Judging by the Pilot

Summary

ReLiving Single Podcast: Episode Summary - "Judging by the Pilot"

Release Date: May 7, 2025

Introduction

In the inaugural episode of ReLiving Single, hosts Erika Alexander and Kim Coles delve deep into the pilot episode of the iconic sitcom Living Single. As sitcom legends and lifelong friends, Erika and Kim offer listeners an engaging blend of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, character analyses, and reflections on the show's enduring legacy. This episode serves both longtime fans and newcomers, providing a comprehensive rewatch experience that captures the essence of Living Single.

1. The Essence of Chemistry in Living Single

Erika and Kim kick off the discussion by emphasizing the undeniable chemistry that propelled Living Single to success. They highlight how their genuine rapport was a cornerstone from the very beginning.

• Erika Alexander [00:00]: "Hey, Kim, you know, what is chemistry?"
• Kim Coles [00:02]: "You know, chemistry is that sort of je ne sais quoi. You can't quite put your finger on it, but you know it when you feel it."
• Erika Alexander [00:12]: "And if you feel it, then the audience can see it."

They explain the concept of a "chemistry read" in auditions, underscoring its importance in casting decisions. Their seamless interaction not only made collaborations enjoyable but also resonated with audiences, contributing significantly to the show's success.

2. Breaking Down the Pilot Episode: "Judging by the Pilot"

The hosts provide a detailed synopsis of the pilot episode, highlighting both the A and B storylines that set the stage for the series.

• Kim Coles [04:00]: "Episode number one is judging a book by its cover."
• Erika Alexander [05:05]: "In the 90s, it's a big deal all the time. It's something you should never do."

A Story: Regine, portrayed by Kim Coles, believes she has found the perfect man, only to discover he is already married. This revelation tests her friendship with Sinclair, Khadijah, and Max, who must navigate the delicate situation without damaging Regine's trust.

B Story: Sinclair's negligence in securing a celebrity for Flavor magazine introduces comedic elements and underscores the professional challenges the characters face.

The interplay between the A and B storylines exemplifies the show's ability to balance heartfelt drama with humor, a trait that became a hallmark of Living Single.

3. The Iconic Theme Song and Naming Journey

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the evolution of the show's name and its memorable theme song.

• Erika Alexander [06:01]: "It's not like it was decided that you would have these locks or that, you know, that you would wear this particular style."
• Kim Coles [07:34]: "We fought for it. You know what?"

Originally titled "My Girls," the show was renamed to Living Single to avoid confusion with the existing movie "My Girl." Despite Kim's reservations about the new title, they embraced it, leading to the creation of a name that would become synonymous with groundbreaking Black sitcoms.

Queen Latifah's contribution as the performer and writer of the theme song is celebrated as a timeless piece that remains influential. Erika reminisces:

• Erika Alexander [08:02]: "And it bops to this day."
• Kim Coles [09:05]: "And it just shows that when you have great music, it lasts the test of time."

4. Behind the Scenes: Set Dynamics and Shared Spaces

Erika and Kim share intimate details about working conditions, such as sharing dressing rooms and the reality behind the glamorous façade.

• Kim Coles [13:05]: "We would go in our little dressing area and smoke cigarettes in between the scenes."
• Erika Alexander [13:33]: "We are in dressing rooms that are curtains. Curtains curtained off."

These anecdotes highlight the camaraderie and resilience of the cast, revealing the effort behind creating the polished on-screen appearance.

5. Character Deep Dive: Sinclair and Maxine

The hosts provide insightful analyses of the main characters, focusing on Sinclair (played by Kim Coles) and Maxine (played by Erika Alexander).

• Kim Coles [10:22]: "I love Sinclair and I don't like that people think she's dumb."
• Erika Alexander [29:46]: "Strong feminist voice, tough exterior, a lawyer."

Sinclair: Often perceived as ditzy, Sinclair is portrayed with depth, showcasing her creativity and dedication to Flavor magazine. Kim defends her character's intelligence and intent, emphasizing that her actions stem from a place of ambition and affection for her work.

Maxine: Erika discusses the challenges of being closely identified with Maxine, a strong, feminist character who balances her professional prowess with personal vulnerabilities. She reflects on the impact of embodying such a multifaceted role:

• Erika Alexander [30:31]: "You want to be grateful for every opportunity you get, but you also can become identified by a single character."

6. The Introduction of Overton and Kyle Barker

Overton (played by John Henton) and Kyle Barker (played by T.C. Carson) add layers to the show's dynamic.

• Kim Coles [20:36]: "Overton is interested in Sinclair and he wants to get up under that sink, which is. That is scandalous."
• Erika Alexander [23:12]: "Kyle Barker is named after Yvette Lee Bowser's boyfriend at the time."

Overton's role as the handyman and Kyle's portrayal as the alpha male from Cleveland introduce contrasting masculine energies that complement the central quartet of women, enriching the narrative and interpersonal relationships.

7. Legacy and Cultural Impact

Erika and Kim reflect on Living Single's place in television history, comparing its influence to later shows like Friends.

• Kim Coles [43:37]: "Friends."
• Erika Alexander [43:37]: "We just gonna lay that right there."

They discuss how Living Single paved the way for diverse representation in sitcoms, setting standards for ensemble casts and authentic portrayals of Black professionals and friendships. The show's success demonstrated the viability and demand for stories centered on Black experiences, contributing to the broader landscape of 90s television.

8. Personal Reflections and Friendships

The hosts candidly share their experiences of being closely tied to their characters, navigating the balance between personal identity and beloved on-screen personas.

• Erika Alexander [31:16]: "I don't know who Max is when I'm coming through the door. That's Erica Alexander playing a character called Max that I just met a few days ago and got hired to do."
• Kim Coles [31:27]: "They think that you were whatever you were, and you're richer and more and deeper than that."

This introspection highlights the profound connection Erika and Kim have with their roles and each other, reinforcing the authenticity and chemistry that Living Single is celebrated for.

9. Conclusion and Invitation to Rewatch

In wrapping up the episode, Erika and Kim invite listeners to join them in revisiting Living Single, promising more in-depth analyses and shared viewing experiences in future episodes.

• Kim Coles [45:02]: "So y'all better go and watch the show and then be ready to come here and rewatch it with us."
• Erika Alexander [48:18]: "We got it. We got it."

They conclude with a playful chemistry read of a scene from Mahogany, demonstrating that their bond remains as strong as ever, ensuring listeners that the journey to relive Living Single will be both nostalgic and entertaining.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Erika Alexander [00:12]: "And if you feel it, then the audience can see it."
• Kim Coles [04:00]: "Episode number one is judging a book by its cover."
• Erika Alexander [06:01]: "It's not like it was decided that you would have these locks or that, you know, that you would wear this particular style."
• Kim Coles [10:22]: "I love Sinclair and I don't like that people think she's dumb."
• Erika Alexander [30:31]: "You want to be grateful for every opportunity you get, but you also can become identified by a single character."
• Kim Coles [43:37]: "Friends."
• Erika Alexander [48:18]: "We got it. We got it."

Closing Thoughts

"Judging by the Pilot" sets a reflective and celebratory tone for the ReLiving Single podcast series. Erika Alexander and Kim Coles adeptly intertwine personal anecdotes with critical analysis, offering listeners a rich tapestry of insights into why Living Single remains a beloved staple in television history. Their mutual respect, enduring friendship, and shared passion for the show ensure that this rewatch journey will be both informative and heartwarming.

Transcript

[Erica Alexander]

Hey, Kim, you know, what is chemistry?

[Kim Coles]

You know, chemistry is that sort of je ne sais quoi. You can't quite put your finger on it, but you know it when you feel it.

