Parents Television Council Reviews

PTC reviews aim to provide you with advance information about an entertainment offering so that you can be the final arbiter of what you and your family see.

FOX has a new hit with family-friendly sitcom, the Bernie Mac Show

by Jesse Menn

One of the few television shows on FOX that portrays positive family values, the Bernie Mac Show is inspired by the namesake's own life.  For those not in the know, Bernie Mac is a stand-up comedian and his wife, Wanda (played by Kellita Smith), is a corporate executive at AT&T.  It's a given that the two are quite busy, and they have never considered children in any depth.  But that doesn't make for too interesting a television show; however, Bernie has to take care of his sister's three kids: five-year-old Bryana, eight-year-old Jordan, and thirteen-year-old Vanessa.  Worlds are turned slightly upside down and a hit sitcom is born.

The series comes across as Leave it to Beaver updated to more modern tastes.  A common, real-life problem comes up, there is some dismay and confusion, but eventually, through good parenting and bonding, all is solved.  Then again, I doubt Beaver ever had to deal with a father figure who thought of banging pots and pans and squirting water as alternatives to an alarm clock.

In one episode, Wanda has a week of vacation which she uses to "be the mom" for the three kids.  From this experience, she decides she wants to have her own child, but Bernie objects to the idea.  A small fight spawns from this, with a towel being thrown at Bernie, implying he should sleep on the couch tonight.  Nonetheless, there were lessons that could be learnt from the episode: keeping lines of communication open and respect between wife and husband.  On a somewhat deeper note, I also got the impression that the writers wanted to show that sometimes there is more than one person to blame for a problem.

I think the Bernie Mac Show is good viewing material for children.  It re-enforces important family values, has no violence and only extremely mild sexual innuendos.  It is quite family oriented, though there is some language that parents may find objectionable.  There was one "Hell" and there were a few sexual references, though extremely subtle, and would almost certainly fly over a kid's head faster than a child rips through gift-wrap at Christmas.  Though the episode discussed above did not, the series has had such words as "ass" and "damn."

Keep in mind, this is just your humble reporter's opinion, and I suggest parents watch the show for themselves and form their own opinions and then decide from there if the program is proper for their family.

The Bernie Mac Show airs Wednesdays at 9/8pm Central on Fox.

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