Series synopsis
Living Single is an American comedy television series that premiered on FOX on August 29, 1993. It ended on January 1, 1998. It was created by Yvette Lee Bowser. It stars Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Erika Alexander and Terrence 'T.C.' Carson.
Living Single is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.
Throughout its run, Living Single became one of the most popular African-American sitcoms of its era, ranking among the top five in African-American ratings in all five seasons. The series was produced by Yvette Lee Bowser's compa ...
Premise
Living Single is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.
Throughout its run, Living Single became one of the most popular African-American sitcoms of its era, ranking among the top five in African-American ratings in all five seasons. The series was produced by Yvette Lee Bowser's company, Sister Lee, in association with Warner Bros. Television. In contrast to the popularity of NBC's "Must See TV" on Thursday nights in the 1990s, many African American and Latino viewers flocked to Fox's Thursday night line-up of Martin, Living Single, and New York Undercover. In fact, these were the three highest-rated series among black households for the 1996–1997 season.
Premise: In a '90s kind of world I'm glad I got my girls
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Queen Latifah as Khadijah James
- Kim Coles as Synclaire James
- Erika Alexander as Maxine Shaw
- Terrence 'T.C.' Carson as Kyle Barker
- John Henton as Overton Jones
- Kim Fields as Regine Hunter
- Mel Jackson as Ira Lee "Tripp" Williams
- Ron Fassler as Mr. Larson
Supporting cast
- Dorian Gregory
- Burt Ward
- Ed McMahon as Himself
- Charnele Brown as Jackie
- Cris Carter
- Regina King
- Kenn Michael
- Melvin Van Peebles
- Joseph C. Phillips
- Jasmine Guy
- Tone Loc
- Crystal Scales
Guest cast
- Ron Fassler as Mr. Larson
- Dorian Gregory
- Burt Ward
- Ed McMahon as Himself
- Charnele Brown as Jackie
- Cris Carter
- Regina King
- Kenn Michael
- Melvin Van Peebles
- Joseph C. Phillips
- Jasmine Guy
- Tone Loc
Episodes
This series spans 5 seasons with 118 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 27 | August 29, 1993 | May 15, 1994 |
| Season 2 | 27 | September 1, 1994 | May 18, 1995 |
| Season 3 | 27 | August 31, 1995 | May 9, 1996 |
| Season 4 | 24 | August 29, 1996 | May 8, 1997 |
| Season 5 | 13 | September 11, 1997 | January 1, 1998 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Judging by the Cover Regine boasts of a new beau, a guy with a limo--who also happens to have a wife. |
August 29, 1993 |
| 2 |
I'll Take Your Man Khadijah lands in the middle of a standoff between Regine and Max, who is dating Regine's latest cast-off. |
August 29, 1993 |
| 3 |
Whose Date Is It Anyway? Synclaire hasn't had a date in months, then a veterinarian asks her out, and suddenly she has a social calendar along with another dogged admirer. |
September 5, 1993 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
There's Got to Be a Morning After Kyle and Max must deal with the consequences of their drunken night together. Kyle manages to sneak Max out of the apartment without detection; but everyone becomes suspicious when they show up at the group's rooftop gathering singing the same song, and seem hesitant to insult one another. After Kyle returns to his apartment with Overton, he and Max each confess what has happened. Overton suggests that Kyle find out if what he and Max share is love or hate. Kyle asks Max to dinner, and she accepts. This horrifies Regine, as she fears that she would be left as the only target for all of Max's scorn and ridicule. She bets Khadijah, Synclaire, Overton and Scooter (who has found a job in New York) on the outcome of the date. Kyle asks Max why she is so reluctant to open up to anyone, and she admits that she needs to protect herself from getting hurt. She nixes a relationship with Kyle because she would miss their antagonism too much. They dance and have a nice evening, but Regine wins her |
September 1, 1994 |
| 2 |