[Erica Alexander]

And if you feel it, then the audience can see it. Yeah, that kind of thing.

[Kim Coles]

And I really, truly believe that we had it at Living Single from episode one Moment One, like, right away.

[Erica Alexander]

That's exactly why they greenlit the show. I mean, our chemistry is part of the legion.

[Kim Coles]

It is. Do you know that they still do chemistry reads on auditions? You wanna explain to the people what a chemistry read is?

[Erica Alexander]

Well, okay, so chemistry read is where you go in and you see if you vibe with the other actor, and they wanna bring you in to make sure that you have, you know, some kind of communication that je ne sais quoi you're talking about. So I think maybe we should do one here.

[Kim Coles]

Why would we need one? It's clear that we have chemistry.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, I don't know. There's a lot of things that change. You know, there's a lot of water on the bridge. You know, years have gone by, we've had Covid.

[Kim Coles]

What does Covid have to do?

[Erica Alexander]

I just mean that you could have changed. You know what I'm saying? I could have changed too. So I say let's test it. We gonna go on this new reliving single journey. We need to make sure that we have now what we had then.

[Kim Coles]

Okay. All right. No, no, I'm down for it. I'm down for it.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay, let's do it.

[Kim Coles]

I'm a little worried, but no.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay.

[Kim Coles]

Okay. Tell you what. On one condition.

[Erica Alexander]

What is it, though?

[Kim Coles]

Okay. If we're gonna do a chemistry read, then we need to read a script, and I wanna choose it.

[Erica Alexander]

Deal. I'm scared. Don't have me out here looking crazy.

[Kim Coles]

No, we're gonna look good.

[Erica Alexander]

All right.

[Kim Coles]

Wait till you see. I got something immediate, too.

[Erica Alexander]

I'm excited now.

[Kim Coles]

I'm excited.

[Erica Alexander]

Let's do this. Hey, welcome, welcome. Reliving Single, Reliving Single, Living Single, the unofficial Living Single podcast.

[Kim Coles]

So it's official, but it's unofficial. Unofficial, of course, because we're rebels like that. So it's officially unofficial, Kim.

[Erica Alexander]

We're talking about the journey of living single through our eyes. It was 30 years ago.

[Kim Coles]

30 years ago. We're still here and it's still on. And it is playing somewhere even as we speak right now.

[Erica Alexander]

Somewhere in the world, Living Single is playing.

[Kim Coles]

That's so wonderful.

[Erica Alexander]

And thank you to our fans and our friends and our Family, you're the reason that this has gone on this long again. They will not let us let this go.

[Kim Coles]

I embrace it. And we're getting younger and younger fans and people whose kids are watching. So, like, how many Maxes have you met?

[Erica Alexander]

I've met Maxes. I met someone whose name was Erica Alexandra.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, wow.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes. Erica Alexandra Harris, a tech entrepreneur.

[Kim Coles]

Wow.

[Erica Alexander]

Not kidding.

[Kim Coles]

You did that?

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Or her mama did that.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, her mama did it. She crazy.

[Kim Coles]

But I've met several.

[Erica Alexander]

You know what I mean?

[Kim Coles]

I love it.

[Erica Alexander]

I didn't have any children.

[Kim Coles]

Neither did I.

[Erica Alexander]

But I have lots of Maxes.

[Kim Coles]

It's incredible.

[Erica Alexander]

But it's amazing when people pay tribute to you like that, because that means it went to the heart. That's more than resonate, which is why.

[Kim Coles]

We'Re doing this show.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Here at the heart. Get it? Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

So what are we gonna do in this show? We're gonna actually. What's a rewatch?

[Kim Coles]

Podcast.

[Erica Alexander]

We're gonna watch the show now. What's weird is I don't know how much I watched the show when it was on. Did you watch it?

[Kim Coles]

So I watched some of it and I would forget stuff.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah, well, like, oh, why did we do that? Well, no, because on Thursday nights when it came on, we were also taping that night. And we talking about you had to put a VHS in and record it and push it. No one knew how to work. No vhs. Shoot, nowadays, these kids don't even understand how lucky they are. They're so lazy, they could just go, boom, pop it in. Next thing you know, they got everything at their fingertips, and we're gonna bring them back to when it was hard. Okay? So, yeah, so we're gonna rewatch it.

[Kim Coles]

So watch the show with us. Re Watch it.

[Erica Alexander]

Show with us. And we're gonna start with number one.

[Kim Coles]

Here we go. The first episode.

[Erica Alexander]

That's right. What is it?

[Kim Coles]

I forgot the name of it. It was 30 years ago, people. So you'll be all right.

[Erica Alexander]

We're gonna watch the show episode by episode, starting with number one. What is episode number one?

[Kim Coles]

Episode number one is judging a book by its cover.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

In which Regine thinks that she's found the perfect man. But Sinclair and Khadijah and Max learn that he is dun, dun, dun. Married.

[Erica Alexander]

Married.

[Kim Coles]

Ooh. Ooh.

[Erica Alexander]

He was played by Silk Kozar.

[Kim Coles]

Who is Silky?

[Erica Alexander]

One of the finest. He was Silky, wasn't he?

[Kim Coles]

He's a good looking man. And he's a sweetheart. He's.

[Erica Alexander]

He is a sweetheart. Good dude. Respectful, gentleman.

[Kim Coles]

All of that playing this married man.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, I wanted to oil him up. They had to decide how to break it to her without her getting upset because Regine would lose trust in them. Meanwhile, the B story. Sinclair forgets to secure the front cover celebrity for Flavor magazine. Now we talk about B story. There's an A story and a B story in sitcom, and the A story is basically the main story, the story that the characters will be dealing with mostly. And the B story is the kind of fun story that comes up and that threads it through very lightly and sort of has maybe a couple of scenes and then ties up the end.

[Kim Coles]

You'll never watch a sitcom the same way ever again after you know that. Now you'll see the A story, you'll see the B story, and you'll see how they fold into each other. It's beautiful. Fun to watch and fun to do.

[Erica Alexander]

I mean, you know, dating a married man in the 90s, was it a big deal?

[Kim Coles]

In the 90s, it's a big deal all the time. It's something you should never do.

[Erica Alexander]

I don't know. Nowadays, these young people be dating everybody. They get on their apps and they have an app for do you want to date a married man? Really think I'm lying?

[Kim Coles]

There's never a case in which the married man is the right man for you.

[Erica Alexander]

And by the way, if Yvette was thinking about the longevity of the show and also capturing attention, something controversial like, that would be a good thing, right? So she lays it down early on. This is a dating show, but it's gonna be a little messy.

[Kim Coles]

And by the way, Yvette is Yvette Leigh Bowser, the creator of the show. You'll learn more about her. Yes. Are we gonna watch this episode or what? It's time for the rewind where we watch and relive Living Single with you.

[Erica Alexander]

So before we get into the episode, we gotta talk about the theme song.

[Kim Coles]

Theme song? Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

Everywhere we go, people sing this song.

[Kim Coles]

Where we live in.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes. Listen to this. Come on. What is that?

[Kim Coles]

What is that? Okay, so that is not the theme song. The name of the Living Single show was originally My Girls.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay, I do agree.

[Kim Coles]

And we were told that it had to be changed because there was a movie of the same name.

[Erica Alexander]

What movie?

[Kim Coles]

My Girl. My Girl. A decision was made. We're gonna change the name, and the name was gonna be changed to Living.

[Erica Alexander]

Single just in case anybody out there mistook the movie. With two white kids, with four black sitcom, with four black women and six and two men, it Was tough time.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah. So it was changed to Living Single.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay.

[Kim Coles]

Which I thought it was a terrible name.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay.

