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"The Bernie Mac Show" (2001) More at IMDb Pro »

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46 comments in total

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8 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
got to give it up for Mac Man, 11 May 2002
Author: stakes

Who would have thought Bernie Mac would be the man behind the most intelligent show to hit TV airwaves in a long time?

Not that I have any problem with Bernie Mac. I've always found him to be humorous and entertaining. He's just not exactly the guy who I would expect to end up on this kind of show.

But here he is, the star of the smartest, most original, most positive, and funniest TV comedy I have seen in years.

With it's non-use of a laugh track, it's commentary by Bernie Mac (who spends a good part of each show sitting on his favorite chair and addressing "America"), and it's little on-screen notes, this sitcom is about as anti-sitcom as it gets, but it's this orginality that helps make it special. The Bernie Mac Show bucks trends by avoiding crude humor and sex jokes, and the messages this show provide are ultimately positive. Another thing that impressed me about the Bernie Mac Show is that it is one of the first comedies I have seen in a while to feature a Black cast, but doesn't saddle it's characters and storylines with African-American stereotypes. The problems faced on this show are universal.

The cast is great too. Bernie Mac was born for this role, and the kids on the show also deserve credit, because they have roles to play and characters to portray. They are parts of the story, and not just extra bodies like the child cast members are on some other sitcoms. And they all do a good job with it.

But besides all of these great aspects the show has going for it, the Bernie Mac Show is outright hilarious, which makes it one of the best shows on TV today.

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8 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
A Top Quality, Classic Sitcom and soon to be a Legend, 2 December 2006

Author: chrismcreynolds from United States

This is my favorite sitcom of all time, and one of the best written, best directed and best acted series of any kind on TV.

I will write a longer article at some later date explaining why I state this. Let me briefly just say that if you do not appreciate it, you have probably not seen it for long enough to appreciate it. It is hard for me to imagine who would not like it or what they would complain about. The few people that I "talk TV" with all love it, and TV (especially network) is not normally anything I would plan my life or even my day around. I don't know if that explains in any way why I think this show is among the best and an instant "classic" in every sense of the word. This show easily stands alongside any beloved series that has ever been broadcast in the US. (I only say that because I do think in general that some European countries aim a bit higher demographics and might have some shows that are better that I am unaware of). I find that is blends occasional over-the-top humor with a complex and rich story that seems to genuine to be fiction. Only the over-the-top humor functions to keep it from getting too emotional at times. They find humor (and really good humor) in a set of circumstances one would not expect it. They have also been able to develop the characters and the situations in perfect harmony with the age of the show and all of the children actors (in other words, no stupid season plot lines that are forced by cast changes or whatever). Today I saw Vanessa struggling with the difficulty she (her character) would feel with great expectations of her natural talent and intelligence, with the lagging insecurities that come with growing up with an uncle thousands of miles away from her mother and other circumstances she once lived with. They had Bernie trying to lead her with nuggets of wisdom and of course she could not help taking out her anxiety on Bernie, attacking him passively and at times more outwardly for trying to "control" her. This theme was harmonized by seeing Bernie doing similar things for Jordan, while Jordan faked gratitude to manipulate Bernie. For his efforts, Jordan scored a new "boombox" and then an iPod. In the end, when Vanessa finely saw (through the explanation provided by Wanda, that allowed her to see it was not pressure that moved Bernie, but utter confidence that she would succeed and merely playing his role the best (and perhaps the only) way he knew how. When Vanessa was allowed to see this, it relieved the pressure, and the writer's block and she chose to write about Bernie as the most influential person in her life (for her application to Stanford University). It was done really well all around, and it was one of those episodes that amazed my once I recovered from my temporary (it is still only TV) emotional immersion in the story. Maybe the fact that I have a son the exact same as an only child and a not so secret desire to have a daughter in addition to him, might make me more vulnerable to this kind of theme. I will remind you then that I would also notice more quickly if there were flaws in the writing. I am so picky, I am annoy myself at times and though I occasionally fail to get hooked on some episodes of the re-runs, today I was reminded just how brilliant enjoyable this show is.

Having said all this, there is still so much more I would want to say. I would love to sit with Bernie and ask him how much involvement he has with the writing. His character is clearly influenced by his comedy act. which may or may not be closely related to his social persona (while not "on" as the comedian).

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8 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Original and entertaining., 6 February 2002
Author: Rhythm-2 from Detroit, MI USA

Some people may not know this but Bernie Mac had a short-lived variety show on HBO called "Midnight Mac". It was then that Bernie Mac's comedy and host skills were displayed together. Why HBO got rid of the show is anyone's guess but I'm happy he has his own show now.

"The Bernie Mac Show" doesn't follow any of the conventional sitcom "rules". The male character (Bernie Mac) is strong, smooth, intelligent, and doesn't take any BS from anyone. Instead of the rash of wishy-washy and flat-out stupid "fathers" on recent sitcoms, The Bernie Mac Show is like a hip "Father Knows Best". The fresh cast is wonderful. The children are hilarious and Bernie's wife (Kellita Smith) is SOOOO REAL.

I hope this show stays on. So original, fresh, and entertaining!

