Living Single
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Template:Infobox television Living Single was an American television sitcom which aired for five seasons on the FOX television network from August 1993 until January 1998.
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Synopsis
Living Single was an American television sitcom that centered on six African American twenty somethings (later thirty-somethings) consisting of four women and two men living in a brownstone in the heart of Brooklyn, New York.
The series was produced by Yvette Lee Bowser in association with Warner Bros. Television for FOX in the US. Friends, a similar series also from Warner Bros. Television that premiered a year later in 1994, gained greater fame and popularity than Living Single. Regardless, Living Single remains popular courtesy of syndication and cable television airings.
The series centers on two different households in one brownstone (although, as the later seasons revealed, there are more apartments in the building); one shared by a trio of upward-mobile women and another shared by a pair of friends who have known each other since they spent their youth in Cleveland, Ohio. Khadijah James, a hard-working editor and publisher of the urban independent monthly Flavor, shares an apartment with her sweet but naïve cousin Synclaire (originally the role of Synclaire was to be played by British rapper, Monie Love, a long-time friend and music collaborator of Queen Latifah), an aspiring actress who works as Khadijah's receptionist and has an affinity for Troll dolls; and her longtime friend Regine Hunter, an image-conscious boutique buyer who became a costume assistant for a soap opera called Palo Alto with a fondness for gossip and wigs. Maxine "Max" Shaw, a sharp-tongued attorney and Khadijah's best friend, stops by frequently to share her unique insights and make sure the girls' refrigerator isn't overstocked.
Living in the apartment above are Overton Wakefield Jones, a friendly handyman who holds deep affection for Synclaire; and Kyle Barker, a handsome funds manager whose constant verbal sparring with Max does little to mask their obvious sexual attraction.
Kyle and Max, like Ross and Rachel of Friends, maintained an on-again/off-again relationship that was a constant storyline that began at the end of the first season until the end of the series.
The Final Season
The final season of Living Single saw the departure of Kyle and the introduction of a new male roommate for the ladies after Synclaire and Overton got married at the end of the fourth season and moved into their own apartment in the brownstone. Ira Lee "Tripp" Williams III, a songwriter who was a friend of Khadijah, became their new roommate, much to Regine's displeasure. Meanwhile, Roni DeSantos, a New York-area D.J. that had a brief fling with Tripp, moved into Overton and Kyle's old apartment. Regine moved out of the house after she became engaged to a millionaire video game developer and was absent for the remainder of the final season. Synclaire joined a comedy improv troupe where she gained the attention of Tony Jonas, a Warner Bros. television exec who casted her as a nun for a new comedy series he was developing.
Max, still distraught after she turned down Kyle's offer to join him in London, began looking for purpose after defending a man who claimed to be the second coming of Jesus. She relived her past lives after she, Khadijah, and Synclaire went to a spa retreat. Learning that she was a man in every lifetime except her current one, Max realized that her mission was to become a mother. The series ended when it was revealed that the sperm donor for Max's baby was Kyle, who returned for the final episode. Khadijah also left the brownstone for the final time with her boyfriend Scooter, whom she just reunited with two episodes prior to the finale in the Christmas-themed episode. Template:Endspoiler
Cast
- Queen Latifah — Khadijah James
- Erika Alexander — Maxine 'Max' Felice Shaw
- Kim Coles — Synclaire James-Jones
- John Henton — Overton 'Obie' Wakefield Jones
- Terrence 'T.C.' Carson — Kyle Barker
- Kim Fields — Regine Hunter
Supporting cast
- Shaun Baker — Russell Montego
- Idalis DeLeon — Roni De Santos (1997-1998)
- Chip Fields — Laverne Hunter
- Mel Jackson — Ira Lee 'Tripp' Williams III (1997-1998)
- Rita Owens — Rita James (1994-1997)
- Bumper Robinson — Ivan Ennis (1995-1997)
- Cress Williams — Terrence 'Scooter' Williams
Regular guests
- Khalil Kain — Keith (4 episodes)
- Dorien Wilson — Rev. Leslie Taylor (4 episodes)
- Steven Gilborn — Jeffrey Higgins (4 episodes)
- Bobby Hosea — Lawrence (3 episodes)
- Heavy D — Darryl (3 episodes)
Awards & nominations
- Living Single was the winner of two NAACP Image Awards as Outstanding Comedy Series, in 1996 and 1998.