This was one of the greatest shows that FOX had back in the day,and for a very good reason. It was one of the network's biggest line-ups during its heyday and it was right in there with shows like "In Living Color","Martin","Married..With Children",and "Living Single",as well as the dramas "Beverly Hills 90210",and "New York Undercover". It was the FOX of yesteryear. Roc in my opinion was a man who was trying to make things better for himself and his wife as well as the community in which they lived in(the setting for the show was set in Baltimore). Roc(Charles S. Dutton) was always in competition with his unpredictable, worthless,mooching brother-in-law Joey(played by Rocky Carroll),kept its viewers tuned in weekly to see what will happened next. However,he had his faithful wife(Ella Joyce),and his beloving father(Carl Gordon) for support through troubled times and sometimes happy moments as well. "Roc" in my opinion was the intelligent version of "Good Times" with a hint of "Sanford and Son",and "The Jeffersons" not to mention some reference to Jackie Gleason's "The Honeymooners" for extra measure. The series ran for three seasons from 1991 to 1994. Its first season was filmed before a live audience. However,the show went live during the second season of the series and it remain that way until the end of its run.
By the way,the theme song in season two was sung by the girl group EnVogue during that time,and who could have guessed that the girls were on the show every week while in the process churning out hit records during the height of the 1990's(and this was when the show went live in season two)? The series not only have some great comedy,but also some hard wrenching,hard hitting drama with some riveting performances coming from Charles S. Dutton and the brilliant cast.
There are some great moments here where Roc goes up against the neighborhood drug lord,and some dangerous felonies and gangsters and at the end of show Dutton steps out of character to share with the audience some interesting facts here as well as an educational message. Thank you TV-LAND for bringing it back.
