When you think of family centered sitcoms, your mind may automatically conjure images of Malcolm in the Middle, Modern Family, and Schitt’s Creek. While all of those shows are hilarious and iconic in their own right, there’s just one issue—they’re all overwhelmingly white.
That’s not to say that we haven’t had an array of Black sitcoms through the years with the likes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Everybody Hates Chris, and My Wife and Kids. But in our modern era, there’s not a ton of Black family centered sitcoms to choose from. While you can watch something like Black-ish or anything else from the mind of Kenya Barris … the pickings are still slim when it comes to this genre. Netflix is trying to fill this gap in the market with their original series The Upshaws.
Created by comedian Wanda Sykes and producer Regina Y. Hicks, the show has been running for four seasons and gives viewers an authentic look at what life is like in a typical Black family. Despite being around for four seasons, the buzz around the series is shockingly low, so you need to add The Upshaws to your binge list.
The Upshaws shows the blended family experience
The series follows the Upshaw family, parents Bernie and Regina, and their two daughters Aaliyah and Maya. The cast doesn’t stop there as Regina’s wisecracking sister Lucretia is around as a support system for her while being an antagonist for Bernie. There’s also Bernard Jr., their son they had right out of high school, and Kelvin, Bernie’s son who he conceived when he thought he and Regina were on a break.
This may sound like a wild and chaotic cast of characters, and that’s because it is. The Upshaws showcase the reality of what it’s like for millions of people who have blended families. It can be incredibly messy and tough at times, like when Regina has a tough time accepting Kelvin, or Bernard Jr. having abandonment issues with his father, but at the end of the day—the family is always there for each other when they need it.
And it’s not often that we see this type of family in Black sitcoms. Most of them have a nuclear family unit that funny situations happen around, but The Upshaws is a prime example of why it’s important to have this kind of representation. Some people don’t have traditional families and they deserve to be seen too.
The series gives a spotlight to realistic Black culture
Most modern representation of Black culture is pretty watered down if it’s not coming from the mind of an actual Black person. We’re usually seen as thugs, victims, or overexaggerated characters instead of people with layers.
We’ve started to see better representation with shows like Insecure and Atlanta, but it was something that was still lacking in the sitcom world. The Upshaws is completely candid about a Black experience.
From the dialogue, music, and jokes, everything about the series feels incredibly authentic, and that’s not surprising given the series creator. Sykes is one of the most famous Black comedians and has been in the industry for over 30 years, and Hicks has had her hands in some of the most popular pieces of Black media like Sister, Sister, Girlfriends, and the aforementioned Insecure. It’s obvious that both women use their real-life experiences as fodder for the series.
The show also stars two of the biggest names in Black comedy, Kim Fields and Mike Epps. Fields is well known for her role as Regina “Regine” Hunter in Living Single, and Epps has been in iconic Black films like Next Friday, Malibu’s Most Wanted, and Girls Trip. To have such Black star power both in front and behind the camera is so important because it allows the show to have a natural voice.
Black people can create art around any experience, but when we create art centered around the Black experience for the Black community the results are often incredible. If you’re looking for a show that keeps it real while also delivering some of the funniest jokes found on Netflix, make sure you watch The Upshaws ASAP!
(featured image: Netflix)
