The Parent 'Hood (1995–1999) User Reviews

'90s Version of "Cosby"

[dgordon-1 · 27 September 2002]

For some reason I really liked this show. Robert Townsend and the rest of the cast made this a show that was entertaining. Though it was compared with "The Cosby Show", it was more of a downsized & watered down version of it. The characters didn't have as much depth as "The Cosby Show" did, but the show had a charm of it's own. Sort of a WB charm, (meaning you know that it probably has a really low budget so you don't expect too much type of charm.) This show just seemed to leave the air with little fanfare. Even though it didn't get rave reviews, I was sorry to see this show get cancelled.

The messages on the show are positive

[kijokai · 10/10 · 6 November 2021]

The first few episode the comedy was a bit meh but it got better as it went along. The messages tho hit home and its better than alot of sit coms now a days. I love the cutaways.

At first I rated it low bc it wasnt what i remembered but as I watch it I enjoyed it.

So happy HBO max brought my childhood back. I watched this in Trinidad.

Good Family Fun!

[curts-07697 · 10/10 · 30 November 2018]

One of my favorite shows! Those kids were hilarious.

It could have been Better

[silversurfer166 · 4/10 · 3 May 2016]

I've seen almost all of this show's run in reruns on BounceTV. It's basically a mediocre Sitcom starring a Black Family. Yes, it's been compared to the Cosby Show, but it wasn't near as funny, or as well written. I've seen Robert Townsend's early movies, (Hollywood Shuffle was great), and I just expected more from him, but maybe he wasn't writing on the show. I'm loathe to mention over reviews in my review, but I wanted to say this: Just because a show stars a Black Family, doesn't mean it's groundbreaking, or that it will even be good. What this show is to me, is a knock off of the Cosby Show. Both have an Upper Middle Class American Family, where the two Parents both have very good jobs, I.e. Doctor and College Proffesor, wives were both Lawyers etc. But in TPH the jokes were all easy, and sometimes lazy, and yes, sometimes racist. 4 out of 10 ⭐️s

Great show, sad its gone

[Newsense · 10/10 · 9 March 2009]

As we can see we have some bourgeoisie reviewers rating this show. Lets put it like this: if you like watching shows where black people act like minstrels watch UPN till you too stupid to remember your own name in the morning. The Parent' Hood was a commendable effort by Robert Townsend. It was an attempt to deal with issues involving a black family in particular. I still have fond memories of this show because it touched on certain subjects that none of these corny overrated Black s**tcoms would talk about now plus it was pretty funny. Back when a selective few black shows touched on subjects they were rejected for being preachy. Critic are morons and the critics here are proof of that. You guys calling the show preachy need to pat yourselves on the back. You are responsible for the decline of quality in Black sitcoms as well as Black Cinema. You should be proud of yourself(if your stupid a** can even understand the concept of pride) Every time a Black show or movie with any decency comes out here comes the idiot squad to discredit them. These neurotic zombies never let up and thanks to their incessant whining quality shows are canceled while chittlin circuit tripe(like that cheap Sex and The City knockoff) last 6-7 seasons. Incredible.

PS: Be very wary of the reviewer Anthony Rupert. This guy is a self-loathing pompous a** that never misses an opportunity to tell you that he is a Black man with a white wife(even though nobody asked him about his color or the color of his wife or even that he was married for that matter!). Me and a few friends from Amazon.com counted a total of 20 times in 20 different reviews where he mentions his color and his White wife. A Real wacko and I pity his wife if she doesn't get sickened by his sheer lunacy.

An admirable but amateurish "family show"

[budikavlan · 7 June 2002]

Robert Townsend, for some reason, felt the need to make a show that would uplift, present a positive model of a modern African-American family, etc, etc. Kind of a slightly more modern, slightly less establishment "Cosby Show." To this he added a few of his more anarchic comedy touches, like a couple of silly friends and brief fantasy sequences. Unfortunately, the writing and acting were often terrible, especially the actors playing the younger children. In later years, especially after older son Michael (Kenny Blank) left the show and troubled youth TK was taken in by the family after he mugged Geri, the show became dreadfully earnest, delving into "important issues" and sledgehammering the viewer with pathos. Any residual charm was gone after a year or two, and the fantasy sequences (the only unique element of the show) never rose above silly; every attempt at "hipness" and "street cred" failed miserably too. All involved deserve points for effort, but the show is often almost painful to watch.

I Expected Nothing Less from Townsend

[view_and_review · 9/10 · 19 March 2024]

This was one of several African-American sitcoms picked up by the newly formed WB channel. They staked their future in a sense on shows like "The Parent'Hood," "The Wayans Bros.," and "The Jamie Foxx Show."

