The Bernie Mac Show

Some people may not know this but Bernie Mac had a short-lived variety show on HBO called "Midnight Mac". It was then that Bernie Mac's comedy and host skills were displayed together. Why HBO got rid of the show is anyone's guess but I'm happy he has his own show now.

"The Bernie Mac Show" doesn't follow any of the conventional sitcom "rules". The male character (Bernie Mac) is strong, smooth, intelligent, and doesn't take any BS from anyone. Instead of the rash of wishy-washy and flat-out stupid "fathers" on recent sitcoms, The Bernie Mac Show is like a hip "Father Knows Best". The fresh cast is wonderful. The children are hilarious and Bernie's wife (Kellita Smith) is SOOOO REAL.

I hope this show stays on. So original, fresh, and entertaining!

This was a great series and the particular episode Easy Rider was very good as well. As in most episodes Bernie's ego gets in his way as he rides his motorcycle trying to get approval of other bikers all the while missing commitments to his kids. Funny enough as he wrecks and what follows.

The best part of this episode and the entire series was the use of Earth Wind and Fire's song Fantasy when Bernie thought he was dead. As I watch it now its kinda sad as Bernie passed on way too early and as in life and the show things changed. Here he finds all his (adopted) kids have turned for the worse. A good portion of the song is played as he walks through the house. Its cool. We miss Bernie.

At first this seemed like another African American-headlined sitcom just waiting to burst with the same tired jokes. But Bernie Mac has managed to conjure a truly original comedy which also has an awesome funk-r&b-hip hop soundtrack. A relatively new cast is also very good in a show that, hopefully, will become a long-running staple on FOX.

Who would have thought Bernie Mac would be the man behind the most intelligent show to hit TV airwaves in a long time?

Not that I have any problem with Bernie Mac. I've always found him to be humorous and entertaining. He's just not exactly the guy who I would expect to end up on this kind of show.

But here he is, the star of the smartest, most original, most positive, and funniest TV comedy I have seen in years.

With it's non-use of a laugh track, it's commentary by Bernie Mac (who spends a good part of each show sitting on his favorite chair and addressing "America"), and it's little on-screen notes, this sitcom is about as anti-sitcom as it gets, but it's this orginality that helps make it special. The Bernie Mac Show bucks trends by avoiding crude humor and sex jokes, and the messages this show provide are ultimately positive. Another thing that impressed me about the Bernie Mac Show is that it is one of the first comedies I have seen in a while to feature a Black cast, but doesn't saddle it's characters and storylines with African-American stereotypes. The problems faced on this show are universal.

The cast is great too. Bernie Mac was born for this role, and the kids on the show also deserve credit, because they have roles to play and characters to portray. They are parts of the story, and not just extra bodies like the child cast members are on some other sitcoms. And they all do a good job with it.

But besides all of these great aspects the show has going for it, the Bernie Mac Show is outright hilarious, which makes it one of the best shows on TV today.

Bernie Mac don't understand these kids, 'Merica. This show is funny as H-E-double hockeysticks. The odd part is, Mac technically isn't acting here; this is his life. He just acts like himself. And they pay him to do this! I wish I could have had someone like that in my family. I've never met somebody who's that funny naturally.

He made an entire show about how he doesn't understand anything. That kicks so much ass.