Let’s all face it, the 90’s are back! The funky fashion, the sleek updo hairstyles, the hilarious T.V. Shows. Since the age of (what we know as) streaming, the Rewatch Culture has been so thankful; eating up every piece of nostalgia that comes their way in the form of The Black Sitcom. Also, a brand-new generation of viewers can leap into the past, making the shows even more iconic by making the top 10 lists on streaming platforms. In the 1990’s there was a wave of Black Sitcoms that hit the screen. Because they were so popular, each television station at the time made sure they aired one of the iconic Black Sitcoms.
ABC had Family Matters, UPN had Moesha and even Nickelodeon had Kenan & Kel. They each taught us a bit about life, sharing so many lessons. Like, if you sneak out the window to go to a party; you will get caught! Now, even though the ones we just mentioned did not make the list, they are still iconic. Here are our top 5 iconic Black Sitcoms from the 90’s that are still popular today.
05. Living Single
Yvette Lee Browser created a show that follows 6 friends navigating the single life while living in New York City. Khadijah (Queen Latifah), Synclaire (Kim Coles), Maxine (Erika Alexander) and Regine (Kim Fields) are 4 girlfriends that lived in one apartment and their 2 neighbors Kyle (Terrence C. Carson) and Overton (John Henton) lived in another.
These iconic characters showed us that independence and the power of sisterhood outweighed the stereotypical depictions of black women as struggling and one-dimensional. You could be sexy and smart like attorney Maxine Shaw. Or have self-love and make sure everyone knows it like clothing buyer Regine Hunter. And the men of ‘Living Single’ were successful as well. Kyle Barker was a stock broker and Overton owned his own business. Yvette Lee Browser was telling us, ‘This is Black excellence and it does exist.’
‘Living Single’ was a mixture of socially conscious storylines, representation of successful Black people in the workplace and of course witty and hilarious humor that still captivates audiences today. That’s why when all 5 seasons became available by way of Hulu in 2018. it put this cultural staple in 1 of it’s top slots for fans to appreciate over and over again. So now we can always live in “A 90’s kind of world where I’m glad I got my girl!”
04. A Different World
A spinoff of ‘The Cosby Show’, the series began in the late 80’s, and became influential into the 90’s. It followed Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) as she begins her journey into college life at Hillman College, a fictional historically Black college. This show focused on the experiences of Black college students navigating civil rights, racial identity and social issues that were complex. The socially conscious storylines were a switch from the stereotypical portrayals of life as a Black person in America. This drew audiences in as a lot of us saw someone we knew, ourselves, or even our future selves in those characters being depicted on the screen.
Iconic ‘Different World’ characters like Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne Cleophus Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) became staples in the Black T.V. Sitcom universe. From the Dwayne’s flip-up glasses to how we loved to hear Whitley say, “DA-WAYNE.” And because of that it’s no secret that today the show is as popular as ever. The cast of ‘A Different World’ have been on college tours promoting education, speaking about the impact this show has and still is having decades later. So much so, a network of Black educators and content creators created ‘HillmanTok’ on TikTok. Several courses are provided on more than 400 subjects for your learning pleasure. Professor Wayne would be so proud.
03. In Living Color
Now I know what you are thinking: ‘In Living Color’ was not a Black T.V. Sitcom; it was a sketch comedy show. You’re right! But ‘In Living Color’ is so iconic and groundbreaking, I had to add it to this list. When the sketch comedy show premiered in 1990 audiences couldn’t get enough. With its diverse cast (predominately people of color), bold content, multifaceted characters, and of course The Fly Girls! In Living Color put its stamp on sketch comedy and the Black T.V. show universe.
The line up of characters on ‘In Living Color’ are so hilariously good people are still talking about them today. Memes of Fire Marshall Bill, Men on Film, Wanda, Homey D. Clown are widespread across social media. Younger audiences can’t get enough viral clips of your favorite characters and their popular quotes. They definitely live rent free in our heads because “Homey Don’t Play That!”
02. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
This comedy explored themes such as family dynamics, race and class. That is why ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ is so relatable and entertaining. It tackles issues that are still relevant today like racial profiling, drunk driving and sexism just to name a few. Humor was the vehicle used to create a lighter tone while keeping the core as the family dynamic.
Another reason this Black T.V. show sitcom is iconic? The Theme Song! “Now this is a story all about how…” It was a main ingredient in the formula that is ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’. It had us all singing along thinking we knew all the words. Also those iconic moments of either showing Will’s best friend, Jazz, being thrown out the door of the Banks mansion; or hearing the witty, sarcastic humorous tone of the Butler Geoffrey.
This classic T.V. sitcom has remained relevant all these years to where a reboot was born. ‘Bel-Air’ is a dramatic take on the original series. The retelling of the comedy series became popular with audiences. It is now coming back for a fourth season. ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ has come full circle it just makes me want to do The Carlton dance.
01. Martin
Starring Martin Lawrence as Martin Payne, a radio personality for radio station WZUP in Detroit, the show followed Martin, his girlfriend Gina, their friends Tommy, Pam and Cole, and a whole slew of a unique cast of characters. Many of the characters were played by Martin himself, who had the ability to transform and bring the comedic flair that gained an audience that are still fans today.
Fans still reference popular catchphrases, “Get to Steppin!”, “Damn Gina!”, and the classic “You Go Girl!” These have become iconic staples in Black culture and in Black T.V. sitcom history. Memorable characters like ‘Mama Payne’ and ‘Sheneneh’ kept us glued to the screen salivating for more in the anticipation to see what will they come up with next. From then to now the 90’s nostalgia of Martin is real. The bold eclectic colors, stylish patterns, the oversized jackets (and those hats Cole would wear); it was plain to see that Martin helped elevate fashion and set trends that still resonate with the culture of today.
Since new generations are tuning in, there are even talks about a Martin prequel called Young Martin. It is a drama series that will follow Martin Payne as a teenager and the challenges he faces. Martin is a timeless Black T.V. sitcom classic that has a level of humor which continues to draw in new of viewers of all ages.
All these shows are relevant today for the same reasons. They are creative, entertaining, unapologetically authentic, and made sure to challenge societies cultural norms. This wave of Black T.V. sitcoms made their mark in television history.
