1 00:00:07,841 --> 00:00:09,527 -So get used to this face, pretty boy. 2 00:00:09,551 --> 00:00:11,571 -In the '90s, Black comedy on TV is enjoying a moment. 3 00:00:11,595 --> 00:00:13,823 -There was one point in the '90s where there was 4 00:00:13,847 --> 00:00:16,284 the largest concentration of Black sitcoms we've ever seen. 5 00:00:16,308 --> 00:00:18,369 -And print. Beautiful, guys. Dyn-o-mite. 6 00:00:18,393 --> 00:00:21,247 -Fox opened the door to Black performers, 7 00:00:21,271 --> 00:00:24,417 Black talent, Black producers. - The Homeboy Shopping Network. 8 00:00:24,441 --> 00:00:26,669 -But what's really driving this transformation? 9 00:00:26,693 --> 00:00:28,171 {\an8}-Mo' money, mo' money... 10 00:00:28,195 --> 00:00:30,632 {\an8}-What matters more than Black and white? 11 00:00:30,656 --> 00:00:34,511 Green, green. It's good for your bottom line. 12 00:00:34,535 --> 00:00:36,095 -Until boosting the bottom line 13 00:00:36,119 --> 00:00:38,223 leaves one star at rock bottom... 14 00:00:38,247 --> 00:00:40,642 -Everybody knew that Martin was kind of falling apart. 15 00:00:40,666 --> 00:00:43,770 - and an era ends just as it's getting started. 16 00:00:43,794 --> 00:00:46,189 -They used Black culture to their benefit 17 00:00:46,213 --> 00:00:49,692 until they were profitable and then deserted it. 18 00:00:49,716 --> 00:00:57,716 {\an8}♪♪ 19 00:00:58,850 --> 00:01:00,703 {\an8}[ Dial-up modems screeching ] 20 00:01:00,727 --> 00:01:08,727 {\an8}♪♪ 21 00:01:11,738 --> 00:01:15,367 {\an8}[ Drums beating rhythmically ] 22 00:01:18,537 --> 00:01:22,225 -The '90s really was a beautiful golden age 23 00:01:22,249 --> 00:01:25,103 for Black people on TV. 24 00:01:25,127 --> 00:01:26,938 [ Drums beating rhythmically 25 00:01:26,962 --> 00:01:30,525 -There was a seismic shift in sitcoms, dramas, 26 00:01:30,549 --> 00:01:33,861 or any kind of projects coming from people of color. 27 00:01:33,885 --> 00:01:35,738 -I think the case should be thrown out 28 00:01:35,762 --> 00:01:39,158 due to the fact that I'm in insane. 29 00:01:39,182 --> 00:01:41,286 ♪ Do the pocket knife, do the pocket knife, ♪ 30 00:01:41,310 --> 00:01:43,413 -Man, it was... It was really exciting. 31 00:01:43,437 --> 00:01:45,957 -My mommy say that I doctor. 32 00:01:45,981 --> 00:01:48,501 ♪ We'll be coming 'round the mountain when we come ♪ 33 00:01:48,525 --> 00:01:51,754 -You knew Sunday at 8:00 is "Living Color." 34 00:01:51,778 --> 00:01:54,966 -I don't think so. 35 00:01:54,990 --> 00:01:56,759 Homey don't play that. 36 00:01:56,783 --> 00:02:00,179 -You know Monday at 8:00 is "The Fresh Prince." 37 00:02:00,203 --> 00:02:02,348 -Back up! Back up! 38 00:02:02,372 --> 00:02:05,143 Mind your business, that's all. Mind your business. 39 00:02:05,167 --> 00:02:09,147 -You know Thursday at 8:00 is "Martin." 40 00:02:09,171 --> 00:02:10,940 -I want you out. I don't even know why you're still here. 41 00:02:10,964 --> 00:02:13,467 Step! Step! 42 00:02:15,385 --> 00:02:18,489 [Squealing] Gina! Gina! Gina! Gina! Gina! 43 00:02:18,513 --> 00:02:20,283 -And we got "Living Single." 44 00:02:20,307 --> 00:02:25,663 -You are a virus with braids. 45 00:02:25,687 --> 00:02:28,499 -And you're a leprechaun with a weave. 46 00:02:28,523 --> 00:02:30,918 -It was appointment television. 47 00:02:30,942 --> 00:02:34,047 -And it was television written and produced by Black artists 48 00:02:34,071 --> 00:02:36,633 that centered Black characters and life experiences 49 00:02:36,657 --> 00:02:39,493 in ways many Americans had never seen. 50 00:02:42,412 --> 00:02:44,307 That's because, before the '90s, 51 00:02:44,331 --> 00:02:47,518 the few Black sitcoms on TV were written and produced 52 00:02:47,542 --> 00:02:49,604 almost exclusively by white people. 53 00:02:49,628 --> 00:02:52,565 -What you talkin' 'bout, Willis? 54 00:02:52,589 --> 00:02:57,528 {\an8}-'Cause I don't think people realize how short a history 55 00:02:57,552 --> 00:02:59,489 {\an8}there is there. 56 00:02:59,513 --> 00:03:01,115 And I'm Naima Cochrane. 57 00:03:01,139 --> 00:03:03,159 I'm a music and culture journalist, 58 00:03:03,183 --> 00:03:05,370 and I am a Gen X-er, which makes me 59 00:03:05,394 --> 00:03:08,998 uniquely qualified to talk about the '90s. 60 00:03:09,022 --> 00:03:12,460 -Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! 61 00:03:12,484 --> 00:03:17,590 Prior to the '70s, sitcoms were still a very white landscape. 62 00:03:17,614 --> 00:03:20,051 -Well, come on, everybody. Eat, eat! 63 00:03:20,075 --> 00:03:22,136 -But that landscape changes 64 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,348 with the arrival of prolific TV producer Norman Lear. 65 00:03:25,372 --> 00:03:27,725 -Norman Lear, although he is a white man, 66 00:03:27,749 --> 00:03:30,436 is the pioneer of Black sitcom television. 67 00:03:30,460 --> 00:03:33,439 - some white folks are better than other white folks. 68 00:03:33,463 --> 00:03:35,775 -When the socially conscious and controversial sitcom 69 00:03:35,799 --> 00:03:38,361 "All in the Family" becomes a ratings success... 70 00:03:38,385 --> 00:03:39,821 - Who the hell is that? - It's Bob. 71 00:03:39,845 --> 00:03:41,781 - Lear earns the freedom to spin off 72 00:03:41,805 --> 00:03:44,909 other progressive sitcoms built around Black characters. 73 00:03:44,933 --> 00:03:46,577 -Now, look here... Don't turn your back on me. 74 00:03:46,601 --> 00:03:50,873 -"All in the Family" spun off into "The Jeffersons." 75 00:03:50,897 --> 00:03:53,418 And "Maude" spun off into "Good Times." 76 00:03:53,442 --> 00:03:55,378 -I hope you didn't have any trouble finding us. 77 00:03:55,402 --> 00:03:59,340 -Oh, no, ma'am. I heard you all the way from the bus stop. 78 00:03:59,364 --> 00:04:04,303 -By 1974, three of the nation's top ten sitcoms 79 00:04:04,327 --> 00:04:07,390 are Norman Lear shows, starring Black casts. 80 00:04:07,414 --> 00:04:14,355 {\an8}♪♪ 81 00:04:14,379 --> 00:04:16,607 -All these shows show kind of a trajectory 82 00:04:16,631 --> 00:04:21,237 of Black progress and Black livelihood on television. 83 00:04:21,261 --> 00:04:23,156 {\an8}My name's Adrien Sebro. 84 00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:24,657 {\an8}I'm a professor of media studies 85 00:04:24,681 --> 00:04:26,325 {\an8}at University of Texas at Austin. 86 00:04:26,349 --> 00:04:30,747 And I teach history of media and television and film. 87 00:04:30,771 --> 00:04:32,749 These shows were, from a comedic standpoint, 88 00:04:32,773 --> 00:04:34,625 talking about what it's like to live 89 00:04:34,649 --> 00:04:38,754 and be Black in America in the '70s. 90 00:04:38,778 --> 00:04:41,632 -But while television is broadcast in living color, 91 00:04:41,656 --> 00:04:44,093 these Lear sitcoms are still Black and white, 92 00:04:44,117 --> 00:04:48,097 as in Black actors being told what to say by white writers. 93 00:04:48,121 --> 00:04:50,349 -I mean, when you have Norman Lear 94 00:04:50,373 --> 00:04:52,602 doing things for Red Fox, 95 00:04:52,626 --> 00:04:56,397 it... it kind of kind of... Kind of dims it a little bit. 96 00:04:56,421 --> 00:04:59,025 It's a big light right here next to me. 97 00:04:59,049 --> 00:05:01,527 Let me introduce myself first of all. 98 00:05:01,551 --> 00:05:04,030 {\an8}My name is Tone Loc. 99 00:05:04,054 --> 00:05:06,157 {\an8}Back in the '80s and '90s, 100 00:05:06,181 --> 00:05:09,368 {\an8}I was singing "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina." 101 00:05:09,392 --> 00:05:10,828 -We're gonna be free 102 00:05:10,852 --> 00:05:13,456 from the nagging, persistent pain of taxes. 103 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:15,416 -You know, Red Fox might not have used 104 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,294 that particular saying. - You don't have enough soul... 105 00:05:18,318 --> 00:05:21,297 -And the same... in "Good Times," when they would argue, 106 00:05:21,321 --> 00:05:23,758 I mean, Thelma and J.J... You could honestly see 107 00:05:23,782 --> 00:05:25,801 that certain words were written definitely 108 00:05:25,825 --> 00:05:28,137 by a white person, you know. 109 00:05:28,161 --> 00:05:30,431 -Handsome? You look like a string of spaghetti 110 00:05:30,455 --> 00:05:32,892 with a little meatball on top. 111 00:05:32,916 --> 00:05:34,936 -Actor John Amos is fired from "Good Times" 112 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,146 after frequently fighting with the writing staff 113 00:05:37,170 --> 00:05:39,315 over the show's caricatured portrayal 114 00:05:39,339 --> 00:05:42,068 of its Black characters. 115 00:05:42,092 --> 00:05:44,821 And Amos is not the only one upset. 116 00:05:44,845 --> 00:05:46,864 As Lear begins work on "The Jeffersons," 117 00:05:46,888 --> 00:05:48,825 he gets a visit from an organization 118 00:05:48,849 --> 00:05:51,118 looking to dismantle white power. 