'Are We There Yet?': TBS Banks on the Black Family Sitcom

With the arrival of the new TBS show, 'Are We There Yet?' the black community is getting another option for network television viewing. We all know that black shows are rare these days, with few outside of the family sitcom genre even getting produced. There is much family fare on TBS now, including the shows created by Tyler Perry, 'House of Payne' and 'Meet the Browns.' But these two black sitcoms are based on what some perceive to be stereotypes of the African American family. The characters tend to be loud and animated, in scenarios in which dancing and jokes that are sometimes a little ignorant abound. We can only hope that 'Are We There Yet' will offer more balanced images of African Americans. But it is troubling that, despite our diversity of experience, the only new major black show in years is another sitcom.

There is always room for a good black comedy -- but it's sad that black shows have been limited to such a narrow form over the years, and often a vehicle for stereotypes at that. It's true that the most successful black shows in history have been family comedies, including 'The Jeffersons,' 'Sanford and Son,' and 'Good Times.' At the same time, most of us can't think of a serious black show that has been on the air for more than one season. Why? And what does this mean for the African American community?

Dr. Alvin Pouissant of Harvard Medical School said this about the state of blacks on television in an interesting article on FamilyEducation.com: "Overall, the position of blacks on TV is better than that of other minorities, but it is hampered by the racial conflicts and segregation that are embedded in American society. Historically, black actors have been grouped stereotypically and assigned to comedy and buffoonery." That seems about right.

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Where Are They Now: Family Matters

Where Are They Now: Family Matters
The hit television series 'Family Matters' followed a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago. A spin-off of 'Perfect Strangers,' the sitcom followed Harriette Winslow, an elevator operator at the fictional 'Chicago Chronicle' newspaper office, and her husband, two children, sister and mother-in-law, not-to-mention their pesky neighbor, Steve Urkel. 'Family Matters' was the only African-American show in ABC's hit "TGIF" line-up and aired for nine seasons from 1989 until 1998. In its final year it moved from ABC to CBS. With 215 episodes, it remains the second-longest running American comedy with a predominantly African-American cast, surpassed only by 'The Jeffersons.'

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Where Are They Now: Family Matters

Reginald VelJohnson: Carl Otis Winslow
For the entire run of 'Family Matters,' Reginald VelJohnson portrayed rotund Carl Otis Winslow, patriarch of the Winslow household. A police sergeant by day, Carl was the glue that held the family together. Always firm, a bit over protective, but still loving, he always had his family's best interests at heart. He sometimes butted heads with his son Eddie and was constantly irritated by their nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel.

Where Are They Now: Family Matters

Reginald VelJohnson: Now
Before, during and after his time on 'Family Matters,' Reginald VelJohnson portrayed another police officer as Sgt. Al Powell in 'Die Hard' and its sequel 'Die Hard 2.' He followed that up as a cop in the comedy 'Turner and Hooch.' Following the show's demise, the Queens, New York native focused on theater work. Over the years, he's made a few guest appearances on television shows like, 'Diagnosis Murder,' 'Will & Grace,' and 'That's So Raven.' VelJohnson just reunited with his 'Family Matters' co-stars Kelli Shanygne Williams and Darius McCrary in a film called 'Steppin: The Movie.'

Where Are They Now: Family Matters

JoMarie Payton: Harriette Winslow
Following the fourth season of 'Perfect Stranger,' recurring character Harriette Winslow was given her own series, 'Family Matters.' Wife to Carl and caring mother to Laura, Judy and Eddie, Harriette continued her job as an elevator operator from 'Perfect Strangers' on 'Family Matters.' Actress JoMarie Payton, who portrayed Harriette, left the series in the middle of its final season over a dispute with show producers. Only seven episodes remained after she departed.

Where Are They Now: Family Matters

JoMarie Payton: Now
Since her time on 'Family Matters,' JoMarie Payton released a jazz album called 'Southern Shadows.' The 58-year-old Georgia native was the voice of the character Suga Mama Proud on the hit ABC Family channel animated series 'The Proud Family.' She also had a recurring role on 'Will & Grace,' as the personal assistant to Gregory Hines' character Ben Doucette.

Where Are They Now: Family Matters

Kellie Shanygne Williams: Laura Lee Winslow
Kelli Shanygne Williams starred as the opinionated Laura Lee Winslow for the entire run of 'Family Matters.' Although on the series she played Eddie's younger sister, in real life, she is just a few months older than actor Darius McCrary -- who played the eldest Winslow child. On the sitcom, she is most remembered as the love interest of the nerdy Steve Urkel, who was the Winslows' annoying next-door neighbor.

