Shanice Harris

The other day, I was browsing the many streaming services that I’m subscribed to, looking for something to fill the space as I was working on a story. As I scrolled down the comedies on Hulu, I landed on The Carmichael Show.

Now, for those who don’t know, The Carmichael Show was a multi-camera comedy that premiered on NBC in 2015 and ran for three seasons. The scripted show followed its namesake, Jerrod Carmichael, and his family In Charlotte, North Carolina. In each episode, a current event or "controversial” topic would come up and the family discusses, often having opposing viewpoints. The cast included Amber Stevens West, David Alan Grier, Loretta Devine, Lil Rel Howery, and Tiffany Haddish.

I adored this show when it premiered. Back then, I couldn’t believe NBC allowed it on their network. Nowadays, when I think of well-written, thought-provoking, witty comedies, I think of cable: FX, HBO...I mean...even Cartoon Network. NBC isn’t the go-to for that sort of thing. So, it was refreshing to see a young, black dude have a show on network television that was both hilarious and intriguing. The cast was phenomenal. Grier and Devine were an impeccable comedic duo, and Haddish and Howery stole many of the scenes that they were in. And this was before mainstream America found out who they were via Get Out and Girls Trip.

I sat on my couch, clicked play on “Season 3, episode 1”, and chuckled to myself as I reminisced on the brilliance of this show. In a society that doesn’t seem to understand nuance and how to contextualize situations, somehow this show just got it right. Carmichael was able to not only show the brash reality of how some people think, but he balanced it. You got to hear all sides of the conversation. And since the dynamic between the show’s characters were familiar, it felt real. Authentic. In its first season alone, The Carmichael Show dealt with Black Lives Matter, gender identity, religion, and much more—all through the lens of a regular, black family from the South with different life experiences.

I miss this show! It was dope. But, let’s be real...a show that honest on network television was not going to last. I’ve been a Jerrod Carmichael fan for years, so I know it’s only so far you can try to control his work. The show was needed—it was refreshing, new, and hilarious.

Between Carmichael’s stand-up, movies, and production of other projects (he’s currently the executive producer of Howery’s Fox show Rel), he’ll be just fine.

Until next time...

Shanice