User reviews

I am writing this review because I find it utterly unbelievable that people take Black-ish literally. The show is obviously satirical. It's making fun of the idea that society believes that there is a certain connotation to blackness or, put simply, certain behaviors and beliefs are considered "black". As an upper class black individual who lives in a white neighborhood, I get it. Because of the color of my skin, I'm supposed to "act black" and black friends find it weird that I "talk white". The show is basically Dre making fun of the fact that being black is more than having a skin color; it comes with expectations and stereotypes that many black people feel the need to embody because if they don't, they won't be authentically black. It is not being racist. It is raising stereotypes, but in a comical way that is supposed to make watchers really question the validity of them. It's a comedy and you're supposed to laugh at Dre's nonsensical obsession about not being black enough. I think the problem is people fail to recognize satire, not just in Black-ish but in any context, such as articles online, commentators always take it literal.

But it's a joke. It's making fun of the idea of "acting black".

Normally I don't go to the trouble of writing a review but in this case I had to. Reading the other reviews you'd think this was directed by Malcolm X. It's amazing how offended people can get by a black character (yes he's a character and one of the few) on TV. Do these reviewers who were so utterly offended by this character ever stop to wonder what the black community thinks of white TV? Which is to say almost all TV.

They mentioned being too militant, too black black black (even though that's literally in the title) and so forth. If you watched the entirety of the show, you'd realize that was the point. It was way over top, it was a classic caricature of a man who realized, and so too did his family, how ridiculous he was being and let it all go at the end.

At the end of the day it was funny and entertaining, my wife and I laughed out loud at a few spots which rarely happens. As for the not-believable comment, well I'll leave it at the fact that it's a comedy on TV. That's like saying I don't watch The Colbert Report because it misrepresents the news. By this standard you'll scrap about 95% of the stuff out there, although Transformers could happen if you think about it.

My gauge of a show is whether I was entertained or not, and in this case I was. I second the 7.3 round to a 7.

Let me just get this out of the way; I'm a black dude in my late 40's. Grew up during the 80's watching shows like the Cosby show, family ties, etc. With that being said, Scrubs is probably my all time favorite sitcom, by a large margin. The writing, cast, everything was spot on. And it ended right before shows started going in a different direction imo. No show has been able to balance comedy & drama as good as Scrubs, & I see black-ish as another effort to do so. An almost blatant copy of its humor if you ask me. I don't remember any other show doing the whole "flashback" thing before Scrubs, at least not as often. Black-ish pulls it off slightly different, but really similar nonetheless. It's cartoonish in a way that isn't well balanced, where again, Scrubs knew how to make that somehow work and not come off so...silly?? I feel kinda weird saying that considering how ridiculous some of the stuff on Scrubs was, but anyone that watched it can relate to what I'm saying. Scrubs had a few episodes that have made me actually sad, like REALLY struck a nerve and resonated with me, Black-ish has never come close. It just doesn't know how to make you get emotionally invested most of the time, even when visiting important topics like race, equality, etc. One of the writers (Deon Cole) is one of my favorite comedians, & his humor usually hits its mark. But as a show, it's just more of todays snark without the feeling. The Goldbergs is another example of this.

Like some other reviewers here, when I watched the first episode, I turned it off after about ten minutes. It's an unfortunate pilot that leads viewers to think that the entire show will be a narrow diatribe on "blackness". But the show is titled "Black-ish" and it is appropriately titled.

I don't remember what made me give it another chance, but I decided to watch the second episode and I was pleasantly surprised. But one episode does not a series make, so I watched the third. And I found "Black-ish" to be a very enjoyable comedy that had me laughing out loud numerous times.

Like the Cosby family, this family speaks the Queen's English, and they prove to be rather genteel, despite the father's attempts to reconnect with "the struggle". He says, "They (the younger generation) have nothing left to struggle for." The mother replies, "Can't that be a good thing?" And he answers, "No!" This show reveals some truths without spelling them out, like "All in the Family" did so well.

