Black-ish

There is no secret that minority representation on the 4 major networks has been few and far between in the last 20 years.  And the number of minority show leads is even smaller.  So when ABC announces a show that has an all African-American primary cast and a very in-your-face show name you have to sit up and take notice.

The first episode of Black-ish had a lot to accomplish.  Chiefly it needed to set the tone of the show as "black enough" and also "not too black."  The setup: Anthony Anderson is a middle aged husband and father of 4.  He is up for a promotion to Senior VP at his job and when his dreams are realized he has a conscious of blackness.  Has he abandoned his cultural heritage in search of the "American Dream?"  Has he neglected the cultural education of his better-than-he-grew-up children?

To my delight and suprise Black-ish works.  So many of the African-American shows that have been shoveled our ways on the major networks have been poor rehashes of The Cosby Show.  Casts that have no chemistry and tried too strongly to whitewash the humor that is present when cultures clash.  What Black-ish manages to do is to convey the emotions and thoughts of a very real section of the African American community.  We live in an era where Barack and Michele Obama have had helped to rewrite what it means to be successful and Black without becoming distant from our cultural heritage.  

Anthony Anderson perfectly encompasses the frustration that comes from succeeding while at the same time attempting to "keep it real." His struggle to find some balance at work and home are the primary focus of the first episode of this promising first episode.  Laurence Fishburne was a pleasant surprise in the role of "Pops" showing some pretty good comedic timing with his one-liners.  The only thing I would have liked to see would have been to give Tracey Ellis-Ross more to do in the first installment.  Ellis-Ross is a fine comedic actress and I can't wait until they give her something more to sink her teeth in.

Check out Black-ish and tell us what you think!

--KP