I Love This Game Denise Hatcher, Khadijah's high school basketball rival, comes to the Flavor office to complain about a sportswriter's comments about her coaching ability. They begin to argue about an incident in an all-star game in which they were teammates. Denise is still bitter because Khadijah was named MVP after scoring the winning basket by supposedly stepping on Denise's foot and stealing a pass intended for her. Denise challenges Khadijah to a game of one-on-one, with the MVP trophy going to the winner. While Khadijah is at the gym with Overton and Scooter, Denise shows up and throws down a thunderous dunk. Khadijah is ready to call off the game, but Max and Synclaire urge her not to quit. Khadijah trains hard, but is still hopelessly overmatched. During a time-out, Denise tries to get a weary Khadijah to concede, and boasts that she will shut her out. A rejuvenated Khadijah picks up her defense, then steals the ball and scores at the buzzer. Denise says she respects Khadijah's effort, and ad |
September 8, 1994 |
| 3 |
They've Gotta Have It Regine grows weary of her tendency to date vain, tiresome men. She feels as though she is just going through the motions. Synclaire gives her a brochure about a seminar intended to help women break their dependence on men. When Regine attends her first session, she is shocked to find that Max is taking the class. The instructor assigns the students to take themselves on a date, but Regine and Max are so bored alone that they decide to go out together. Max explains that she took the seminar because she was not fulfilled by her one-night stands, and realized she had hit rock bottom when she slept with Kyle. She tells Regine that there is nothing wrong with seeking a relationship, as long as you don't base your self-worth on whether you have a man. They agree that they are doing just fine spending the evening without men. It is then revealed that Max and Regine are at a strip club. Overton sends Synclaire gifts from a secret admirer, but decides to call it off when she constantly speculat |
September 15, 1994 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Come Back Little Diva Regine shows up at the laundromat, despite the fact that it is nowhere near her new apartment. She and Khadijah are less than civil, and Regine won't admit that her new place is a dump in a bad neighborhood. She invites everyone except Khadijah to a housewarming party, but Max declares that she and Kyle will boycott the affair. An annoyed Kyle goes without her. Max convinces Khadijah to crash the party. Kyle calls Max to task for her constant struggle for control within their relationship, but their passion is rekindled after he reveals that he saved her some shrimp and cocktail sauce. Everyone becomes a little disturbed by the fact that Regine's new neighbors hold personalities eerily similar to those of her old friends. Khadijah and Synclaire believe they have located the perfect roommate, but Regine interrupts their conversation on the fire escape. She reflects on her long friendship with Khadijah, and admits that she feels lost without her. They patch things up and return to the br |
August 31, 1995 |
| 2 |
The Ex-File Overton is mortified when he sees Melody, the woman who once shattered him by rejecting his marriage proposal, at the hardware store. He sneaks out, but she later gets his number from his friend Pug and gives him a call. Although Synclaire feels that it is a terrible idea, Overton agrees to meet Melody at Cheezy Burger. After Kyle inadvertently tells her about the proposal, a furious Synclaire tries to retaliate by driving to Bayonne to meet up with a man who sends her a Christmas card each year. She learns that he is an insurance agent, not an ex-flame. Melody tells Overton that she has come to appreciate him, and that she is now willing to spend her life with a ""simple"" man. She tries to kiss him, but Overton (who was once powerless to resist her advances) now feels nothing for her because of his love for Synclaire. Regine is annoyed to find that Khadijah and Synclaire have re-decorated the apartment and forced her into the worst bedroom, but is cheered when she discovers that her ne |
September 7, 1995 |
| 3 |
On the Rebound NBA star Grant Hill comes to town for a Basketball/Piano Camp, and agrees to an interview for Flavor. While playing a game of one-on-one against Khadijah, he injures his knee in a mid-air collision. Khadijah feels guilty, but the injury is not serious. Grant comes over to the apartment, and he and Khadijah end up kissing (much to Regine's horror). Although Grant sweeps Khadijah off her feet and is interested in a relationship, Khadijah feels that the distance between them and their busy schedules would make this impossible. She breaks up with him, as she doesn't want to get hurt. Synclaire and Max suggest that she still hasn't gotten over Scooter. Kyle and Max are frustrated beyond belief when they cannot beat Overton and Synclaire at a single board game. Overton and Synclaire finally throw a game of Battleship to shut them up. A college-age messenger delivers a package to Flavor and is instantly smitten with Khadijah. Tag: Grant serenades an appreciative Regine. |
