black-ish

black-ish sits comfortably within several American TV traditions: It’s a traditional family comedy with parents who love each other deeply, despite their occasional bickering; it’s a warm, aspirational sitcom about a well-to-do family, the Johnsons, living the suburban dream; and it’s sometimes a workplace comedy full of odd characters, rapid-fire banter and goofy moments. It’s an entertaining and briskly paced comedy, but what sets black-ish apart is its determination to spend time in some uncomfortable places as well. It asks whether an upper-middle-class dad has an obligation to keep his kids connected to the working-class world he came from, and it exam-ines whether different generations in one family can ever truly see eye to eye. But black-ish‘s serious side has to do with more than class and age. At a time when America is examining more deeply its troubled treatment of African-Americans, the Johnson family engages in a multitude of ways – some wry, some painful – with what it means to be black in this country. Following in the footsteps of Norman Lear, black-ish creator Kenya Barris has his characters wrestle with issues of culture, bias and systematic oppression, all within the context of frequently acerbic and even hilarious scenarios. For bringing a set of unique characters to vivid, witty life and for wrestling with big questions with remarkable grace, heart and thoughtfulness, black-ish wins a Peabody Award.