Television series

Julia

Name: Julia
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1968
Cast: Diahann Carroll, Lloyd Nolan, Marc Copage, Betty Beaird, Ned Glass

Other titles called Julia: the 1977 film, the 2008 film, the 2021 film.

Drama

Julia broke ground as the first American sitcom centered on a Black professional woman. Diahann Carroll plays a widowed nurse navigating single motherhood, workplace dynamics, and grief with warmth and dignity. It's gentle, hopeful television that treats its characters as full humans rather than comedy props.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like gentle, warm sitcoms where the humor grows out of a single mother's stubborn decency and the small domestic frictions of a household with a kid in it.

Skip it if you need fast, joke-dense comedy; this half hour moves at an easy pace and plays its laughs gently, so the timing can feel slow to modern eyes.

What it asks of you: Half an hour an episode, with 86 of them across three seasons, so it suits a patient, steady viewing habit rather than a binge.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Mary Tyler Moore Show1970

Another sitcom about an independent woman building a career and life on her own terms, with sharp writing and a ensemble cast that became iconic. Same era, similar DNA.

But It's more cynical and faster-paced than Julia, trading warmth for edge. If you want gentleness, this might feel a bit cold.

That Girl1966

Marlo Thomas as an unmarried woman pursuing acting in New York, juggling romance and independence. Aired just before Julia and shares the same spirit of female self-determination.

But Lighter in tone and more focused on romance and dating. Doesn't grapple with the real grief and responsibility that grounds Julia.

Good Times1974

A spinoff that grew into something sharper, following a Black family in Chicago. Same network legacy, but willing to tackle class and race more directly than Julia could.

But Much grittier and angrier. Some episodes veer into heavy drama rather than comedy, which might feel tonal whiplash.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Julia

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Golden Girls1985

Carroll's appearance is one connection, but deeper: both shows insist their female leads deserve full, complex inner lives and refuse to apologize for being unmarried or independent.

Seventeen years later, a sitcom about women building lives and community on their own terms. Diahann Carroll actually joined the cast for season six, bridging two eras of television.

But Broader, louder comedy aimed at a very different audience. The show's humor often undercuts the dignity that Julia maintains.

Sanford and Son1972

Redd Foxx anchors a sitcom about a junk dealer and his son, building comedy from character and relationship rather than jokes. Warmth beneath the gruff exterior.

But Male-centered and more abrasive. The humor is broader and meaner-spirited than Julia's gentle approach.

The Flip Wilson Show1970

A variety show hosted by a Black comedian that became a massive hit, proving there was huge audience appetite for Black entertainment on network television in this era.

But Sketch comedy and musical numbers instead of narrative sitcom. No recurring characters or ongoing story.

Room 2221969

A teacher and his students at a diverse high school, mixing comedy with genuine social issues. Aired alongside Julia and shares its earnest faith in institutions and people.

But Less focused on a single protagonist, more ensemble. Episodes feel more like after-school specials than pure sitcoms.

The Odd Couple1970

Felix and Oscar provide an entirely different take on the sitcom form, but with the same character-driven humor and fondness for its leads that Julia exemplifies.

But All-male cast and entirely different world. The comedy is in situation and personality clash, not in navigating real life pressure.

Here Come the Brides1968

An ABC series from the same year that also centered a woman (though in a different role), proving networks were shifting their thinking about who could anchor a show.

But It's a period Western pastiche with very different storytelling rhythms. Not really a comedy, despite lighter moments.

Claudine1974

Same actress, same era, same foundational question—how does a Black woman build dignity and agency in a system not built for her. Julia answered it gently; Claudine answers it painfully.

Diahann Carroll leads this film as a single mother in Harlem navigating poverty, romance, and her children's futures. It's what Julia might have become if the sitcom had dared to be more.

But A real drama about real struggle, not a comedy. It's 1970s gritty and sometimes painful, without the sitcom safety net.

I Spy1965

Julia couldn't have existed without shows like I Spy proving networks could center Black actors in professional, dignified roles. This is the structural precedent that made Julia possible.

Bill Cosby as an equal-status secret agent, not a servile character. A groundbreaking spy comedy that preceded Julia and helped clear the space for it on network television.

But An action-comedy about two globe-trotting spies, not a domestic sitcom. Feels very 1960s in its espionage plotting and pacing.