Sitcoms are a classic for a reason—there’s usually something for everyone within their shorter runtime. But even with all that going for them, they can be hit or miss, rarely with the aforementioned “everyone” agreeing on whether or not they’re actually funny. This show, however, seemed to be one of those rare sitcom jewels that just about everyone agreed was both hilarious and heartfelt. Which is why it’s such a shame that it’s about to be booted from Netflix, its current streaming home.
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Everyone remembers the late Bernie Mac. An actor and comedian, he was also the star of The Bernie Mac Show, which centered on comedian Bernie and his wife, Wanda, who have no choice but to take in his nieces and nephew when his sister checks herself into rehab. With no idea how to be a parent and nothing in common with Bryanna, Jordan, and Vanessa, each of whom brings their own unique challenges to the plate, he finds that he has no choice but to simply try his best—despite the lack of political correctness in his parenting views. With a fourth-wall break and constant references to the audience as “America,” it was one of those shows that really were as funny as everyone said they were.
There Really Wasn’t Anything Else Like The Bernie Mac Show
While the fourth-wall break or talking to the audience isn’t unique to the show (we see it plenty in others like Modern Family), there was something about it that felt singularly effective when done on The Bernie Mac Show. And while the series never received critical acclaim, and though it ended in 2006, viewers are still singing its praises to this day. “With its non-use of a laugh track, its commentary by Bernie Mac (who spends a good part of each show sitting on his favorite chair and addressing ‘America’), and its little on-screen notes, this sitcom is about as anti-sitcom as it gets, but it’s this originality that helps make it special,” said one viewer.
And that seemed to be the charm of the show—the fact that it wasn’t your typical sitcom fare, depicting perfectly imperfect people living a perfectly imperfect life. While the messages were ultimately positive, they were delivered in ways other sitcoms hadn’t yet been brave enough to try, and they also distanced the cast of characters from prominent stereotypes of the time. Fans also think that it’s one of those rare sitcoms that still holds up even twenty years after it ended, which is a feat in and of itself.
Will you be binging The Bernie Mac Show before Netflix gives it the axe? Let us know your favorite moments from the series in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other sitcom fans are saying about the show.
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Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm -
Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm -
Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm
