Book Review: Scratchin' and Survivin': Hustle Economics and the Black Sitcoms of Tandem Productions

Adrien Sebro’s Scratchin’ and Survivin’: Hustle Economics and the Black Sitcoms of Tandem Productions explores the author’s critical intervention in media industry studies through the lens of Black creative labor during the 1970s network television era. Focusing on Sanford and Son, Good Times, and The Jeffersons, Sebro advances the concept of “hustle economics” to theorize the improvisatory and labor-intensive strategies employed by Black writers, performers, and producers as they navigated structurally racist production cultures. Drawing from rich archival materials, Sebro situates these sitcoms as sites of creative dissent rather than mere liberal representation, with particular attention to gender politics and the labor struggles of figures like Esther Rolle and Redd Foxx. This interdisciplinary study extends the traditions of critical media historiography by illuminating how Black creatives shaped primetime television from marginalized positions. Scratchin’ and Survivin’ is a vital contribution to Black media studies and television history, offering a compelling account of Black authorship, labor, and resistance within the network era.