', an adult animated sitcom made for cable television, ran four seasons intermittently from 2005 to 2014. Its blunt style and social critiques were sometimes controversial. It won an NAACP Image Award and Peabody Award. The Disney Channel also released the popular animated family sitcom, ''The Proud Family'' and ''That's So Raven'', both of whom would see a revival and return to TV - ''That’s So'' ''Raven'' with ''Raven’s Home'' in the 2010s and ''The Proud Family'' with ''The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' in the 2020s.<ref name="ComplexTop" />
From 1997 to 2001, the number of Black sitcoms on American television declined from 15 to 6 as white viewership declined,<ref name="nyt-decline">{{cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/25/arts/television-radio-the-shrinking-life-span-of-the-black-sitcom.html?scp=3&sq=&pagewanted=all | title= The Shrinking Life Span of the Black Sitcom | author= Robert F. Moss | newspaper=The New York Times | date= February 25, 2001 | accessdate=February 18, 2010}}</ref> and that decline generally continued into the 2000s.<ref name="kcstar">{{cite news|url=http://www.kansascity.com/221/story/1465342.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014054650/http://www.kansascity.com/221/story/1465342.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 14, 2009 |title="Brothers": Last of the black network sitcoms |author=Aaron Barnhart |newspaper=The Kansas City Star |date=September 29, 2009 |accessdate=February 18, 2010 }}</ref> Civil rights organizations accused networks of denying minorities equal opportunity as well as a broader participation in general television programming.<ref name="family fun"/> The explosion of reality television and the decline of broadcast audience numbers in the 2000s also challenged the sitcom genre. In Canada, ''Da Kink in My Hair'' (Global, 2007–09) had a successful first season but ratings faltered after rescheduling for its second season.
===2010s=== By the early 2010s, Black sitcoms had faded from broadcast television but there were signs of a comeback on cable including ''The Game'', canceled by The CW in 2009 then renewed on BET, ''A.N.T. Farm'' on Disney Channel, ''Are We There Yet?,'' ''Tyler Perry's For Better Or Worse'' on TBS, ''Love That Girl!'' on TV One, and ''Let's Stay Together'' and ''Reed Between the Lines'', on BET. Popular Black sitcoms from prior decades returned in reruns on BET, BET Her, Bounce TV, TV Land, TV One, MTV2, and TBS.<ref name="bet_where">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bet.com/news/national/2011/12/08/where-are-all-the-black-tv-shows.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210131128/http://www.bet.com/news/national/2011/12/08/where-are-all-the-black-tv-shows.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 10, 2012|title=Where Are All the Black TV Shows?|website=BET }}</ref>
In 2012, ''Tyler Perry's House of Payne'' surpassed ''The Jeffersons'' to become the longest-running sitcom with a predominantly African-American cast by number of episodes.<ref name="bet_where"/>
Also in 2012, Debbie Allen, showrunner of ''A Different World'' from 1988 to 1993, wrote on Twitter that she wanted to reboot the series. Over a million people on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs reacted to the tweet signalling approval of the potential reboot.<ref name="bet_where"/>
In 2014, ''Black-ish'' premiered on ABC to over 11 million viewers and mostly positive reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/black-ish/|title=black-ish: Season 1 (2014)|work= Rotten Tomatoes | publisher = Flixster |accessdate=November 25, 2014}}</ref> The show addressed many current racial issues.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/02/blackish-black-lives-matter|title=How Black-ish's Searing Political Commentary Transcended "Very Special Episode" Territory|last=Robinson|first=Joanna|work=HWD|access-date=2017-03-27|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2971857/you-should-watch-black-ishs-essential-lemons-episode-before-the-inauguration/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113100746/http://www.mtv.com/news/2971857/you-should-watch-black-ishs-essential-lemons-episode-before-the-inauguration/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 13, 2017|title=You Should Watch Black-ish's Essential 'Lemons' Episode Before The Inauguration|last=Kang|first=Inkoo|date=January 12, 2017|work=MTV News|access-date=2017-03-27|language=en}}</ref> ''Black-ish'' spawned the spin-offs ''Mixed-ish'' and ''Grown-ish'', also with African-American leads and addressing racial issues.
===2020s=== ''Abbott Elementary'', a workplace comedy about the staff of a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school, debuted in 2021 on ABC. By its second season it was the network's most-watched comedy and received universal critical acclaim.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Porter |first1=Rick |title='Abbott Elementary' Hits Three-Year High for ABC Comedies (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/abbott-elementary-abc-best-comedy-ratings-3-years-1235509153/ |access-date=17 September 2023 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=7 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Abbott Elementary – Season 2 Reviews – Metacritic |website=Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/abbott-elementary/season-2 |date=23 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093142/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/abbott-elementary/season-2 |archive-date=2022-09-23 }}</ref> ''The Wonder Years'', ABC's 2021 series about a Black family in the 1960s – a reimagining of the 1988 series of the same name about a White family in the 1960s – lasted two seasons.
==Analysis== The favorite programs of television audiences tend to reflect their different ethnic origins and affinities. The exposure of the black community on American TV has been greater than that of other minorities but continues to reflect racial divisions within American society.
After American networks were criticized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for a lack of racial diversity, drama shows, such as ''The West Wing'', began casting more black characters.<ref name="guard">{{cite news | url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/feb/06/usnews.television | title= US watches TV in black and white | author= Duncan Campbell | newspaper=The Guardian | date= February 6, 2003 | accessdate=February 18, 2010 | location=London}}</ref>
From the 1980s to early 2000s, Black sitcoms such as ''The Cosby Show'', ''Family Matters'', ''Living Single'', ''Moesha'', and ''One on One'', showed an evolution of how the lives of African Americans were portrayed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Belle |first1=Jhanaya |title=The Evolution of Black Sitcoms |url=https://tvone.tv/112715/black-history-month-the-evolution-of-black-sitcoms/ |website=TV ONE |access-date=March 11, 2023 |date=February 8, 2023}}</ref>
Black sitcoms feature highly in the black audience's top 10 programs but have limited success with white audiences, attributed by Doug Alligood, senior vice-president at the advertising agency BBDO which has analyzed ratings figures, to the failure of humor to translate. The high ratings achieved by ''The Cosby Show'' have been ascribed to humor that has appealed to both whites and blacks.<ref name="guard"/> Black households make up over 20 percent of regular TV viewers.<ref name="family fun">[http://fun.familyeducation.com/television/african-americans/35259.html Why Is TV So Segregated?], Alvin Poussaint, M.D., FamilyEducation.com, Retrieved February 18, 2010</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Comedy footer}} {{Television drama series}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Sitcom}} Category:Black sitcoms Category:American comedy sitcom