The Parent 'Hood

An obvious WB version of The Cosby Show, except this show spent too much time preaching about cliché morals that have been told a thousand times on shows like Full House and The Cosby Show. Too many morals and not enough comedy. The parents are unlikeable (the mother is a snob and the father is too uptight) and the children are unlikeable too. Since the family members spent too much time getting into the typical trouble that leads to that big moral speech at the end, they didn't have enough time to be funny so they added flat boring neighbors to make the show bearable. TV shows like this didn't last because at the end of the day, we watch TV to be entertained, not to be preached to. And though family shows such as The Cosby Show and Full House preached, they were still charming at the same time.

I remember when this show first came on, I thought it was okay. But then after a few episodes, I came to the decision that it just wasn't funny. By looking at movies from the '80s (Hollywood Shuffle, for example), it was evident that Robert Townsend COULD act, but maybe he'd forgotten how for this show.

After the end of the third season, Kenny Blank (who played the eldest child, Michael Peterson) abruptly left the show, and he was replaced by an ex-con kid named T.K. (played by Tyrone Dorzell Burton). I initially thought the episodes with T.K. were better, but I've seen those episodes on reruns and now I know that I was wrong. With the possible exception of Burton, the acting on the show was TERRIBLE. And this includes the cast AND the guest stars. In fact, any time anyone yelled, it was overdone.

Also, as another reviewer said, the plots went from funny escapades to instilling wholesome family values in the most generic way possible. Approximately at the point where there were ten minutes of show left (including commercial time), Robert and Jerri came to the selected kid and said something like, "Don't change your image. Be yourself!" or "If you really care about her, you should tell her."

I have no idea how this show lasted as long as it did. Usually wack sitcoms only last on UPN.

Anthony Rupert

Robert Townsend, for some reason, felt the need to make a show that would uplift, present a positive model of a modern African-American family, etc, etc. Kind of a slightly more modern, slightly less establishment "Cosby Show." To this he added a few of his more anarchic comedy touches, like a couple of silly friends and brief fantasy sequences. Unfortunately, the writing and acting were often terrible, especially the actors playing the younger children. In later years, especially after older son Michael (Kenny Blank) left the show and troubled youth TK was taken in by the family after he mugged Geri, the show became dreadfully earnest, delving into "important issues" and sledgehammering the viewer with pathos. Any residual charm was gone after a year or two, and the fantasy sequences (the only unique element of the show) never rose above silly; every attempt at "hipness" and "street cred" failed miserably too. All involved deserve points for effort, but the show is often almost painful to watch.

The first few episode the comedy was a bit meh but it got better as it went along. The messages tho hit home and its better than alot of sit coms now a days. I love the cutaways.

At first I rated it low bc it wasnt what i remembered but as I watch it I enjoyed it.

So happy HBO max brought my childhood back. I watched this in Trinidad.

This was one of several African-American sitcoms picked up by the newly formed WB channel. They staked their future in a sense on shows like "The Parent'Hood," "The Wayans Bros.," and "The Jamie Foxx Show."

I would've expected nothing less from Robert Townsend. He created a funny, positive sitcom starring Black actors. Anything less than that would've been a shock. He was already an established comedian and writer by the time he created "The Parent'hood."

Townsend played Robert Peterson, a stay-at-home dad who had to manage four children. His wife, Jerri (Suzzanne Douglas), rejoined the workforce which left Robert home to do his thing.

The children were largely unmemorable. They played an important part, but the show really rested upon Robert Townsend's shoulders--an rightly so.