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Fabulous Show, 9 November 2007

Author: LC03 from United States

I've just recently started watching the reruns of this show, and I have absolutely fallen in love with it. And honestly, that surprises me because I really haven't liked much of anything that was new on TV during the 2000s decade. But one night I was flipping through the channels and all I could find was Bernie Mac. I started watching, thinking it wouldn't be any good, but I couldn't have been more wrong. If you're looking for a good laugh and a show that hasn't forgot about family (but doesn't make the family message too exaggerated like many family shows), I'm telling you, this is the show for you. You watch a couple episodes, and I guarantee you'll be hooked. I know I am. And since I never saw it while it was new, all the reruns are new to me. I love having a "new" show on TV that I look forward to watching every night.

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7 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
This is Hilarious!!!!, 14 November 2001
Author: grabulac from Hollywood

At first this seemed like another African American-headlined sitcom just waiting to burst with the same tired jokes. But Bernie Mac has managed to conjure a truly original comedy which also has an awesome funk-r&b-hip hop soundtrack. A relatively new cast is also very good in a show that, hopefully, will become a long-running staple on FOX.

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3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
It's a funny show where you will get a good belly laugh sometimes., 25 November 2006

Author: pachambers36 from United States

Bernie Mac show is very hilarious. It's a different type of show in which it seem to be a down to earth story of Bernie's experiences in every day life with his sisters kids,him and Wanda. The kids and his wife are excellent actor and actresses in their roles. If any of these things happened in real life to Bernie. all I can say is 'God Bless America.' I like the show because it really gives you a good belly laugh sometimes, its clean comedy and sometimes you can ID with him from things that has happened to the viewers own life experience. The show always make you laugh. It is a nice family show. I also like the the way Bernie talk to the viewers during the show.

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4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Wednesday night frolics on FOX, 25 April 2002
Author: raysond from Chapel Hill,North Carolina

This is the show to watch on Wednesday nights on FOX. I'm very impressed that the show has been renewed for three more seasons,and that's good. Let's hope they don't cancel it,or destroy it for that manner. Bernie Mac(usually his comedian antics are strictly adult oriented) is just absolutely marvelous as the father figure who takes three kids from a rough Chicago neighborhood and raises them in the plush estates of Beverly Hills who along with his wife Wanda. However,Mac has toned down a bit for this show,but in all aspects it is extremely funny and the punchliners come from Mac himself. He maybe a little too strict with them,but you'll never know what Bernie Mac is thinking or going to do next. The part about where he talks to the audience with cigar in hand is a grand style of situation comedy that has not been used in a long time and it is worth the cost to see this show! In all you gotta love the three kids here.................sassy and sometimes attitude correct Vanessa,nerdy and unpredictable Jordan,and the cute and adorable Deirdra(or Dee Dee/baby girl for short). The wife is seen in some of the episodes,but its Bernie himself that holds it together.........great show!

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4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Parenting Is NOT As Easy As It Looks, 26 November 2001
Author: hillari from Chicago, USA

I was laid out on the floor from laughing at this show. Apparently Mac and his wife are childfree, but because of his sister's drug problems, they take in his sister's kids. His wife welcomes the kids, but makes it very clear that her husband is going to do most of the parenting. This show is refreshing because a) it's not like some African-American sitcom of recent years that continue to rely on stereotypes and buffoonery, and b) Bernie Mac is not PC when it comes to handling his nephew and two nieces.

I understand that Mac had wanted to have a sitcom like his "King of Comedy" partners--Cedric "The Entertainer", Steve Harvey and D.L. Hughley do--but that he held out for the right type of sitcom. Mac is a very funny guy in his own right, and this laugh track free sitcom suits him perfectly.

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Tends To Get Redundant..., 18 September 2008

Author: fearfulofspiders from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Without a doubt, there are many moments where The Bernie Mac Show becomes laugh-out-loud. However, for every hilarious scene, there's a mild letdown to ensue.

To sum it up easily, The Bernie Mac Show will have a certain peak in the episode that will make the rest of the comedy pale in comparison. The first season is far more immune to this flaw, yet the later ones are the one I'm referring to right now.

All in all, this isn't really for kids, though can be entertaining if they know the subject matter. Some of the language and sensual moments can get out of hand, but it's all confined to be appropriately inappropriate. I only recommend this show to his loyal fans and anyone looking for something to watch when nothing else is on.

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A Great Sitcom Plagued By Time Slot Changes, 12 August 2008

Author: hfan77 from St. Louis Park, MN

After years of sitcoms about dysfunctional families, Fox came up with a winner in The Bernie Mac Show. Even though it's a one camera comedy with no studio audience or laugh track, it's a sitcom I really enjoyed since the episodes usually featured Bernie talking to the home audience from his easy chair, referring to the people watching at home as "America." But Fox kept moving this sitcom around to different slots and Bernie Mac's movie career began taking off which is why I thought led to the show's cancellation after five seasons.

The supporting cast was outstanding, including Kelita Smith as his wife Wanda and the young actors who play Vanessa, Jordan and "Baby Girl" added a lot to the show. One line I'll always remember was Bernie's declamation of tough love "I'm gonna bust your head until the white meat shows!" It's a shame that Bernie Mac died suddenly at 50. America, his show will live on in reruns.

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