I just loved watching this T.V. show when I was a youngster in the 1950s. I laughed and laughed at the funny stories that came out of each episode. I was only 10 -12 years old, but I remember that the stars were constantly embroiled in some sort of scheming and the results were invariably hilarious. These were lovable characters, and when I watched the show, it was the storyline and the predicaments that the characters found themselves in, that captured my attention, not the fact that they were black. Just in case you're wondering, I'm a white male, raised in Ontario Canada, and I and my friends watched the show religiously and discussed the stories at recess the next day. I can't recall ever hearing a reference to the fact that the characters were black. Invariably, we'd talk about what happened in the show and how funny the various actors reactions were. We never thought, "Only a black person would do something like that." or "Something like that would never happen to a white person." There was not much difference in the Amos & Andy show and several other comedy series of the 1950s. They were meant to be funny and only survived if they were. I gather that there are many who believe that the series stereotyped blacks and as a result, you can't find this delightful series anywhere. That's such a shame as the actors did a great job and never failed to make me laugh. I'm sure that all of those who played in the series have gone on to their final reward and it would be nice if they were given the credit they deserve. What better way than to resurrect the series on reruns. You wouldn't catch me anywhere other than in front of my T.V. when these great comedians were on the air.
Review of The Amos 'n Andy Show