119 00:05:51,142 --> 00:05:55,122 -Norman Lear tells a story that the Nation of Islam 120 00:05:55,146 --> 00:05:58,251 shows up at his production offices 121 00:05:58,275 --> 00:06:02,505 and tells him that they want to see a Black family 122 00:06:02,529 --> 00:06:06,175 who is not in the ghetto. 123 00:06:06,199 --> 00:06:10,555 So, George and Weezy move to a deluxe apartment in the sky. 124 00:06:10,579 --> 00:06:12,348 -♪ We're movin' on up... ♪ 125 00:06:12,372 --> 00:06:14,183 - ♪ Movin' on up ♪ - This is the first time 126 00:06:14,207 --> 00:06:17,144 we're seeing an affluent Black family on television. 127 00:06:17,168 --> 00:06:20,189 -♪ We finally got a piece of the pie ♪ 128 00:06:20,213 --> 00:06:23,317 -And the show was really talking about something, 129 00:06:23,341 --> 00:06:25,403 'cause, again, we're... We're at a point in time 130 00:06:25,427 --> 00:06:27,572 where this is something that Black people 131 00:06:27,596 --> 00:06:29,615 are... are going through in general... 132 00:06:29,639 --> 00:06:32,451 Embracing this access to this higher level of class. 133 00:06:32,475 --> 00:06:35,079 -Louise, you own an apartment in the building, and she's a maid. 134 00:06:35,103 --> 00:06:37,290 -Now, hold it right there, buster. 135 00:06:37,314 --> 00:06:39,208 Ain't you forgetting where you came from? 136 00:06:39,232 --> 00:06:41,377 -It ain't the question of where I came from. 137 00:06:41,401 --> 00:06:43,045 It's the question of where I am. 138 00:06:43,069 --> 00:06:45,047 -Well, by the time we get to, like, '84, 139 00:06:45,071 --> 00:06:50,219 the show has lost its bite because America had changed. 140 00:06:50,243 --> 00:06:52,972 -The civil rights gains of the '60s and '70s 141 00:06:52,996 --> 00:06:57,727 are helped along by massive economic growth in the 1980's. 142 00:06:57,751 --> 00:07:00,688 -Now the Black middle class has grown. 143 00:07:00,712 --> 00:07:04,984 There's, like, an entire class of Black professionals 144 00:07:05,008 --> 00:07:10,573 and Black entrepreneurs and Black kids in private schools. 145 00:07:10,597 --> 00:07:13,743 -And one sitcom turns that shift in demographics 146 00:07:13,767 --> 00:07:15,703 into the biggest hit of the decade. 147 00:07:15,727 --> 00:07:17,580 [ Theme to "The Cosby Show" playing ] 148 00:07:17,604 --> 00:07:20,207 -Of course, a groundbreaking show, "The Cosby Show," 149 00:07:20,231 --> 00:07:22,501 a show about a middle-class family 150 00:07:22,525 --> 00:07:25,796 {\an8}that happened to be Black. 151 00:07:25,820 --> 00:07:27,590 {\an8}-While the show is a departure 152 00:07:27,614 --> 00:07:31,677 {\an8}from many of the stereotypical Black sitcoms of the 1970's, 153 00:07:31,701 --> 00:07:34,180 {\an8}the very colorblindness of "The Cosby Show" 154 00:07:34,204 --> 00:07:37,266 {\an8}raises its own concerns. 155 00:07:37,290 --> 00:07:38,976 {\an8}-A lot of folks had the issues with the fact 156 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,771 that it ignored issues of the Black poor, 157 00:07:41,795 --> 00:07:44,106 didn't talk about the social justice issues of the time. 158 00:07:44,130 --> 00:07:50,988 Like, there was no real drama on The Cosby Show ever. 159 00:07:51,012 --> 00:07:55,284 -A dozen chocolate devil's food donuts for breakfast? 160 00:07:55,308 --> 00:07:58,412 -There's bran in those donuts. 161 00:07:58,436 --> 00:08:02,166 -I would say there was a turning point when "The Cosby Show" 162 00:08:02,190 --> 00:08:04,377 spins off into "A Different World." 163 00:08:04,401 --> 00:08:07,880 -♪ I know my parents love me ♪ 164 00:08:07,904 --> 00:08:10,966 {\an8}-That's when we kind of see a shift now to, "all right, 165 00:08:10,990 --> 00:08:14,887 {\an8}let's focus on the younger generation." 166 00:08:14,911 --> 00:08:16,472 -And that younger generation 167 00:08:16,496 --> 00:08:19,207 is increasingly obsessed with hip-hop. 168 00:08:21,167 --> 00:08:24,855 What began as a uniquely American underground music genre 169 00:08:24,879 --> 00:08:27,149 has expanded out of the Black community 170 00:08:27,173 --> 00:08:28,818 and into the mainstream. 171 00:08:28,842 --> 00:08:31,511 [ Crowd cheering ] 172 00:08:33,722 --> 00:08:36,951 Pop rap artists like Tone Loc... 173 00:08:36,975 --> 00:08:39,829 and Kid 'n' Play topped the charts. 174 00:08:39,853 --> 00:08:44,834 -Ooh! In the '90s, we wore colorful clothing 175 00:08:44,858 --> 00:08:50,631 and had very distinctive hairstyles. 176 00:08:50,655 --> 00:08:53,843 {\an8}Hey, what's up, y'all? My name is Christopher Reid. 177 00:08:53,867 --> 00:08:56,178 {\an8}I'm known as Kid from the group Kid 'n' Play. 178 00:08:56,202 --> 00:08:58,848 {\an8}I'm your auntie's favorite rapper, all right? 179 00:08:58,872 --> 00:09:01,708 Was that a good enough info? [ Chuckles ] 180 00:09:04,294 --> 00:09:06,689 -More than just a new kind of music, 181 00:09:06,713 --> 00:09:08,149 the golden age of hip-hop 182 00:09:08,173 --> 00:09:11,402 spreads to all corners of popular culture. 183 00:09:11,426 --> 00:09:12,862 -Who are you? 184 00:09:12,886 --> 00:09:15,197 -When I started seeing Fred Flintstone rapping, 185 00:09:15,221 --> 00:09:17,324 trying to sell me some Fruity Pebbles... 186 00:09:17,348 --> 00:09:20,161 -♪ He loves Fruity Pebbles in a major way ♪ 187 00:09:20,185 --> 00:09:23,039 - I'm like, "Okay, we made it." 188 00:09:23,063 --> 00:09:24,957 -And in September of 1990, 189 00:09:24,981 --> 00:09:28,335 {\an8}the first sitcom built around a hip-hop star hits the air. 190 00:09:28,359 --> 00:09:31,172 {\an8}-♪ In West Philadelphia, born and raised ♪ 191 00:09:31,196 --> 00:09:33,674 {\an8}♪ On the playground is where I spent most of my days ♪ 192 00:09:33,698 --> 00:09:35,843 -Will Smith at the time was really known as, like, 193 00:09:35,867 --> 00:09:38,137 you know, The Fresh Prince... - ♪ With this much talent... ♪ 194 00:09:38,161 --> 00:09:40,139 - the very first hip-hop artist to win a Grammy 195 00:09:40,163 --> 00:09:41,474 for the Hip-hop category. 196 00:09:41,498 --> 00:09:43,142 -This is a milestone in our career, 197 00:09:43,166 --> 00:09:47,629 and it's a milestone in the... the history of rap. 198 00:09:49,798 --> 00:09:52,818 -While hip-hop has many powerful Black producers, 199 00:09:52,842 --> 00:09:54,403 when it jumps over to TV, 200 00:09:54,427 --> 00:09:57,740 the network execs put white producers in charge, 201 00:09:57,764 --> 00:09:59,408 at least at first. 202 00:09:59,432 --> 00:10:01,619 -So the control of production came to 203 00:10:01,643 --> 00:10:04,080 a lot of the white producers at NBC. 204 00:10:04,104 --> 00:10:08,358 So the first season is kind of more of a traditional sitcom. 205 00:10:11,361 --> 00:10:13,297 And once the second season came about 206 00:10:13,321 --> 00:10:16,300 and Will Smith's popularity just skyrocketed, 207 00:10:16,324 --> 00:10:20,221 he himself got an executive producer credit. 208 00:10:20,245 --> 00:10:22,640 -Well, Carlton is not like you and me. 209 00:10:22,664 --> 00:10:24,809 You know what I'm saying? - With those credits, 210 00:10:24,833 --> 00:10:27,686 they're able to hire more Black writers, more producers, 211 00:10:27,710 --> 00:10:29,647 and that is when the show took off, 212 00:10:29,671 --> 00:10:31,107 because it actually reflected 213 00:10:31,131 --> 00:10:34,026 a more intimate Black perspective as well. 214 00:10:34,050 --> 00:10:37,154 -I'm not accepting no prep school, Bel Air bred sellout 215 00:10:37,178 --> 00:10:38,781 into my fraternity. 216 00:10:38,805 --> 00:10:40,616 - Homey, you can stop all that. - No, wait, Will. 217 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:45,955 -There's, you know, episodes with absent fathers. 218 00:10:45,979 --> 00:10:49,291 -[Sobbing] How come he don't want me, man? 219 00:10:49,315 --> 00:10:52,086 -At one point, Carlton ends up somehow in gang. 220 00:10:52,110 --> 00:10:55,172 -Yo, how you playin' me, Prince? 221 00:10:55,196 --> 00:10:56,841 - What? - Yo, you dissin' me! 222 00:10:56,865 --> 00:10:58,592 -Come on, man, stop it! 223 00:10:58,616 --> 00:11:01,720 -There's an episode where they're racially profiled. 224 00:11:01,744 --> 00:11:04,223 - I'm Henry Furth. - Good news, Mr. Furth. 225 00:11:04,247 --> 00:11:06,975 Your car is safe and sound, and we've got the perpetrators. 226 00:11:06,999 --> 00:11:09,019 -Those aren't the perpetrators. 227 00:11:09,043 --> 00:11:10,896 Those are my partner's son and nephew. 228 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,399 - Partner? - Legal partner. 229 00:11:13,423 --> 00:11:19,280 -You grow up rich, and you still have that skin tone, 230 00:11:19,304 --> 00:11:21,699 that melanin in you... It doesn't matter. 231 00:11:21,723 --> 00:11:24,160 Well, and I think that's what Will 232 00:11:24,184 --> 00:11:26,829 wanted to represent and... and was telling Carlton. 233 00:11:26,853 --> 00:11:28,455 -We were detained for a few hours, 234 00:11:28,479 --> 00:11:30,875 Dad clear things up, and we were released. 235 00:11:30,899 --> 00:11:33,335 The system works. 