With the recent success of shows like "Empire" and "Black-ish," black actors and actresses have returned to prime-time television, and with the series "The Carmichael Show," black sitcoms have proven that they deserve a place in Hollywood and that they're here to stay.

"The Carmichael Show" is an American sitcom television series created by Nicholas Stoller, Jerrod Carmichael, Ari Katcher, and Willie Hunter that premiered on Aug. 26, 2015, on NBC, which is known for being diverse. Set in Charlotte, North Carolina, it follows a fictional version of Jerrod Carmichael's family, and it is very reminiscent of "The Cosby Show" and "Family Matters."

In the wake of negative and degrading portrayals of blacks in the media, positive black images are needed. While we are often portrayed as ruthless, lazy, and angry, "The Carmichael Show" showcases blacks in a light on evening television that hasn't been seen in a very long time. By tackling current events and topics that television shows typically shy away from, "The Carmichael Show" focuses on social issues, generational differences, dating, transgender youth, and everything in between.

The writers, directors and producers do an excellent job of tackling issues that are extremely sad, laughing at them and thus making said issues easier to discuss. The success of "The Carmichael Show"can also greatly be attributed to the show giving other races a peek into the real lives of blacks, showing that we are not all one-sided and biased in regards to these racial issues.

Surprisingly, the show quickly became the most-watched summer comedy on network television in eight years and reached more and more viewers with each episode. This demonstrates that there’s a major appetite for more diverse TV programming, whether on networks or premium cable. The reason that "The Carmichael Show" is important because it showcases the black family as just that: a regular family, with regular problems. With the cooky but loving mother-and-father duo, goofy sibling, and Jerrod's live-in biracial girlfriend, Maxine, they offered a new perspective and approach to reoccurring issues within the black community.

On Sept. 14, 2015, the series was renewed by NBC for a second season set to return to NBC next year.