September 14, 1995 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Engagement (2) The police bring a shivering Overton to the apartment. The horse subdued the mugger, but bucked Overton into the bushes. He still does not tell Synclaire about the ring. Overton later picks the mugger out of the lineup. Synclaire breaks down the door and tries to attack the man. Overton's belongings are returned to him and (after an interruption from Khadijah) he proposes to Synclaire at the police station. She immediately accepts. As she has no chance of winning in court, Khadijah agrees to a settlement with the band, which will force Flavor to go bankrupt. Russell saves the day when he bursts in and announces that he has deconstructed the song in question. He gradually strips away parts of the song, and reveals that it actually was a rip-off of ""Mandy."" Max's campaign appears to be back on track when Kyle uncovers evidence that proves the incumbent is corrupt, but the documents are shredded. Max instead admits the allegations against her are true, but claims that they prove she has t |
August 29, 1996 |
| 2 |
Ride the Maverick Khadijah re-considers Flavor's endorsement of Max when she insists on spouting clichés, rather than discussing the issues. She instead backs a little-known high school teacher named William Perez. Max claims that Khadijah is jealous and does not want her friends to outshine her. Max runs into Perez at a public park (where he is cleaning up graffiti with his civics class), and realizes that her reasons for seeking office are entirely selfish. She withdraws from the election, and tells everyone to vote for Perez. The voters are so moved by her honesty that she receives enough write-in votes to win. Max apologizes to Khadijah, who is impressed by her integrity. Their parents disown Overton and Synclaire when Kyle and Regine accidentally share news of the engagement before the couple had gotten around to it. (They had been trying to follow a James family tradition, in which no one can get married until Synclaire's great aunt Ada gives her ""okel doke."") They patch things up, but their paren |
August 29, 1996 |
| 3 |
Not Quite Mr. Right Regine is outraged when Keith ignores her at his opening (aside from asking her to change a light bulb in the bathroom). He refuses to defend her when an art critic comes on to her. Russell tells the man to take a hike. After her friends point out that Keith has always seemed aloof, Regine goes to his loft to confront him. She threatens to break up with him unless he begins to take their relationship seriously, but Keith says that he cannot change. Regine comes by the Flavor offices to meet Khadijah for lunch, but she has to cancel. Russell agrees to give Regine a ride into town, then forces her to stop at his aunt's house for lunch. She cheers up after eating a delicious meal and dancing to lively reggae music. Regine begins consulting self-help books for tips on how to land the right man, but finds herself thinking about Russell more than she would like to admit. Kyle and Max go to war over the right to park in a spot in front of the building. When they get into a collision, they bot |
September 5, 1996 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Love Don't Live Here Anymore (1) Kyle reacts to Max's declarations of love; and Synclaire and Overton eke out time alone on a hectic honeymoon cruise. |
September 11, 1997 |
| 2 |
Love Don't Live Here Anymore (2) Synclaire and Overton honeymoon as castaways on a desert island; Kyle departs for London. |
September 18, 1997 |
| 3 |
High Anxiety Khadijah boldly asks out her basketball-playing buddy Cedric Ceballos, but Max and Regine foul up her prospects with him. |
September 25, 1997 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | FOX |
|---|---|
| First aired | August 29, 1993 |
| Last aired | January 1, 1998 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Thursday |