236 00:11:33,359 --> 00:11:35,462 -I hope you like that system 'cause you're gonna be 237 00:11:35,486 --> 00:11:37,298 seeing a whole lot of it during your lifetime. 238 00:11:37,322 --> 00:11:40,175 -It does run the gamut of real-life experience 239 00:11:40,199 --> 00:11:42,261 and even a Black experience, 240 00:11:42,285 --> 00:11:44,889 even if it's an alternative Black experience. 241 00:11:44,913 --> 00:11:47,641 -And I think you needed a Black person 242 00:11:47,665 --> 00:11:49,268 at the helm of these productions 243 00:11:49,292 --> 00:11:53,939 in order to tell that story in a more sufficient way. 244 00:11:53,963 --> 00:11:55,691 -People identified with it, 245 00:11:55,715 --> 00:11:59,361 and I think it's one of those shows to show 246 00:11:59,385 --> 00:12:03,115 {\an8}that human stories are human stories. 247 00:12:03,139 --> 00:12:05,576 {\an8}It didn't matter if you were Black or white. 248 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,830 And so it brought in this great crossover audience. 249 00:12:09,854 --> 00:12:11,540 -But, man, it was just a great show, man. 250 00:12:11,564 --> 00:12:13,751 It was... whoo! a great show. 251 00:12:13,775 --> 00:12:16,211 You know, like I said, we didn't have a whole bunch of shows. 252 00:12:16,235 --> 00:12:20,049 So the ones we had, you know, we, you know, we clung to them. 253 00:12:20,073 --> 00:12:22,301 You know what I mean? - The funniest night 254 00:12:22,325 --> 00:12:25,429 on television just got funnier. - Yes, and I'm tickled pink. 255 00:12:25,453 --> 00:12:27,431 -The success of NBC's "Fresh Prince" 256 00:12:27,455 --> 00:12:30,142 doesn't go unnoticed by competitors. 257 00:12:30,166 --> 00:12:32,728 -The recently launched and struggling Fox Network 258 00:12:32,752 --> 00:12:37,316 sees there's money to be made with Black programming. 259 00:12:37,340 --> 00:12:39,902 -What matters more than Black and white? 260 00:12:39,926 --> 00:12:44,573 Green, green. It's good for your bottom line. 261 00:12:44,597 --> 00:12:48,535 -From inspiration born of desperation, Fox ushers in 262 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:50,913 a new era of groundbreaking Black television... 263 00:12:50,937 --> 00:12:53,832 - Am I Black or white? - You're under arrest. 264 00:12:53,856 --> 00:12:56,085 - that some people see as a cynical bid 265 00:12:56,109 --> 00:12:59,255 {\an8}to build its brand. - Well, I guess I am Black. 266 00:12:59,279 --> 00:13:02,800 {\an8}-And they do it on the backs of Black artistry. 267 00:13:02,824 --> 00:13:04,367 -Peace! 268 00:13:08,663 --> 00:13:10,557 -These home installed dishes bypass local TV stations. 269 00:13:10,581 --> 00:13:12,142 -By 1990, cable and satellite are starting 270 00:13:12,166 --> 00:13:15,229 to lure affluent, mostly white households away 271 00:13:15,253 --> 00:13:17,273 {\an8}from traditional, over-the-air broadcast television... 272 00:13:17,297 --> 00:13:21,110 {\an8}-♪ ...from the channels on cable TV ♪ 273 00:13:21,134 --> 00:13:22,987 {\an8}-...leaving a much more diverse audience 274 00:13:23,011 --> 00:13:26,198 {\an8}still exclusively watching network TV. 275 00:13:26,222 --> 00:13:29,618 {\an8}-And Fox said, "Okay, this is a market that's underserved, 276 00:13:29,642 --> 00:13:31,620 {\an8}so let's give them something." 277 00:13:31,644 --> 00:13:34,581 {\an8}-♪ It's on Fox with you ♪ 278 00:13:34,605 --> 00:13:37,209 {\an8}-Their goal wasn't because they enjoyed Black culture so much. 279 00:13:37,233 --> 00:13:38,877 {\an8}The goal was profit. "How can we be different? 280 00:13:38,901 --> 00:13:41,505 {\an8}How can we get eyes away from those networks 281 00:13:41,529 --> 00:13:44,049 {\an8}onto our network?" - So where can one go 282 00:13:44,073 --> 00:13:45,634 {\an8}to find nice women here? 283 00:13:45,658 --> 00:13:47,845 {\an8}-They start by luring away talent 284 00:13:47,869 --> 00:13:49,221 {\an8}from their big screen rivals. 285 00:13:49,245 --> 00:13:50,973 {\an8}-We have been to every bar in Queens. 286 00:13:50,997 --> 00:13:54,101 {\an8}-There was a little bit of a... What I would call 287 00:13:54,125 --> 00:13:57,855 {\an8}a Black rat pack happening. 288 00:13:57,879 --> 00:14:02,276 There was Robert Townsend, Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, 289 00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:06,363 you know, Damon and Keenen... Really funny Black guys 290 00:14:06,387 --> 00:14:08,824 who were producing and doing their own thing. 291 00:14:08,848 --> 00:14:11,618 -Keenen Ivory Wayans had just came off of a film, 292 00:14:11,642 --> 00:14:13,454 "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka." 293 00:14:13,478 --> 00:14:15,581 -Only thing you're gonna be able to handle, soldier boy, 294 00:14:15,605 --> 00:14:17,624 is a wheelchair. - Yeah. 295 00:14:17,648 --> 00:14:19,877 -Ain't nobody laying a finger on my baby. 296 00:14:19,901 --> 00:14:22,671 - Ma! - And Fox said, 297 00:14:22,695 --> 00:14:24,048 "Let's bring these individuals to television. 298 00:14:24,072 --> 00:14:26,133 That's just money in the bank for us." 299 00:14:26,157 --> 00:14:27,926 -How'd you do that? 300 00:14:27,950 --> 00:14:30,345 -[ Grunts ] 301 00:14:30,369 --> 00:14:34,141 -Fox had the money, so they said, "Here, take this money, 302 00:14:34,165 --> 00:14:37,644 do whatever you want with it, and make us different." 303 00:14:37,668 --> 00:14:41,190 -So, you know, they... they gave Keenen, you know, free rein. 304 00:14:41,214 --> 00:14:42,858 -With this creative freedom, 305 00:14:42,882 --> 00:14:46,028 Wayans creates a sketch-comedy show that will end up 306 00:14:46,052 --> 00:14:50,491 laying the foundation for Fox's Black sitcom boom. 307 00:14:50,515 --> 00:14:54,453 -♪ You can do what you wanna do ♪ 308 00:14:54,477 --> 00:14:56,413 ♪ In living color ♪ 309 00:14:56,437 --> 00:14:59,541 -And what a lot of people don't know is that we shot the pilot 310 00:14:59,565 --> 00:15:04,254 and it took almost a year, I think, for Fox to pick it up. 311 00:15:04,278 --> 00:15:07,341 {\an8}I'm Kim Coles, and in the '90s I spent time on two shows 312 00:15:07,365 --> 00:15:08,926 {\an8}that had the word "living" in the title... 313 00:15:08,950 --> 00:15:11,178 "In Living Color" and "Living Single," too. 314 00:15:11,202 --> 00:15:13,597 Ding! 315 00:15:13,621 --> 00:15:16,934 And I do my own sound effects. 316 00:15:16,958 --> 00:15:19,269 You know, while we were all waiting, someone said, 317 00:15:19,293 --> 00:15:21,397 "Oh, I saw your show 'In Living Color.'" 318 00:15:21,421 --> 00:15:22,815 And I was like, "How did you see the show? 319 00:15:22,839 --> 00:15:26,568 It's not a show yet. We only shot the pilot." 320 00:15:26,592 --> 00:15:30,489 Someone had taken the show and bootlegged it, 321 00:15:30,513 --> 00:15:34,201 and they were selling VHS tapes on the street 322 00:15:34,225 --> 00:15:39,456 in Harlem, in... in Brooklyn, in Queens. 323 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,584 And so I knew immediately that this show was going to work, 324 00:15:42,608 --> 00:15:44,545 'cause people were so excited 325 00:15:44,569 --> 00:15:46,672 that they were seeing people of color 326 00:15:46,696 --> 00:15:50,259 doing these crazy, wonderful, funny, funny, funny things. 327 00:15:50,283 --> 00:15:53,053 - Say hello to Mike Tyson. - Hi, Michael. 328 00:15:53,077 --> 00:15:54,429 -Hi, Robin. 329 00:15:54,453 --> 00:15:58,392 -Now that show was a funny-ass show. 330 00:15:58,416 --> 00:16:00,018 - just a boxer from Brooklyn, 331 00:16:00,042 --> 00:16:03,522 and of course, I was a Harvard medical student. 332 00:16:03,546 --> 00:16:07,317 It was a meshing of talent that was groundbreaking. 333 00:16:07,341 --> 00:16:10,779 {\an8}I'm Monica Swann, and I was a part of the casting 334 00:16:10,803 --> 00:16:15,617 {\an8}of some of the best comedy there was in the 1990's. 335 00:16:15,641 --> 00:16:17,369 {\an8}-[Chanting] Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! 336 00:16:17,393 --> 00:16:19,413 {\an8}Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! 337 00:16:19,437 --> 00:16:22,207 {\an8}-Even if you watch it now, you know, 338 00:16:22,231 --> 00:16:26,044 {\an8}everything is still funny. - Not guilty. 339 00:16:26,068 --> 00:16:28,547 It still works. 340 00:16:28,571 --> 00:16:32,468 -You just set free the second most wanted criminal in America! 341 00:16:32,492 --> 00:16:34,219 -Strive to be number one, Roland. 342 00:16:34,243 --> 00:16:36,638 Yeah, yeah! 343 00:16:36,662 --> 00:16:38,348 -I want to thank you all for joining us tonight. 344 00:16:38,372 --> 00:16:40,684 - "In Living Color," with its mostly Black cast 345 00:16:40,708 --> 00:16:43,478 {\an8}soon draws a passionate fan base that is rival, 346 00:16:43,502 --> 00:16:46,648 {\an8}the mostly white sketch show "SNL," can only dream about. 347 00:16:46,672 --> 00:16:47,776 - Homey the Clown! 