Television series

The PJs

Name: The PJs
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1999
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Loretta Devine, James Black, Michael Paul Chan, Cassi Davis

Comedy

The PJs is an animated sitcom where Eddie Murphy voices Thurgood Stubbs, the superintendent of a struggling public housing project. It's a sharp, irreverent comedy that treats its characters with dignity while mining genuine humor from everyday chaos. Warm-hearted under the jokes, it's for anyone who loves character-driven comedy that doesn't talk down to its audience.

TVMaze rating

3.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love sitcoms where the jokes come from a tight-knit block of characters who bicker, scheme and help each other out, and you enjoy the rough-edged, warm-hearted humor of Murphy's animated neighborhood.

Skip it if you need razor-sharp punchlines every minute, since the stop-motion look is deliberately rough and the episodes wander at an unhurried pace.

What it asks of you: Thirty-minute episodes, forty-three of them over three seasons, so you can dip in without commitment, though the jokes land best when you let the rowdy ensemble settle in.

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

If you liked this

Good Times1974

The spiritual ancestor of The PJs—a sitcom about a Black family in public housing that balanced comedy with real social commentary. It proved the format could be funny and meaningful without contradiction.

But The pacing and some jokes feel dated to modern eyes, and it's earnest in ways that can feel heavy-handed now.

Everybody Hates Chris2005

Another animated sitcom with a charismatic lead navigating life in a tough neighborhood, with narration and quick cuts that match The PJs' comedic rhythm and heart.

But It's more focused on the teenage experience; if you wanted ensemble dynamics, you'll miss the housing-project community here.

Living Single1993

A sitcom ensemble where characters feel like real people with actual problems, balanced perfectly with genuine humor. It has The PJs' warmth and its willingness to let comedy coexist with substance.

But It's set in Brooklyn apartments rather than public housing, so it's missing the specific social commentary angle you might be drawn to.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Beavis and Butt-Head1992

Both are animated comedies where character and voice carry everything, and the setting becomes a character itself through repetition and observation.

An animated sitcom where the comedy comes entirely from character—two unchanging idiots in a world that expects them to change. Like The PJs, it's about the specificity of people reacting to their circumstances, not plot mechanics.

But It's cynical and mean-spirited in ways The PJs deliberately isn't; there's no warmth or community here, just contempt.

Amen1986

A sitcom set in a Black church community with real stakes and real characters, proving that comedy in working-class spaces could be smart and never condescending.

But It leans more heavily toward the sentimental than The PJs does; the comedy is gentler and less edgy.

Martin1992

A sketch-driven sitcom where one performer's comic genius creates a whole world. Like Murphy in The PJs, Martin Lawrence built characters and communities, not just gags.

But It's live-action and sketch-based rather than serialized, so the narrative flow is completely different from what you'd get with The PJs.

In the Heat of the Night1988

A drama series about detectives working in the South, it proves that Black-centered stories on network television could be taken seriously and drawn with real complexity.

But It's a police drama, not a comedy, so if you're after laughs and lightness, you'll find this too heavy.

The Odd Couple1970

A sitcom about two men sharing an apartment, navigating life and their differences. The template for ensemble comedy in close quarters—it's pure, well-crafted sitcom DNA.

But It's a different era and a different social world; the comedy feels quaint beside The PJs' sharper edge.

Sanford and Son1972

Fred Sanford's junkyard is as much a character as the Hilton Jacobs housing project, and Redd Foxx's performance carries an entire world of humor and humanity.

But The show is built around one charismatic lead's antics; it doesn't have the ensemble dynamic that makes The PJs special.

That's So Raven2003

A Disney Channel sitcom that proved network comedies could center young Black characters and their communities without apology, with genuine jokes and real relationships.

But It's aimed at a younger audience, so the comedy is lighter and the concerns are different from The PJs' sharper satirical angle.

Chewing Gum2015

Both create genuine community comedy from marginalized spaces, refusing to make poverty or struggle the punchline while being genuinely, fearlessly funny about daily life.

A British comedy series about a young woman in South London navigating sex, faith, and belonging. It's anarchic, visually inventive, and treats working-class life with humor and genuine affection without a trace of condescension.

But It's aggressively experimental in form and quite raunchy; if you want traditional sitcom structure, this will feel chaotic and occasionally jarring.

Undeclared2001

Both are comedies about people stuck together in tight spaces, learning how to live alongside each other, where the humor comes from real affection for the characters rather than their circumstances being funny.

Judd Apatow's college comedy about a group of freshmen learning to navigate adulthood together. It's loose, character-driven, and filled with the kind of specific observation and warmth that makes you care about people.

But It was cancelled after one season and left unresolved; watching it is committing to an incomplete story, and the college setting is worlds away from The PJs' housing project.