The greatest Black Tv shows / sitcoms of all time
by AfrocentricFilmsCollaborative | created - 29 Sep 2017 | updated - 06 Dec 2019 | PublicBlack TV Shows : The Complete List
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1. Sanford and Son (1972–1978)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son.
Stars: Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, LaWanda Page, Don Bexley
Votes: 10,791
2. The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
The goings-on in the life of a successful African-American family.
Stars: Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe
Votes: 36,338
3. Martin (1992–1997)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Sassy sitcom centering on radio and television personality Martin Payne. Series focuses on his romantic relationship with girlfriend Gina, her best friend Pam and escapades with best friends Tommy and Cole.
Stars: Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Thomas Mikal Ford, Carl Anthony Payne II
Votes: 10,821
4. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
A streetwise, poor young man from Philadelphia is sent by his mother to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins in their Bel-Air mansion.
Stars: Will Smith, James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali
Votes: 144,580
5. Good Times (1974–1979)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A poor family make the best of things in the Chicago housing projects.
Stars: Ja'net DuBois, Ralph Carter, BernNadette Stanis, Jimmie 'JJ' Walker
Votes: 8,104
6. What's Happening!! (1976–1979)
TV-PG | 24 min | Comedy
A trio of black youths learn about life, love, friendship, credit cards, gambling, and a variety of other things while growing up in an inner city.
Stars: Ernest Thomas, Haywood Nelson, Danielle Spencer, Fred Berry
Votes: 4,198
7. Chappelle's Show (2003–2006)
TV-MA | 22 min | Comedy, Music
Comedian Dave Chappelle hosts this sketch-comedy show that parodies many of the nuances of race and culture.
Stars: Dave Chappelle, Donnell Rawlings, Rudy Rush, Charlie Murphy
Votes: 71,716
8. A Different World (1987–1993)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy
A group of students at a historically Black university struggle to make it through college.
Stars: Lisa Bonet, Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Darryl M. Bell
Votes: 7,926
9. The Corner (2000)
TV-MA | 63 min | Crime, Drama
Chronicles a West Baltimore family living in poverty on the front lines of America's drug war.
Stars: T.K. Carter, Khandi Alexander, Sean Nelson, Clarke Peters
Votes: 5,501
10. Living Single (1993–1998)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Follows the lives of several single male and female roommates and friends in 1990s Brooklyn, New York.
Stars: Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Erika Alexander, John Henton
Votes: 6,666
11. The Bernie Mac Show (2001–2023)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A stand up comedian suddenly becomes a father when he takes custody of his sister's three children.
Stars: Bernie Mac, Kellita Smith, Jeremy Suarez, Dee Dee Davis
Votes: 8,455
12. In Living Color (1990–1994)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, Music
The Wayans siblings present an African-American focused sketch comedy show.
Stars: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jim Carrey, Kelly Coffield Park, Terrence Brown
Votes: 12,751
13. Underground (2016–2017)
TV-MA | 43 min | Adventure, Drama, History
With the country on the brink of Civil War, the struggle for freedom is more dangerous than ever. Underground follows the story of American heroes and their moving journey to freedom.
Stars: Jurnee Smollett, Aldis Hodge, Jessica De Gouw, Alano Miller
Votes: 5,529
14. Treme (2010–2013)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, Music
Life after Hurricane Katrina as the residents of New Orleans try to rebuild their lives, their homes, and their unique culture in the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in the USA.
Stars: Khandi Alexander, Rob Brown, Kim Dickens, Melissa Leo
Votes: 15,891
15. Girlfriends (2000–2008)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A look at the lives, loves, and losses of four different women, Toni, Maya, Lynn, and Joan.
Stars: Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White, Reginald C. Hayes
Votes: 5,057
16. Soul Food (2000–2004)
TV-14 | 45 min | Drama
The everyday life and problems of the Josephs, a black family living in Chicago, Illinois.
Stars: Rockmond Dunbar, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Aaron Meeks, Nicole Ari Parker
Votes: 1,297
17. Julia (1968–1971)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy
Julia Baker is a young African-American woman working as a nurse. She is also a widow (her husband died in Vietnam) trying to raise a young son alone.
Stars: Diahann Carroll, Lloyd Nolan, Marc Copage, Michael Link
Votes: 686
18. The Parkers (1999–2023)
TV-PG | 20 min | Comedy
Nikki and Kim Parker attend Santa Monica college to earn their college degrees.
Stars: Mo'Nique, Dorien Wilson, Countess Vaughn, Jenna von Oÿ
Votes: 2,707
19. The Jeffersons (1975–1985)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants.
Stars: Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover
Votes: 10,605
20. The PJs (1999–2001)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
The lives of occupants of an inner-city housing project.
Stars: Loretta Devine, Ja'net DuBois, Michele Morgan, Pepe Serna
Votes: 4,108
21. Black Dynamite (2011–2015)
TV-14 | 22 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Action comedy-spoof that follows ex-C. I. A. Agent and full-time ladies man, Black Dynamite, who's out to avenge the death of his brother against kung-fu masters, drug-dealing pimps, and The Man.
Stars: Michael Jai White, Byron Minns, Kym Whitley, Tommy Davidson
Votes: 4,900
22. Survivor's Remorse (2014–2017)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
Cam Calloway and Reggie Vaughn gained fame and fortune that no one could have imagined growing up in one of Boston''s most infamous neighborhoods.
Stars: RonReaco Lee, Jessie T. Usher, Erica Ash, Teyonah Parris
Votes: 2,554
23. Black-ish (2014–2022)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
A family man struggles to gain a sense of cultural identity while raising his kids in a predominantly white, upper-middle-class neighborhood.
