20 Black TV Shows You Watched If You’re a '70s or '80s Baby

Sister, Sister Before Tia and Tamera became reality TV stars, they were best known for the hit show "Sister Sister." The premise of the show was that the girls, played by Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell, were separated and adopted at birth. One was adopted by a single mother, while the other was adopted by a single father. The two accidentally found each other 14 years later and reunited. Family Matters "Family Matters" focused on Harriet Winslow and her family. Carl Winslow, her husband, was a dutiful cop, and a gruff and lovable father to three kids: Eddie Winslow, the rebel son; Laura Winslow, the smart-aleck daughter; and cute little Judy Winslow. They opened their home to Harriet's sister, Rachel Crawford and her baby son, Richie. And of course there was Steve Urkel, the inventive nerd, who barged into their home and eventually, into their hearts. Steve had a killer crush on Laura, but she would never give him the time of day. The character Steve Urkel was intended to have a one-shot appearance, but his popularity with fans won him the No.1 spot as America's favorite nerd. The Jamie Foxx Show Jamie King was an aspiring actor who headed to Hollywood in hopes to find fame and fortune in the entertainment industry. To support himself, he worked at his Aunt Helen and Uncle Junior's Los Angeles hotel, the King's Towers. On the job, he annoys co-worker Braxton P. Hartnabrig, the up-tight accountant, and tries to win the attention of gorgeous desk clerk, Francesca "Fancy" Monroe, who has made it clear that she is not interested in an office romance. Nevertheless, Jamie is determined to maintain his skills as an entertainer and move into the limelight. The Steve Harvey Show Before he wrote "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man" and opted for a more aerodynamic hairstyle, he played Chicago native Steve Hightower on The WB's "Steve Harvey Show." In the show, the former funk legend and member of Steve Hightower and the High Tops was forced to take a job as a music teacher at Chicago's Booker T. Washington High School. Because of budget cuts, he found himself forced to teach drama and art as well. His longtime friend Cedric, love interest Lovita, and former classmate Regina "Piggy" Lane, joined him at the school. The students were just as important, and none got more airtime than Bullethead and Romeo. Lady of Rage, yes, "Afro Puffs" Lady of Rage, frequently showed up as the hulking Coretta Cox. Keenan and Kel, Keenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, also found time for guest appearances. Fellow "All That" alum, Lori Beth Denberg, was a mainstay as Lydia Gutman. Sanford and Son Depending on when in the '70s or '80s you were born, you may only remember this show through reruns. Redd Foxx played the show's central character Fred Sanford, a Los Angeles junk dealer. Sanford's son, Lamont Demond Wilson, is his reluctant partner in the business, always looking for a way out - but he ultimately cares for his pop too much to leave him to his own devices. A cast of quirky characters added to the hilarity of the series, and the funky theme song, written by Quincy Jones gave the show a distinct flair. "Sanford and Son" was ranked in the Top 10 for its full five-and-a-half-year run. When the two lead actors opted out of the series after the 1976-77 season, the rest of the cast carried on with the forgettable follow-up series "The Sanford Arms." An attempt was made at a revival in 1980 with Foxx returning to the series "Sanford," but it only lasted one season. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Starring the fun, loving Mark Curry and lovely Holly Robinson, "Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper" was an immediate hit among viewers during the 1990s. Set in Oakland, California, the sitcom lasted five straight seasons and centered around Mark Cooper, a former NBA player-turned-substitute teacher who lived with two strong-willed women, his childhood friend and his future wife, both of whom eventually taught Mr. Cooper how to lose his player ways. Diff'rent Strokes The series starred Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African-American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman named Phillip Drummond and his daughter Kimberly, for whom their deceased mother previously worked. During the first season and first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred as the Drummonds' housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett - who ultimately spun-off into her own successful show, "The Facts of Life." The series made stars out of child actors Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges and Dana Plato, and became known for the 'very special episodes' in which serious issues such as racism, illegal drug use, and child sexual abuse were dramatically explored. Roc Roc began life as a traditional television sitcom, chronicling the ups and downs of Baltimore garbage collector Roc Emerson, a tightwad who constantly brought home "perks" (i.e. items thrown away by residents on his route); his wife Eleanor, Ella Joyce, a registered nurse; his father Andrew ,Carl Gordon, a retired Pullman porter; and his womanizing younger brother Joey, a ne'er-do-well musician who had recently returned to the neighborhood. As it progressed, the series adopted a more dramatic tone, with several installments featuring social commentaries on gang activities, violence among youths, the consequences of drug use on childbirth, and the plight of African-Americans in the United States. The Parent ‘Hood “The Parent ‘Hood” centered around college professor Robert Peterson, played by Robert Townsend, and his journey of writing a rule book for parenting. Although he never seemed to take his own advice, he and his family always used their imaginations to come up with nontraditional solutions to everyday family problems. Moesha In 1996, multi-talented R&B singer Brandy starred in "Moesha," a sitcom about an upper middle class, African-American family living in Los Angeles. While the sitcom focused largely on Moesha, an ambitious high school student and her hilarious encounters with friends, her overprotective father and stepmother—the show also dealt with real life issues like teen pregnancy and drug abuse. 227 Set in Washington DC, the series follows the lives of Mary Jenkins and the residents of building number 227. The sharp-tongued housewife loved a good gossip like many of us, and would often sit on the stoop with Rose Lee discussing their lives, and lives of others. What's Happening!! "What's Happening!!" was yet another urban situation comedy that came out in the '70s and joined the ranks of "Chico and the Man" and "Good Times." The series was loosely based on the 1975 movie "Cooley High." The series was based on three black teens, Roger 'Raj' Thomas, Dwayne Clemens, and Freddie 'Rerun' Stubbs. Rerun had gotten his nickname because he kept on having to repeat high school courses that he had flunked. Also, by the end of the first season, Dwayne's last name had been changed to Nelson. The stories revolved around them struggling to grow up in a lower middle class neighborhood. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids "Hey! Hey! Hey! It's Fat Albert!" This positive animated series based on Bill Cosby's North Philly upbringing had a message and music. Where can kids tune in Saturday mornings for lessons on everything from bullying to personal hygiene from the 'hood, these days? A live action version was made in 2004, starring Keenan Thompson as Fat Albert. Living Single One of the few major network shows to be centered on African-American women, "Living Single" was one of the most popular Black sitcoms of the '90s. Also, it proved to audiences that Queen Latifah could act as well as rap. The Jeffersons Until George, Weezy, and Florence invaded living rooms across the nation, there had never been any depiction of affluent African-Americans on network television. The laundromat owner moved his family to the wealthy Upper Eastside neighborhood in New York City and helped changed the perception that all Black people lived in the ghetto. "The Jeffersons" started as a spin-off of the extremely popular "All In The Family," but the sitcom became a bonafide success on its own merits. It was both a ratings hit and favored by critics. The series received 13 Emmy nominations, and Isabel Sanford’s Lead Actress in a Comedy Series win in 1981 for her portrayal of Louise Jefferson. This was the first, and only, time an African-American woman had ever won that award. Martin Part of Fox’s Thursday night lineup that included NY Undercover, Living Single and Martin was the highest-rated show in African-American households, and for good reason. Each episode was a display of Martin Lawrence’s physical humor and creativity through colorful characters like Otis, Roscoe, Dragonfly Jones and Sheneneh. And five seasons later, we still don’t know what Tommy’s job is. Good Times This sitcom, created by African-American writers Eric Monte and Michael Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, illustrated ground breaking characters and subject matters of the day. Until this time, sitcoms featured working class characters but never told the weekly story of Blacks living in disadvantaged conditions. Despite their low socio-economic status and the poor conditions in Watts area of Los Angeles, Fred and Lamont Sanford of Sanford & Son beat the odds. They ran a business and owned a home. A Different World A Different World was a spin-off series from "The Cosby Show" and originally hinged upon Denise Huxtable, Lisa Bonet, and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional mixed but historically black college in the state of Virginia. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert, Jasmine Guy and mathematics whiz Dwayne Wayne, Kadeem Hardison. The series frequently depicted members of the major historically black fraternities and sororities along with the fictional Kappa Lambda Nu fraternity and Alpha Delta Rho sorority. While it was a spin-off from The Cosby Show, A Different World would typically address issues that were avoided by The Cosby Show writers. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air In 1990, many observers still saw hip-hop as a brash, vulgar sub-culture that would somehow destroy the fabric of American society. When rapper The Fresh Prince, Will Smith, hooked up with producer Quincy Jones to craft a sitcom around the story of a West Philly teen who’s sent to live with his wealthy cousins in Bel-Air, hip-hop was granted a new national face which was more acceptable to Middle America. The fictionalized 'Will' didn’t just join the Banks family, the real life Will became an honorary member of families all across the country. This initial acquaintance helped Smith parlay his TV success into one the biggest Hollywood careers ever, and helped transform hip-hop into a national obsession. The Cosby Show “The Cosby Show,” which aired for eight seasons on NBC, was the first sitcom to present to America a Black family with professional parents in an upper middle class household. The Huxtables broke racial stereotypes, paving the way for viewers to conceive, achieve and maybe pursue other avenues that were not always presented as such. Plus, Cosby and the family made us laugh every episode along the way— leading with 'edutainment.'

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