Roc

For as funny as "Roc" was and could be, it got really serious at times too.

The eponymous Roc was played by Charles S. Dutton who went on to play some good movie roles. He was a sanitation engineer, or what we like to call a garbage man. He was one of those garbage men who one man's trash is another man's treasure, which made for some funny scenes. He was married to Eleanor (Ella Joyce) who patiently endured him, and both had to patiently endure Roc's brother Joey (Rocky Carroll), a trumpet player who never worked and never played the trumpet because of the time he busted his lip.

"Roc" was the first sitcom I saw that seriously approached gun violence. In the episode "Terence Got His Gun" a young boy named Terrance (Brandon Quintin) pulled out a gun at school with the intention of shooting someone. It was a heavy episode that has as much relevance today as it had in 1994.