Five talk shows with Black hosts that never caught on

If "Wilmore" and "The Amber Ruffin Show" are hits, they'll buck a dismal trend for late-night talkers hosted by Black entertainers.

Run: 1997-98 in syndication.

What we said then: "Wayans' new show is sliding by on his confident charm as a host and his unexpected knack for interviewing. He asks pretty good questions and actually listens to the answers."

Run: 1998 in syndication.

What we said then: "It's an air ball. At a time when America really needs a hip, urban show, you want to root for Magic Johnson to pull off a miracle basket. But in your heart you knew long before the curtain rose that this has about as much chance of filling that void as the Denver Nuggets had of winning the NBA championship."

Run: 2009-10 on BET.

What we said then: "The guest slate on Mo'Nique's show, which debuted to 1.5 million viewers in early October, has consisted almost entirely of blacks, from Ashford & Simpson to Hill Harper. But she and other new hosts of color insist that their primary goal is to reach a wide, mainstream audience."

What we said then: "Sykes is clearly trying to channel Bill Maher, going so far as to close the show with an all-star panel, but Maher's material is smarter and more unpredictable."

Run: 2012-13 on TBS.

What we said then: "A totally original series that never found an audience. Unlike Arsenio Hall, whose [revived] show seems like a sad attempt to relive the past, Bell focused on a uniquely black perspective, one that's sorely needed in TV."