348 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:48,901 [ Cheering ] 349 00:16:48,925 --> 00:16:50,402 - "In Living Color" had a way 350 00:16:50,426 --> 00:16:53,488 of really bringing people to it like a cult. 351 00:16:53,512 --> 00:16:56,658 -I think you got it backwards, son. 352 00:16:56,682 --> 00:16:59,953 -They had mainstay characters... You know, Homey the Clown... 353 00:16:59,977 --> 00:17:02,164 -That's why Homey don't play that. 354 00:17:02,188 --> 00:17:05,417 - Fire Marshall Bill. - Let me tell you something! 355 00:17:05,441 --> 00:17:07,252 -They made fun of Black people. 356 00:17:07,276 --> 00:17:09,338 -Who are you? 357 00:17:09,362 --> 00:17:14,134 -I am the Minister Louis Farrakhan. 358 00:17:14,158 --> 00:17:16,261 -Well, they talked about class. 359 00:17:16,285 --> 00:17:17,596 -He's right. 360 00:17:17,620 --> 00:17:19,598 I've been sitting here for 15 years 361 00:17:19,622 --> 00:17:22,351 with this damn thing in my ear and ain't got one raise yet. 362 00:17:22,375 --> 00:17:25,020 - They talked about everything. - Is that all I'm good for? 363 00:17:25,044 --> 00:17:27,522 To be your little secretary or your occasional 364 00:17:27,546 --> 00:17:29,149 chocolate fantasy? - Shh! Shh! 365 00:17:29,173 --> 00:17:30,901 -The show deliberately pushes boundaries. 366 00:17:30,925 --> 00:17:35,030 -This one's called "Moby Dick." 367 00:17:35,054 --> 00:17:36,949 -I get goose pimply 368 00:17:36,973 --> 00:17:40,035 just thinking about that big Mr. Moby. 369 00:17:40,059 --> 00:17:41,870 -They did push it far. 370 00:17:41,894 --> 00:17:45,123 They were ridiculous with it, Which is what happens in comedy. 371 00:17:45,147 --> 00:17:47,292 -Mr. Moby is a whale. 372 00:17:47,316 --> 00:17:49,419 -I bet he is. 373 00:17:49,443 --> 00:17:52,047 -It did what... What comedy should do. 374 00:17:52,071 --> 00:17:54,591 There were no sacred cows. 375 00:17:54,615 --> 00:17:58,387 -And they really embraced this young, urban, culture 376 00:17:58,411 --> 00:18:00,222 to the max. 377 00:18:00,246 --> 00:18:03,016 The first couple years, that's when you see 378 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:06,186 "In Living Color" really take form as a cultural phenomenon. 379 00:18:06,210 --> 00:18:08,981 -Super Bowl 24 dedicates its halftime spectacular... 380 00:18:09,005 --> 00:18:10,691 -And it became such a phenomenon 381 00:18:10,715 --> 00:18:13,777 that it changed how we watch America's biggest game. 382 00:18:13,801 --> 00:18:17,281 -40 Years of Happiness. 383 00:18:17,305 --> 00:18:18,949 -Prior to "In Living Color," 384 00:18:18,973 --> 00:18:21,702 the Super Bowl halftime shows had this kind of edge. 385 00:18:21,726 --> 00:18:26,164 -It's the first-ever all-kid Super Bowl halftime show. 386 00:18:26,188 --> 00:18:28,709 -So in 1992, while CBS was airing 387 00:18:28,733 --> 00:18:30,711 a quaint, Disney-produced halftime show... 388 00:18:30,735 --> 00:18:34,923 -♪ Winter magic ♪ 389 00:18:34,947 --> 00:18:36,258 ♪ Winter magic ♪ 390 00:18:36,282 --> 00:18:37,884 -I know what you guys were thinking. 391 00:18:37,908 --> 00:18:39,803 You were thinking, "Hey, are these bozos gonna make us 392 00:18:39,827 --> 00:18:41,471 miss any part of the second half?" 393 00:18:41,495 --> 00:18:43,598 - Fox counters with their own halftime special... 394 00:18:43,622 --> 00:18:46,518 {\an8}a live 27-minute episode of "In Living Color." 395 00:18:46,542 --> 00:18:48,353 {\an8}-It'll be coming on later in the show to let you know 396 00:18:48,377 --> 00:18:49,896 {\an8}when to switch back to the second half. 397 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,524 {\an8}You won't miss any of the senseless brutality. 398 00:18:52,548 --> 00:18:55,986 {\an8}-The stunt pulls almost 29 million viewers over to Fox 399 00:18:56,010 --> 00:18:59,323 {\an8}while tanking CBS's second-half ratings. 400 00:18:59,347 --> 00:19:02,075 {\an8}-People turned it off when it went... when it went to halftime 401 00:19:02,099 --> 00:19:03,702 {\an8}and went to watch "In Living Color." 402 00:19:03,726 --> 00:19:06,538 {\an8}-...looking forward to a great second half of football. 403 00:19:06,562 --> 00:19:13,879 {\an8}♪♪ 404 00:19:13,903 --> 00:19:15,630 -The next year... 405 00:19:15,654 --> 00:19:19,176 [ Crowd cheering ] 406 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,620 Disney princesses are replaced by the King of Pop. 407 00:19:24,455 --> 00:19:27,434 As for Fox, instead of letting "In Living Color" 408 00:19:27,458 --> 00:19:31,229 press the attack, the network goes into a prevent defense. 409 00:19:31,253 --> 00:19:33,106 -Fox at one point was like, "Okay, 410 00:19:33,130 --> 00:19:34,983 we are being taken seriously now. 411 00:19:35,007 --> 00:19:38,653 We should start to pull back on certain sketches and stuff." 412 00:19:38,677 --> 00:19:42,074 -By the summer of '92, Keenen is in constant battles 413 00:19:42,098 --> 00:19:43,408 with the network's censors 414 00:19:43,432 --> 00:19:45,994 over what he can and can't say on air. 415 00:19:46,018 --> 00:19:48,080 -I made my Michael Jackson Potato Head 416 00:19:48,104 --> 00:19:50,582 looked like he looked when he was with the Jackson 5. 417 00:19:50,606 --> 00:19:53,335 -And Keenen Ivory Wayans said, "You know, this control 418 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:54,795 is kind of stifling the creativity." 419 00:19:54,819 --> 00:19:58,548 -Something's just not quite right. I know. 420 00:19:58,572 --> 00:20:00,467 -Fox also dilutes the show's appeal 421 00:20:00,491 --> 00:20:02,803 by syndicating it to local stations... 422 00:20:02,827 --> 00:20:05,180 A decision made without consulting Wayans. 423 00:20:05,204 --> 00:20:07,474 - to the maxillofaciary fun. 424 00:20:07,498 --> 00:20:12,687 -Thereby weakening his ability to make money 425 00:20:12,711 --> 00:20:14,815 and to make the show an even bigger success. 426 00:20:14,839 --> 00:20:17,317 How do you put a show in syndication while it's still on the air? 427 00:20:17,341 --> 00:20:18,902 Like, just, like, aah! 428 00:20:18,926 --> 00:20:22,030 -Please welcome Keenen Ivory Wayans. 429 00:20:22,054 --> 00:20:24,616 -In protest, on the season four premiere, 430 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:28,370 Keenen Ivory Wayans makes his last onscreen appearance. 431 00:20:28,394 --> 00:20:30,497 -We got some new cast members for you to meet. 432 00:20:30,521 --> 00:20:32,582 {\an8}[ Laughter ] 433 00:20:32,606 --> 00:20:34,793 -♪ "In Living Color" ♪ 434 00:20:34,817 --> 00:20:37,504 -Fox keeps it on the air, but within a year, 435 00:20:37,528 --> 00:20:39,673 the entire Wayans family has left the show. 436 00:20:39,697 --> 00:20:42,008 -First up, we got Ann-Marie Johnson. 437 00:20:42,032 --> 00:20:44,261 -It continued after that, but just something in it 438 00:20:44,285 --> 00:20:45,929 just wasn't there, and it's because 439 00:20:45,953 --> 00:20:50,016 the creative force that started it had left. 440 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:55,439 -Fox cancels "In Living Color" in 1994 after its fifth season. 441 00:20:55,463 --> 00:20:57,107 {\an8}But the show's early success 442 00:20:57,131 --> 00:21:01,736 {\an8}drives Fox's programing decisions from much of the '90s. 443 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,699 {\an8}-All you needed was the one comedy that becomes a major hit, 444 00:21:05,723 --> 00:21:08,618 and, you know, this is a copycat business. 445 00:21:08,642 --> 00:21:10,078 -This could hurt. 446 00:21:10,102 --> 00:21:12,038 -At the height of "In Living Color's" success, 447 00:21:12,062 --> 00:21:13,749 Fox was looking for more of the same. 448 00:21:13,773 --> 00:21:15,667 - Baby, come on out. - You sure? 449 00:21:15,691 --> 00:21:16,751 -Yes, Martin, I'm sure. 450 00:21:16,775 --> 00:21:18,920 -And in Martin Lawrence... 451 00:21:18,944 --> 00:21:21,047 -Is the swelling going down? 452 00:21:21,071 --> 00:21:24,301 - they find their next Black comedy juggernaut to exploit. 453 00:21:24,325 --> 00:21:27,077 -Yeah. A little. 454 00:21:31,665 --> 00:21:33,018 -Do you know what this is all about? 455 00:21:33,042 --> 00:21:34,769 Do you know why we're here? To be out. 456 00:21:34,793 --> 00:21:36,938 -In the early '90s, sitcoms featuring stand-up comedians 457 00:21:36,962 --> 00:21:38,732 are taking off. - To celebrate our success. 458 00:21:38,756 --> 00:21:42,068 -My next guest can be seen in Spike Lee's newest film, 459 00:21:42,092 --> 00:21:43,695 "Do the Right Thing." 460 00:21:43,719 --> 00:21:45,906 -And one of the hottest stand-up acts of the day 461 00:21:45,930 --> 00:21:47,282 is Martin Lawrence. 462 00:21:47,306 --> 00:21:49,201 -Some Black woman went off on me. 463 00:21:49,225 --> 00:21:51,745 "You were out of what? 464 00:21:51,769 --> 00:21:54,498 Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, 465 00:21:54,522 --> 00:21:56,958 hold on, hold on, hold on." - Martin actually is a cousin 466 00:21:56,982 --> 00:21:59,920 {\an8}of one of the Chrises from Kid 'n' Play... 467 00:21:59,944 --> 00:22:03,924 {\an8}he's Play's cousin... And came up in the industry 468 00:22:03,948 --> 00:22:05,759 with Kid 'n' Play and Salt-N-Pepa. 469 00:22:05,783 --> 00:22:11,306 They all worked at the same call center together in Queens. 