Laughter is medicine for the soul. That statement is one that rings true on most days, but even more so when you want to head back to one of your favorite clutch TV shows from the early 90s or 2000s. It’s something about the past that’s just so hard to let go of at times. Perhaps it’s the memories, the connections, or the people associated with the time. Or it could be the slap-stick humor and entertaining storylines the writers pulled you in with every week on the shows. Regardless of what it is, throwback television is a genre that we will not discard in the near future. Thankfully, many streaming services like HBOMax, Paramount, and others have placed throwback shows on their platforms so you can enjoy reruns at your viewing pleasure. Because comedy is how the world learns to unwind and see things without rose-colored glasses, this article will discuss three of the top comedy throwback shows to help you fall over laughing in places.
Black comedy is a way to cope with the ills of the world, but it is also more of a way to deal with the simple living of Black people in America. The beauty of these comedies in the 1990s and early 2000s is that they appealed to “regular, everyday, working-class” people, which made the storylines feel authentic and, in turn, pure comedic gold. Plus, it also doesn’t hurt to have great comedic talent on set like Martin Lawrence, Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and Jamie Foxx either. If you haven’t figured it out with those big names, then the three shows you must at least watch one season of before you give up the screen are Martin, The Steve Harvey Show, and The Jamie Foxx Show.
Martin (1992-1997)
Synopsis: Sassy sitcom centering on radio and television personality Martin Payne. Series focuses on his romantic relationship with girlfriend Gina, her best friend Pam and escapades with best friends Tommy and Cole.
Airing as Fox’s highest-rated sitcom, Martin is a national treasure in Black households. With 5 seasons under its belt, the show brought in so many legends—other actors, entertainers, and musicians—to interact with the comedian to make America laugh and to fall in love with him. Playing a slew of silly characters, Martin Lawrence makes you pay attention to him and you become glued to your screen. His supporting cast is just as hilarious as he is and makes for comedic gold.
The Jamie Foxx Show (1996-2001)
Synopsis: Jamie King is an aspiring actor from Terrell, Texas, who has come to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment. To support himself, he works in his family’s hotel, the financially strapped King’s Tower, which is owned by his aunt and uncle, Helen and Junior King (Ellia English and Garrett Morris).
While earlier fans of Jamie Foxx will recognize him as Wanda from In Living Color, he achieved his first starring role as lead actor in The Jamie Foxx Show that aired on The WB Network. Starring other actors Garcelle Beauvais, Christopher B. Duncan, Ellia English, and Garrett Morris, the show lasted 5 seasons. If anything, this show jumpstarted Jamie’s titular acting career (and singing career, too) that we see today.
The Steve Harvey Show (1996-2002)
Synopsis: A former funk star named Steve Hightower enlists as a high school music teacher away from his original career in Chicago.
Before you were graced with the comedic excellence of Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer in their live show The Kings of Comedy, if you were lucky then you saw them as Steve Hightower and Cedric Robinson on The Steve Harvey Show where they both are teachers that must turn unruly, inner-city Chicago youth around after a botched music career. Airing for six seasons on The WB, the show gives you unforgettable characters like Regina Grier, Lovita Jenkins, Romeo Santana, and Bullethead. Steve and Cedric make comedy easy.
We sure had a time in the 1990s and the 2000s and thanks to streaming and cable services you can catch the laughs, too. Be sure to LOL at your earliest convenience.