"Black-ish" reveals that the father's discontent is a generational thing--something all of us feel who realize that young people cannot identify with the values and events of earlier generations. And it eventually shows that humanity trumps "blackness".

I hope this show pursues the path it is on. There are lessons here for everyone. And the writers are mining laughs far outside the topic of race.

The cast is excellent. I especially love the two youngest kids. The youngest daughter, Diane, is hilarious; she possesses a comic timing that far surpasses her age.

Update 10/30/14: The show has proved that it is consistently funny. I am upgrading my vote to "9".

Update 11/10/16: I am sorry to say that the show's focus and its comedic balance shifted in season 3. So my grading of the show applies only to the first two seasons. Enjoy them.

First of all those who are offended by the title of the show should just pipe down and realize that the creators where just being satirical. As a black man I find the over abundance of buffoonish television shows that are typically geared towards African Americans to be passe and very stereotypical. Tyler perry based shows like Meet the Browns and House of Pain, though well meaning in their portrayal of the Black experience, often suffer from poor writing ( a habitual issue with Tyler Perry productions) and out of date tropes and production values. These shows are typically successful due to Mr. Perry's built in audience and,quiet simply ,a scarcity of programming geared towards black viewers. What makes Blackish stand out is its strong writing, perfectly cast lead actors( Anthony Anderson and Lawrence Fishburn's chemistry is particularly impressive), and irreverent look at the issues facing an upper class black family. Obviously some may not "get" some of the humor if you are unfamiliar with the nuances of black culture, just as an African American might not get every funny referrence from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". The vast majority of the show, however, deals with issues that anyone can relate too. I'm 3 episodes in, and like most good shows, Blackish gets funnier the longer the writers have time to flesh out the characters and progress with the story lines. One more note. In no way is this show racist like some misguided and ignorant reviewers ( with some admitting to having only watched 15 minutes of the pilot...talk about ADHD) suggest. To those individuals I would say give it an actual chance. Check out the first 3 episodes on ONdemand before you pass a hasty judgement on such a small sample size

This series might not start off great, but it has certainly won me over. Despite its title, it doesn't make everything about race (in fact deals little with race at all), but instead skillfully and hilariously considers how self-identification and values change trans-generationally. I did not give the show a 10 star rating since it still needs a little work. It's already one of my favorites and I believe it has the potential to be a great family sitcom. I believe the lower rating it has received here has little to do with the quality of the show and more to do with human tendency to categorize and then refuse to see beyond preconceptions.

To tell the truth, I had also dismissed 'Black-ish' when I first heard about it, basing this rejection simply on the title and a very cursory glance at reactionary reviews. The racist in me had immediately lumped this show together with the likes of UPN classics 'Moesha' and 'Girlfriends', shows which I never cared much for. I was therefore pleasantly surprised after I watched the first episode on Hulu...and then the second, and then subsequently caught up with all the currently available episodes (seven at the time of this review) within a day.

First off, the cast grows on you quickly. Initially, the family seemed a little oddball in how it was put together. But that went away within an episode or two, when the family dynamic was a bit more apparent. The children are adorable and I finally appreciate how beautiful Tracee Ross is (I guess I was previously blinded by my profound crush on Persia White in 'Girlfriends'). Ross' portrayal of her character is refreshingly playful; I wouldn't have known she had it in her. The writers should probably have a consulting doctor, though. It annoys me, how unrealistic the portrayal of her profession is.

Anthony Anderson's lead character is not perfect, but is on its way up. The character had started off a little unrefined but I am fully confident the writers will make full use of Anderson's talent as the show progresses. But Laurence Fishburne as "Pops" has to be my favorite casting decision. Hopefully he won't be too busy to stop by every once in a while. Another notable side character that I must mention is Deon Cole's "Charlie". I'll just abbreviate by calling him hilarious.