[Kim Coles]

Because nobody talks that way. And you say, I'm living the single life, or, ooh, I'm single and living it up big. Like, who says living single? It sounded harsh.

[Erica Alexander]

What'd you do about it? Do you say anything?

[Kim Coles]

Well, okay, so Dana and I went to Warner Brothers, and we went to go see Les Moonvest, who was running Dan's Queen Latifah. Right.

[Erica Alexander]

If you don't know that her name is.

[Kim Coles]

My memory is that we took a golf cart over from the lot where we were over to the big lot where his office was. And I remember a set of doors opening up as if we were walking into heaven. It was like, oh, the executive office. And it took 15 years to walk to his desk because it was like a long walkway. And we fought for it. We're like, this is a terrible name. And why are you changing the name? It's not going to. Nobody's going to say it. And he just listened and said, okay, well, thank you so much for coming back and get on in your golf cart and go on back across the.

[Erica Alexander]

Dismissed.

[Kim Coles]

Dismissed. And we had to take it on. And now I couldn't imagine another name.

[Erica Alexander]

I like that you stood up.

[Kim Coles]

Yes. We fought for it. You know what?

[Erica Alexander]

Over and over. People don't understand that we have these battles.

[Kim Coles]

Right.

[Erica Alexander]

You know what I'm saying?

[Kim Coles]

And sometimes you lose.

[Erica Alexander]

You lost.

[Kim Coles]

But we won.

[Erica Alexander]

Most times you lose.

[Kim Coles]

Right.

[Erica Alexander]

It's all good.

[Kim Coles]

What did we win? We won a great name once we got our name. Living single.

[Erica Alexander]

Boom.

[Kim Coles]

Who wrote the theme song for it?

[Erica Alexander]

Queen Latifah.

[Kim Coles]

Who performed the theme song for it?

[Erica Alexander]

Queen Latifah.

[Kim Coles]

It was incredible.

[Erica Alexander]

It was great. Roll it.

[Kim Coles]

I remember that day, standing and dancing. Okay. So much to talk about there. Hey, it's a bop. And it bops to this day.

[Erica Alexander]

It does. And I think I only learned the lyrics last year. I mean, you know, a. Yeah. By the way, they all think I'm the woman dancing underneath the bridge.

[Kim Coles]

Let's do a little moment to her. Big Les is her name. She's an incredible dancer and was, you know, really one of the premier video girls that were hap. That was happening in the 90s. And she came and did that dance. We've got to have her on the show.

[Erica Alexander]

We do.

[Kim Coles]

She's one of the Sweetie girl choreographer.

[Erica Alexander]

And we also need to just prove that we are two different people. You know, I don't mind if I can get paid her checks.

[Kim Coles]

Right.

[Erica Alexander]

But I was never that limber. And plus, she's got strength ungodly. She looked like she's in Woman King. If I kicked up my leg, I'm telling you, you've been calling them emt. It's not gonna happen.

[Kim Coles]

Shut it down.

[Erica Alexander]

Shut it down.

[Kim Coles]

So people come up to us and sing the song all the time. It has been remixed a thousand times.

[Erica Alexander]

It's in all sorts of.

[Kim Coles]

There's a jazzy version, there's a country version, and it just. It shows that when you have great music, it lasts the test of time.

[Erica Alexander]

For sure.

[Kim Coles]

She did that, too. Blue and tight. Like blue. So one of the things that's really special about this episode is, of course, it was written by our creator, Yvette Denise Lee, and Tom Anderson was brought in to overarching showrunner. I'm really grateful that Tom Anderson knew to stand down and let Yvette create the show that needed to be created. He was brought in to, you know, oversee everything. But she wanted to create extraordinary female friendships, and that was the foundation for the show.

[Erica Alexander]

Right. So we should watch clip one because we're gonna see the beginning of it.

[Kim Coles]

Hello, Flavor magazine. The freshest taste in news and feels. I may hook you up. Sinclair, what are you doing? I'm making them think we're international.

[Erica Alexander]

Make them think we need some money. What we're getting from this is that Khadijah, played by the great Queen Latifah, is always going to be concerned about the health of her business. She's always going to have to be watching Sinclair, despite her good intentions, will mess her up and. Or miss things. And then she's always going to be interrupted by the continuing saga and soap opera of her various friends. There you go. That's Living Singlet.

[Kim Coles]

That's the show.

[Erica Alexander]

Sinclair was a royal mess up, but you play her beautifully.

[Kim Coles]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

You know what I'm saying?

[Kim Coles]

I love Sinclair and I don't like that people think she's dumb. She's not dumb. So ditzy and, you know, marches to the beat of her own drummer.

[Erica Alexander]

That's dumb.

[Kim Coles]

But look at what she's. That's.

[Erica Alexander]

No, that's not dumb.

[Kim Coles]

That's not dumb. She's doing accents. She has thought this through. She wants her cousin's magazine to be. To feel as if it's international so she's willing to put on a fake accent. Like, I want people to think this is fantastic or whatever she did, you know, like she's thought this through. That's not dumb. It's not well placed, but it's not dumb. It's not effective.

[Erica Alexander]

I don't even know what to say. Yeah, no, that's what's up, Sinclair. Genius.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

Pure genius, right?

[Kim Coles]

Yeah, I think so.

[Erica Alexander]

Me too.

[Kim Coles]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

And I. And what's played by a pure genius? Kim Coles. Let's just be real. No diggity. No diggity. No doubt you were just coming off of Living color.

[Kim Coles]

Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

You have a background in comedy.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

How much did that play into? Because the play is here you are doing this receptionist cousin role.

[Kim Coles]

Right.

[Erica Alexander]

And actually dumb characters are actually very smart. It's actually very hard to play so called characters who are seen as innocent or. You know what I mean? Simple.

[Kim Coles]

Cause I was a grown woman playing that, so I couldn't be too bad.

[Erica Alexander]

And by the way. And you're smart. You went to the Brooklyn Tech.

[Kim Coles]

It's a school you have to take a test to get into. But that's neither here nor there. It's one of the top three high schools in New York and in the country. But you know, to play, you know, someone who was naive and innocent and.

[Erica Alexander]

Childlike, you know, Suzanne Somers did that as Chrissy on There's a classic wonderful thing. Who's our Golden Girls?

[Kim Coles]

Right.

[Erica Alexander]

The great Betty Whites.

[Kim Coles]

Please, please, come on. So to have that sort of innocence and childlike wander and wander around the set was fun to play and fun to do and a great, you know, contrast to Khadijah who has this magazine and she's pulled and she's got a picture.

[Erica Alexander]

She's complicated and she's frustrated, but she's also very upfront that, you know that she's got a lot of things that she's tumbling around. And actually I think that you're the great equalizer there.

[Kim Coles]

Ah, thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

You know what I mean? You compliment each other.

[Kim Coles]

Thank you. And she's got a.

[Erica Alexander]

You actually complement each other as performers too.

[Kim Coles]

I think so too. We had chemistry. We shared the same dressing room all five seasons of that show. There was point that. Did anybody think.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, let's just say I always thought that they. You share the same dressing room because you both had big titties.

[Kim Coles]

Is that what.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes, big breasts.

[Kim Coles]

Did they fit in the same room? We would actually. I don't know if people know this. I was smoking at the time. We would go in our little dressing area and smoke cigarettes in between the scenes and go. We'll be right out, girls. This is something we. Oh, I had. I went to A store and bought us a little sofa. We had pillows in there. Made it deep. Absolutely.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, it was very. Nothing but a folding chair.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, no. We had plants in there. And we would sit and have a cigarette and, like, we'll be right out.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, my God.

[Kim Coles]

That's why we relate all the time.

