The Upshaws, is, of course, not a stand-in for the entirety of the Black American experience, but, by incorporating the complexities of a blended family amid varied parental and marital relationships, it feels not only timely, but also incredibly genuine.
Both Sykes and Hicks have more than two decades of TV on their résumés, and The Upshaws benefits from their sitcom expertise... But it's TV treasure Fields who holds The Upshaws together.
Save for one noteworthy update to the Black family sitcoms of yore, Sykes and her co-creator Regina Y. Hicks' largely listless series would've fit right into the network TV comedy landscape 20 years ago.