I would've expected nothing less from Robert Townsend. He created a funny, positive sitcom starring Black actors. Anything less than that would've been a shock. He was already an established comedian and writer by the time he created "The Parent'hood."

Townsend played Robert Peterson, a stay-at-home dad who had to manage four children. His wife, Jerri (Suzzanne Douglas), rejoined the workforce which left Robert home to do his thing.

The children were largely unmemorable. They played an important part, but the show really rested upon Robert Townsend's shoulders--an rightly so.

One of the Funniest Family shows Ever

[cgmovie85 · 9/10 · 1 June 2022]

I grew up watching the Parent 'Hood as a teen. I rewatched it these past few months for my podcast and I never stopped laughing until Wendell (Faizon Love) was written out.

Although everyone does great work, The characters CeeCee, Nicholas, and Wendell really make this one fo the funniest shows I've ever seen. I couldn't stop laughing when they were on screen.

The writing is smart, the costume designs during Robert's daydreams were amazing, and the show offered a ncie break from the drags of boring and stereotypical Black television.

If a show you grew up on makes you laugh like you're a kid, then it can truly stand the test of times.

More flava than The Cosby Show, funnier than any of the other goofy shows that kept being pushed in the late 90s. Only reason I gave it a 9 is because seaosn 5 is missing the magic.

Great work.

Cosby Show Meets Full House

[marymorphine · 5 August 2005]

An obvious WB version of The Cosby Show, except this show spent too much time preaching about cliché morals that have been told a thousand times on shows like Full House and The Cosby Show. Too many morals and not enough comedy. The parents are unlikeable (the mother is a snob and the father is too uptight) and the children are unlikeable too. Since the family members spent too much time getting into the typical trouble that leads to that big moral speech at the end, they didn't have enough time to be funny so they added flat boring neighbors to make the show bearable. TV shows like this didn't last because at the end of the day, we watch TV to be entertained, not to be preached to. And though family shows such as The Cosby Show and Full House preached, they were still charming at the same time.

How did this show last for five seasons?

[COMPFUNK2 · 26 August 2004]

I remember when this show first came on, I thought it was okay. But then after a few episodes, I came to the decision that it just wasn't funny. By looking at movies from the '80s (Hollywood Shuffle, for example), it was evident that Robert Townsend COULD act, but maybe he'd forgotten how for this show.

After the end of the third season, Kenny Blank (who played the eldest child, Michael Peterson) abruptly left the show, and he was replaced by an ex-con kid named T.K. (played by Tyrone Dorzell Burton). I initially thought the episodes with T.K. were better, but I've seen those episodes on reruns and now I know that I was wrong. With the possible exception of Burton, the acting on the show was TERRIBLE. And this includes the cast AND the guest stars. In fact, any time anyone yelled, it was overdone.

Also, as another reviewer said, the plots went from funny escapades to instilling wholesome family values in the most generic way possible. Approximately at the point where there were ten minutes of show left (including commercial time), Robert and Jerri came to the selected kid and said something like, "Don't change your image. Be yourself!" or "If you really care about her, you should tell her."

I have no idea how this show lasted as long as it did. Usually wack sitcoms only last on UPN.

Anthony Rupert

Two Thumbs Down

[chukyt · 29 September 2002]

This is the most untalented cast of characters I've ever seen! Nobody on this show could act, especially Kenny Blank who was eventually taken off the show. And what was especially annoying was Robert when we would go into his day-dreaming. Complete garbage!

Robert Townsend think's he's god.

[Randy_Marsh · 16 April 2005]

Robert Townsend, the star, director, Writer, producer and creator of The Parent 'Hood tries to make himself seem like he's a saint.

I've only seen a few episodes of this show, but I can already put together this review: The show isn't laugh out loud funny, but its harmless. It's on very very late (at about 530 am) on TBS. If I'm up or can't sleep I put on this show. From what I've seen it seems to be about the Peterson family taking in TK (Tyrone Burton) and their day to day life of having an ex-gang-banger living in the house. Sounds funny, doesn't it? The jokes are usually pretty generic and usually pretty lame. One episode I saw was when the young boy (I don't know his name) tried out for the hockey team. He was the best there but the white coach didn't let him on the team. He did some snooping around the coach told him to try out for basketball because its more suited to his "people". The kid flipped out and told the coach that wasn't right. I saw it coming and wasn't very impressed in the ending.

Overall the show isn't as good as Seinfeld, but it's better than Everybody Loves Raymond.

6/10.