Let’s go back to the late ’70s and 8’80swhen disco was the dominant sound, fashion was all about volume, and sitcoms were emerging as a huge platform for Black tales on television. This was the time when shows led by Black people not only entertained, but also began influencing the way we talked about culture, identity, and life.
They presented us with protagonists we adored, narrative lines that opened doors, and yes, some scenes that haven’t aged so well. Here’s a retro look at eight sitcoms that epitomized that era and revolutionized what television was.
8. Amen
Having made history with The Jeffersons, Sherman Hemsley had far more in the tank. He returned as Deacon Frye in Amen, a sitcom taking place within a Black church community. Though it didn’t ignite the same cultural controversy that his previous hit had, it was still pioneering in featuring Black spirituality and church politics prominently on network television. With five seasons on the air, it proved that spirituality-based stories could provide some guffaws as well.
7. 227
Before Regina King was an Oscar winner, she was a teenager on 227. This D.C.-based sitcom gave us a whole community of strong, witty Black women, led by Marla Gibbs. While it wasn’t always considered revolutionary, it offered something rare at the time—relatable Black female characters navigating friendship, love, and family life. The show had staying power, and in hindsight, it deserves way more credit than it gets.
6. Diff’rent Strokes
“Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” If you lived through the ’80s, you had that line repeated a million times in your head. Diff’rent Strokes revolved around two Black boys adopted by an affluent white businessman, a setup that was at once popular and slightly awkward. The show relied on “special episodes” to address issues, but frequently skirted deeper Black realities. Nevertheless, it spurred the careers of Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges, had an indisputable cultural influence, and created opportunities for Black actors on primetime.
5. Good Times
Few sitcoms managed both happiness and adversity as well as Good Times. Filmed in a Chicago housing project, it showcased the Evans family’s everyday struggles and victories. James Evans was one of the earliest positive Black father figures on television, and Jimmie Walker’s “Dy-no-mite!” was a catchphrase for the ages. Some of the storylines angered fans—especially the way Florida Evans was portrayed—but it was still an important, unapologetic exploration of working-class Black life.
4. Sanford and Son
Redd Foxx transformed his quick-witted stand-up into a sitcom legend with Sanford and Son. As junk dealer Fred Sanford, he combined insult humor with warmth, and it produced a character as rough-around-the-edges as he was legendary. Much of the comedy hasn’t held up all that well, and Norman Lear’s stamp sometimes made the cultural viewpoint not always genuine. But it paved the way, provided us with one of television’s greatest theme songs, and solidified Foxx as a comedy icon.
3. The Jeffersons
“Movin’ on up” wasn’t a theme song—it was a cultural transition. The Jeffersons was one of the first shows to depict a successful Black couple getting on and living unapologetically well. George and Weezy were extreme, but via them, the show addressed race, class, and even interracial marriage in ways not previously viewed. It wasn’t perfect, but it demonstrated that Black success stories could have a place in the primetime limelight.
2. A Different World
As a spinoff of The Cosby Show, A Different World could have played it safe—but opted instead to define its own space by focusing on life at an HBCU. It highlighted Black youth as leaders, thinkers, and dreamers, and it addressed topics such as racism, AIDS, and gender roles. It addressed young Black viewers directly in a way that few programs did, compelling generations to envision themselves in college and beyond.
1. The Cosby Show
There is no question about it: The Cosby Show revolutionized television. The Huxtables were accomplished, affectionate, and complex—a middle-to-upper-middle-class Black family that people of all races related to. The show was a ratings powerhouse and ushered in the floodgates for the boom of Black sitcoms of the ’90s. Cosby’s legacy today makes the show’s place in history complicated, but the cultural significance of The Cosby Show cannot be undone.
These eight shows were not just television—these were cultural signifiers, reflecting the range of Black life in America: the struggle, the victory, the comedy, the contradictions. Some succeeded, some stumbled, but all of them together opened the door for the Black-fronted television we enjoy today.