Taye Diggs leads a cast of talented actors and actresses as he plays Billy Baker coach of the Beverly varsity football team.

Billy Baker is married to Laura Baker, played by Monet Mazur, and is the District Attorney and they have two children who are twins Olivia Baker, played by Samantha Logan, and Jordan Baker, played by Michael Evans Behling.

Jordan plays football for his father and is the QB1 early on in the show, while Oliva is also a student at Beverly. Spencer James, played by Daniel Ezra, is a star wide receiver at Crenshaw, is a strong character, and has a lot of influence on everyone who knows him.

Spencer’s will to save everyone causes him to face more than his share of problems while becoming an All American.

All American is a show that really touches every corner of the spectrum when it comes to the details of what’s really going on in high school, in the city, the streets and politically as well. The students of Beverly have their privileges on full display with Olivia and Jordan Baker having a District Attorney as a mom, and Billy coaching his son.

Living in a huge house and a neighborhood where you could hear the birds chirping, the only trouble those kids can get in are things they get themselves into, which they will do plenty of on the show.

On the Crenshaw side, Spencer has to deal with the hood politics while going to school, being the man of his fatherless house, while trying to get a football scholarship to save his family. Many young black boys deal with this same type of pressure in real life.

Many young boys have all this weight on their shoulders and many cannot handle it. This show even displays the political corruption, cover ups, and manipulation being used to get in certain positions, and even abuse of power by some in certain positions on the show.

It’s great to see so many real life issues highlighted in one show. Racial profiling and police brutality is even brought into the show and shows students and adults coming together to fight it. The positive messages throughout the show are a pleasure to see throughout this series thus far. There is one problem I do have with the show. Simone HIcks, played by Geffri Hightower, the only dark skinned girl at Beverly that is highlighted, her character is all over the place.

I cannot give detail because I will end up spoiling it for the readers who haven’t watched and will be interested after reading, but tune in and you will see. I would love to see the writers put more emphasis on the darker black girls on the show.

Olivia and Layla Keating, played by Greta Onieogou, take up the bulk of the screen time. Coop, played by Bre-Z, is Spencer’s best friend, and represents the only real example of a black woman out of Crenshaw and what they go through.

It’s actually a different struggle, still horrible but different being that she is lesbian on the show. While it is great to highlight the struggle of the lesbian black woman, I believe a straight one should be represented strong on the show as well.

Overall All American is one of the best new shows out in my opinion and if you receive the message that is being put out, you might be able to change your perspective for the progressive good of trying to advance this country in a positive direction.