[Erica Alexander]

Wow. Well, you know, everybody thinks it's all fancy back there, but we're in a huge warehouse, and they've got in the back of these sets that the sets are built with sort of plywood and whatnot. They look great from the front. From the back, it's all, you know, smoke and mirrors. And we are in dressing rooms that are curtains. Curtains curtained off.

[Kim Coles]

And you have to quickly. They're called quick change booths.

[Erica Alexander]

Change booth.

[Kim Coles]

So you just go in there, change, and get ready for the next scene. And we would go in there and laugh. And so you had yours and Kim had hers, and the guys had theirs. And we would go in there and just sit in our underwear and get ready for the. So let's say you and TC Were out doing a scene. We'd be in there smoking our cigarettes and getting ready for the next scene. Just like, we'll be out shortly.

[Erica Alexander]

That's what's up. What I like is they got you in that big hat. You look great in hats.

[Kim Coles]

I look great. Jeans in hats.

[Erica Alexander]

You look good.

[Kim Coles]

It had to be a cap that was easy enough to move on top of all those micro braids. It was. There's a lot of thought that goes into this thing that we're putting together. Even what you wear and the costumes, and we'll talk about that, too. It's all a part of the show.

[Erica Alexander]

Is establishing the two main characters, their dynamic as friends. And then also the third friend, Regine, is about to walk in.

[Kim Coles]

Hello, ladies. I've got good news. And I couldn't wait till you got home to rub your noses in.

[Erica Alexander]

It just came by to tell you.

[Kim Coles]

That the limo outside happens to belong to my new boyfriend, Brad.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, if we didn't have so much work to do here, we'd love to hear more about your latest canine kiss. Oh, would you?

[Kim Coles]

Wow.

[Erica Alexander]

Freaking awesome. That's the first episode, by the way. You talk about chemistry. The legend coming in, laying it down, and in front of our eyes, she is no longer child star. Right. She is touting the fact that you can lick caviar off of her ample bosoms. By the way, if you put caviar in there, you ain't finding it.

[Kim Coles]

You never find it again.

[Erica Alexander]

You ain't finding no caviar.

[Kim Coles]

What's really cool about this is that Kim has been working for years and years and had done some work as an adult. But this, this was really her first role, at least from my perspective. Her first role that we see her in, a full on woman. And she stepped into it beautifully and owned it. And owned it. And the wigs and the clothing and the desire to have a great man. But it really comes from wanting to grow out of this girl who just grew up in New Jersey. She wants this other world of what she thinks that she wants a security.

[Erica Alexander]

I think that Kim Fields, Regine set the bar for the bag. Like, go get that bag.

[Kim Coles]

100%.

[Erica Alexander]

You know what I mean?

[Kim Coles]

And wig culture.

[Erica Alexander]

Unapologetic.

[Kim Coles]

Unapologetic. I'm gonna wear these. I'm gonna switch it up.

[Erica Alexander]

I'm gonna serve it.

[Kim Coles]

Serve it and enjoy.

[Erica Alexander]

I guess there's no shame in that game.

[Kim Coles]

No, no.

[Erica Alexander]

You know, if you know it and.

[Kim Coles]

If you know this is what you want, you know what she was going for? I think she was going for security. I think people think that her character was a gold digger. I think it was a gold digger, as in G O A L. Look, not gold digging, but gold digging.

[Erica Alexander]

Gold digger.

[Kim Coles]

There's a life that you have when you have a wealthy man in the eyes of someone like that.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, you know, Kim was the gateway drug from wholesome to hussy. Everybody need a little taste. She was it. The bridge. We all have to give her props.

[Kim Coles]

She would be very upset that we were calling her a hussy, but she's a hussy. Ish.

[Erica Alexander]

She understands that we mean that in the most beautiful sense. And guess what? That's a career shift and certainly a personality shift. Right. She's a child star. She's a veteran. She's also wholesome, but also she's now playing the vamp and the hussy. Who's done that? Who's done that after her? Keke Palmer. Oh, Zendaya. They were child stars.

[Kim Coles]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

And then they had to prove that they were also women and they made that sort. So they transitioned from, like, wholesome to scandalous. They did. Look at euphoria.

[Kim Coles]

You're right. She's the first one.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

It's one thing to be a hussy. It's one thing to be a hussy on cocaine. So, you know, we all have our trajectory. Yeah. Let's give props to the great kid Field, as always.

[Kim Coles]

What does hussy mean?

[Erica Alexander]

Well, it's a Very kind word to say. You use your feminine wiles. Your feminine wiles to you a hoe. I mean, I don't know how else to put it. Sorry. You know, it is what it is. I didn't come up with that. This is from time immemorial.

[Kim Coles]

Okay?

[Erica Alexander]

You ain't finna put this on me.

[Kim Coles]

You said it.

[Erica Alexander]

Did I say it or did Amber, the writer? I think our producer said it.

[Kim Coles]

So let the writer be shown. I came. I did not call you a hussy. You were a gold and gold digger. And you had different things for you had other goals that you were digging for.

[Erica Alexander]

For sure.

[Kim Coles]

And I was just digging for some brain. I was digging for some brains. Okay, moving on. And what you never ever want to do is to touch this wire right here.

[Erica Alexander]

You thought I was gonna touch it, didn't you? Just a little handyman humor.

[Kim Coles]

I fall for that every time. You've probably worked up quite a thirst. Why don't I get us a beverage? Wow.

[Erica Alexander]

Wait a minute. Was he the first person to say sookie sicky now on the show? Oh, my gosh. We all thought it was Regine.

[Kim Coles]

It was Overton. It was Overton. That's right. Wow.

[Erica Alexander]

Wow. We just discovered this at what age?

[Kim Coles]

Way, way. So let's talk about the great John Kento. I call him Hentai.

[Erica Alexander]

Fine as hell.

[Kim Coles]

Fine. Cleveland funny.

[Erica Alexander]

Ohio best.

[Kim Coles]

Listen, I remember watching John Hinton on the Johnny Carson show. And I know I'm dating myself if those of you remember watching the show. And as a stand up comedian myself, I understand the power of a standup comedian going on the Johnny CARSON Show. And Mr. Carson saying, come on over and sit down and talk to me. Because that's never planned unless you're a big, big name. It was his first name. Network television show. And I remember when he said, you know, come on over, the look on John's face was like, I'm about to sit next to the great. And Johnny Carson loved him. And that was the night that John Hinton became a star. Like all kinds of phone calls. And we'll have him on the show and tell all that. It's a huge deal.

[Erica Alexander]

And so here he is introducing us to the apartment. Now this is very important. In episode one, we've already seen one of the most important anchors in there is Flavor.

[Kim Coles]

Flavor Magazine.

[Erica Alexander]

Flavor Magazine. We also, by establishing that, say that they are career women.

[Kim Coles]

Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

You know, they're not homemakers. Who's at home? You are now at home with the handyman, with the buildings. And we are in the girl's apartment. And we get to see ground zero. Ground zero in a sitcom is usually where the couch is and where we see most of what's going to happen throughout the entirety of the show.

[Kim Coles]

Right.

[Erica Alexander]

And so it's funny that the leads don't introduce us. There you are. There. But meaning it's John Hinton's character, which is.

[Kim Coles]

And you see him establishing a little flirt and a little something going on. So we're giving the audience an insight. Insight and inside into what's to come.

[Erica Alexander]

Exactly. So that's now framing up some of the relationships that we're going to see and testing out those things. We don't know what's gonna happen. But we're also seeing that Overton has a thing for Sinclair chemistry. Clueless.

[Kim Coles]

She's gold digging. No, she's childlike wonder. Childlike wonder.

