Originally Posted by
Surf
[FONT=GEORGIA]Sure, I'll give you that, a great portrayal. Shoutout to Avery Brooks, he represented in the inclusion fight for many, many years and repped an angle in a network television space that's never been done again (See A Man called Hawk) more than once. That said, it's an optical portryal not a situationally relateable one. Like, forget the fact that Captain Kirk was out here bangin' aliens back in the 60's. Forget that that's not the kind of portrayal historically a black actor would have historically EVER been put in. Nat King Cole's variety show not even 10 years before that was cancelled because in the South it was socially unaceptable that this uber talented African-American was 'allowed' to present his talent on television for anybody to tune in to see. A single father in a position of leadership raising a son most definitely happened on TV but it meant much, much more because Avery Brooks had the role. Optics, hell Beveryl Crusher was a major story arc as a widow and it didn't seem different at all.
That's a grasp, now you're getting in to Trivial Pursuit levels. A one season sitcom buried on the network new fall schedule isn't quite cutting it. Especially a network trying to mimic another larger show using another black comic from the 60's, don't quite rock for me. A pittance is too strong a word but it was not set-up to prosper from the jump.
I will see your Charlie & Co. and raise you The Royal Family, which I did kinda like. Larenz Tate was the teenager and unfortunately it was Redd Foxx's last show and he tragically passed on the set. Redd Foxx played a TV Grandpa and if you try and add up all of those black characters, I feel you'll still have fingers left on one hand.
Nuff respect to Tim Reid. If you're of a certain age this guy was always in pretty successful shows for a couple decades straight and his thing was always about positive portrayals. I've never been the biggest Robert Townsend fan but I've always respected his hustle and how much talent he gave a showcase for.
That said this begins to be sort of a line generationally. I was grown by the time these shows we on and when I did sit through any of them, It never kept me. If I watched anything on the WB/UPN it would have been Wayans Brothers or Girlfriends and I even gave Homeboy's in Outer Space more than a couple watches. I can't say for sure these shows had the impact that the earlier Black situationals had when there were fewer TV options. I'm sure there are tons of young people who rocked with Moesha and Sister Sister but those kind of ran together to me personally. I didn't like Damon Wayans show either, there was a time where these things got pretty corny.
Damn Volt, you left out Omar Gooding's show, Family Time didn't want none of this lol. Hmmm, now that I think about it, Angell Conwell though, she was the least motherly black mother ever lol.
I'll take your word for it. I will say JEJ and Joe Morton on the same show should have been a much bigger thing. Brother from another Planet and the voice of Darth Vader on the same show.
Eh, that's a reach. Credit for putting a black man of age on a show and the pairing of he and Mr. Gaines against the younger Sinbad was very cool and it worked but I dont' even know if whatever family Thurman's character had ever was mentioned more than once. Not for nothin' but Glynn will always been known for a pair of things imo, Cooley High and beating the hell out of Aretha Franklin.
After a second thought Reginald VelJohnson is off my list. The late great James Avery's Uncle Phil (voice of the Shredder) should take the place of Carl Winslow all day everyday. My bad on that one.