Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
'90s-style sitcom has swearing, drinking, sex humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Upshaws
What's the Story?
THE UPSHAWS is a comedy series about a Black, working-class family in Indiana making it through their day-to-day troubles. Bernard and Regina Upshaw (played by Mike Epps and Kim Fields) work and live in Indianapolis, where they are raising 13-year-old Aaliya (Khali Spraggins) and 6-year-old Maya (Journey Cristine). Their adult son Bernard, Jr. (Jermelle Simon), who was born while they were high school sweethearts, also lives nearby. But their lives can get complicated, thanks to Bernie's failure to follow through on some of his responsibilities, and due to the fact that he has a 13-year old son, Kelvin (Diamond Lyons), from a previous relationship with Tasha Lewis (Gabrielle Dennis). It doesn't help that Regina's sister Lucretia (Wanda Sykes), who helped him get his car repair business started, is his biggest critic. But there's a lot of love among all of them, and they still come together as family.
Is It Any Good?
The irreverent comedy is a 1990s-style family sitcom, but edgier; the one-liners are sharp, there's lots of strong language, and the themes aren't always kid friendly. The Upshaws, which was co-created by Wanda Sykes (Black-ish), shows a family negotiating their economic struggles and parental stress. There are lots of goofy moments and insult-hurling that lead to some humorous exchanges, especially when Leticia is involved. In the center of it all are Bernie, whose love for his children doesn't prevent him from making some irresponsible choices, and Regina, who loves and puts up with his antics while trying to keep the family together.
Refreshingly, key conflicts, such as Bernie's relationship with Bernard, Jr., and Regina's efforts to tolerate Bernie's attempts to include Kelvin in their lives, are not meant to be resolved in 30 minutes. Instead, these narratives are presented as more honest, relatable family experiences. Ultimately,The Upshaws is a humorous and contemporary portrayal of an imperfect but loving family.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Bernie and Regina's relationship. Regina puts up with a lot of Bernie's mistakes, and sometimes make some difficult compromises for the sake of their marriage and their family. Why? Is this a positive thing?
In what ways have families from different racial and ethnic communities been portrayed on TV throughout history? What are some of the common stereotypes that have been used in the past to represent Black families? Does The Upshaws reinforce these generalizations, or challenge them?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 12, 2021
- Cast : Mike Epps , Kim Fields , Wanda Sykes
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : October 4, 2024
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