[Erica Alexander]

Both of them have childlike wonder.

[Kim Coles]

And that's why we got along with them.

[Erica Alexander]

Now, so Overton's character. Let's talk about that a little bit. Where's he from?

[Kim Coles]

From Cleveland. You know, a simple guy. What you and I don't mean simple as in simple tongue. That's another character that people think stupid. You know, he's an inventor. He can fix anything. He knows the inner workings of everything that's happening in the building. He knows the inner workings of relationships. He's actually meat and potatoes. What you see is what you get. Salt of the earth. And strong. Strong in who he is.

[Erica Alexander]

He's the Nat Turner of handymen.

[Kim Coles]

Okay.

[Erica Alexander]

No, because he has that little rebel in him. Like, you're not gonna just turn him. He's very strong in who he is. And he understands that in the world where people might judge him, he's a rock.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

He never apologizes for that. Yeah, I love that. I mean, so he's masculine.

[Kim Coles]

Right.

[Erica Alexander]

And he's simple and easy on the eyes. And he's very accessible. He's everyone's homeboy 100%.

[Kim Coles]

And let me say this about him, too. What I love about John is John loves women. He would make every woman who came on the set feel beautiful. How you doing today? Beautiful. He just makes you feel loved and seen and appreciated and has a thousand sisters. And I think that's where it comes from. He really loves women and made them feel beautiful.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, that's the thing. And that would be an ongoing thing with both men. We have a second one that's going to. To. To enter, but that they really went out of their way to make sure that they took care of us, but also to protect us. 100 and treat us like a lady or you are off key.

[Kim Coles]

Yes, I am.

[Erica Alexander]

You know what I'm saying? That was some shot. Yeah, that was all like, wow. Now, today she let me fix the vacuum, but I figured once I get up under that sink, I'm in there.

[Kim Coles]

Take notes. Dealing with a woman is like playing a basketball game. And brothers like you dribble around the.

[Erica Alexander]

Perimeter fixing vacuum cleaners while a man.

[Kim Coles]

Like me drives straight up the middle and slams. There we have our men.

[Erica Alexander]

Come on.

[Kim Coles]

Right there, right there. Rocket and rocket fuel. They loved us. Rocket and rocket fuel. We're learning so much. And this is dialogue. A sitcom dialogue. But what have we learned? Now, we're clear that Overton is interested in Sinclair and he wants to get up under that sink, which is. That is scandalous.

[Erica Alexander]

That's very naughty. Very naughty.

[Kim Coles]

Very naughty. And then you have this other man come in, which we find out is his roommate. And he's school alpha male, dressed totally different.

[Erica Alexander]

Got the suspenders, dressed to a T. Got his whole formal game going on. A business game going on. Look at the locks. Now, let's talk about Kyle Barker.

[Kim Coles]

What? What? We had never seen someone like him in the sitcom world. Proud, chocolate, black, blackity black.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, you know, wait a minute. We had Dwayne Wayne.

[Kim Coles]

Okay. Right, right.

[Erica Alexander]

I have to say, T.C. carson with the locks.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

Is coming in a professional setting with those locks. That's already saying that he is pushing and you know what I mean, that he's his own person. I love it. I mean, he's unapologetically Afrocentric.

[Kim Coles]

Yes, yes.

[Erica Alexander]

He is our Afrofuturist. Seriously. But so Kyle Barker is named after Yvette Lee Bowser's boyfriend at the time.

[Kim Coles]

Right. Kyle Bowser.

[Erica Alexander]

Kyle Bowser is a amazing dresser, smart, a lawyer from Philly. In real life.

[Kim Coles]

In real life, smart, masculine, alpha male, braggadocious. Right, Right.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, see, that's down to T.C. carson. So T.C. carson is played by the great T of Chicago. And Chicago is nothing if not full of swagger.

[Kim Coles]

Swagger for days. And so TC brought that to Kyle.

[Erica Alexander]

He did.

[Kim Coles]

100%.

[Erica Alexander]

100%.

[Kim Coles]

Even down to the African clothing he would wear, the jewelry he would wear. He really influenced that character and took it all the way there.

[Erica Alexander]

And they were also immediately best buddies. They understood that this show was going to be mostly centered around the four women, and they very quickly coalesced that they would have to advocate for themselves. They also knew and saw very quickly that we were going to protect Them. So it was a love affair from the beginning.

[Kim Coles]

From the very beginning. Talk about chemistry. And so they were roommates who had. But they had known each other. The storyline is that they knew each other in Cleveland. So that's how they came to be friends and live in the big cities.

[Erica Alexander]

Is that how they came to be friends? Okay. Oh, that's right.

[Kim Coles]

But that they were very different but very much brothers.

[Erica Alexander]

And they live above the women in a whole nother apartment. And one's a handyman of the apartment. The other one is the roommate.

[Kim Coles]

Right. There you go. Don't you ever go home?

[Erica Alexander]

Good to see you too, girl. Where you going?

[Kim Coles]

Carnival.

[Erica Alexander]

Today my look and my law were fierce. I got my client the house, the Winnebago alimony, and 70 of all the assets he tried to conceal. I left that man with nothing but a lint ball and have a Tic Tac. Don't touch me unless you want to get burned.

[Kim Coles]

And here you come, a force of nature, a force of energy. You come in and we know who you are right away that you have taken the Winnie Bagel, the business. You left her with a lip ball and a what now? And a Tic Tac. Don't touch me unless you want it to get burned.

[Erica Alexander]

What was that scene? So that right there was the audition piece, and that's why I was.

[Kim Coles]

Was it.

[Erica Alexander]

Let me tell you, I served that hard. You know how many times I had to do that scene?

[Kim Coles]

W. So people should know that sometimes the audition, the audition that you have for the show is actually in the show. So you were ready, you were reveled.

[Erica Alexander]

I was ready. I was ready.

[Kim Coles]

Did you strut like that? Did you really work it in the audition, too?

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah, I had to. You know, you getting up there, you know, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun.

[Kim Coles]

Right?

[Erica Alexander]

I mean. But, you know, basically, I knew one thing, that she was written very strong, that she came in immediately. She serves a response, a zinger right away. Zinger.

[Kim Coles]

Boom.

[Erica Alexander]

Right away she comes in, she dumps her bag, and then she tells her best friend Khadijah what she's done for the day. And this is a winner. So basically, if a house has its own weather, Max has her own weather system, and she's coming in like a tornado. Like a tornado. I love it.

[Kim Coles]

Stay tuned. There's a whole lot more rewatching the reliving show coming after this. Right, Erica? She ain't going nowhere.

[Erica Alexander]

You should know that Maxine Shaw is named for Yvette Lee Bowser's lawyer, the great Nina Shaw, who is a pioneering black lawyer, entertainment lawyer, and still is. But what you see, of course, with her braids and all of that. I came in the door with that hair. Deborah Hare, Bay of Bread Salon. I was growing it out from another show. She put that in. And I came to the audition like that. I really feel like we did this taping. We were at the table read, and we, like, three days later, we were taping.

[Kim Coles]

I don't even remember. But it went fast.

[Erica Alexander]

It was fast. It was very fast. So that's what it was.

[Kim Coles]

So you talk about this hair. So you're known for these yarns. So they're yarn locks.

[Erica Alexander]

Locks. They're called new locks now. They're called, in re. Yarn backwards, new locks.

[Kim Coles]

But it's important that people know that you. This is how you came to the character. It wasn't like it was decided that you would have these locks or that, you know, that you would wear this particular style. Erica Alexander was wearing this style. And that's Max's style.

