The 1990’s legendary sitcom Living Single celebrates its 30th year anniversary. Paving the way for late 90’s/early 00’s sitcoms Sex And The City and Girlfriends, and later 2010’s sitcoms Insecure and Sistahs, Living Single was the premiere television show with all Black female leads.
Created by then-upcoming executive producer Yvette Lee Bowser, the show ran for 5 years, from 1993 to 1998. With an ensemble cast, the show centered on six friends living in a Brooklyn brownstone going through the ups and downs of life.
Khadijah James, the creator and editor-in-chief of the fictional Flavor magazine, was played by rapper/actress Queen Latifah. Latifah had made a name for herself as one of the quintessential female rappers of the 90’s. Maxine Shaw, the successful and sharp tongued attorney and college friend of Khadijah, was played by actress Erika Alexander. Her most known role to date, Alexander broke into television by garnering the role of Pam Tucker, the cousin of Cliff Huxtable on the penultimate season of the The Cosby Show. Synclair James, the aspiring actress and naive cousin of Khadijah, was played by actress/comedian Kim Coles. Coles was known for her role in season one of fellow Fox series In Living Color. And then there was Regine, the neurotic costume designer and lover of all things wigs and rich men, played by veteran actress Kim Fields, known for her long running role as Tootie on the 1980’s sitcom The Facts of Life. Rounding off the cast was Kyle, stock broker and adversary turned lover of Max, played by T.C Carter, and Overton, building handyman and lover turned husband of Synclair, played by John Henton.
Premiering on Aug 22nd, 1993, the show became a cornerstone of African American culture. In a 2023 interview with The Black Wall Street Times, Bowser was aiming to create a show that showcased representation. “I wanted to create a series that centered on and celebrated women,” she said, “when you create something that is intended to be a love letter, and you pour love into it over time, what I’ve found is that you continue to get love back over an extended and unexpected period of time.” All four female leads were smart, sensitive, independent, and personified Black women of the 90’s.
Jancinta Howard, in her 2023 article for Rock The Bells, “90’s Kinda World: ‘Living Single’ At 30”, writes, “the characters’ distinct styles were evident everywhere—from their fashion choices to their home decor. Their portrayals spanned a diverse range of Black professionals, from financial wizards to creatives. Whether they embodied whimsical, silly free spirits like Sinclair and Overton, showcased the tenacity of type-A personalities like Maxine, embraced the flair of upscale socialites like Regine, or resonated as grounded confidants like Khadijah, their essence was vividly clear.”
30 years later, the show has stood the test of time and has paved the way for other shows like it. It won’t be long before it is on the same trajectory of timelessness such as Good Times, The Jeffersons, A Different World, “Different Strokes”, and more.