Now, the controversy/hoopla surrounding the show. There are, of course, those who think that the show perpetuates stereotypes about black people, that it demeans them or tries to declare what attributes define "black culture". It doesn't help that even the title of the show brings those thoughts to the forefront of the mind. I'm not black, and therefore cannot say definitively that this show isn't offensive to any specific category of people. But I honestly feel that the writers are trying to do a good thing here. They do more to try to break stereotypes than disseminate them; and they manage to do this, for the most part, in clever ways that don't look too forced. I don't feel like I'm being asked to laugh at caricatures like with other sitcoms.

But critics might say, "Why do they even have to broach the subject of race? Why can't they be a successful family which happens to be black?" If the show didn't mention race at all, but instead chronicled the comedic hijinks of an affluent family (which happens to be black), and had a completely innocuous title, there would be critics up in arms about the show being ashamed/afraid of celebrating black culture. I don't think 'The Cosby Show' or 'Family Matters' work as rebuttals to that argument – those were products of a different era, one before the fracturing of network television and before relegation of "black interest" shows to pigeonholed networks.

Anyway, you can't please everybody. I'm happy to say that this show pleases me. The show makes me reflect on how my cultural and racial identity has shaped how I perceive myself and others. It definitely makes me think about how my upbringing and self-identity differs from that of my parents, and how my children's upbringing and self-identity will certainly differ from my own. So please don't put this show into a tiny box. It's not just for black people, or just for racist people, or just for poor people. If you give it a chance, I'm certain you will see its appeal.

As a white person I massively enjoyed blackish. It is a light family comedy and you get to learn a little bit about black history and generally just see life through another lense. I found the series wholesome, fun and wise. Sure, they take it too far sometimes but then again, that goes for most sitcoms that have been on for a while. For example, friends is and will always be my favorite show, but if you look at Monica's character development...she goes from a little neurotic in season 1 to someone who keeps yelling in a high pitched voice in season 10. Writer's mistake if you ask me, but I loved the show regardless because it also has a lot of love and wisdom in it, brought to you in a light and easy-to-watch manner. The same goes for blackish, as far as I'm concerned.

Despite what many people are saying about Blackish, it is not a racist show and it is not even a show about race. It is in fact a family show and it is a family show about culture. In the first episode it does come off as too, but by the end it comes off in a good way, many people must not have watched or didn't finish. Despite that, it delivers great laughs all through the way. The 2nd episode was more of a representation of what the show really is, which is a family show. The second episode again delivers the laughs, but it does it in a very creative and fresh way, and it also did not use anything racial at all. For obvious reasons people will not give this show a chance and they really should. Blackish is a funny and creative show, about family and culture. This successful family is living in the suburbs and adopting that culture, to the dismay of the father. Its laughs all the way through, as these parents, try to be great parents, not so much on culture, but family.

The first two seasons are middle of the road funny but tolerable then the show goes of a cliff I found myself disliking every member of the family especially the mother I can't work out what went wrong they stopped writing a comedy show and started making a slightly racist public service announcement.

****This review is for the first four seasons**** Blackish is actually a funny show, with the main star being the dad of the family. The family's adventures are actually interesting to watch and sometimes, light enough to be easily entertaining. However, at times, it got too dramatic, or even strayed away from the comedy genre, like the first episode of the fourth season, which it was a musical. Also, even though the episodes where they were dealing with the current issues of society were strong and had an impact, some other episodes were just repeating the same thing and it felt like they were guilt cornering the audiance. Finally, the last episodes of the fourth season were out of the blue and boring.

