History of the Sitcom Season 1 Episode 5 Facing Race

In season 1, episode 5 of History of the Sitcom titled "Facing Race," the series delves deep into the topic of race in American sitcoms. The episode begins with the portrayal of African Americans in the early days of television, when they were often absent or portrayed as caricatures such as Amos 'n' Andy. It then explores how the sitcoms of the 60s, such as "The Andy Griffith Show" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show," attempted to address issues of race more sensitively, though often falling short.

The episode moves on to explore the groundbreaking comedy of Norman Lear. Lear's sitcoms of the 70s, like "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," and "Good Times," tackled the issue of race head-on, presenting black characters as three-dimensional people with their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Rarely had this been done on television before and it helped to dispel some of the myths and stereotypes about the African American community.

The show also examines how sitcoms of the 80s and 90s like "The Cosby Show" were able to present black families in a more positive, aspirational light, while also bringing attention to issues unique to their community. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is also discussed for its clever approach to race and class in America, presenting an African American protagonist who is a fish out of water in an affluent, predominantly white neighborhood.

The episode also touches on how Latinos were represented on television, with shows like "I Love Lucy," "The George Lopez Show," and "One Day at a Time," offering unique perspectives on this underrepresented community. Likewise, there are discussions about how Asian Americans and Native Americans have been represented on sitcoms.

The episode concludes by exploring how recent sitcoms have sought to address the complexities of race in America in new and exciting ways. "Black-ish" is singled out for its searing critiques of contemporary race relations in America, while "Master of None" is praised for its innovative approach to storytelling and for examining the nuances of how race plays out in dating, friendships, and professional life.

Throughout the episode, the ways in which race has been presented and underrepresented on sitcoms is explored. The show also dives into themes of intersectionality, showing the complexity of the intersection between race and other identities like sex, gender, and sexuality. The overarching message of the episode is that while there have been strides made in representing marginalized communities, more work still needs to be done to provide an accurate portrayal of the diversity of America on television.