04/29/01

Rating : 4 out of 5 stars.

Cast : Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell.

  I've been a fan of Damon's since Living Color.  He always had such a strong presence and great comic timing.  His standup act was great too. The best thing about this new sitcom is that it feels real to what Damon has said in his standup act. He's funny buy not in the usual way.  I believe that this is close to what he's really like at home.
  Damon as Michael Kyle, is a husband and father of 3 kids.  Tisha Campbell (Martin) plays his wife, recently working again and threatening Michael's ideal family scenario. He wants a traditional wife and family but (of course) they have other ideas.

  Story lines with his son have been about father/son rivalry, his son's "finding himself" (I think you know what I mean), rap music, tattoos and the school bully. On a recent episode, the family sits around the kitchen table and teaches the son how to do the dozens (the comic art of insulting each other). Of course anyone who's played the dozens knows that the loser is the first one to lose control and throw a punch. There's a funny bit about how the bully's father comes over to their house and Michael and the father almost get into it.

(above : making up after nearly getting into fisticuffs)

  Michael's relationships with the women in the family aren't any easier.  His first daughter is boy obsessed which gets him in a very funny "boy scaring" mode.  At first he looks to scare her first boyfriend but in the end befriends the boy, even after they break up.
  He has a very difficult time dealing with the fact that she is now ashamed of him and doesn't worship him. So you might think that his youngest daughter is better?  Well not exactly.

  There was a great episode where Michael won't let her have a sleep over so she gives him the silent treatment.  He stoops to her level and returns the silence. Some truly funny moments follow with him trying to get her to break her silence. He even rips a fart next to her which doesn't work.  In the end, he gives in and there's a nice tender moment between the two. I almost believed that he was really her father for a minute.

  All of the above scenarios only work with a great comic foil to Damon, which is played by the lovely Tisha Campbell/Martin.  Yes she's the actress who was on the Fox TV show Martin with Martin Lawrence (Blue Streak, Big Mama's House) and is married to Duane Martin (Above The Rim, White Men Can't Jump, etc.). She's funny and attractive but still strong enough to stand up to her husband even when he gets loud and stubborn.

  Overall, I like this show a lot. It's funnier than most shows of this kind. Damon is funny without acting like a clown (no pun intended). He acts like a man.  Does that make sense?  If not, watch it.  It's good family fun with enough edge for adults.  A must see for fans of Damon's comedy act.

Click here to visit the official ABC web site for My Wife And Kids