The Bernie Mac Show Season 1

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The Bernie Mac Show is a half-hour American sitcom featuring the antics of the late comic actor Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Bryana and Vanessa. Towards the end of the series, Bryana's long-lost father (Anthony Anderson) returns and drops by from time to time to help Bernie and Wanda with the kids. The show aired for five seasons (2001-2006) on FOX.

Season 1: 2001-2002
# Title Writer(s) Director Prod. Code Airdate
1 "Pilot" Larry Wilmore Ken Kwapis MAC-101 November 14, 2001
Bernie's sister goes into rehab, and rather than let her three children go into foster care, Bernie takes them in. He quickly loses patience with them, especially after Jordan accidentally wets himself.
2 "Now You Got It" Teri Schaffer Ken Kwapis MAC-102 November 14, 2001
The flu is going around, and the kids all have it after Bryana's birthday party. Despite his best efforts to avoid it, Bernie gets it too and has to spend the day with Bryana, whom he suddenly finds boring.
3 "The Main Event" Marc Abrams, Michael Benson Linda Mendoza MAC-105 November 21, 2001
A bully picks on Jordan at school, and Bernie's solution is to teach the boy to box.
4 "Bernie Mac, Ladies Man" Kriss Turner Lee Shallat Chemel MAC-108 November 28, 2001
Bernie isn't comfortable with the title "stay-at-home dad."
5 "Saving Bernie Mac" Kriss Turner Stan Lathan MAC-104 December 5, 2001
Since Bernie can't spank the kids, he figures the church can provide discipline.
6 "Here to Stay" Steve Tompkins Sam Weisman MAC-107 December 12, 2001
It finally sinks in to Bernie that the kids aren't just house guests.
7 "A Christmas Story" Michael Benson, Marc Abrams John Fortenberry MAC-109 December 19, 2001
The kids attempt to hide a dog from Bernie.
8 "Starting School" Larry Wilmore David Grossman MAC-103 January 2, 2002
Bernie enrolls the kids in a good Catholic school.
9 "Hot Hot Hot" Robert Bruce Linda Mendoza MAC-110 January 16, 2002
The air conditioning breaks down, and the kids are making Bernie nuts.
10 "Wanda's Week Off" Teri Schaffer Ken Kwapis MAC-111 January 23, 2002
After Wanda spends time with the kids, she starts thinking about having one of her own.
11 "The King and I" Steve Tompkins Ken Kwapis MAC-113 January 30, 2002
Bernie discovers that Jordan and Bryana defer to Vanessa instead of to him.
12 "Hall of Fame" Michael Benson, Marc Abrams Linda Mendoza MAC-114 February 6, 2002
Jordan joins the football team.
13 "Handle Your Business" Warren Hutcherson Robert Berlinger MAC-112 February 13, 2002
Bernie jokes about the family on a radio show, and gets in trouble with them.
14 "Back in the Day" Jeffrey Bushell Lee Shallat Chemel MAC-115 February 20, 2002
Bernie feels old, and won't stand for it.
15 "Lock Down" Teri Schaffer David Grossman MAC-116 March 6, 2002
After the house is robbed, Bernie becomes overly security-conscious.
16 "Mac 101" Kriss Turner Lee Shallat Chemel MAC-117 March 27, 2002
Bernie feels his kids are below average, and puts them to constant study.
17 "If I Were N-Riched Man" Warren Hutcherson Ken Whittingham MAC-118 April 3, 2002
Bryana repeats a word Bernie uses at home, and a social worker comes to visit.
18 "Stop Having Sex" Warren Hutcherson Lee Shallat Chemel MAC-106 April 17, 2002
Bernie is concerned that the kids are exposed to mature subjects.
19 "Secrets and Lies" Michael Benson, Marc Abrams, Jeffrey Bushell Robert Berlinger MAC-120 May 1, 2002
Bernie has Jordan fake an asthma attack so they can see the basketball game.
20 "Kelly's Heroes" Steve Tompkins Lee Shallat Chemel MAC-119 May 8, 2002
Bernie lets his friend Kelly stay at the house.
21 "Sweet Home Chicago, part 1" Warren Hutcherson, Kriss Turner Lee Shallat Chemel MAC-121 May 15, 2002
The family visits Chicago for a funeral, and the kids hope to see their mother.
21 "Sweet Home Chicago, part 2" Steve Tompkins, Teri Schaffer (writers), Larry Wilmore (story) Larry Wilmore MAC-122 May 15, 2002
Bernie shows off his old neighborhood, and Vanessa looks for her mother.




Characteristics of the show
The show was loosely based on Mac's stand-up comedy acts. In real life, Bernie "Mac" McCollough was married with one daughter; Mac's character on the show (a stand-up comedian) was married with no kids of his own. The pilot episode, aired on November 14, 2001, set up the basic premise for the show: the character Bernie Mac takes in his sister's children after she enters rehab (a premise taken from one of Mac's routines in the 2000 film, The Original Kings of Comedy).

Much of the humor in the show was derived from Mac's continual adjustment to and his unique take on parenthood. A frequent motif of the show was the juxtaposition of Mac's acerbic comments, such as his threats to "bust the (children's) heads 'til the white meat shows," and the deep parental affection he felt towards the trio, which often brought him to the verge of tears during happy moments.

Many of his most emotional scenes occurred in segments in which Mac, while still in character, broke the 'fourth wall' and talked to the television audience. As was also the case during his stand-up routine, Mac habitually addressed the audience as "America" for humorous effect. The lighting of the shots typically appears to be yellowish in color.

Mac's character's celebrity worked as a plot device allowing other celebrities to appear on the show as themselves. Halle Berry, Serena Williams, Chris Rock, Ashton Kutcher, Billy Crystal, Carl Reiner, Don Rickles, Angela Bassett, Ellen DeGeneres, Ice Cube, Isaac Hayes, Lucy Lawless, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Matt Damon, Wesley Snipes, Jon Garland, Jules Sylvester, Sugar Ray Leonard, India.Arie, Snoop Dogg, Shaquille O'Neal , Hugh Hefner, and Vivica A. Fox have all appeared as themselves over the course of the show.