[Erica Alexander]

That's Max's style. And I was fine with that, because I can't even lay claim to the fact that I think I get a lot of love for having established that. But you gotta look at Whoopi Goldberg's jumping jack flash to understand that that's in our minds, too. So, you know, when we talk about the type of pioneering show this is, I always have to give props to the people who built us. And the people who built me coming into that show would be people like Cecily Tyson, Whoopi Goldberg, who had played my mother, Cecily Tyson, who I wanted to be like her confidence, her sexuality, that unapologetic barracuda. I think that all that energy is piled up in there, and it certainly is coming off of Yvette Leigh Bowser, who went to Stanford and wanted to be a lawyer. This is. You want to know who she is? Yvette Lee Bowser said that she was the Max character. She wanted to be the lawyer, and she had written her so strong that they wanted to get rid of her, but they sent her across the street. So that's how she saved her. So that's why Max send her across.

[Kim Coles]

The street, like in a little golf cart, like me and Latif.

[Erica Alexander]

No, they put her across the street. They. They gave her a holograph.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, they gave across the street from the show from the girl. She's too strong to be in the house with everybody. But you were always there with us, which is also part of the story, part of the joke.

[Erica Alexander]

She salvaged it by. By giving her a place to be across the street. But it's just too black, too strong, but also too woman. Too strong. I gotta say. Just real quick, strong feminist voice, tough exterior, a lawyer.

[Kim Coles]

And we hadn't seen someone like her either. We had not. Who was strong in her sexuality, strong in her blackness. Clear in. I mean, we've seen versions of it. No doubt. No doubt. And, of course, Cecily Tyson and Hare. Hello. But this mix of. In a sitcom, I think, feels very new.

[Erica Alexander]

It does, I think. The most wonderful thing. I thought she didn't have to apologize for being or wanting sex. You know what I mean? And she also didn't have to apologize for the insults. She didn't come back and say, girl, you all right? You know how they did? Like, you know, I was just. You ain't gonna get that, Max. She said it. She stood by it. But there was integrity inside of her that you felt was fair. Even when she was being, you know, rigid or kind of, you know, dismissive or insult, you thought that she was having a blast.

[Kim Coles]

Right?

[Erica Alexander]

You know, she goes on her own journey with that. So that's what's up. And I really am very proud to have that as part of how people see me. It's been a heavy thing to carry.

[Kim Coles]

Why is it heavy?

[Erica Alexander]

Let me just put it to you like this. You want to be grateful for every opportunity you get, but you also can become identified by a single character. And. And people always ask me, is that you or are you her? And I say, well, do you understand? I don't know who Max is when I'm coming through the door. That's Eric Alexander playing a character called Max that I just met a few days ago and got hired to do. So is Max me or am I her? I say, how about she's me Until I learn more about her, Then I become more like her. But then she becomes more like me. So we're inseparable, like every character do. People don't ask you whether you're Sinclair, like Sinclair, or like, oh, they do. That would scare me, considering how, but.

[Kim Coles]

Because I am a person who lives from the space of childlike wonder, which is why I keep coming to. There are people who've said to me, oh, my God, you're just like Sinclair. And I go, I hope that's a good thing, because I know that there are people who think that she's a.

[Erica Alexander]

It is a good thing.

[Kim Coles]

They think that you were whatever you were, and you're richer and more and Deeper than that. But the qualities that I installed in Sinclair are foundational to me. So if you say that I'm just like Sinclair, it's a compliment.

[Erica Alexander]

And there we are. Now. We've all been introduced inside of this show inside of the first 15 minutes. And that sets the stage, that chemistry and the hopes and sort of just like throwing some salt over your shoulder and saying, let's see. Let's go on this journey with these six characters. Yvette Leigh Bowser and her writing crew in Tower and a supportive system. And that's the good news. And we're playing it all on the Family Matter set, which is freaky dangerous.

[Kim Coles]

People. Tell me, did you know that was Family Matter Set? I wasn't thinking about it. I was just like, this is. Is this where the sofa is? Is that where the door is? Great. Let me just do it. It's not until later that we look back and we go, wow. We were using someone else's set until the show got picked up and we got our Family Matters.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. And normally they might have reshot the thing. Cause a pilot is a demo. It is a test. But they did so well with the test that bam, we got the show. Yeah. We kept that as our pilot.

[Kim Coles]

Number one, episode one, it's all on fire.

[Erica Alexander]

Weren't we on fire?

[Kim Coles]

And it felt good right away. I felt it did.

[Erica Alexander]

We can brag now.

[Kim Coles]

We can.

[Erica Alexander]

We didn't know then.

[Kim Coles]

I knew in my soul.

[Erica Alexander]

You knew?

[Kim Coles]

Oh, I knew. Oh, I knew there was. Because as I've talked about before, I had come off of another show that was. That did not have this chemistry. So if I got to a place where I felt. Oh, collaboration. Oh, these people all seem to really like each other. I was like, this has to work. Oh, God, this has to work. Yeah. So I've talked about it, and I'll talk about it again. Because the contrast was incredible to experience. And there was a level of joy and respect. And very quickly, we learned to. I could throw the ball to you, and I knew that you would throw it back to me. And I could trust what you were throwing my way. And you could trust that what I was throwing your way was gonna be golden enough to catch and take to the next level. So I felt good right away.

[Erica Alexander]

We were learning each other, but we had the strength, the freedom and the bravery and courage to connect.

[Kim Coles]

Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

You have to want to connect to people. You have to open yourself up to it. And everybody was open to it. We closed up later. More about that.

[Kim Coles]

So we've met all the characters. Now, everybody has been introduced. We're gonna get to know them eventually. But the plot of this show, like we said, was Regine was dating a married man.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. She saw the perfect man.

[Kim Coles]

We find out he's married. He's perfect, except just that little thing, right? And we have.

[Erica Alexander]

And he confirms it, though. He does. He confirms it to her that she's married, but she still dates him.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah, that happens.

[Erica Alexander]

Probrecito.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah, that's.

[Erica Alexander]

By the way, we were number one in Latin homes. Pobrecito.

[Kim Coles]

He is married. He tells her she continues to date him.

[Erica Alexander]

That's right.

[Kim Coles]

Right.

[Erica Alexander]

And they're mad at her because, you know, come on, Ray Jean, like you.

[Kim Coles]

Could do better than this.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. Have I ever said her name right? By the way, I say Regean.

[Kim Coles]

You say Rege.

[Erica Alexander]

What is her name?

[Kim Coles]

It's Regene, I think. But I love that you say Regine. I love that you give it a hard, like Regene.

[Erica Alexander]

I have never said that name. Right. Not even in the show.

[Kim Coles]

Because what people don't may not remember her name is actually Regina. It's Regina. She changed it to Regine to be fancy. She's Regina from Newark.

[Erica Alexander]

So I'm Regene.

[Kim Coles]

You Regene. Regene.

[Erica Alexander]

So the pilot is now proving Yvette Lee's thesis, right? Because we. Even though she's gonna go and date the married man, then come back with her tail between her legs. They've got an extraordinary relationship.

[Kim Coles]

They do.

[Erica Alexander]

And they've got her back.

[Kim Coles]

Right. And in the end, isn't that what, you know, true friendships are supposed to be about? That in the end, you will come back home and we will be here to lick our wounds or to loving each other, or to. Or to, you know, encourage each other.

[Erica Alexander]

That's what friends are for.

[Kim Coles]

Friends are for.

[Erica Alexander]

So that's the end of the.

[Kim Coles]

Almost the end.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, it's punctuated by Latifah's very famous line, right? What is it?

[Kim Coles]

What would the world be like without men? A bunch of fat, happy women.

[Erica Alexander]

Women with no crime. Bunch of fat, happy women. No crime.

[Kim Coles]

Bunch of fat, happy women and no crime.

