sitcom

I also never pictured myself on a network sitcom at all.

It had the misfortune of airing on Thursdays at 8 p.m., opposite NBC’s witty sitcom “Mad About You” and a promising new show called “Friends.”

In pop culture, they’re the sad, wilted contents of plastic containers relegated to sitcom refrigerators — proof of a dinner gone unloved.

For 15 seasons, the Belcher family has regularly turned what could easily become a tired sitcom trope into a reliable highlight of the beloved series.

The character White played from 1989 to 1998 on the wholesome hit sitcom “Family Matters” defined the Black nerd for TV watchers: saddle shoes, suspenders, thick glasses, high, nasal voice.