*Keep in mind, I am a black, liberal female.*

Based on my self-description, you might think well okay, you love this show, right? Wrong! For one thing, the title looks more like it came from the 1970s than the 21st century. It's outdated and lacks creativity. As for the episodes - this show just doesn't do it for me. It tries too hard to be woke. The audience is thrown one stereotype after another and quite frankly it gets boring. All of the white people are portrayed as idiotic and clueless, while all of the black people are constantly annoyed by their ignorance. If you want an African American TV show that's really worth watching, check out Different World. All of the characters are black (the setting of the story is an HBCU), but they don't go around emphasizing how black they are. Every episode had unique situations, and it's really interesting to watch the characters grow as they navigate social and dating relationships in college. What does Blackish offer? Nothing but watching a black man, who is married to a black woman and therefore has black children, struggle with his identity, because his family lives in a white neighborhood. How that makes for a fascinating storyline is beyond me. It sounds more like he's too worried about what other people think, regardless of their race. I did chuckle/kind of laugh at this a few times, but after whatever episode that was, I haven't watched it since. I'll take Different World over this any day.

I enjoy every bit of this Sitcom.. it pokes fun at life in general and also teaches me valuable life lessons about how easy it is as human beings to misunderstand each other.

If we simply take the time to communicate positively with each other (like the "Valentimes Day" episode), we'd all be living much better lives. I wanna see more of the AD Agency episodes too.. those are funny because he has some weird coworkers.. LoL.

Episodes about Dre's kids are hilarious. I love the interaction that the kids have with the parents and each other. Quite comical. My favorite is the little girl with her perfect comic timing.

#GoodStuff ;-) Stay Up, Y'all.. GOD BLESS😇☺ 😊😝🎥🎭🎥🌴🌞

The first episode took me completely by surprise! It was so funny. Yes, the white people in it are a bit of a caricature (Seriously, one advertiser asks Dre how (whispered) "black" people would say good morning) but maybe they're the same type of off from a black perspective that black people often are when portrayed from a white perspective.

Maybe it's just because I'm a sociology major but I totally get Dre's frustration, along with his wife and kid's disbelief and disinterest. He has it all. He's well-to-do at a job he loves, he lives in a great house/neighborhood and has an all-American family, and yet he feels his culture/history slipping away. I can see that relating to anyone whose grown-up life is significantly different than their childhood, for good or bad. I grew up in a rural area, on a farm, and I often regret the lifestyle my very suburban kids have grown up in. I want to yank them back to the farm. He is glad to be in better circumstances and neighborhood than where he grew up, but he also doesn't want his kids to lose their history, their background. The great things in his life are erasing other things that may not have been as great, but were still part of making him who he is.

His wife is multicultural, whatever that means, bi-racial, however you want to put it. She thinks he's a little nuts to miss the "hood" and to try and suddenly get his kids to be more "black". His kids are the same as most kids these days (thank goodness), they have dropped color as a major factor, often even as a minor factor. Unfortunately for minorities, that also means losing culture as they homogenize into the dominant culture, white. However, it also means seeing people as people, not as colors or ethnicity.

His dad (the grandpa) is a little of both. Maybe used to be the strong black man, go Malcolm X and black power, but he also enjoys the cushy life he's living now. His comments and his lifestyle clash, but in a way that's okay, it's just part of who he is. At one point when Dre wants to come up with a "black" coming of age ceremony for his son, his dad nails it with a comment about how they're not African. They don't have that history, suddenly trying to adopt cultural customs from Africa, which is not even just Africa, it is multiple countries, peoples, and customs and traditions, just doesn't work. You can't invent a history and culture for yourself that never existed. He's multi-generational American, just black American, not African American. But still, I can feel for his desire for some sort of cultural background that feels solid. I'm multi-multi-generational white. My ancestors come from at least 10 different northern European countries. I often look at Hispanic cultures and some of their traditions and wish I had a little more something in my background other than just plain white vanilla. But that doesn't mean if I suddenly adopt Irish or Norwegian customs it will really be me.

