With today’s social climate we have come to see how important it is to have representation in every aspect of our lives. Whether it be politics, education, or the media. Though slow, television has become more inclusive, especially network cable (you know those channels you get with just an antenna). Though there have been POC on tv shows usually they’re in dramas or reality shows, not portrayed in the most positive light. With sitcoms, you get to see character that look like you going through similar situations.
Blackish (ABC)- This is one of my personal favorite sitcoms. It centers around Dre (Anthony Anderson) and Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) raising their upper middle class family in present day society. Not only was this the first sitcom where I saw my real life, but it also provides a lot of black history and addresses issues that many people only believe effects poor black citizens in the country, but can affect every black person.
*Grown-ish, the spinoff staring the oldest daughter, Zoey (Yara Shahidi), going to college is coming on Freeform in January
Fresh off the Boat (ABC)- One of the few Asian-American sitcoms to air on television, the show is loosely based off the life of chef Eddie Huang. It takes place in Orlando, Florida in the 90s and showcases a middle class Chinese-American family dealing with the issues of assimilation in a city where the majority of the population is white.
Jane the Virgin (The CW)- Based on the Venezuelan telenovela Juana la Virgen, Jane the Virgin is a romantic dramedy about a young Latina who becomes accidently incriminated while she is a virgin. The show deals with issues a lot of young women go through at Jane’s age: boy drama, religious conflict, balancing school and work, maintaining friendships, and relationships with her parents.
The Mindy Project (Hulu)- When the Mindy Project first came on it was on Fox but after being cancelled, Hulu came in and saved the day. The star and writer of the show, Mindy Kaling (who also wrote and played on The Office), plays a single, OBGYN in New York. Working as a successful, quirky Indian women surrounded by white men in one of the busiest cities in the world, getting to see her life is funny and relatable.