470 00:22:11,330 --> 00:22:13,767 -It was an amazing array of talent 471 00:22:13,791 --> 00:22:16,436 that jumped up out of that. 472 00:22:16,460 --> 00:22:18,480 -The critical and commercial success 473 00:22:18,504 --> 00:22:20,482 of Kid 'n' Play's movie "House Party" 474 00:22:20,506 --> 00:22:22,984 provides a step up for many screen careers, 475 00:22:23,008 --> 00:22:25,111 including Martin's. - Switch. 476 00:22:25,135 --> 00:22:28,740 {\an8}-We had a blast at the time, and these are friendships 477 00:22:28,764 --> 00:22:32,452 {\an8}and talents that, you know, that are around to this day. 478 00:22:32,476 --> 00:22:34,621 I mean, who's bigger than Queen Latifah? 479 00:22:34,645 --> 00:22:36,164 Who's bigger than Martin Lawrence? 480 00:22:36,188 --> 00:22:38,291 - Yo, Chill! - You know, Tisha is my girl. 481 00:22:38,315 --> 00:22:39,793 -You're pretty chill your damn self. 482 00:22:39,817 --> 00:22:42,504 -Everybody went on to bigger and better, 483 00:22:42,528 --> 00:22:44,756 but we all worked together. 484 00:22:44,780 --> 00:22:46,466 It was all family. 485 00:22:46,490 --> 00:22:50,011 -Mr. Martin Lawrence! 486 00:22:50,035 --> 00:22:53,181 -In 1991, Martin Lawrence signs the deal 487 00:22:53,205 --> 00:22:55,350 to make his self-named sitcom. 488 00:22:55,374 --> 00:22:57,435 -Martin was that hot. 489 00:22:57,459 --> 00:22:59,354 You know, if Fox didn't get him, 490 00:22:59,378 --> 00:23:01,690 somebody else was gonna get him. 491 00:23:01,714 --> 00:23:04,818 I'm quite sure there was a bidding war at that time, 492 00:23:04,842 --> 00:23:06,653 and he made the most of it. 493 00:23:06,677 --> 00:23:08,196 -But if you keep running off at the mouth, 494 00:23:08,220 --> 00:23:09,489 I'm gonna have to body slam you. 495 00:23:09,513 --> 00:23:11,908 Now get to going. Roll with it. 496 00:23:11,932 --> 00:23:13,827 -You know, "Martin" is a... 497 00:23:13,851 --> 00:23:18,164 Man, it's a classic show to this day. 498 00:23:18,188 --> 00:23:22,085 -Maybe not necessarily like a high-brow comedy, 499 00:23:22,109 --> 00:23:25,213 but a very relatable comedy to a young audience. 500 00:23:25,237 --> 00:23:28,758 -You know, romance doesn't make sense to me, though. 501 00:23:28,782 --> 00:23:31,511 Think about it. It was started by this little white boy, Cupid. 502 00:23:31,535 --> 00:23:33,513 {\an8}-The "Martin" Show, you know, 503 00:23:33,537 --> 00:23:37,392 {\an8}a Black man with a radio show in Detroit? 504 00:23:37,416 --> 00:23:40,020 {\an8}-I don't know. Talk to me, Detroit. What up? 505 00:23:40,044 --> 00:23:41,646 {\an8}-One of the things that's really amazing 506 00:23:41,670 --> 00:23:44,274 {\an8}about the "Martin" show is that he had the courage 507 00:23:44,298 --> 00:23:47,152 {\an8}to surround himself with strong performers 508 00:23:47,176 --> 00:23:49,696 {\an8}who could hold their own with someone 509 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:53,241 {\an8}who is used to standing on a stage by himself. 510 00:23:53,265 --> 00:23:54,618 {\an8}-♪ Martin ♪ 511 00:23:54,642 --> 00:23:58,204 {\an8}-There was not a weak one in that bunch, 512 00:23:58,228 --> 00:24:01,249 {\an8}and then therefore it made the whole show even stronger. 513 00:24:01,273 --> 00:24:05,629 -This hotel is bossa nova. 514 00:24:05,653 --> 00:24:09,382 -And he had this ability to create these other characters. 515 00:24:09,406 --> 00:24:12,385 - It's Bob from marketing. - Hey, what's happening? 516 00:24:12,409 --> 00:24:16,014 What's happening? What's ha-a-appening? 517 00:24:16,038 --> 00:24:18,266 -He plays nine characters on the show himself. 518 00:24:18,290 --> 00:24:19,934 -And these characters were great. 519 00:24:19,958 --> 00:24:21,853 -Now, let me tell you how to take care of my Martin. 520 00:24:21,877 --> 00:24:24,230 {\an8}-Plays, you know, his own mother on the show. 521 00:24:24,254 --> 00:24:27,442 -Child, have you lost your damn mind?! 522 00:24:27,466 --> 00:24:30,195 You ain't too grown to get a double backslap. 523 00:24:30,219 --> 00:24:31,738 -Or Jerome. 524 00:24:31,762 --> 00:24:37,077 {\an8}♪♪ 525 00:24:37,101 --> 00:24:41,998 Jerome with the, "Ah, eh, Jerome's in the h-h-h-h-h-h-house. 526 00:24:42,022 --> 00:24:43,833 Watch your mouth!" - Watch your mouth! 527 00:24:43,857 --> 00:24:47,420 -Still has a broken and missing teeth and cavities all over, 528 00:24:47,444 --> 00:24:50,590 but still may think he has a great smile, you know? 529 00:24:50,614 --> 00:24:53,385 -Give up the gold tooth, yuck mouth. 530 00:24:53,409 --> 00:24:57,514 -None more famous than Sheneneh. 531 00:24:57,538 --> 00:24:59,683 -What do you want, Sheneneh? 532 00:24:59,707 --> 00:25:03,770 -Oh, my goodness, if it isn't Little Miss Attitude. 533 00:25:03,794 --> 00:25:06,630 -The episode I was on was me with Sheneneh. 534 00:25:08,841 --> 00:25:11,111 His first season, Martin calls me. 535 00:25:11,135 --> 00:25:13,071 He says, "Yo, yo, I got the pilot. 536 00:25:13,095 --> 00:25:15,156 Let me come through. I want to show it to you." 537 00:25:15,180 --> 00:25:16,825 [ Knocking on door, door creaks open ] 538 00:25:16,849 --> 00:25:20,870 So he comes through... Himself and another gentleman. 539 00:25:20,894 --> 00:25:23,832 It was VHS, all this and that. 540 00:25:23,856 --> 00:25:26,876 Throw it in. We watch it. 541 00:25:26,900 --> 00:25:29,462 And I'm like, "Man, this is dope. 542 00:25:29,486 --> 00:25:31,339 You're about to... You're about to win with this." 543 00:25:31,363 --> 00:25:33,717 And he was like, "Man, you need to jump on the show with me." 544 00:25:33,741 --> 00:25:37,095 And I'm like, "Of course. 545 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:40,140 You hot. I'm hot. Let's go." 546 00:25:40,164 --> 00:25:42,225 And we just start talking about it. 547 00:25:42,249 --> 00:25:46,646 Like, "I don't know. What if Kid goes on a date with Sheneneh?" 548 00:25:46,670 --> 00:25:54,279 {\an8}♪♪ 549 00:25:54,303 --> 00:25:57,532 So I'm dating my homeboy. 550 00:25:57,556 --> 00:25:59,659 You know, I got him... I'm hugging him up every day. 551 00:25:59,683 --> 00:26:01,369 And you know what I mean? Like... 552 00:26:01,393 --> 00:26:04,873 -♪ Forever Sheneneh ♪ 553 00:26:04,897 --> 00:26:06,916 ♪ Is life a dream? ♪ 554 00:26:06,940 --> 00:26:11,713 -But it was one of the most memorable episodes of "Martin." 555 00:26:11,737 --> 00:26:14,340 So it was great for him, it was great for me, 556 00:26:14,364 --> 00:26:16,009 and it was great for us... 557 00:26:16,033 --> 00:26:17,969 [ Laughter ] 558 00:26:17,993 --> 00:26:21,931 because if... if one of us wins, then that might be 559 00:26:21,955 --> 00:26:26,227 an opportunity for somebody else down the line. 560 00:26:26,251 --> 00:26:28,772 -And those opportunities came quickly. 561 00:26:28,796 --> 00:26:31,066 {\an8}Encouraged by the success of "Martin," 562 00:26:31,090 --> 00:26:35,195 Fox hires Black sitcom creators like no other TV network. 563 00:26:35,219 --> 00:26:37,864 -And we see these shows, you know, "Roc," 564 00:26:37,888 --> 00:26:40,658 {\an8}"South Central," "The Sinbad Show, 565 00:26:40,682 --> 00:26:42,285 {\an8}"Living Single." 566 00:26:42,309 --> 00:26:47,123 {\an8}-You know, these shows made it hip and fun to be Black, 567 00:26:47,147 --> 00:26:48,374 which it is. 568 00:26:48,398 --> 00:26:50,710 It's already hip and fun to be Black, 569 00:26:50,734 --> 00:26:52,754 and to let people in, you know, 570 00:26:52,778 --> 00:26:55,089 open the doors on the culture a little bit. 571 00:26:55,113 --> 00:26:56,925 -And all these Black artists 572 00:26:56,949 --> 00:26:58,760 that come through the Fox Network 573 00:26:58,784 --> 00:27:00,929 are all coming off of huge films 574 00:27:00,953 --> 00:27:03,431 and huge spaces of, like, Black popular culture. 575 00:27:03,455 --> 00:27:06,100 -You know, the hottest artists of the day are showing up, 576 00:27:06,124 --> 00:27:08,669 especially on "Martin." - Hey! 577 00:27:10,921 --> 00:27:13,274 Boy, you didn't tell me you knew Biggie Smalls? 578 00:27:13,298 --> 00:27:15,068 Come on in here, man. You know what? 579 00:27:15,092 --> 00:27:17,403 I was just about to cook. 580 00:27:17,427 --> 00:27:20,615 -And same thing with "Living Single." 581 00:27:20,639 --> 00:27:24,035 - I was on an episode. - You got Henn all up over me. 582 00:27:24,059 --> 00:27:25,286 The class reunion. 583 00:27:25,310 --> 00:27:26,996 -And if it makes you feel any better, 584 00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:28,873 keep on picking on the homeless guy. 585 00:27:28,897 --> 00:27:31,209 -It's something about that era. 586 00:27:31,233 --> 00:27:37,382 Those actors, rappers, producers, singers, writers... 587 00:27:37,406 --> 00:27:39,843 You know, we were all looking out for each other. 588 00:27:39,867 --> 00:27:42,595 {\an8}-Bruh, men need love, too. 589 00:27:42,619 --> 00:27:44,806 {\an8}-...and... and how can we help? 590 00:27:44,830 --> 00:27:47,892 {\an8}- Awwww! - Awwww! 