[Erica Alexander]

You know what? That sound like the Wakanda of vagina. But I would like to live in that world.

[Kim Coles]

Would you like to live in a world with no.

[Erica Alexander]

Never ready.

[Kim Coles]

With no men? Oh, it's so much more fun.

[Erica Alexander]

Fat and happy with no crime.

[Kim Coles]

We're already fat and happy. So that, no offense, the no crime.

[Erica Alexander]

Maybe we could have a. A hologram for men. I'm willing to test it.

[Kim Coles]

I Think that we need each other. So I think this is a great quote. A bunch of fat, happy women and no crime. So, okay, nice that there would be no crime. But I think that the divine feminine and the divine masculine belong together.

[Erica Alexander]

We need to. You better get a vibrator. Because that's what most of these women have nowadays. Let's be honest.

[Kim Coles]

I get it. I'm not saying that it's that. That it. That it can't be done. But I think that if we can all get along, it would be great.

[Erica Alexander]

We'd be fighting over the one dude, not me.

[Kim Coles]

I wouldn't fight over.

[Erica Alexander]

I'm not fighting over.

[Kim Coles]

I'm not fighting. I'm not fighting. I'm not gonna fight.

[Erica Alexander]

I'm not fighting.

[Kim Coles]

I'm not fighting. I'm not gonna fight.

[Erica Alexander]

I'm not gonna fight. I'm not gonna fight, girl.

[Kim Coles]

I'm not gonna.

[Erica Alexander]

You wanna fight?

[Kim Coles]

I'm not gonna fight. I'm not gonna fight. I. I oughta. We gotta finish off the episode here.

[Erica Alexander]

Let's finish the episode. So what happens at the end?

[Kim Coles]

We sing a song. We sing the my girls thing. We go into the bathroom and we sing and dance together.

[Erica Alexander]

So this is where Yvette is sort of saying, hey, if you didn't know what this show was about. We gonna show that the girls always come together.

[Kim Coles]

Always.

[Erica Alexander]

And they repair and they heal.

[Kim Coles]

Right?

[Erica Alexander]

And this is one of their routines. Bom bom, bom, bom bom. Bom. My girls, my girls, my girls Talking about my.

[Kim Coles]

And I robotted. I robotted. That's all I remember. My girls. And we're singing and dancing and in love.

[Erica Alexander]

And we go out.

[Kim Coles]

We go out.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, you know what it says?

[Kim Coles]

What does it say?

[Erica Alexander]

It says that men come and go, but your friends are forever.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, true.

[Erica Alexander]

And that this friendship is gonna last. But we gonna need you to come on it with us. And that's again. It's really the most wonderful thing.

[Kim Coles]

It is.

[Erica Alexander]

And you know what's funny?

[Kim Coles]

What's funny?

[Erica Alexander]

You said 30 years ago we did this. But for 30 years, people have been betting on that friendship. So Yvette Leigh Bowser put her magic in it. She had the good sense and the power, the DNA and the luck stroke to hire six actors that could embody a beautiful ensemble and create the magic that became the legend.

[Kim Coles]

That's the pilot. That was us. How many years ago? 1993.

[Erica Alexander]

Almost two years ago. 32 years ago.

[Kim Coles]

Wow. It feels good to watch it. I can't believe I was that young. And that skinny. And I thought I was fat then. Like, I thought I was heavy. Like I had been a bigger girl. And I lost weight as I'd gotten in the business, and I was told that I needed to lose weight, and I lost a bunch of weight. And I look at that and I go, oh, my God, I was so chubby. And hello, I. I would pay for that, right? Yeah. I love myself as I am. But it's funny how body image and the eyebrows and the hair.

[Erica Alexander]

Hindsight gives insight, right?

[Kim Coles]

It's. You ain't never lied. What hindsight and hind parts.

[Erica Alexander]

Put that. Come on. Put that on a T shirt.

[Kim Coles]

Right? But it felt good to watch the pilot. I think it still stands up. This is the reverb. Our time to reflect on the episode's themes and how they still end throughout the culture. Today we're talking about the impact of Living Single and why it's so iconic.

[Erica Alexander]

Black showbiz gives you more.

[Kim Coles]

Black showbiz gives you more. That's a T shirt.

[Erica Alexander]

My ex husband, Tony Perrier says that all the time. Black showbiz gives you more. And if you look at the 90s coming off of the 80s and strength, the Cosby show would set a new level of excellence. 100% for comedy, not for black people, but for everyone, for the world. And that's what I love about what happened afterwards. We weren't alone. We were in this world with Living Single, with Fresh Prince, Family Matters Martin.

[Kim Coles]

New York, New York Undercover.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah, it was just like the tsunami of power had been unleashed because it had been untapped. That's why the 90s are important, because it was giving permission to say, not only can we do this, we do this. And we set new records and we do it well. We do it well.

[Kim Coles]

What we were showing them is that this is how we're different and this is how we are the same. And I always tell the story of this little Jewish man that I met in a bank who squeezed my arm and said, I love you girls. You girls are beautiful. I'm from Brooklyn, too. I love you girls. I love the queen. I love all the girls. And here they were telling us what our audience looked like and sounded like. And it was actually much wider.

[Erica Alexander]

Much wider.

[Kim Coles]

Absolutely watched it.

[Erica Alexander]

I walked into and had my own experience with a Jewish community. I walked in not knowing it was actually they were Hasidic Jewish people. And I came in and I said, oh, excuse me. Cause it was the wrong store. And they said, we know you. We know who you are.

[Kim Coles]

We know who you are.

[Erica Alexander]

You're that bad girl. Now, I don't know. You're that bad girl. You're that bad girl. And I was. That's right. And they did know. And they were all men. And they laughed and they were delighted, but it was instant. It wasn't like, are you. We know you.

[Kim Coles]

You never told me this story. I love it.

[Erica Alexander]

Absolutely. You know, we would be driving in our cars, and then people would speed up and you'd see, like, white families, like, nearly running off the road.

[Kim Coles]

People say that I'm Sinclair. They say I'm you, and you got blonde hair and blue eyes and you're me. And. And so it's important that we were. We belong to our community at large, our, you know, the black community. And we belong to everyone who felt.

[Erica Alexander]

That we could resonate by them because. Because that's what comedy does. Yeah, it's the tie that. Yeah, it's the hip hop generation. One of the most consequential and phenomenal music eras was happening once again, fueled by black people with our culture. We've done this over and over again in American history. To be clear, the one thing about being enslaved is that they might have taken many of our freedoms, but they couldn't take our minds. They couldn't take our imagination. Deriza told me he was like, erica, the biggest nation is the imagination. And he's right. And if you look at jazz, if you look at rock and roll, ragtime, punk, rock, every genre country, that's black people showing that you may not have given us as much access, but you cannot ever take away the access we have to ourselves. But to have the distribution system suddenly say we're gonna put on shows with black cast, that's huge.

[Kim Coles]

And create a window into the worlds and go in there and look, and we kill every time. Killed it every time. Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

So there's a conversation inside of all that.

[Kim Coles]

And it was a beautiful blend. No one was like anyone else. We were all very, very different. And I think we each. Each of the characters in each of us represented a different aspect of culture and the culture that was happening at the time. And it just worked.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah, it worked. And started to dominate in family led sitcoms. Can't say enough about different world. Cosby show, hang Mr. Cooper, all those types of things. And we built the fox network.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, 100%, we built it.

[Erica Alexander]

We built this city. We built it. And it was amazing.

[Kim Coles]

100%.

[Erica Alexander]

And we should feel proud of that legacy. And in fact, I like to say that every time we come on the lot. They should show us our spots.

