Here at GetOutPass, we are continuing with our celebration of Black History Month. Aside from getting into its history and importance, we have also looked at the most influential Black movie directors.

For this blog post, we will focus on our favorite shows with Black lead roles. If you're a TV addict, you can never go wrong with any of these. So sit back, relax, and enjoy! 

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Starring Will Smith as "Will", this show explores Black-on-Black prejudice and class differences. A teenager from a tough neighborhood in West Philadelphia is sent to live with his wealthy relatives by his mother because she fears for his safety and ability to grow up in an underserviced Black community. 

This TV series was a top hit for NBC, with 148 episodes running for almost 6 years. 

The Proud Family

The Proud Family is an animated TV series being the first to feature an African-American family in a main role. 

The show centers around Proud family, with the plot focusing on Penny, a 14-year-old teenage daughter who wants independence from her overprotective parents. The town where Penny lives is ruled by a Basketball-obsessed business owner named Wizard Kelly.

The show gives off a low key vibe similar to most sitcoms while dealing with plots about peer pressure, racism, and even encounters with supernatural beings.  

The show also has a revival titled, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, which was announced in 2020 and just premiered this year. 

Family Matters

This show focuses on Winslow Family, an ordinary suburban family. What makes this show fun though is their neighbor: the genius Steve Urkel. While initially a one-time character, Steve became one of the viewer's favorite and quickly cast as a main character. 

Steve will drive the Winslow family into insanity with his inventions just to get the attention of Laura, one of the members of Winslow family and his unrequited crush. The show had been on the air for almost 10 years, with a total of 215 episodes. 

That’s So Raven

That's So Raven centers on Raven Baxter (hence the title), a high schooler who sees visions of future events while dealing with the social and personal issues of her youth. She often misinterprets what she foresees though, and sometimes this means that Raven also tends to influence events and affect the outcomes. 

Watch her schemes and misadventures with her best friends Eddie Thomas and Chelsea Daniels, her brother Cory, and her parents Tanya and Victor. This TV series focus on family, friendship, and the changes an adolescent faces while growing up. 

This TV series ran from 2003 to 2007, and receive two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Children's Program. It was also Disney Channel's first program to reach 100 episodes. 

Sister, Sister

Watch identical twin sisters Tia and Tamera get reunited after being separated at birth. Sister, Sister is a light-hearted, comedic sitcom that will surely make you entertained. It was revealed that Tia and Tamera were separately adopted. 

One fateful day, the teenagers accidentally meet while shopping at a clothing store. Tamera's adoptive father then reluctantly allowed Tia and her mother to move into his home so that the girls can be together. 

But despite their similar appearances, Tia and Tamera are very different. Tia is an excellent student who excels in school activities while Tamera is the boy-crazy girl from the suburbs. 

Good Times

Good Times is a family sitcom that deals with serious topics in a comedic way. It is also the first African-American two-parent family sitcom, and the first television spin-off from another spin-off. 

This show is set in inner-city Chicago featuring Florida and James Evans who lives in a high-rise public housing project, along with their three children J.J., Thelma, and Michael. 

This show deals with the family's struggle to make ends meet while living in a housing project. The two boys, J.J., an aspiring painter, and Michael, a passionate political activist, cause trouble while their sister Thelma stands between them as the voice of reason. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Based on Marvel Comics, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a mini-series with 6 episodes originally playing on Disney+. 

Six months after being handed the mantle of Captain America at the end of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Sam Wilson teams up with Bucky Barnes in a worldwide adventure that tests their abilities and their patience

In brief, the series is about a super-hero named Falcon and his ally, the Winter Soldier, who are fighting the evil forces trying to take over the world. This series is set six months after the end of Avengers: Endgame where Sam was given the responsibility of being Captain America. 

Daily Show with Trevor Noah

This TV show is a bit different, being a late-night and satirical news comedy show. It is an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning program that explores the biggest news stories in pop culture, politics, and more. Trevor, as the main host, has a team of correspondents and contributors that shows events through a sharp, reality-based lens. Trevor also interviews people making news to get an unfiltered takes on the state of American culture. 

Key and Peele

Key and Peele was a comedy series, with their skits starring the two actors Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. The format of each episode of the show is different, consisting mostly of several pre-taped skits covering a variety of societal topics with a focus on American pop culture, racial issues and social awkwardness. 

This show premiered on 2012 and ended on 2015, with a total of 53 episodes spanning 5 seasons. Just like the other shows in this post, Key and Peele has won numerous awards including Peabody and two Primetime Emmy Awards. 

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many shows with Black lead roles that deal with different topics. But in the end, all of them are entertaining and that is why we love them. 

We hope this blog post inspired you to appreciate more the contributions of Black actors in the TV entertainment industry and our culture. So, here's to the future!