Living Single

I was out pillaging WalMart for DVDs a couple weeks ago and they were having this 'blowout' on TV box sets. Most of them shows I probably wouldn't watch. I came across Living Single. I loved that show when I used to watch it years ago, but I was a little hestitant to pick up the first season. I've noticed something about my favorite shows that I have on DVD (Golden Girls, Sex and the City). Season 1 is the weakest of them all. It's still good, but the characters aren't completely developed yet and it's a little slower or just not as good as the rest of the series. I went back the next day because I knew I'd regret it later if I didn't end up getting season 1. I was totally right. Season 1 of this show is really good and the characters are all just as I'd remembered them always being when I used to watch the show.

I noticed something about all three of these shows, Living Single, The Golden Girls and Sex and the City, they all feature four different women and the focus is on their friendship. The shows are all similar. Samantha from SATC and Regine (Kim Fields) in LS are both like Blanche from GG; superficial, street smart and seductive man-eaters. Charlotte from SATC and Synclaire (Kim Coles) from LS are both like the Rose character in GG; sweet, naive and perenially optomistic. Miranda from SATC and Max(Erika Alexander) from LS are both like the Sophia character; feisty, quick witted, sarcastic and sometimes cranky. And finally, Carrie from SATC and Khadijah (Queen Latifah) from LS are like the Dorothy character in GG; wise, self deprecating, and the thread that ties the other characters together. I really liked all these characters. When a show has a lot of characters, it tends to get complicated when the audience has too many people to keep track of and they don't always find them all compelling. It's only when you do find them all compelling that you know it's good TV. I like all four girls and the two upstairs neighbors, Kyle (T.C. Carlson) and Overton (John Henton). The comedic timing and delivery from everybody was on point. Great chemistry with the cast. One way you can tell is by how well they get along on the other side of the camera. In most great shows, especially sitcoms, the best shows have a cast that feels like a family and you can tell they have fun working. In the special features, they have interviews with all the cast, except Latifah, and they all said that they loved going in to work and got along great.



Just like with SATC and GG, I love that the women's friendship is the heart of the show. Sometimes the ladies may fight, but ultimately they put each other first when it counts. Yay, sisterhood. Another indication of a good television show is when you actually feel like you are there. When you watch it, you feel comfort hanging in the living room with the girls. Kinda like the way a good movie can take you to another place. I have noticed a few little similarities in plot and such with one of my other favorite shows. Living Single had an episode where the girls get burgled just like in The Golden Girls. Another episode had Overton place an ad in the paper for work on the side and it was misplaced in the personals column with some funny results, just like in The Golden Girls when Dorothy did the same thing. But, we all borrow from each other as artists and it was just as funny when I saw it happen again through the Living Single characters. The best part is the interaction between everybody. The couples (Overton and Synclaire, Max and Kyle, sorta), the little catfights between Regine and Max, and the mothering by Kadijah all make it great. If you have the chance, and you like the Golden Girls, or any other sitcom with some awesome women bonding and something just plain funny, pick it up. 4 discs, 26 funny episodes, 567mins (9.45hours) and a special retrospective featurette with interviews with the cast and creator for 20 bucks is a pretty good deal. Nothing wrong with a good deal.

More ramblings to come.....