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2 No vember 23 - 29, 2014 Br ainerd Dispatch By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media T he major networks churn out new sitcoms like they're going out of style, but little of what makes it to air manages to garner enough popularity to become real- ly successful. A precious few come- dic gems continue to rake in the big numbers from one season to the next, but the vast majority of them fizzle out after a season or two, if that. ABC struck gold back in 2009 with "Modern Family," which, over the course of its six seasons to date, has consistently drawn high ratings. The network might just have another success story on its hands with "Black-ish," another comedy centered around family life, which premiered back in Sep- tember. While it would be over- shooting to say the series enjoys universal acclaim, it's pulling in mostly positive reviews from critics and has already scored a full sea- son order. A new episode of "Black-ish" airs Wednesday, Nov. 26, on ABC. Despite "Modern Family's" huge fan base, the network has had a hard time finding a followup that manages to retain the come- dy's audience; a number of short- lived contenders have tried and failed to live up to their lead-in's standards of television. The Rebel Wilson-starring "Su- per Fun Night," which, as it turned out, wasn't super funny, consis- tently lost viewers until it was can- celed after one season. The forget- table 2013 show "How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)" met a similar fate, while the 2011 mid-season replacement, "Mr. Sunshine," made it through all of 13 episodes. "Suburgatory" and "Happy Endings" stood a fighting chance by comparison, both making it into a third season, but they, too, ultimately ended in the fashion of so many sitcoms and were canceled. It's safe to say then, that "Black- ish" has its work cut out for it, but it's off to a good start. With roughly 11 million people tuning in for the premiere, it's not quite scoring "Modern Family" ratings, but it's definitely holding its own, with each of its first five episodes hover- ing around seven or eight million viewers, compared to its lead-in's roughly nine million. When you consider the show's ill-fated fore- runners, that's not too shabby. The series follows an upper mid- dle-class black family whose patri- arch, Andre "Dre" Johnson, is played by comedian Anthony An- derson ("Law & Order"). Dre's an executive at a major ad agency and his mixed-race wife, Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross, "Girlfriends"), is a doctor, so the family is pretty well-to-do. Though he's happy to be able to give his four kids the opportunities and advantages he lacked grow- ing up, it dawns on Dre that the affluence they've always known has caused them to grow up detached from their racial background. It all comes to a head in the pilot episode when Dre's 13-year-old son, Andre Jr., declares that he'd rather play field hockey than bas- ketball and wants to have a bar mitzvah, despite the fact that neither he nor the family is Jewish. An- dre Jr., played by Marcus Scribner in the young actor's first starring role, prefers to go by Andy and, in the third episode, fails to give "the nod" to another black kid in his school. This incites disbelieving horror from his proud father, who has vowed to instill in his kids the same racial identity he grew up with. The series is loosely based on the life of show- runner Kenya Barris, who has witnessed a similar lack of identity in his own kids and an assimi- lation of today's young people in a general sense. "I feel like my kids are a little bit of a lesser version of what I re- member the ideology of what black was," the show's creator told the "Hollywood Reporter." "At the same time, all of their friends — who are mostly non-black kids — are a little bit more black than I re- member. They're sort of black-ish, all their little friends, and my kids are sort of black-ish." Two-time Emmy winner Lau- rence Fishburne ("The Matrix," 1999), who lights up the screen as Dre's crusty and tell-it-like-it-is fa- ther, added to the explanation of the concept when he visited "The View." "For some people, it means when black folks kind of act white," he said. "For some folks, it means when white folks kind of act black. If you like rock 'n' roll, if you like rhythm and blues, if you like jazz, if you like hip-hop, you might be black-ish." Where the series stands strong is that it doesn't beat you over the head with the theme from week to week — which a lesser show would surely be apt to do. While the pilot was pretty heavily laced with Dre's borderline-obsessive voiceovers about black this and black that, it's a fair enough expec- tation for the setup episode. The episodes that follow still keep to the theme, but the sto- rylines incorporate broader issues and everyman problems that all families of all races face, from struggling to bond with one's teen- agers to agonizing about whether to spank a misbehaving or "de- serving" child. "It mirrors humanity," Anderson told "The Hollywood Reporter" during a recent interview. "If you like life, you'll dig the show." This relatability, paired with genuine humor, could very well give "Black-ish" the staying power that previous "Modern Family" fol- lowers sorely lacked. Providing something that ap- peals to everyone is a hard thing to achieve, but just about every- one can relate to the ups and downs of family life. As Whoopi Goldberg commented after Fish- burne's "The View" interview: "Whatever your 'ish' is, this is your family." Catch the newest episode of "Black-ish" airing Wednesday, Nov. 26, on ABC. Family fun ABC's freshman comedy has the makings of success Cover Story this week Laurence Fishburne as seen in "Black- ish" 7788 Fairview Rd, Baxter 218-829-1739 Like us on Facebook to receive info and specials at Baxter Country Kitchen www.baxtercountrykitchen.com Chocolate & Strawberry Paradise Crepes Bacon, Egg, Tomato & Cheddar Crepes COMING SOON! OPEN BLACK FRIDAY! 001160768r1 Mon.-Fri, 8:00-5:30, Sat. 9:00-12:00 With coupon. CASH Sales only. No other discounts apply. Pride® Lift Chairs Choice of Style & Color $ 50.00 OFF VALUABLE COUPON Expires 11/30/14 Stop in and see our "NEW" Serta lift chair! 206 W. Washington, Tyrol Hills Center, Brainerd (218) 829-2100 Everything You Need For Planter Fasciitis Heel Pain Heel Cups Total Support Insoles Night Splints Strassburg ® Socks To S FREE DELIVERY IN OUR SERVICE AREA 001160721r1

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