591 00:27:47,916 --> 00:27:50,937 -These off-screen relationships lead to on-screen performances 592 00:27:50,961 --> 00:27:54,691 that draw in audiences. - They felt very authentic to us. 593 00:27:54,715 --> 00:27:57,527 They didn't feel like a version of us 594 00:27:57,551 --> 00:27:59,028 that a bunch of white people wrote. 595 00:27:59,052 --> 00:28:01,698 They felt like a version of us that we wrote 596 00:28:01,722 --> 00:28:03,157 and that we created. 597 00:28:03,181 --> 00:28:05,160 -Tuesday, Sheila gets a boyfriend. 598 00:28:05,184 --> 00:28:07,245 -I know how 12 year old boys think. 599 00:28:07,269 --> 00:28:08,830 I used to be one. - "Roc." 600 00:28:08,854 --> 00:28:12,917 -By 1993, the once-fledgling network is now home 601 00:28:12,941 --> 00:28:16,546 to most of the highest-rated shows amongst Black audiences. 602 00:28:16,570 --> 00:28:19,215 -25% of their revenue 603 00:28:19,239 --> 00:28:21,259 or their audience stream was African-American. 604 00:28:21,283 --> 00:28:22,677 If you wanted to watch a show 605 00:28:22,701 --> 00:28:24,762 that focused on Black popular culture, 606 00:28:24,786 --> 00:28:27,015 Fox was the place to watch that show. 607 00:28:27,039 --> 00:28:29,517 -Martin Lawrence! 608 00:28:29,541 --> 00:28:31,060 -Martin's popularity 609 00:28:31,084 --> 00:28:33,563 and authentic, no-holds-barred comedy 610 00:28:33,587 --> 00:28:37,358 lands him the hosting gig on "SNL." 611 00:28:37,382 --> 00:28:40,528 It also lands him in trouble with the NBC censors. 612 00:28:40,552 --> 00:28:42,363 -But I'm meeting a lot of women out there, 613 00:28:42,387 --> 00:28:44,449 and, yo, you've got some beautiful women, 614 00:28:44,473 --> 00:28:49,203 but you got some out there that I got to say something. 615 00:28:49,227 --> 00:28:52,165 Some of you are not washing your [bleep] properly. 616 00:28:52,189 --> 00:28:53,899 {\an8}[ Laughter ] 617 00:28:57,402 --> 00:28:59,756 {\an8}-The monologue is censored on repeat airings, 618 00:28:59,780 --> 00:29:02,032 {\an8}and he's banned from ever returning to the show. 619 00:29:05,661 --> 00:29:07,513 But his fans love it. 620 00:29:07,537 --> 00:29:10,058 The next year, he launches what will become 621 00:29:10,082 --> 00:29:12,810 a half-billion-dollar film franchise with Will Smith. 622 00:29:12,834 --> 00:29:14,145 -Back up off me. 623 00:29:14,169 --> 00:29:16,648 -Man, you don't sit your lanky ass down, 624 00:29:16,672 --> 00:29:20,026 bottom line, I will knock you the... out. 625 00:29:20,050 --> 00:29:22,320 The... is wrong with you? - "Bad Boys," of course, 626 00:29:22,344 --> 00:29:23,947 is Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, 627 00:29:23,971 --> 00:29:26,908 because in early '90s, they were the two Black men 628 00:29:26,932 --> 00:29:29,494 that were on top of the world. - Bad enough? 629 00:29:29,518 --> 00:29:32,872 Come get some! - But Martin's fast-rising career 630 00:29:32,896 --> 00:29:35,941 is about to come crashing down. 631 00:29:43,699 --> 00:29:45,593 {\an8}-Thursday, It's an all new "Mad About You" day at the races. 632 00:29:45,617 --> 00:29:47,387 {\an8}- Slap me! - In 1994, NBC is number one 633 00:29:47,411 --> 00:29:51,182 {\an8}in the ratings on a rebuilt Thursday night... Must See TV. 634 00:29:51,206 --> 00:29:54,018 {\an8}-It was the lineup that followed "The Cosby Show" 635 00:29:54,042 --> 00:29:56,062 {\an8}and "Different World" leaving the air. 636 00:29:56,086 --> 00:29:57,605 -You can't go by the audience that night. 637 00:29:57,629 --> 00:29:59,899 It was late. They were terrible. - It's very white. 638 00:29:59,923 --> 00:30:02,402 -I'm... I'm thinking soup, but... 639 00:30:02,426 --> 00:30:04,779 -Basically, you went from a Black Thursday night, 640 00:30:04,803 --> 00:30:06,864 'cause "Cosby" and "Different World" was Thursday night 641 00:30:06,888 --> 00:30:08,658 to a very white Thursday night. 642 00:30:08,682 --> 00:30:10,660 {\an8}-Thursday, can Martin's new sneakers... 643 00:30:10,684 --> 00:30:13,663 {\an8}-Fox counters by creating a Black Thursday night lineup 644 00:30:13,687 --> 00:30:16,249 {\an8}anchored by two of its most popular sitcoms, 645 00:30:16,273 --> 00:30:17,917 {\an8}"Martin" and "Living Single." 646 00:30:17,941 --> 00:30:20,712 {\an8}-Only one thing stands between Kyle and a promotion. 647 00:30:20,736 --> 00:30:24,382 -It was wildly successful, and while NBC's Thursday night 648 00:30:24,406 --> 00:30:27,635 is number one overall in all households, 649 00:30:27,659 --> 00:30:29,387 Fox's Thursday night is number one 650 00:30:29,411 --> 00:30:32,098 in Black and Brown households. 651 00:30:32,122 --> 00:30:34,267 -But television reporters didn't seem to live 652 00:30:34,291 --> 00:30:35,977 in Black or Brown households. 653 00:30:36,001 --> 00:30:37,937 -But that Thursday night anchor 654 00:30:37,961 --> 00:30:40,815 was also like critics didn't get it. 655 00:30:40,839 --> 00:30:42,525 People were like, "Who wants to see 656 00:30:42,549 --> 00:30:44,360 a bunch of young Black women, sitting around, 657 00:30:44,384 --> 00:30:47,471 talking about men and... and sex?" 658 00:30:50,557 --> 00:30:54,203 With "Martin," It's too much, it's slapstick, 659 00:30:54,227 --> 00:30:55,913 it's buffoonery. 660 00:30:55,937 --> 00:31:00,460 -[ Barking ] 661 00:31:00,484 --> 00:31:04,964 -And even some established Black actors didn't get it. 662 00:31:04,988 --> 00:31:07,300 - made a great deal of progress. 663 00:31:07,324 --> 00:31:12,013 -The most established being the then sitcom legend Bill Cosby. 664 00:31:12,037 --> 00:31:14,182 -Don't get me started on that dude. 665 00:31:14,206 --> 00:31:16,893 Yeah, I read those quotes back in the days. 666 00:31:16,917 --> 00:31:21,189 {\an8}Bruh, there's all different kinds of... of Black people. 667 00:31:21,213 --> 00:31:23,483 There's all different kinds of people of color. 668 00:31:23,507 --> 00:31:27,653 You do it your way. It was very popular. 669 00:31:27,677 --> 00:31:31,824 Loved the sweaters. But look how you turned out. 670 00:31:31,848 --> 00:31:36,287 {\an8}[ Helicopter blades whirring, indistinct shouting ] 671 00:31:36,311 --> 00:31:39,415 {\an8}So Bill Cosby's shaking his finger 672 00:31:39,439 --> 00:31:42,251 at those TV shows and those comics at that time 673 00:31:42,275 --> 00:31:43,920 that idolized him. 674 00:31:43,944 --> 00:31:46,881 They loved him. 675 00:31:46,905 --> 00:31:49,550 Pshh! Got some nerve. 676 00:31:49,574 --> 00:31:52,845 [ Applause ] 677 00:31:52,869 --> 00:31:54,514 -Meanwhile, the person doing the most harm 678 00:31:54,538 --> 00:31:56,516 to Martin Lawrence is Martin Lawrence. 679 00:31:56,540 --> 00:32:00,019 What makes us so funny, everyone you see up here... 680 00:32:00,043 --> 00:32:01,646 You know, we work hard. 681 00:32:01,670 --> 00:32:03,397 -He was kind of suffering from the results 682 00:32:03,421 --> 00:32:05,983 of... of... of a meteoric success. 683 00:32:06,007 --> 00:32:08,402 There was a little bit of substance abuse there. 684 00:32:08,426 --> 00:32:11,489 -What has been known through tabloids, through papers, 685 00:32:11,513 --> 00:32:13,991 was already that Martin was then with a lot of... of issues 686 00:32:14,015 --> 00:32:16,077 {\an8}that came to be known as either bipolar disorder 687 00:32:16,101 --> 00:32:18,913 {\an8}or manic depressive. 688 00:32:18,937 --> 00:32:22,166 -By all reports, there was a lot of tension on set. 689 00:32:22,190 --> 00:32:25,670 He was at odds with most of the cast. 690 00:32:25,694 --> 00:32:28,423 -Violent acts, allegations of harassment, 691 00:32:28,447 --> 00:32:30,633 where cast members, as well as crew members 692 00:32:30,657 --> 00:32:34,720 were threatened verbally... Physically, as well, too. 693 00:32:34,744 --> 00:32:39,267 -And in May of 1996, his private demons become very public. 694 00:32:39,291 --> 00:32:41,144 [ Horns blaring ] 695 00:32:41,168 --> 00:32:42,979 Lawrence wanders into L.A. traffic, 696 00:32:43,003 --> 00:32:45,773 packing a loaded gun and ranting incoherently. 697 00:32:45,797 --> 00:32:48,234 [ Horn blaring ] 698 00:32:48,258 --> 00:32:49,777 After fighting with police, 699 00:32:49,801 --> 00:32:52,029 he is restrained and hospitalized. 700 00:32:52,053 --> 00:32:53,948 [ Police radio chatter ] 701 00:32:53,972 --> 00:32:57,743 More reports of public violence follow. 702 00:32:57,767 --> 00:33:01,414 -Not at all excusing any of his wrongdoings, 703 00:33:01,438 --> 00:33:04,125 but it is heartbreaking to see that these mental-health issues 704 00:33:04,149 --> 00:33:06,335 that are happening came out to violence 705 00:33:06,359 --> 00:33:09,755 and contributed to kind of the downfall of the show. 706 00:33:09,779 --> 00:33:11,799 -The ratings of his show decline, 707 00:33:11,823 --> 00:33:14,051 along with his mental health. 708 00:33:14,075 --> 00:33:17,263 {\an8}-♪ Living single ♪ 709 00:33:17,287 --> 00:33:21,475 {\an8}-But Martin's Thursday night sibling is soaring. 