http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=16918037&postcount=38

Moesha (http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=17274412&postcount=120) - The worst finale of all. The Parkers (http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=16918677&postcount=68) ended up retconing that mess once Hakeem made a guest spot in Season 3. Good thing too, that seeing as don't nobody want to be reminded of Ray J's unneeded arse and Master P kidnapping Miles

Girlfriends never really had a proper finale at all since the combination of the Writers Strike and then CW prexy Dawn Ostroff's desire to devoid the network of all comedies was a recipe for doomsday

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=17274621&postcount=122

Martin's (http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=16918244&postcount=50) ending sucked ass too. That was the final season in which Tisha Campbell didn't even want to be in the same room with Martin Lawrence, so the final episode involved all these near-misses and close calls and just plain silliness all around. And we still didn't find out what in hell was Tommy's job! I did like the backdoor pilot filmed that last season with Pam working for the album company. That could've been interesting if it really became a show. But Fox was killing off all of its black shows at the time, so I wasn't surprised it wasn't picked up.

Living Single's ending was premature, but it literally ended when they were no longer "Living Single," so it made sense. Considering how Kim Fields and TC Carson left the show and Mel Jackson was a poor substitute for a male lead, it was time for that show to end anyhow.

Family Matters (http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=16917736&postcount=17) with Steve Urkel finally marrying Laura Winslow. I was too old to care by the time it happened and I was still salty about them replacing Harriett Winslow, LOL.

I agree The Cosby Show's (http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=16917646&postcount=3) ending was way too Theo-Centric, but considering how the show started with Theo struggling in school, it came full circle. But there were so many damn people by the end of the show, I guess they had to focus on one major character rather than a bunch of stories for Cousin Pam, Rudy, Vanessa, etc. I'd rather would've seen Theo graduate from college than a wedding between 'Nessa and Dabnis as a finale.

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=16929899&postcount=102

Fresh Prince (http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=16917732&postcount=16) - Will came to them as kid who needed some direction from Philly OK got it, then we learn he's highly intelligent and made great strides. At the end they portrayed him as some loser who again needed direction as he had nowhere to live. Now Uncle Phil became a Judge and they all went East, Carlton to Yale, Hilary for her show and Ashley for school too and to live with Hilary. Yet Will spent the last two episodes with no career or place of his own seriously.

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=16918037&postcount=38



http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=17274621&postcount=122



http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=16929899&postcount=102

The black series finales are bad, but they are NOT as worse as the series finales of more likely the WB white comedy ones, IMO.

one on one
the parkers
moesha
my wife and kids

The strict tv critics like the Parker's ending and it did well, unfortunately. Half and Half is another example instead.

I feel I've asked this before, but to reiterate my question from another thread, what in the world is a "black sitcom"?

I feel I've asked this before, but to reiterate my question from another thread, what in the world is a "black sitcom"?

They are African-American sitcoms.

But what does "African-American sitcoms" mean? (Just to clarify, I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to seriously probe what we mean by these labels.) Does this mean that the TV show itself somehow is identified as African-American? I don't think TV programs have racial identities.
That's essentially what I'm trying to get at here. I understand that "black sitcoms" or "African-American sitcoms" are a short-hand way of saying something along the lines of "a show that predominantly features an African-American cast", if I understand correctly. But what I'm asking is, "Why do we even need to label shows as such?"
I just feel that TV shows are TV shows. There are shows with casts of predominantly Caucasian race that I love just as they are shows with casts of predominantly African-American race and Asian race and Hispanic race and so forth that I love and enjoy. But I don't define the shows by the races of the casts- I just think of them as TV shows that I love and enjoy.
But anyway- I'll get off that soap box now.:)

Go along, you are on it!

But what does "African-American sitcoms" mean? (Just to clarify, I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to seriously probe what we mean by these labels.) Does this mean that the TV show itself somehow is identified as African-American? I don't think TV programs have racial identities.
That's essentially what I'm trying to get at here. I understand that "black sitcoms" or "African-American sitcoms" are a short-hand way of saying something along the lines of "a show that predominantly features an African-American cast", if I understand correctly. But what I'm asking is, "Why do we even need to label shows as such?"
I just feel that TV shows are TV shows. There are shows with casts of predominantly Caucasian race that I love just as they are shows with casts of predominantly African-American race and Asian race and Hispanic race and so forth that I love and enjoy. But I don't define the shows by the races of the casts- I just think of them as TV shows that I love and enjoy.
But anyway- I'll get off that soap box now.:)


you know what the hell it means, a tv sitcom where the lead characters are black

The supporting cast are blended with other types of people.

What about Bernie Mac?

You went to Lipstick Alley without somehow ending up in Conspiracy Alley? It's really the only subforum worth visiting there.

The series finales of Martin, The Cosby Show and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air among the "worst" black sitcom series finales? If so, then what can even be considered the best black sitcom series finale?

I think that this is an indication that there are no good series finales for sitcoms with a predominantly-African-American cast, and if that's true, then, those sitcoms aren't always that good.

I saw nothing with the Cosby Show finale

you know what the hell it means, a tv sitcom where the lead characters are black
Maybe you should go back and re-read the post because it seems like you didn't pay attention to what they said.

But what does "African-American sitcoms" mean? (Just to clarify, I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to seriously probe what we mean by these labels.) Does this mean that the TV show itself somehow is identified as African-American? I don't think TV programs have racial identities.
That's essentially what I'm trying to get at here. I understand that "black sitcoms" or "African-American sitcoms" are a short-hand way of saying something along the lines of "a show that predominantly features an African-American cast", if I understand correctly. But what I'm asking is, "Why do we even need to label shows as such?"
I just feel that TV shows are TV shows. There are shows with casts of predominantly Caucasian race that I love just as they are shows with casts of predominantly African-American race and Asian race and Hispanic race and so forth that I love and enjoy. But I don't define the shows by the races of the casts- I just think of them as TV shows that I love and enjoy.
But anyway- I'll get off that soap box now.:)
That's a good point. That's exactly what how I feel. TV shows shouldn't be labelled by the race of their cast members. Now if a show's premise concerns being black or the show itself is about being black, then I can see a TV show being called a black show. But if a show is about the everyday life of people who just happen to be black, then I don't think it should be called a black show.

Maybe you should go back and re-read the post because it seems like you didn't pay attention to what they said.

He probably didn't need to. If MacLeaper is just gonna keep asking a user "What is a Black/African-American sitcom?" or "What does 'African-American sitcoms' mean?" when it is really obvious what it is*, then I think that alone would just be making things difficult for that user.

* An "African-American sitcom" is best described as a sitcom with predominantly-African-American main cast. Sometimes they are meant to reflect some of the problems that African-Americans can face or deal with. "Why we need to label such shows as such?" There is really just no easy answer to that question.

He probably didn't need to. If MacLeaper is just gonna keep asking a user "What is a Black/African-American sitcom?" or "What does 'African-American sitcoms' mean?" when it is really obvious what it is*, then I think that alone would just be making things difficult for that user.

* An "African-American sitcom" is best described as a sitcom with predominantly-African-American main cast. Sometimes they are meant to reflect some of the problems that African-Americans can face or deal with. "Why we need to label such shows as such?" There is really just no easy answer to that question.
MacLeaper acknowledged that he knew that an African-American sitcom was described as "a sitcom with African-American characters." He was just questioning the fact that sitcoms with black casts were called African-American sitcoms.