[Kim Coles]

This should be a perfect.

[Erica Alexander]

And plus a cafeteria meal. When we come in, it'll be like, why she asked for a cafeteria meal. She asking for more of her residuals. Don't worry about that.

[Kim Coles]

Happy Meal. Well. And you know this. And this happens to you. Don't you ride onto the lot. And security guards give you the love like that.

[Erica Alexander]

They do. Warner Brothers. Because we Warner Brothers. Fox show and what? But Warner Brothers. Yeah. They give us the love. They're like, come on.

[Kim Coles]

Come on in.

[Erica Alexander]

Right there, right there, right there. There's your spot.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, I get the best spots all the time because of that. Thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

That's legacy. People want to know what it is. You get a better parking spot.

[Kim Coles]

That's all I need.

[Erica Alexander]

Even when you ain't working on the lot. That's real.

[Kim Coles]

I just get a visit.

[Erica Alexander]

So. And we influence some of the biggest shows of all time. And dare we say Friends.

[Kim Coles]

Friends.

[Erica Alexander]

We just gonna lay that right there.

[Kim Coles]

Right there. Enjoy. And people know it.

[Erica Alexander]

People do.

[Kim Coles]

It's obvious.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. Fantastic show.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

And enjoy it. But it's real.

[Kim Coles]

And did very, very well. But the legend is that the president of NBC at the time was asked if there's any show you would've. You wish that you had gotten this season. What was it? And he said, living single. And then a year or so later, Friends popped up. So we can have a little conversation around that.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

And that we were on the same. With the same production company.

[Erica Alexander]

We were on the ranch lot. They were on the big lot. Yeah.

[Kim Coles]

It was very different.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah. We gonna have more tales of that.

[Kim Coles]

Ooh. Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

I know people like to talk about that, I think because it comes from feeling like, again, you didn't get to do. Create the culture. You may not get all the acknowledgement and the support, but I have to say, from our fans and from our friends and family, I know they do. They know. Number one. They know. And they have lifted us. And I will always. Honestly. I mean, it's real, right?

[Kim Coles]

100%. And thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

Thank you.

[Kim Coles]

Thank you. Which camera's mine? Thank you. Thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

Thank you.

[Kim Coles]

Thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

Thank you.

[Kim Coles]

No, thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

So we're gonna do this, right?

[Kim Coles]

We're gonna do this. We're doing more of this Watch Reliving show.

[Erica Alexander]

Unofficially. Officially.

[Kim Coles]

Unofficially. Unofficially.

[Erica Alexander]

Unofficial.

[Kim Coles]

Because we don't want to be sued.

[Erica Alexander]

No, that's.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah, but we would there. So we could talk about it. We were there.

[Erica Alexander]

Please.

[Kim Coles]

Okay, watch this. Please.

[Erica Alexander]

Watch. Boo. Okay, so let's do this. So y'all better go and watch the show and then be ready to come here and rewatch it with us.

[Kim Coles]

Right?

[Erica Alexander]

We're gonna be here. Heartbeat, heartbeat.

[Kim Coles]

Come on now. Come on.

[Erica Alexander]

Let's do it.

[Kim Coles]

I'm g tell you this right now. This might come home with me because it's real pretty.

[Erica Alexander]

They gonna make us one?

[Kim Coles]

I hope so. We have a logo and everything. So come on now. Keep Kevin. Come on, Kev. Come on, Kevin.

[Erica Alexander]

And a little Jen. Don't be so Uncle Nearest. How about some whiskay?

[Kim Coles]

I can't drink and work.

[Erica Alexander]

Okay.

[Kim Coles]

Cause I say what I'm really think, what I really feel.

[Erica Alexander]

We gonna do that one day. Wait a minute.

[Kim Coles]

Chemistry.

[Erica Alexander]

We gotta do our chemistry read. Okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Kim Coles]

So I have chosen a script for us to do. I've been thinking about this whole episode, what we should do for Chemistry.

[Erica Alexander]

Remember, the chemistry read is for the Vibe to see if the vibe's watchers. We still have it. I think we proved it.

[Kim Coles]

But would you? I picked Billy Dee Williams and Diana Ross in Mahogany. Erica and I will read that script together to see if we still got the match.

[Erica Alexander]

Now, what's interesting about you picking that is because on set we used to do Mahogany all the time. You spent an inordinate amount of time in the warehouse. On the dusty warehouse, waiting. And so we would play games all the time. And we played like we were children. And one of the things we did was the Mahogany scene.

[Kim Coles]

So, ladies and gentlemen, Erica Alexander and Kim Coles will do a scene from Mahogany. I will be playing the Diana Ross role, also known as Mahogany the model.

[Erica Alexander]

Wait a minute. I want to be Mahogany the model.

[Kim Coles]

We should do it both ways, okay?

[Erica Alexander]

You set me up.

[Kim Coles]

Oh, you got Billy Dee with his sexy self.

[Erica Alexander]

He was sexy. Ooh. Okay, go.

[Kim Coles]

I'm a widow from the south side who said that maybe we don't have chemistry? My old man left me with six kids, and he hasn't been home for weeks. And they all got the flu. What you gonna do about that?

[Erica Alexander]

I can't see. Who said that? Please let the lady who said that step forward, please.

[Kim Coles]

When you're elected, what are you gonna do to help me?

[Erica Alexander]

Do you wanna help me to help you with your landlord, lady?

[Kim Coles]

Hell, no. I want you to help me get my old man back.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, madam, if you really wanna get your old man back, are you willing to stand by him while the going gets rough?

[Kim Coles]

Yes. Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

Madam, would you be willing to put your imagination to work on behalf of the cause he's fighting for?

[Kim Coles]

Yes.

[Erica Alexander]

Madam, would you love and cherish him for the rest of your life?

[Kim Coles]

Hell, yes. Get me my old man back then.

[Erica Alexander]

Madam, if you're willing to do all that, I guarantee you that I'll get your old man back.

[Kim Coles]

Well, mister, you got my vote.

[Erica Alexander]

And then we kiss. And then they do the crane shot. And see, there's only 20 people surrounding.

[Kim Coles]

Them in the cool culture.

[Erica Alexander]

Where you going to?

[Kim Coles]

Do you like the things that life is showing you?

[Erica Alexander]

Where are you going to do?

[Kim Coles]

You know, I cry every time I hear that, too.

[Erica Alexander]

I'm about to cry now. Do you get it?

[Kim Coles]

What you're hoping?

[Erica Alexander]

Was I good as Billy?

[Kim Coles]

You were great as Billy.

[Erica Alexander]

You. You were pretty good at Diana.

[Kim Coles]

Diana.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes. You were great this Diana. You always are.

[Kim Coles]

Yes, ladies and gentlemen.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes.

[Kim Coles]

Yeah. Do they feel the chemistry?

[Erica Alexander]

We got it.

[Kim Coles]

We got it. We got it.

[Erica Alexander]

We got it.

[Kim Coles]

We never lost it.

[Erica Alexander]

Never. Cradle the grave, baby. See you next week.

[Kim Coles]

See you next week. Reliving Single is hosted by Erica Alexander and me, Kim Coles. Reliving Single is the product of Heartbeat in association with Color Farm Media, Executive produced by Kevin Hart, Jeff Clanigan, Eric Eddings, Leslie Guam, Erica Alexander and Ben Arnon. This show is produced by Kim Coles. Amber Watson is our senior producer. Our associate producer is Kenny Jackson. Our video editor is Shannon Joy Rogers. Our sound engineers are Eric Hay and Cedric Wilson. Production supervision by Razak Boykin. Additional production support from Alex Atkins and Z. Taylor. And a Special thanks to Dr. E.J. johnson.