Like some other reviewers here, when I watched the first episode, I turned it off after about ten minutes. It's an unfortunate pilot that leads viewers to think that the entire show will be a narrow diatribe on "blackness". But the show is titled "Black-ish" and it is appropriately titled.
I don't remember what made me give it another chance, but I decided to watch the second episode and I was pleasantly surprised. But one episode does not a series make, so I watched the third. And I found "Black-ish" to be a very enjoyable comedy that had me laughing out loud numerous times.
Like the Cosby family, this family speaks the Queen's English, and they prove to be rather genteel, despite the father's attempts to reconnect with "the struggle". He says, "They (the younger generation) have nothing left to struggle for." The mother replies, "Can't that be a good thing?" And he answers, "No!" This show reveals some truths without spelling them out, like "All in the Family" did so well.
"Black-ish" reveals that the father's discontent is a generational thing--something all of us feel who realize that young people cannot identify with the values and events of earlier generations. And it eventually shows that humanity trumps "blackness".
I hope this show pursues the path it is on. There are lessons here for everyone. And the writers are mining laughs far outside the topic of race.
The cast is excellent. I especially love the two youngest kids. The youngest daughter, Diane, is hilarious; she possesses a comic timing that far surpasses her age.
Update 10/30/14: The show has proved that it is consistently funny. I am upgrading my vote to "9".
Update 11/10/16: I am sorry to say that the show's focus and its comedic balance shifted in season 3. So my grading of the show applies only to the first two seasons. Enjoy them.
