So, what are black sitcoms? A television situation comedy with a cast that is comprised of mainly black actors and/or comedians best describes what a black TV sitcom is. As a matter of fact, many of the most successful sitcoms on TV were the black sitcoms that aired during the 70's and 80's. Popular black sitcoms like Sanford and Son and The Jeffersons received rave reviews continued to be successful for many years after their pilots were aired on television. In 1972, during Sanford and Son's premier, ads were taken out stating that Red Foxx, the star of Sanford and Son, was NBC's answer to All in the Family's, Archie Bunker.
Speaking of All in the Family, one of televisions most successful sitcoms of all time had one of TV's most successful spin-offs of all time, a black television sitcom called The Jeffersons. The Jefferson's would end up being the longest running black sitcom in television history, lasting for 11 years. Norman Lear who adapted Sanford and Son as well as All in the Family from BBC TV shows also created the characters of George and Louise Jefferson to be Archie Bunker's neighbours in All in the Family. But when George Jefferson's dry cleaning business became more successful they moved to a posh Manhattan apartment which is how The Jefferson's began. This black sitcom revolved around the home life and their relationships with the Jefferson's live-in housekeeper and neighbors.
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