A love letter to Black-Ass TV
Welcome to the 53rd installment of This Black-Ass Life! We’re way too sad about John Witherspoon’s passing so in his memory, we wanted to focus on great Black-ass television shows and give them the roses they deserve.
Don’t forget: We've managed to grow this list thanks to y'all forwarding to friends so please keep it up! Forward this link to subscribe to five friends. And send us topics you'd like to see covered, texts from your Black-ass people, and any Black-ass anything from around the world and web.
l. The Facts
These shows never got love from “mainstream” awards shows so we decided to host our own:
Best children’s: Proud Family, Gullah Gullah Island, Arthur
Best tween: That’s So Raven, Smart Guy, Cousin Skeeter, Just Jordan, Romeo!
Best teen: Kenan & Kel, All That, Moesha, One on One, The Famous Jett Jackson, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, City Guys
Best family: Roc, Thea, The Bernie Mac Show, My Wife & Kids, All of Us, The Hughleys, Everybody Hates Chris
Shows John Witherspoon elevated: The Boondocks, The Wayans Bros, Black Jesus
Best TGIF: Family Matters, Sister Sister, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper,
Best UPN/WB: The Parkers, Eve, Half & Half, Girlfriends, The Game, The Steve Harvey Show, The Jamie Foxx Show
Best Problematic Faves: Martin, Malcolm & Eddie, Chappelle's Show
Best Show that FRIENDS did a poor imitation of: Living Single
Best Classic classic: Good Times, 227, The Jeffersons, What's Happening!!, Amen, A Different World, In Living Color, Diff'rent Strokes, Sanford and Son, Gimme a Break!
2019 was/is a GREAT year for Black television. ICYMI:
Queen Sugar may be the most beautifully shot show about an inheritance ever.
Tarell Alvin McCraney has done it again with David Makes Man.
Greenleaf brings a delicious church drama that you cannot look away from.
Despite whatever reviews say, I (Mitu) LOVE First Wives Club and would proudly recommend this show to anyone.
A Black Lady Sketch Show was the funniest show on television this year (fight us).
Filled with bops and great jokes, Sherman’s Showcase DID that in 2019.
South Side was a perfect love letter to Chicago, filled with laughs and local talent.
Is there a show that will make you laugh, cry, sing and dance at the same time like Pose? We don’t think so.
ll. Other Things
Only fun happenings:
The Photograph looks so good. The romance!
Bey is looking for normal people to cast in “Brown Skin Girl.” BRB ✈️ London.
Legends linked up.
Not Black, but y’all need to watch Succession or as Damon Young calls it: White People Safari.
Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Jumoke):
Do you have that one song that you listened to on loop, then forgot about it, then rediscovered? Everything Laura Mvula.
Things we are looking forward to / things we are not looking forward to:
I (Mitu) look forward to Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movies. Ashanti, Kelendria Rowland, Kyla Pratt, Tatyana Ali, Tia & Tamera Mowry and more are confirmed to star in what will absolutely be TV Christmas movie classics.
I (Jumoke) look forward to what Mitu is looking forward to.
lll. Text from a Black-Ass Mama
Which one of y’all is sending my (Mitu’s) mama Instagram memes about toxic relationships?
Stay Black, thrive and cut out the toxic people. We’ll hit your inbox next on November 18.