The Bernie Mac Show

Premise

The show drew its premise from Bernie Mac’s stand-up comedy. In his actual life, Bernie “Mac” McCullough was a married father of one daughter, but his on-screen character—also a stand-up comedian—was married without any biological children. The series began with a pilot on November 14, 2001, establishing the core situation: Bernie Mac’s character takes in his sister’s three kids after she enters rehab. This fictional setup came from one of Mac’s stand-up routines, later featured in the 2000 film The Original Kings of Comedy. In reality, the story combined two separate events: Mac briefly cared for his niece Toya, who was an at-risk youth, and her daughter Monique; also, a friend of his had to raise her sister’s children over a long period. The show’s comedy largely came from Mac’s ongoing struggle to adapt to parenthood and his distinctive perspective on it. A recurring element was the contrast between his harsh remarks—like threatening to “bust the heads ‘til the white meat shows”—and the genuine parental love he felt for the children, which often moved him close to tears. Later in the series, Bryana’s long-absent father, played by Anthony Anderson, returns and occasionally helps Bernie and Wanda with the kids. Many of the show’s most emotional moments happened when Mac, still in character, broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to the viewing audience, whom he called “America.” This technique was notably used during the 2005–2006 season, when Bernie, as himself and wearing a Chicago White Sox cap and jacket, gave a sincere congratulations to the team and its staff for winning the World Series. Mac, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side, was a devoted White Sox fan and attended Game 1 of the World Series in a front-row seat. The show also included yellow captions that pointed out details not directly mentioned in dialogue. Because Mac’s character was a celebrity, the show could feature famous people playing themselves, including Halle Berry, Serena Williams, Chris Rock, Ashton Kutcher, Billy Crystal, Carl Reiner, Don Rickles, Angela Bassett, Ellen DeGeneres, Ice Cube, Isaac Hayes, Flavor Flav, Lucy Lawless, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Matt Damon, Charles Barkley, Jon Garland, Jules Sylvester, Sugar Ray Leonard, India Arie, Shaquille O’Neal, Sugar Shane Mosley, Hugh Hefner, Phil McGraw, Jay Leno, and Marcus Allen.

Characters

Bernie Mac plays a fictionalized version of himself, Bernard "Bernie" McCullough, the star of the show. When his sister Stacey can no longer care for her three kids because of her drug addiction, Bernie and his wife step in to raise them. His parenting style relies on tough love, mixing strict discipline with humor. Bernie often breaks the fourth wall to narrate the story, directly addressing viewers as "America." He genuinely loves all three children, but his clear favorite is the youngest, Bryana, whom he calls "Babygirl." His biggest challenge is dealing with Vanessa, the eldest, whose bad attitude leads to constant conflict. Bernie's wife, Wanda McCullough, played by Kellita Smith, is a sharp and loving partner. She works as a vice president, first at AT&T and later at a fictional company called West Coast Wireless. While she enjoys raising the kids alongside Bernie, her patience sometimes wears thin. She tries to help Bernie with his problems, though her efforts can sometimes be too much or unnecessary. The middle child, Jordan Thomkins, is Bernie and Wanda's nephew. He is a strange and mischievous boy who loves collecting bugs and running odd science experiments. Early on, his little sister Bryana often beats him up, and he reacts by crying, vomiting, or even wetting himself. Over time, he becomes emotionally stronger and more confident. Bryana Thomkins, called "Baby Girl" by her uncle, is the youngest child and half-sister to Jordan and Vanessa. She starts off sweet, innocent, and naive, but as the series goes on, she becomes more bratty and annoying. Bernie adores her and trusts her completely, but he worries she might turn out like Vanessa when she gets older. Vanessa "Nessa" Thomkins is the eldest sibling and purposely causes trouble for Bernie with her defiant attitude. Much of her behavior comes from the pressure of being the oldest and having to act like a parent to her brother and sister. As the show continues, she and Bernie start to get along better. The supporting cast includes W.B., Bernie's loyal friend who always backs him up; Bonita, his younger sister who appears in seasons two through four; Chuy, a friend played by Carlos Mencia in season one and later by Lombardo Boyar; Kelly, another friend; and Jerry Best, Bernie's manager.

Broadcast history

The Bernie Mac Show premiered on November 14, 2001, and drew decent viewership despite its lead-in, Grounded for Life, being weak. Its first season was a major success, earning an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and a Peabody Award. Bernie Mac himself received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. In fall 2002, the show faced direct competition from Damon Wayans’ My Wife and Kids, which likely slowed its ratings momentum early in the second season. Around this time, creator and executive producer Larry Wilmore was let go. Wilmore later said he had grown frustrated with Fox’s creative interference and constant schedule changes. Fox, however, claimed the show under Wilmore wasn’t funny enough in season two. Unable to beat My Wife and Kids in the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot, Fox moved the series to air after American Idol, where it achieved its highest ratings ever.

Season three was originally set for October 29, 2003, but was delayed when The O.C. took its place, finally starting on November 30, 2003. Ratings were mediocre even with The Simpsons as a lead-in. In March 2004, the show was shifted to Monday nights to help launch the new series Cracking Up, but both shows performed poorly. Cracking Up was canceled, and The Bernie Mac Show was pulled from May Sweeps, with leftover episodes—including a Thanksgiving-themed one—airing in June. The show returned to its original time slot on September 8, 2004, for season four, but production shut down a month later due to Bernie Mac’s illness. It resumed on January 14, 2005, airing new episodes on Fridays. Despite low ratings that led many to doubt its renewal—especially after another postponement from May Sweeps—the show was picked up for a fifth season.

Season five began on September 23, 2005, also on Fridays, and later in the season was followed by reruns. The show celebrated its 100th episode on February 3, 2006, though the actual 100th episode didn’t air until March 31. After five seasons and 104 episodes, Fox canceled The Bernie Mac Show.