Where Are They Now: Family Matters

Kellie Shanygne Williams: Now
After her time on 'Family Matters,' Kelli Shanygne Williams enrolled and graduated from UCLA majoring in psychology. She has appeared in such stage productions as 'Joe Turner's Come and Gone,' and 'Goin' Home,' and is gearing up to be a replacement in the role of Elphaba in the Chicago production of the hit musical 'Wicked.' In 2006, the 32-year old actress moved back to her hometown, Washington, D.C. to start a fine arts program for young people at Howard University's Children's Theatre.

Where Are They Now: Family Matters

Darius McCrary: Edward 'Eddie' James Arthur Winslow
Along with Steve Urkel, Edward 'Eddie' Winslow was one of the most popular characters on 'Family Matters.' Staying on for the full series run, actor Darius McCrary served as a close friend to Steve and caring big brother to Laura. As a teenager, Eddie got into in a lot of trouble trying to juggle women and making the usual bad decisions of boys his age, such as gambling, driving the family car through the front of the house, and blaming Steve for things Eddie did wrong. During the series' final season, Eddie followed in his father's footsteps and became a rookie cop.

Where Are They Now: Family Matters

Darius McCrary: Now
As of late, Darius McCrary has made headlines when his estranged lover Karrine 'Superhead' Steffans, the former self-proclaimed "video vixen"-cum-best-selling-author -- filed a restraining order against him for assault. She accused him of hitting her with his car and injuring her right foot. He proclaimed his innocence, saying she slapped him and jumped on his car. On the acting front, the 32-year-old actor played the role of Bowie James on the short-lived NBC series 'Committed.' He also starred on a memorable episode of 'Girlfriends,' and did the voice of the character of Autobot Jazz in the blockbuster film 'Transformers.'

Where Are They Now: Family Matters

Jaleel White: Steven 'Steve' Quincy Urkel
When you think of 'Family Matters,' Steve Urkel and his infamous high-pitched 'Did I do that?' phrase can't help but pop into your head. The role was rumored to have just been a one-time guest appearance, but he proved so popular that then 12 year-old actor Jaleel White stayed on for the sitcom's full run. He nailed the role of the annoying, yet lovable nerd who wore high-water pants and suspenders and had no problem showing his love and devotion for Laura Winslow. The Winslow clan got used to their next-door neighbor dropping by unannounced and he became a surrogate member of the family. White also played Urkel's alter-ego, Stefan Urquelle, and his female cousin, Myrtle, who was in love with Eddie Winslow. Later in the series, he even found a girlfriend in Myra Monkhouse.

Where Are They Now: Family Matters

Much of the reason that network executives are more interested in black comedy is because they know that it is a recipe that works. Other types of unproven shows are risky. The money necessary to produce a show can be substantial. Networks put their money in places where they know they are going to get a solid return on their investment. And complex black shows are not the place. This puts the black community into a position in which quality shows like 'The Game' are canceled, while black family sitcoms are continually produced because they are like printing money -- for giant corporations with no interest in supporting diverse African American representation. This lack of representation is harmful to the self-esteem of the younger generations, leaving an immense psychological vacuum. This not only harms young blacks, but encourages young whites to see black people in dehumanizing ways.

One solution to these issue is for more blacks to get into positions where they can make decisions regarding which shows are going to be picked up by the networks. There should also be a greater emphasis on media ownership and creation of the capital needed to finance quality programming. Another possibility is digital production, and Internet distribution, which African Americans can more easily control. The Federal Trade Commission may need to get involved to ensure that we have a more diverse set of shows on the air -- fueled by more diversity in network executive offices. By pointing out the issues and analyzing them carefully, we might then be able to make government entities aware of the problems so we can start fixing them.

When it comes to diversity of the black experience on television, we should ask ourselves the question "are we there yet?" The answer to that question is a resounding "no."

Lawrence Watkins is the Founder of Great Black Speakers. He is also the owner of speakers' bureaus dedicated to Hispanic speakers and Christian motivational speakers. His book, "Frame Your Future: 8 Principles to Effectively Focus on the Future and Not Dwell in the Past", will be released in August 2010. If you would like Lawrence's articles delivered directly to your email, please click here.