The Bernie Mac Show

At first this seemed like another African American-headlined sitcom just waiting to burst with the same tired jokes. But Bernie Mac has managed to conjure a truly original comedy which also has an awesome funk-r&b-hip hop soundtrack. A relatively new cast is also very good in a show that, hopefully, will become a long-running staple on FOX.

I was laid out on the floor from laughing at this show. Apparently Mac and his wife are childfree, but because of his sister's drug problems, they take in his sister's kids. His wife welcomes the kids, but makes it very clear that her husband is going to do most of the parenting. This show is refreshing because a) it's not like some African-American sitcom of recent years that continue to rely on stereotypes and buffoonery, and b) Bernie Mac is not PC when it comes to handling his nephew and two nieces.

I understand that Mac had wanted to have a sitcom like his "King of Comedy" partners--Cedric "The Entertainer", Steve Harvey and D.L. Hughley do--but that he held out for the right type of sitcom. Mac is a very funny guy in his own right, and this laugh track free sitcom suits him perfectly.

Some people may not know this but Bernie Mac had a short-lived variety show on HBO called "Midnight Mac". It was then that Bernie Mac's comedy and host skills were displayed together. Why HBO got rid of the show is anyone's guess but I'm happy he has his own show now.

"The Bernie Mac Show" doesn't follow any of the conventional sitcom "rules". The male character (Bernie Mac) is strong, smooth, intelligent, and doesn't take any BS from anyone. Instead of the rash of wishy-washy and flat-out stupid "fathers" on recent sitcoms, The Bernie Mac Show is like a hip "Father Knows Best". The fresh cast is wonderful. The children are hilarious and Bernie's wife (Kellita Smith) is SOOOO REAL.

I hope this show stays on. So original, fresh, and entertaining!

A standup comic suddenly finds himself with three children to raise, the result of a drug-addled sister. One is a young girl trying to grow up, the second is an Urkel-type boy who loves to cause trouble and the third is a very young female who likes to eat. A lot. The comic struggles to be a father, and is aided (and sometimes not helped) by his adoring wife. Bernie Mac as the comic periodically breaks the fourth wall by sitting, facing the camera and talking directly to it, which means he is talking to us. No laugh track, no live audience, thank God. The show is decidedly hit and miss, and your feelings about it will depend on how you feel about the late and great Mr. Mac and his particular brand of humor. Guest stars abound.

Somehow, I've found myself watching reruns of "The Bernie Mac Show" quite often recently, usually late at night and on some podunk network. This is a remarkable occurrence because I sort of loathe television, particularly sitcoms, and most especially family sitcoms.

But I don't loathe Bernie Mac! It's actually a pretty clever show. It has a number of signature gimmicks that might annoy some viewers, but I like them; Bernie talks to the camera a lot, for example, breaking the so-called "fourth wall." There are also plenty of amusing pop-up captions that comment on the action.

The plot is relatively straightforward stuff - Bernie is suddenly entrusted with the care of his two nieces and his wheezy little nephew, and he must somehow cope with this unexpected foray into the territory of "fatherhood." Though this may sound really standard, the scripts, from what I've seen, actually contain some pretty insightful and clever observations about parenting.

Maybe the best part is that the show is filmed like a movie, complete with moody lighting and interesting camera angles. Visually speaking, it just blows away all the cheap-looking sitcoms that are filmed on over-lit, tacky three-walled sets. I wonder when other sitcoms will finally get around to switching over to this more "cinematic" look?

I'll conclude now with the not-too-deep (but still very pertinent) observation that Kellita Smith, the actress who plays Bernie' wife, is really gorgeous. And that sure doesn't hurt the show, either!