Roc

This was one of the greatest shows that FOX had back in the day,and for a very good reason. It was one of the network's biggest line-ups during its heyday and it was right in there with shows like "In Living Color","Martin","Married..With Children",and "Living Single",as well as the dramas "Beverly Hills 90210",and "New York Undercover". It was the FOX of yesteryear. Roc in my opinion was a man who was trying to make things better for himself and his wife as well as the community in which they lived in(the setting for the show was set in Baltimore). Roc(Charles S. Dutton) was always in competition with his unpredictable, worthless,mooching brother-in-law Joey(played by Rocky Carroll),kept its viewers tuned in weekly to see what will happened next. However,he had his faithful wife(Ella Joyce),and his beloving father(Carl Gordon) for support through troubled times and sometimes happy moments as well. "Roc" in my opinion was the intelligent version of "Good Times" with a hint of "Sanford and Son",and "The Jeffersons" not to mention some reference to Jackie Gleason's "The Honeymooners" for extra measure. The series ran for three seasons from 1991 to 1994. Its first season was filmed before a live audience. However,the show went live during the second season of the series and it remain that way until the end of its run.

By the way,the theme song in season two was sung by the girl group EnVogue during that time,and who could have guessed that the girls were on the show every week while in the process churning out hit records during the height of the 1990's(and this was when the show went live in season two)? The series not only have some great comedy,but also some hard wrenching,hard hitting drama with some riveting performances coming from Charles S. Dutton and the brilliant cast.

There are some great moments here where Roc goes up against the neighborhood drug lord,and some dangerous felonies and gangsters and at the end of show Dutton steps out of character to share with the audience some interesting facts here as well as an educational message. Thank you TV-LAND for bringing it back.

Roc, in my own opinion, was one of the great shows of FOX's past. Pitting the gritty garbageman Roc (Charles S Dutton) vs. his worthless, mooching (and sometimes unscrupulous) brother-in-law Joey (Rocky Carroll), kept viewers watching week after week. The cast proved their weight when the show taped live week after week (near the end of their run) nearly flawless. I'd like to think of the show as a more intelligent "Sanford and Son"

Memorable moments include Roc facing down a neighbourhood crack-dealer who seemed unintimidated by the girth of Roc, but left the neighbourhood anyways toting "If it's not your neighbourhood, it will be someone else's"

The fact that this show wasn't showered with awards is a crime. I was a pre-teen white kid from the pine barrens of New Jersey, probably not their targeted demographic and still I was riveted to the screen with every episode. If memory serves me right most of the episodes were filmed live unedited. The actors were so in tune that it felt more like theater or better a very real look into the living room of a family so different and also not so different from my own experiences. For a show that only had a few seasons they really put out a ton of episodes. I wonder if anyone in Hollywood has the chops to pull that off these days.

I would watch right now if I could. I followed the careers of the actors and actress since. Charles S Dutton was so funny.

The actors on "Saturday Night Live" are dubbed "The Not-Ready-For-Time-Players. The ones that were ready for prime time starred in the situation comedy "Roc"! The second season of the show was done live! Roc was part of FOX's "Black Pack"; a format it has since abandoned! The only way that Rupert Murdock's FOX Network contributed positively to the quality of network television was showing "Roc Live."

This was good. But apparently the other three networks weren't up to the challenge! Live entertainment on network TV is scarce! During the run of "Roc Live" all of the other popular sitcoms were showing outtakes during the closing credits! The other networks simply weren't ready. This live sitcom has yet to be answered!