Reed Between the Lines

I love this show! It reminds me of the warmness that I felt when I watched the Cosby Show in the 80's. I normally do not watch sitcoms, but I make sure that I record this show on my DVR. I watch it along with my fiancée and three boys. It is a good wholesome family show that I am surprised to see on sleazy BET. Great job BET for bringing people in their middle thirties, with families, a show that they can be proud of because I get tired of seeing black people depicted as sexual objects, money hungry monkeys that want to fight all the time, wanna be gangsters, drug addicts, and junkies etc. It is about time we had a show that showed that the sane blacks are nothing like those images that we see on reality shows or other sitcoms.

I have watched 4 episodes of this show and I just don't like it. The characters have no chemistry, it's like the none of the actors met before the first rehearsal. The children, who should be the highlights of the show, are dreadful to watch. Even the youngest daughter has no real appeal, as cute as she is. The blended family choice was a stretch and serves no purpose, especially if it's going to be swept under the rug like a dirty secret (I didn't watch the pilot episode so until IMDb had no idea that it was supposed to be a blended family). This show seems too forced and even all the celebrity guest stars can't save it. Nice try but the image of this show needs to be revamped if they want to survive.

after so many series about family , it is a real challenge to discover something new. parents, children, friends, nice dialogs. at first sigh - only versions of same thing . again and again. in this case the secret ingredient is the honesty. not the humor, not the dialogs, maybe not the performances. family problems in cruel light. few drops of irony, usual situations, great problems and easy answers, the love not in pink nuance but comfortable to discover everyday crisis. a modern series who has the art to use old recipes in wise style. and that does it an adorable TV series. because it has this kind of charm useful for every viewer not only as entertainment but as inspired reflection of his life.

I love Tracee and who doesn't love Malcom...but this show is horrible. They could have at least used seasoned child actors or at least used some kids that attended acting school. The acting is horrible and Tracee and Malcoms characters I don't see the average couple relating to. Tracee and Malcoms characters relationship on screen is too plain and boring. They are not believable as a couple thats been married for 4 years! The storyline is so flat, that I fell asleep on this show twice. Maybe new writers are needed. Try hiring the writers from past successful family shows. I don't see this show lasting one season. Sorry.

The problem with most reality shows is that they LACK REALITY! The problem with viewers is that they LACK THE PATIENCE FOR REAL IN-DEPT ACTING that is not overly dramatized, in other words if the show is not paced to provide a full hour of laughs over irrelevant stuff they will turn away from it! What makes this show so entertaining is that the family is portraying an REAL AVERAGE lifestyle of a REAL FAMILY. The Cosby show featured a black family with a income of at least $400K a year, whereas this show is based on a family with incomes of $200K down to $35K a year; any family can relate to this show and its setting. The cinematography of this show is very good, writers for this show presents the audience with situations that can be related to by the average American, black and any other race.

Of course this type of show rarely survives past one season, because, as I stated earlier; viewers have been spoiled into laughing over shows that depict irrelevant issues. Today's viewers do not have the patience or training to watch and support, or find entertaining, a show that deal with real life situations and teaches moral lessons.

Props to all who help produce this show, it is a wonderful tool to teach the young children, even teenagers to young adults, about life and lessons to learn from it. It is a wonderful FAMILY VALUES SHOW, and that is something that we are missing on television today and something that we desperately need.