Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Ray star finds laughs in hotel life.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
One of the WB's early sitcoms, THE JAMIE FOXX SHOW stars comedian Jamie Foxx as Jamie King, an aspiring entertainer-turned-employee in his family's Los Angeles hotel. The son of a traveling entertainer (played by Gladys Knight), Jamie moves from Terrell, Texas, to California with dreams of becoming a famous actor and singer. But the struggling Hollywood hopeful soon finds himself agreeing to help his Aunt Helen (Ellia English) and Uncle Junior (Garrett Morris) run the King's Tower Hotel in order to support himself. Working and living at the hotel isn't exactly ideal for his career, but Jamie manages to survive the daily grind by attempting to charm fellow hotel employee/fashion design student Francesca "Fancy" Monroe (Garcelle Beauvis). He also spends time tolerating somewhat-obnoxious hotel cashier Braxton T. Hartnabrig (Christopher B. Duncan).
Is It Any Good?
Featuring an all-African-American cast, The Jamie Foxx Show's humor relies more on good comedy writing than strong or demeaning racial stereotypes. The show presents a strong set of values, including the importance of family, hard work, and education. It's positive representation of African Americans in comedy led to multiple NAACP award nominations, as well as a NAACP Image Award for Foxx in 1998.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of having dreams, no matter how lofty they may seem. What kinds of challenges do people face when trying to make their dreams come true? Is there ever a time when you should give up your dreams? Families can also talk about what it takes to become successful in Hollywood, as well as positive values and African-American role models on television. Is this show different from other comedies featuring primarily African-American casts? How?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 26, 1996
- Cast : Garcelle Beauvais , Garrett Morris , Jamie Foxx
- Networks : BET , Syndicated
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Winner
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
Did we miss something on diversity?
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