"Truth Be Told" is a comedy series that centers on the lives of two married couples who are neighbors. One is a black couple and the other is a white guy and his so-called "ethnically ambiguous" wife. Although the show makes some observations about racial situations, that does not seem to be the focus of the show in the first two episodes. And when race is the topic, it is not so much a discussion as a lecture by the black friend who is given authority in that area.
The main topic is about gender and navigating marriage from the perspective of men vs. women. This theme is all about trust. Should women trust men (because men are probably untrustworthy)? Knowing that women distrust them, how should the men behave (because wives have insecurities and lay traps for husbands)? What is the best way for a wife to steer her husband's behavior where she wants it to go without him realizing she is driving?
To some degree, there is a war of manipulation. This could be a rich topic for humor, but the humor in "Truth Be Told" is fairly predictable and flat.
In discussions that involve both couples, I notice that the two men usually talk to each other and the two women usually discuss matters without the men. Compare this to some other comedies that are classics: In "Seinfeld", Elaine is like one of the guys and the men talk with her in the same way and as much as they talk with each other. In "Frasier", Roz and Daphne are integrated into the ensemble, not a separate gender entity. And in "Friends", the six friends may have their "gal pals" and "best buddies", but the six continuously interact in every possible combination and love equally beyond gender lines.
"Truth Be Told" is a lukewarm offering at best. Personally, I prefer "Bad Judge", which also included Tone Bell in its cast.
