Initial reviews from March 2001

[TMC]

Is "My Wife and Kids" basically "The Hughleys" without Hughley?

The new Damon Wayans ABC sitcom shares many similarities with D.L. Hughley's show. But there's one distinctive thing that sets them apart — Wayans' show is Disney-produced while Hughley's isn't.

Reviews: Damon Wayans brings back old-style family sitcom with "My Wife and Kids"

• "There are moments in Wednesday's premiere that seem straight out of an episode of the 'Cosby Show' of the '80s," says Scott Pierce.
  
• "Wayans' Michael Kyle isn't the only television character who'd probably like to crawl back into an old sitcom," says Ellen Gray. "Even foul-mouthed Tony Soprano sometimes longs for a past that's more 'Father Knows Best' than 'Godfather.'"
  
• "(It) gives a nod to Cosby as mentor while doing more to highlight grittier urban African-American culture," says Joanne Ostrow.
  
• "'My Wife and Kids' makes 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' look like 'Superfly," says John Carman.
  
• "The new 'Home Improvement' is here," says Diane Werts. "The question is whether anyone still wants it."