Top 10 Black Sitcoms of All Time

Fall 2009 Lineup is Bad Indication of Future for TV Shows

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.