710 00:33:21,499 --> 00:33:27,064 -"Living Single" is a classic, particularly "in the community." 711 00:33:27,088 --> 00:33:30,818 You know, right, because, as opposed to a show like "Martin," 712 00:33:30,842 --> 00:33:33,446 which was, you know, obviously male lead, 713 00:33:33,470 --> 00:33:35,156 the ladies ran this. 714 00:33:35,180 --> 00:33:37,491 -You slept with Kyle? You hate Kyle. 715 00:33:37,515 --> 00:33:39,410 I can't even believe you let him touch you. 716 00:33:39,434 --> 00:33:41,204 -We used a condom. 717 00:33:41,228 --> 00:33:43,206 -We had never had a show that was just about a bunch 718 00:33:43,230 --> 00:33:45,583 of single Black women... Hadn't happened. 719 00:33:45,607 --> 00:33:47,418 Wasn't the thing, you know, 720 00:33:47,442 --> 00:33:49,921 and young, single Black women, kickin' it. 721 00:33:49,945 --> 00:33:52,548 -I picked Mary Tyler Poppins, and that's who we're going with. 722 00:33:52,572 --> 00:33:55,384 -They are all just so pretty. I don't know which one to hit. 723 00:33:55,408 --> 00:33:57,637 [ Laughs ] 724 00:33:57,661 --> 00:34:02,099 -I was very aware that we were the first of our kind. 725 00:34:02,123 --> 00:34:04,185 -Might want to back it up, honey. 726 00:34:04,209 --> 00:34:08,898 {\an8}-And here is a Black show run by a Black woman. 727 00:34:08,922 --> 00:34:10,399 -And Yvette Lee Bowser did a great job 728 00:34:10,423 --> 00:34:12,401 of bringing this Black feminist energy 729 00:34:12,425 --> 00:34:15,196 to television where nothing was like it at the time. 730 00:34:15,220 --> 00:34:18,199 -Well, what about that full house, baby? 731 00:34:18,223 --> 00:34:20,785 -I did not come here to get whacked by these bitches. 732 00:34:20,809 --> 00:34:23,246 - Who you calling a bitch? - All right, watch yourself. 733 00:34:23,270 --> 00:34:26,457 Set it off. - No, it's just an expression. 734 00:34:26,481 --> 00:34:28,209 -No, man, it's a jacked-up attitude. 735 00:34:28,233 --> 00:34:31,337 How dare you come in my house and disrespect my friends? 736 00:34:31,361 --> 00:34:33,214 Man, get out of my house. 737 00:34:33,238 --> 00:34:36,717 -The minute the six of us had our first table read, 738 00:34:36,741 --> 00:34:40,680 I felt that energy of, "Wow, this is going to work." 739 00:34:40,704 --> 00:34:42,390 -All right, look, let's get to the point. 740 00:34:42,414 --> 00:34:44,267 Y'all are not a couple, are you? 741 00:34:44,291 --> 00:34:48,271 -Very quickly, we all became a family. 742 00:34:48,295 --> 00:34:51,274 - Scarecrow. - Mop head. 743 00:34:51,298 --> 00:34:53,776 -Oh, pay up. I win, I win. Give me my money. 744 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,654 Give me my money. - The show's successful focus 745 00:34:56,678 --> 00:34:58,239 on a family of friends 746 00:34:58,263 --> 00:35:01,909 does not escape the notice of network rival NBC. 747 00:35:01,933 --> 00:35:03,494 -Here's the thing. 748 00:35:03,518 --> 00:35:07,081 It has been said that, when Warren Littlefield, 749 00:35:07,105 --> 00:35:09,750 who was the president of NBC at the time, 750 00:35:09,774 --> 00:35:12,503 was asked, "Are there any shows that you wish 751 00:35:12,527 --> 00:35:14,130 you had bought this season?" 752 00:35:14,154 --> 00:35:18,217 he said, "I wish I had bought 'Living Single.'" 753 00:35:18,241 --> 00:35:20,553 - "Living Single" premiered in 1993, right? 754 00:35:20,577 --> 00:35:22,138 And that was the show anchored by Queen Latifah 755 00:35:22,162 --> 00:35:23,889 as the star character 756 00:35:23,913 --> 00:35:26,142 about four Black women living in New York 757 00:35:26,166 --> 00:35:28,436 and their two Black men friends 758 00:35:28,460 --> 00:35:31,147 who live across the hall from them. 759 00:35:31,171 --> 00:35:33,733 And then a year later comes "Friends." 760 00:35:33,757 --> 00:35:37,945 -♪ So no one told you life was gonna be this way ♪ 761 00:35:37,969 --> 00:35:39,947 -And "Friends" is a white "Living Single." 762 00:35:39,971 --> 00:35:43,743 -And if you go back and look at the themes side by side, 763 00:35:43,767 --> 00:35:46,787 you will see quite a few similarities. 764 00:35:46,811 --> 00:35:49,498 Quite a few. Except in the paychecks. 765 00:35:49,522 --> 00:35:51,083 Just saying. 766 00:35:51,107 --> 00:35:54,462 -The all-white "Friends" instantly becomes a top-ten show 767 00:35:54,486 --> 00:35:57,381 while "Living Single," airing in the same timeslot 768 00:35:57,405 --> 00:36:00,092 is never able to find its crossover audience. 769 00:36:00,116 --> 00:36:02,636 -You've got your Scooter, she's got her Darryl, 770 00:36:02,660 --> 00:36:04,347 and you've got your... 771 00:36:04,371 --> 00:36:06,307 -And it was... it was hard. 772 00:36:06,331 --> 00:36:09,435 It was hard to see this show receive money 773 00:36:09,459 --> 00:36:11,645 and support and marketing dollars. 774 00:36:11,669 --> 00:36:15,399 It's, you know, it's still a sticky point. 775 00:36:15,423 --> 00:36:17,943 -The same year "Friends" premieres on NBC, 776 00:36:17,967 --> 00:36:20,279 Fox does offer up a huge amount of money 777 00:36:20,303 --> 00:36:22,406 to secure new, diverse programing. 778 00:36:22,430 --> 00:36:25,910 -Today, the curtain opens on a new era. 779 00:36:25,934 --> 00:36:28,162 But what attracts Fox is the promise 780 00:36:28,186 --> 00:36:29,914 of its large, white, male audience. 781 00:36:29,938 --> 00:36:33,584 - The NFL on Fox. - And in 1994, they win 782 00:36:33,608 --> 00:36:36,879 the much-coveted broadcast rights to NFL Sunday football. 783 00:36:36,903 --> 00:36:38,756 -And with that right, they're able to bring in 784 00:36:38,780 --> 00:36:40,674 much more people to their... to their network. 785 00:36:40,698 --> 00:36:42,760 And now they're no longer feeling like the little... 786 00:36:42,784 --> 00:36:44,470 Little brother, little sister network. 787 00:36:44,494 --> 00:36:46,222 Now they feel like they're competing. 788 00:36:46,246 --> 00:36:49,058 They didn't need narrow casting in each market anymore. 789 00:36:49,082 --> 00:36:52,103 -They had built the network to where they wanted it to be, 790 00:36:52,127 --> 00:36:55,523 and there was a new network president that came in 791 00:36:55,547 --> 00:36:58,401 and decided that he wanted to change the tone. 792 00:36:58,425 --> 00:37:02,655 And by "tone," I mean "skin tone" of the network. 793 00:37:02,679 --> 00:37:04,782 And that's when you saw, you know, 794 00:37:04,806 --> 00:37:07,660 all these shows start to kind of fizzle away. 795 00:37:07,684 --> 00:37:10,037 -When the NFL comes to Fox, 796 00:37:10,061 --> 00:37:13,874 the network cancels four of its six Black primetime comedies. 797 00:37:13,898 --> 00:37:16,377 -"Martin" and "Living Single" are moving to Thursdays. 798 00:37:16,401 --> 00:37:18,504 - Hope to see you soon. - Hope to see you naked. 799 00:37:18,528 --> 00:37:21,674 -Only "Living Single" and "Martin" survive the culling. 800 00:37:21,698 --> 00:37:24,135 -This party's out of control! 801 00:37:24,159 --> 00:37:26,720 {\an8}-Martin Lawrence's battles with his personal demons, 802 00:37:26,744 --> 00:37:30,266 {\an8}on and off the set, transform his once-loved sitcom 803 00:37:30,290 --> 00:37:32,393 into something fans don't recognize. 804 00:37:32,417 --> 00:37:35,896 -The last season of "Martin" is the season 805 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:38,274 that nobody wants to talk about. 806 00:37:38,298 --> 00:37:40,317 -There was ongoing allegations 807 00:37:40,341 --> 00:37:43,904 of sexual assault on set or sexual harassment. 808 00:37:43,928 --> 00:37:46,532 -Campbell walks off the show midseason. 809 00:37:46,556 --> 00:37:48,826 Then she sues Lawrence for sexual abuses 810 00:37:48,850 --> 00:37:51,412 endured throughout the run of the show. 811 00:37:51,436 --> 00:37:53,622 The suit is quickly settled out of court. 812 00:37:53,646 --> 00:37:56,792 Campbell even agrees to return for the series finale 813 00:37:56,816 --> 00:37:59,587 with one seemingly impossible condition, 814 00:37:59,611 --> 00:38:01,589 and she does not appear in any scenes 815 00:38:01,613 --> 00:38:04,800 opposite her longtime costar... - Baby, I'm home! You here? 816 00:38:04,824 --> 00:38:08,387 - setting the stage for a different kind of Must See TV. 817 00:38:08,411 --> 00:38:10,079 -Martin, is that you? 818 00:38:14,250 --> 00:38:15,895 -As the series finale of "Martin" 819 00:38:15,919 --> 00:38:17,354 goes into production, 820 00:38:17,378 --> 00:38:20,566 tensions between the cast are worse than ever. 821 00:38:20,590 --> 00:38:22,651 -Tisha Campbell came back, said, 822 00:38:22,675 --> 00:38:24,570 "I don't want to do any more scenes with him." 823 00:38:24,594 --> 00:38:27,907 But the crux of the show is their relationship. 824 00:38:27,931 --> 00:38:30,367 - Martin? - Hey, Gina, what's up, baby? 825 00:38:30,391 --> 00:38:32,203 -Hey. Hey, baby. How you doing? 