Yeah, sorry, too long and too much philosophizing. I got it, I loved it. And besides that, it was really really funny. I laughed all the way through. Even my husband laughed out loud and he's more of a quiet chuckle sort of guy, seldom laughs out loud. I really hope this show stays the same, sharp observances of evolving social gray areas, loving and close knit family, people being people, and funny. And at least so far it was clean. Most "family" sitcoms are not something I would let my kids watch, I don't watch them. I would love to see something like this that stays clean so I can invite the kids in for a family show.

This show is well written and hysterically funny. It presents and shows Black families as accomplished and diverse within the family based not on race but age. The teen angst is funny and a right of passage that transcends race and gender. The oldest daughter is popular and pretentious and the teen son is a nerd. What a combo! The youngsters are twins with the girl having the wisdom of an adult with the heart of a child (she is a scream) and the son is really cute and a ['cliche'] good dancer. Bonus: the little girl is portrayed as the more intelligent of the twins. Finally, the parents are funny characters while being role models with the wife a doctor and the father a successful marketing executive. They make a great team. Sometimes they team together and other times team with one or more of the kids at the expense of the other. It's an equal opportunity offender situation which in no way detracts from their individuality and personal accomplishments. I love 'Team Johnson' and appreciate the portrayal, celebration and comedy within a diverse Black family!

Regarding the negative comments and inference that the show is a Cosby ripoff and borders on racist is disingenuous at best. It stands on its own and I for one am sick of seeing Black Americans primarily being portrayed as uneducated criminals. Those who don't think this show is cleverly written both from an age (societal evolutionary perspective)and race perspective just doesn't get it and has no sense of humor. I do not see overtures of racism or anti-white sentiment either (FTR I am white). It gives a perspective as seen from the 'Black' race. News Flash - there is just as much diversity amongst the Black race as there is amongst the white race.

Do yourself a favor, watch it and you be the judge. If you are someone who can laugh at themselves and enjoy seeing families doing the same then don't miss this series. It is light and a refreshing departure from how Black families are typically portrayed and who are not relegated to living in a housing project. The characters are funny and make fun of themselves while being accomplished. Alert....YEAH - no murders, incarcerations, or police situations...just plain light hearted silliness.

I really like this show. A good attempt at revolutionizing tv, however some of the show's jokes about Dre's kids not being "black enough" fails in my opinion due to the fact that Dre CHOSE to move to a white neighborhood when he didn't have to. There are black wealthy neighborhoods in LA (ex Baldwin Hills) that i would have liked to see this family living in. Also, i would have liked to see an average middle class black family instead of upper class which makes the show out of touch. Other than that i think the show is worth the watch. Definitely one of the best black shows thats out. And I love the cast. They make the show.

Sooooo funny.. This show is quick and a little zany with extremely likable characters. I think it does a great job of capturing three generations and their styles of being in the world and also their very authentic feeling relationships to class and race.

Anyone who says this show is 'militant,' is drinking some crazy kool-aid because it's fun and good natured (I am white fwiw) without shying away from talking about race.

As for stereotypes, I think it's more accurate to call them archetypes. It's a sitcom, not a genre known for deep character development. We need shorthand to get down to the business of the funny. Not to mention, why can't you have a black person on TV talking like they're from Compton without it being a stereotype? Three of the characters ARE from Compton. Each person on the show has his or her own personality and background. Some 'act black' (whatever that is supposed to mean) and some don't, on a scale, just like in real life.

I do notice the male / female stereotypes, which i also treat as character traits of these 8 characters, not a commentary on worldwide male/female relationships.

This show is about an upper middle class family headed by two professionals, and I think they nailed it. Upper middle class people are not going to be as affected by race as poor folk (for the most part) but neither would it be realistic to just pretend that they don't ever think about their race or experience racism. There's a great bit about the 'race card,' which will infuriate those lacking in goodwill on both sides of the aisle but will make everyone else laugh.

For the reviewer who complained about sarcastic kids in the show: there are four kids, and only one of them is sarcastic. That's about spot on in any family.

