Words by Shayni Solanki
In the 90s, there was an abundance of Black sitcoms to love, but now there’s hardly any. Where did they all go?
It’s hard to believe that we might have taken a step back when it comes to seeing Black people on screen, but we kind of have. Although on the big screen there’s been a lot of progression, with movies like Moonlight having a success that would have been unheard of back in the day, the small screen seems to tell a different story. Whatever happened to Black sitcoms?
The most famous of them all, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, was a masterpiece. We got to see a wealthy and successful Black family on screen, exploring family dynamics and watching them all grow. The best part was that it lasted for an impressive 6 seasons. 6 seasons with 20 episodes each; shows rarely deliver this amount of content anymore.
Black sitcoms used to be huge, and not just for a Black audience either. Fresh Prince was popular with everyone and, the thing is, Fresh Prince is still popular. Other shows like Moesha have cult-like fanbases, with the Brandy-led sitcom giving us timeless looks and the now iconic ‘Brandy Braids’.
These sitcoms were relatable too. Fresh Prince focused on a family and their ever-changing family dynamic. Moesha was a teenage girl struggling with her own family dynamic, figuring out her path with her parents always on her case. These shows allowed us to see so many different characters with distinct personalities.
And of course, we can’t talk about Black sitcoms without talking about the Wayans. My Wife and Kids was (and still is) one of the best sitcoms of all time. The Wayans brothers started on In Living Color and went on to create a cinematic universe of their own.
Each Wayan brother was funny in their own way, and they all took different paths, truly creating a dynasty. Their influence has lasted too with a legacy that’s become generational. We had one of the Wayans taking a pivotal role in the sitcom New Girl, decades after the original brothers even started acting.
Will we ever experience a golden age of Black television again? Thanks to Quinta Brunson, we have Abbott Elementary to keep us going. But it’s been a while since there were as many options as there were in the 90s. A lot of modern Black TV is drama now, but that’s just most TV.
Fresh Prince, Moesha, Sister Sister, Family Matters, Living Single. The list goes on and on. There were once so many options to choose from. Some people just want to sit down and watch their favourite stars on a sitcom. Maybe it’s more to do with sitcoms not being as popular anymore, but all we know is that we need more Black sitcoms again.