826 00:38:32,227 --> 00:38:34,497 -The creative team has to make them look like a loving couple 827 00:38:34,521 --> 00:38:35,998 on screen... - Martin, come on, baby. 828 00:38:36,022 --> 00:38:38,167 Let's go. I'll meet you in the car, okay? 829 00:38:38,191 --> 00:38:40,252 We're gonna miss our flight. - Without the two actors 830 00:38:40,276 --> 00:38:42,630 ever appearing in the same room. 831 00:38:42,654 --> 00:38:45,633 -And for the show to have been such a mainstay, 832 00:38:45,657 --> 00:38:50,554 for it to end so poorly and... and kind of fizzle out 833 00:38:50,578 --> 00:38:53,766 was really sad. 834 00:38:53,790 --> 00:38:56,352 But the same thing happened with "Living Single." 835 00:38:56,376 --> 00:38:59,021 Fox decided kind of abruptly to cancel it, 836 00:38:59,045 --> 00:39:02,608 and it just wasn't wrapped up well at all. 837 00:39:02,632 --> 00:39:04,818 -The only thing that has not changed 838 00:39:04,842 --> 00:39:06,779 is the love I have for all of y'all. 839 00:39:06,803 --> 00:39:09,031 - Cheers. - Cheers. 840 00:39:09,055 --> 00:39:11,700 -And I remember that we were replaced with a show 841 00:39:11,724 --> 00:39:15,579 that was wrong, wrong, wrong, because you weren't catering 842 00:39:15,603 --> 00:39:17,855 to the audience that had built you up. 843 00:39:20,233 --> 00:39:22,836 -Thursday night on Fox becomes home to shows 844 00:39:22,860 --> 00:39:26,549 where things crash and burn. 845 00:39:26,573 --> 00:39:29,176 -And that is kind of like an analogy 846 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:33,681 for the trajectory of Black sitcom altogether. 847 00:39:33,705 --> 00:39:35,933 {\an8}-What a cute little grill, Carmine. 848 00:39:35,957 --> 00:39:38,435 {\an8}-By the summer of '98, Fox has dropped 849 00:39:38,459 --> 00:39:41,063 {\an8}all Black-led sitcoms from its schedule. 850 00:39:41,087 --> 00:39:42,982 {\an8}- ...TGIF. - Ow. 851 00:39:43,006 --> 00:39:45,568 {\an8}- It's a wild... - So Fox inadvertently 852 00:39:45,592 --> 00:39:49,655 {\an8}redefined Black popular culture and then deserted it. 853 00:39:49,679 --> 00:39:51,865 -But rival film studios like Warner Bros., 854 00:39:51,889 --> 00:39:54,201 who are just getting into the TV network game, 855 00:39:54,225 --> 00:39:56,996 see an opportunity to crib from Fox's playbook. 856 00:39:57,020 --> 00:40:00,499 -Fox's upstart strategy to target a Black demo 857 00:40:00,523 --> 00:40:02,751 and grow their viewer base was so successful 858 00:40:02,775 --> 00:40:05,671 that, when the WB started... 859 00:40:05,695 --> 00:40:08,132 when UPN started... 860 00:40:08,156 --> 00:40:11,468 -Welcome to the first night of the first network 861 00:40:11,492 --> 00:40:13,053 for the next century. 862 00:40:13,077 --> 00:40:16,557 {\an8}-...they adopted a similar path. 863 00:40:16,581 --> 00:40:18,350 {\an8}-Good behavior, yes. 864 00:40:18,374 --> 00:40:21,228 {\an8}-Initially, this leads to an even bigger explosion 865 00:40:21,252 --> 00:40:22,730 {\an8}in Black-led sitcoms. 866 00:40:22,754 --> 00:40:24,857 {\an8}-And there was one point in '97, actually, 867 00:40:24,881 --> 00:40:27,401 {\an8}where there's the largest concentration on Black sitcoms 868 00:40:27,425 --> 00:40:29,194 {\an8}we've ever seen. 869 00:40:29,218 --> 00:40:31,238 {\an8}-And UPN picks it up 870 00:40:31,262 --> 00:40:33,324 {\an8}to the point where there was a joke 871 00:40:33,348 --> 00:40:35,117 amongst Black people for a very long time 872 00:40:35,141 --> 00:40:37,453 that it stood for "You Peoples' Network," 873 00:40:37,477 --> 00:40:42,750 because there was just so much Black television on the UPN. 874 00:40:42,774 --> 00:40:46,503 So you see shows like "Moesha" and "The Jamie Fox Show." 875 00:40:46,527 --> 00:40:49,923 - "Sister, Sister." - "Malcolm & Eddie." 876 00:40:49,947 --> 00:40:52,134 -They had "Homeboys in Outerspace." 877 00:40:52,158 --> 00:40:54,887 They had "The Wayans Bros." 878 00:40:54,911 --> 00:40:57,431 -But the revival is short lived. 879 00:40:57,455 --> 00:40:59,183 -And once again, typically... 880 00:40:59,207 --> 00:41:01,101 Both those networks did it as well... 881 00:41:01,125 --> 00:41:05,773 When they feel like these shows have outlived their usefulness, 882 00:41:05,797 --> 00:41:07,816 then they'll cut them. 883 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:11,236 -By the end of 1997, just two years after its launch, 884 00:41:11,260 --> 00:41:18,285 the WB network shifts its focus to white, teen TV. 885 00:41:18,309 --> 00:41:19,454 {\an8}[ Whistle blows ] 886 00:41:19,478 --> 00:41:20,621 {\an8}-UPN continues 887 00:41:20,645 --> 00:41:22,831 {\an8}courting Black audiences a little while longer, 888 00:41:22,855 --> 00:41:24,750 {\an8}but the balance of power has shifted. 889 00:41:24,774 --> 00:41:28,045 {\an8}-What changed largely was many of the shows weren't produced 890 00:41:28,069 --> 00:41:30,381 {\an8}by Black people, they didn't have Black writers, 891 00:41:30,405 --> 00:41:33,842 so UPN and WB definitely satisfied the look 892 00:41:33,866 --> 00:41:36,011 in the search for Black images on screen, 893 00:41:36,035 --> 00:41:37,971 but they didn't ever have the same effect 894 00:41:37,995 --> 00:41:41,975 as the shows at Fox in its Prime. 895 00:41:41,999 --> 00:41:45,020 -By the end of the '90s, the golden age of Black sitcoms 896 00:41:45,044 --> 00:41:47,356 is truly over. 897 00:41:47,380 --> 00:41:50,234 -By the time we get to, like, 2010, 898 00:41:50,258 --> 00:41:54,196 Most of Black programing you see on television is reality TV. 899 00:41:54,220 --> 00:41:58,951 So we had a dearth of Black storytelling for about a decade. 900 00:41:58,975 --> 00:42:01,912 -Only reinforcing the importance of the Black-led shows 901 00:42:01,936 --> 00:42:04,957 that did make it to air in the '90s. 902 00:42:04,981 --> 00:42:07,584 -We have the talent, the production team, 903 00:42:07,608 --> 00:42:09,503 and story writers... everyone. 904 00:42:09,527 --> 00:42:12,089 That is why these shows were so important to this moment, 905 00:42:12,113 --> 00:42:15,926 because they were giving Black artists the authenticity 906 00:42:15,950 --> 00:42:18,595 and giving them the leeway to really construct their shows, 907 00:42:18,619 --> 00:42:21,473 how they wanted to see Blackness on screen. 908 00:42:21,497 --> 00:42:23,142 -And the work was good. 909 00:42:23,166 --> 00:42:25,853 Talking about "Martin," talking about "Living Single"... 910 00:42:25,877 --> 00:42:28,313 People busted their ass to get home on time 911 00:42:28,337 --> 00:42:29,940 to see "Living Color." 912 00:42:29,964 --> 00:42:31,567 Please! You know what I mean? That's good stuff. 913 00:42:31,591 --> 00:42:33,444 {\an8}-It all happens Sunday at 8:00, 7:00 Central. 914 00:42:33,468 --> 00:42:36,155 {\an8}-Fox was really the place where so much 915 00:42:36,179 --> 00:42:38,323 great African-American talent got a chance 916 00:42:38,347 --> 00:42:41,618 to work and be seen, because not very many other places 917 00:42:41,642 --> 00:42:44,913 were talking to us. - You know, this decade 918 00:42:44,937 --> 00:42:46,874 was the bridge decade. 919 00:42:46,898 --> 00:42:50,210 And of course, now the box is open, 920 00:42:50,234 --> 00:42:56,550 and we're all, you know, going full force into diversity. 921 00:42:56,574 --> 00:43:00,137 -Time has also helped heal one of the decade's biggest stars. 922 00:43:00,161 --> 00:43:02,264 - Yeah, we got to go, though. - I appreciate that. 923 00:43:02,288 --> 00:43:03,807 -Martin Lawrence has now made amends 924 00:43:03,831 --> 00:43:05,225 with his former castmates, 925 00:43:05,249 --> 00:43:07,978 and he's gotten his career back on track. 926 00:43:08,002 --> 00:43:12,066 Meanwhile, the rise of streaming platforms, hungry for content, 927 00:43:12,090 --> 00:43:14,234 has driven an industry-wide resurgence 928 00:43:14,258 --> 00:43:16,737 in shows controlled by Black creatives... 929 00:43:16,761 --> 00:43:19,323 -Present tense. 930 00:43:19,347 --> 00:43:22,493 - right down to the reimagining of a '90s classic. 931 00:43:22,517 --> 00:43:24,620 -Welcome to Bel Air. 932 00:43:24,644 --> 00:43:26,914 -What the hell is my life? 933 00:43:26,938 --> 00:43:29,541 -And as of now, streaming seems like to be 934 00:43:29,565 --> 00:43:31,335 the best and most free place 935 00:43:31,359 --> 00:43:34,004 to produce Black content from a Black perspective. 936 00:43:34,028 --> 00:43:35,714 However, at some point, 937 00:43:35,738 --> 00:43:37,674 it's gonna be too much for streaming as well, too, 938 00:43:37,698 --> 00:43:39,843 so you might just see the same thing repeat itself. 939 00:43:39,867 --> 00:43:42,429 {\an8}-I think we're in a better place. 940 00:43:42,453 --> 00:43:44,765 {\an8}But you could always do more. 941 00:43:44,789 --> 00:43:48,352 {\an8}I mean, it'd be great if one day, it wasn't even... 942 00:43:48,376 --> 00:43:50,229 {\an8}we didn't even have to talk about it. 943 00:43:50,253 --> 00:43:53,023 {\an8}You know, it'd just be like... you know what I mean? 944 00:43:53,047 --> 00:43:57,176 {\an8}"This is a new show. Hope you like it."