My fave sitcoms are (now) Blackish, Brooklyn 99, Mindy Show, Dead Beat, Broad City. If those are your thing, give Blackish a try, it's really really really really really really funny.

I was really enjoying this show until season 4, all drama, no comedy. Hope they get back to the way they were.

Ok, so the commercials weren't enough to make me tune in, but it's been on in reruns after another show I watch. At first, it was funny, so I decided to start watching it regularly, and that's when a few things started bothering me...

1) It REALLY feels like 2000's Cosby reboot - all the way to having the eldest daughter leave for college and turning it into a spin-off. The only difference is this time the wife is the dr and the husband is an ad exec instead of a lawyer (and hopefully not ruffying unexpecting women). Ironically, I'm watching an episode right now and they JUST mentioned the Cosby Show...

2) It's really pretty racist. Given the title of "Black-ish", of course I knew it was going to be dealing with a black family and black issues, but it goes the extra mile to paint all of the white characters in a negative light. That really pisses me of because it's such a double standard. You can't say it's wrong for one group to make jokes about one group, but it's ok for that group to make fun of the other. Racism is racism, it doesn't matter who's making the comments to which group.

The wife, Rainbow, is bi-racial (1/2 black, 1/2 white), which could really open up the series to some interesting (and much needed) story lines and talking points, but instead not only do her black husband and in-laws make fun of her for being mixed, but she only identifies as black to the point of open hostility to most white people she encounters - NEVER saying anything when confronted with a sensitive situation like, "My dad is white, and I love him," or "I'm bi-racial, and..." It's always, "as a black person in this world..." It almost feels like they included it to try to give them a pass on making white jokes, but they show ZERO sympathetic white characters, just villains.

They show Dre at work, and all the white co-workers are absolutely idicotic, racist, and clueless. Yet somehow, it's a huge win for Dre to work there because it's such a big, prestigious firm. Which is it, a prestigious firm or nothing but useless idiots?

It's just really disappointing. Instead of making it a funny show that's about a family that happens to be black, it's all racial issues all the time. It could have done for the black community what Will & Grace or Modern Family did for the gay community, instead it's just a reason to perpetuate stereotypes.

This show is funny and touches on many topics. The cast does a great job. One of my favorite characters is Charlie. I hope he comes back and is not replaced. The kids are so talented. The little girl and older son are really funny. I love the relationship the twin has with Charlie. Tracie Ross & Anthony Anderson do a great job acting like real parents but with lots of humor. The mother-in-law is a natural. Some favorite episodes for me ins 2014 was Junior is a Republican and the Christmas show. 2015--The Word was hilarious especially in the office with Charlie taking out his gun and who can say the word and who can't. The church episode was so funny and true. I particularly enjoy the office colleagues as well. All those parts are funny and I hope they don't change the characters. Wanda Sykes is a funny stand-up comedian, but it seems that she is doing a stand-up on the show. I hope she is not really going to replace Charlie.

Loved the show up until season 3, when they decided to feature Chris Brown. They love to talk about black role models but then decide to put a woman beater and homophobe on the show. Bye, Black-Ish.

As a family we usually pick a series to watch AS A FAMILY.. And so we did with this one. Our experience with the first episode, was not so great. We weren't laughing and didn't pick up on the way this would go and what was the intent behind.

Still we went on and watched the second and third etc. because there was this hint of 'greatness' in there (Cosby show size). And I can say with confidence that we became totally hooked. My kids' favorite moment now is that moment where we turn on the TV to watch "our family" on TV. Because that is what we see ... we see a family struggling (or better yet, a dad) that is struggling) with his choices in life and how that translates to his family and the interaction between them. Add to that the complication of an old-fashioned dad and mum living in with you ... and you have a modern "all in the family".

The series works for African-American identity issues but equally works for us as a Dutch- Moroccan family in The Netherlands trying to find our way in a similar set-up.

Acting is continuously improving and getting stronger. I am hoping this is going to last at least 5 seasons ...