The Bernie Mac Show

• Bernard "Bernie" McCullough (Bernie Mac) – The show's main character who is loosely based on Mac. Bernie and his wife take in the three kids when their drug-addicted mother (Bernie's sister Stacy) is no longer able to be a proper parent. Bernie uses tough-love parenting tactics and he can be both strict and comical. He narrates the series, and between scenes, he talks to the audience by addressing them as "America". Although he loves all three kids, his favorite is Bryana (whom he affectionately calls "Baby Girl" because she is the youngest), and finds himself in conflict with teenage Vanessa, the eldest sibling, who has a poor attitude.
• Wanda "Baby" McCullough (Kellita Smith) – Bernie's loving wife, an intelligent woman who is vice president for AT&T. She loves raising the kids with Bernie, but periodically her patience is tested. Whenever Bernie has a problem, she does her best to help, though her assistance can be stubbornly overbearing and unnecessary at times.
• Jordan Jay Thomkins (Jeremy Suarez) – Bernie and Wanda's nephew, the middle child. Jordan is very mischievous and peculiar. He is interested in collecting bugs and conducting odd science experiments. He gets beat up by his little sister, Bryana, and early on in the series he would cry, occasionally vomit, and sometimes urinate on himself. As the series progresses, he becomes tougher, and joins the wrestling team.
• Bryana "Baby Girl" Thomkins (Dee Dee Davis) – Bernie and Wanda's younger niece, the youngest child and the half-sister of Jordan and Vanessa. Bryana is a friendly little girl who is sweet, innocent, and naive, though she is often more bratty and obnoxious as the series progresses. Bryana is her uncle's favorite, and has a trusting relationship with her Uncle Bernie. Bernie fears that one day she will grow up and end up like Vanessa.
• Vanessa "Nessa" Thomkins (Camille Winbush) – Bernie and Wanda's elder niece, and the eldest of the three children. Vanessa purposely gives Bernie trouble with her attitude, most of which comes from the pressure of being the eldest and having to take the parent role with her younger siblings. As the series progresses, she gets along better with Bernie.

• W.B. (Reginald Ballard) – Bernie's friend who's always on his side
• Bonita (Niecy Nash) – Bernie's younger sister (seasons 2–4)
• Chuy (Carlos Mencia (season 1) and Lombardo Boyar) – Bernie's friend
• Kelly (Michael Ralph) – Bernie's friend
• Jerry Best (Rick Hoffman) – Bernie's Manager
• Father Sean Cronin (Wade Williams) – The Dean of Discipline at Jordan and Bryana's school
• Bryan (Anthony Anderson) – Bryanna's father (season 5)
• Donna (Naya Rivera) – Vanessa's friend
• Teri (Ashley Monique Clark) – Vanessa's friend (guest, season 3; recurring, seasons 4–5)

• Stacey Thomkins – One of two of Bernie's sisters and Vanessa, Jordan, and Bryana's mother. Before the events of the show, she became addicted to drugs; Bernie had to place her in an institution to recover and took in her children until the time came she could care for them herself. Though institutionalized, Stacey's addiction was such that she was not known to make any serious attempts to recover and her children remain with Bernie for the run of the series. A picture of her younger self is seen once in "Road to Traditions".
• Mr. Thomkins – Vanessa and Jordan's biological father, who left them when she was five years of age and he was a baby. According to Bernie and Vanessa, he's in prison for various law violations that include gun violence. His picture is shown in the episode "Saving Sergeant Thomkins".
• Big Mama – Bernie's grandmother. She died sometime before Bernie became famous. She is frequently mentioned by Bernie over the course of the series. In the family reunion episode, Bebe Drake played the matriarchal role.
• Uncle Ellister – Bernie's uncle who is, in actuality, his biological father.

• Creator and executive producer: Larry Wilmore
• Executive producers: Pete Aronson, Warren Hutcherson.
• Co-executive producers: Bernie Mac, Richard Appel, Teri Schaffer, Michael Benson, Marc Abrams.
• Producers: Michael Petok, Steven Greener

After five seasons and 104 episodes, Fox announced the cancellation of The Bernie Mac Show.

The series finale titled "Bernie's Angels" focused on Bernie getting an electrical shock and ends up traumatized. After he recovers, he begins to teach Jordan and Bryanna how to do certain things on their own. Also, Vanessa doesn't want Bernie to be involved in her choosing a college. Meanwhile, Jordan takes advantage of Bernie's kindness. In the end, Vanessa and Bernie make up (mainly due to her writing an essay about who inspires her most: which is him). In the final scene of the series, Bernie goes back to his normal self and takes back the iPod he bought Jordan since he was taking advantage of him. Bernie's final line is a farewell message to the viewers and stating that he is going to continue to raise and teach the kids for as long as they need it and he also wishes the viewers luck. The scene pans out with Jordan on his knees sobbing and begging for the iPod while Bernie smugly laughs and teases him.

The series had been airing in syndication since September 2005 and aired on Independent Fox UPN and The WB affiliates (the letter networks The WB 100+ Station Group also carries the program as part of its national schedule) and was on the FX network from September 2008 until 2011.[4] In syndication, the series' title is shortened simply to Bernie Mac. Bernie Mac's hometown of Chicago aired the series on the city's independent station The U. The Bernie Mac Show began its run on the station in September 2005. In the beginning of fall 2009, the series briefly moved to The U's sister station Me-TV, before returning to The U where it remained until late 2010.

On the day of Mac's funeral, The U aired a retrospective TV special called A Tribute to Bernie Mac, which featured clips from the series and an interview with Camille Winbush, who portrayed Vanessa.

Reruns of the show were also aired on Much in Canada. The show aired in Jamaica on CVM Television.

The Bernie Mac Show won a Peabody Award in 2001,[5] the Humanitas Prize, a Primetime Emmy Award, three NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, and was honored by the Television Critics Association.

For his role in the show, Bernie Mac was honored by the Television Critics Association for Individual Achievement in a Comedy as well as the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series four years in a row: 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.