Stars: Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown
Votes: 25,564
24. Atlanta (2016–2022)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Earn and his cousin, Alfred, try to make their way in the world through Atlanta's rap scene. Along the way they come face-to-face with social and economic issues touching on race, relationships, poverty, status and parenthood.
Stars: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz
Votes: 87,924
25. The Jamie Foxx Show (1996–2023)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Jamie King is an aspiring actor from Terrell, Texas, who has come to Los Angeles to pursue a career in show business. To support himself, he works at his family's hotel.
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Garrett Morris, Garcelle Beauvais, Christopher B. Duncan
Votes: 3,671
26. The Boondocks (2005–2014)
TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
Brothers Huey and Riley Freeman experience a culture clash when they leave Chicago to move in with their grandfather in the suburbs.
Stars: Regina King, John Witherspoon, Gary Anthony Williams, Cedric Yarbrough
Votes: 35,674
27. Gimme a Break! (1981–1987)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy
Nell agrees to look after the Kanisky's home, as a special favor to her dying friend, and takes on the role of housekeeper to widowed police chief Carl and a parental figure to his three teenage daughters, and eventually a foster son.
Stars: Nell Carter, Lara Jill Miller, Kari Michaelsen, Lauri Hendler
Votes: 3,682
28. Insecure (2016–2021)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Follows the awkward experiences and racy tribulations of a modern-day African-American woman.
Stars: Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, Natasha Rothwell
Votes: 22,339
29. The Proud Family (2001–2005)
TV-Y | 30 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Follow the adventures and misadventures of Penny Proud as she does her best to navigate through the early years of teend-dom.
Stars: Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Jo Marie Payton, Paula Jai Parker
Votes: 8,428
30. Being Mary Jane (2013–2019)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
The life of a young Black woman, her work, her family and the popular talk show which she hosts.
Stars: Gabrielle Union, Lisa Vidal, Raven Goodwin, Margaret Avery
Votes: 4,279
31. How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020)
TV-14 | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives.
Stars: Viola Davis, Billy Brown, Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King
Votes: 166,560
32. South Central (1994)
30 min | Comedy, Drama
Joan Mosley, tries to raise her two children in a troubled neighborhood after a son is killed. Andre is 17, is attracted to the wealthy Nicole and hangs with buddy Rashad. Tasha is her studious daughter and Deion her mute foster child.
Stars: Tina Lifford, Larenz Tate, Tasha Scott, Keith Mbulo
Votes: 287
33. The Carmichael Show (2015–2017)
TV-PG | 21 min | Comedy
Stand-up comedian Jerrod Carmichael navigates through life with his therapist-in-training girlfriend and his heavily-opinionated family.
Stars: Jerrod Carmichael, Amber Stevens West, Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish
Votes: 3,316
34. Queen Sugar (2016–2022)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama
Follows the life of three siblings, one of whom moves from Los Angeles to Louisiana to claim a shared inheritance from their recently departed father: an 800-acre sugarcane farm.
Stars: Rutina Wesley, Kofi Siriboe, Omar J. Dorsey, Nicholas L. Ashe
Votes: 5,592
35. Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A young African-American teen attempts to survive with his dysfunctional family and his all-white school in the 1980s.
Stars: Terry Crews, Tichina Arnold, Tequan Richmond, Imani Hakim
Votes: 41,784
36. Family Matters (1989–1998)
TV-G | 30 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
The Winslow family deals with various misadventures, many of them caused by their pesky next-door neighbor, ultra-nerd Steve Urkel.
Stars: Reginald VelJohnson, Jaleel White, Darius McCrary, Kellie Shanygne Williams
Votes: 30,003
37. Empire (2015–2020)
TV-14 | 42 min | Drama, Music
A hip-hop mogul must choose a successor among his three sons who are battling for control over his multi-million dollar company, while his ex-wife schemes to reclaim what is hers.
Stars: Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Y. Gray
Votes: 41,026
38. That's My Mama (1974–1975)
30 min | Comedy
Clifton enjoys being a barber in Washington, DC.
Stars: Clifton Davis, Theresa Merritt, Ted Lange, Teddy Wilson
Votes: 552
39. Rhythm & Blues (1992– )
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The owner (Horsford) of a black radio station hears the soulful voice of Bobby Soul (Kabler) and offers him a job on her station. But is stunned when she discovers that he is white. At ... See full summary »
Stars: Roger Kabler, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Troy Curvey Jr., Christopher Babers
Votes: 35
40. Roc (1991–1994)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
Charles Dutton plays a married garbage man who proves by his actions and his altruistic ways that though he collects refuse for a job, his life and relationships total more than mere garbage.
Stars: Charles S. Dutton, Ella Joyce, Rocky Carroll, Carl Gordon
Votes: 1,911
41. Where I Live (1993– )
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The TV series focused on New York City high-school student Doug and his two best friends., Reggie and Malcolm. Most of the stories revolved around their neighborhood and involved Doug, his ... See full summary »
Stars: Doug E. Doug, Flex Alexander, Shaun Baker, Lorraine Toussaint
Votes: 102
42. In the House (1995–1999)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A once-famous football player must rent part of his house to support himself. A single mother and her two kids are the latest tenants. He also owns a sports clinic that he barely manages to run with help from his friends.
Stars: LL Cool J, Maia Campbell, Alfonso Ribeiro, Kim Wayans
Votes: 1,420
43. Here and Now (1992–1993)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy
Graduate student A.J. volunteers at a youth center that helps troubled kids.
Stars: Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Charles Brown, Daryl Mitchell, Rachael Crawford
Votes: 46
44. Moesha (1996–2001)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Family