''Moesha'' (, ) is an American television

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

that aired on

UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that operated from 1995 to 2006. It was originally a joint venture between Chris-Craft Industries (later sold to News Corporation)'s subsidiary, United Television, ...

from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...

as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with her

upper middle class In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term '' lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class stra ...

family in the

Leimert Park Leimert Park (; ) is a neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California. Developed in the 1920s as a mainly residential community, it features Spanish Colonial Revival homes and tree-lined streets. The Life Magazine/Leim ...

neighborhood of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. It was originally ordered as a pilot for

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

' 1995–1996 television season but was declined by the network. It was then later picked up by UPN, which aired it as a

mid-season replacement In American network television scheduling, a mid-season replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after ...

. It went on to become the biggest success for the nascent network and one of the greatest hits over the course of the network's entire run. The series was a joint production for UPN by Regan Jon Productions, Saradipity Productions, and Jump at the Sun Productions in association with

Big Ticket Television Big Ticket Television, Inc. (also known as Big Ticket Entertainment and Big Ticket Pictures) is an American production company. Big Ticket is a subsidiary of CBS Studios (formerly CBS Paramount Television and CBS Television Studios), a division of ...

Overview

The series focused on the life of a black

upper-middle-class In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term ''lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class strat ...

family through the eyes of a typical girl named Moesha. Her father Frank, a widower and

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...

car salesman (and later owner of his own dealership, Brothers Saturn), has married Dee, the vice principal at Moesha's high school, much to Moesha's disapproval. The series was created by Ralph Farquhar, along with the writing team of Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears. The settings for the show include the Mitchell household, teen hangout The Den, and in some cases,

Crenshaw High School Crenshaw High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located on 11th Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The school first opened in 1968 and currently enrolls arou ...

, the school attended by Moesha, Kim, Niecy, and Hakeem. The sitcom was set in the

neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Issues addressed

The show dealt with real social issues affecting teenagers, such as premarital sex, the death of a parent,

teen pregnancy Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female under the age of 20. Worldwide, pregnancy complications are the leading cause of death for women and girls 15 to 19 years old. The definition of teenage pregnancy i ...

, drug use, race relations, sexuality,

dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

, and day-to-day issues teenagers faced at home and school such as gender prejudice and inequality. In one of the most controversial episodes, "Secrets and Lies" (aired February 7, 2000), the Mitchell family learned from Aunt Hattie that Frank is the biological father of Dorian, whom the Mitchells and Dorian himself believed to be Frank's nephew. The shocking news of Frank's

infidelity Infidelity (synonyms include non-consensual non-monogamy, cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, se ...

during his first marriage turned the family upside-down and resulted in Dorian's rebellion and Moesha moving out of the family home and into a dorm room. Moesha was also the first Black-cast sitcom to have an episode devoted to teenagers and non-heterosexuality. The episode, "Labels" (aired October 1, 1996), concerned Hakeem's cousin Omar showing up at the Mitchell's home and the family fears he could be another Hakeem. Instead, he seems to be nice and responsible. Moesha, still grieving about her break-up with Q, goes out on a date with Omar. After attending a movie, they meet Omar's friend, Tracy, leading Moesha to believe that Omar may be gay. Moesha later tells Kim and Niecy her suspicions, and it doesn't take long until everyone in school knows the latest gossip. When Hakeem hears the news, Moesha realizes that she may have jeopardized their friendship.

Episodes

Cast and characters

Overview

Main

Brandy Norwood Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, model and actress. Born into a musical family in McComb, Mississippi, Norwood was raised in Carson, California, beginning her career as a backing vocalist ...

as Moesha Denise "Mo" Mitchell – Like many teenagers, Moesha is trying to find her place in life. Moesha narrates the series about life lessons that she learns at the end of the episode. At every turn, Moesha, along with her friends and family, experiences new challenges and hilarious situations associated with the pressures and demands of growing up in an often confusing world. Moesha is headstrong, independent, and at times stubborn, but stands up for what she believes is right. She can sometimes be rebellious toward her father and stepmother. Through the first five seasons, Moesha would open the show speaking her thoughts into her diary. In Season 5, it's revealed that Moesha has a second brother, Dorian. She moves out after hearing this. Moesha is 15–16 years old in season 1, and is 20-21 by season 6. *

William Allen Young William Allen Young (born January 24, 1954) is an American actor and director who has starred in over 100 television, stage, and film projects, including two Academy Award-nominated films, ''A Soldier's Story'' and ''District 9''. He is known ...

as Franklin "Frank" Mitchell – A

car dealer and father to Moesha and Myles. Originally thought to be Dorian's uncle, he is later revealed to be the young man's father. Frank is also a member of

Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911, at Indiana University Bloomington, it has n ...

fraternity. He is a graduate of

Southern University and A&M College Southern University and A&M College (Southern University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. It is the largest historically black college or university (HBCU) in ...

. Frank and Dee are strict disciplinarians to their children. He married Dee after his first wife, Moesha and Myles's mother, died. *

Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph (born December 30, 1956) is an American actress and singer. Known for her performances on stage and screen, she earned acclaim for her role as Deena Jones in the Broadway musical ''Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she was nomi ...

as Deidre "Dee" Mitchell (Seasons 1–5; recurring in Season 6) A high school principal attempting to balance her career with two additional roles as wife to Frank and stepmother to Moesha and Myles. Dee is also a strict disclipinarian to the kids. She is originally from

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

and would speak in a thick Jamaican accent when talking about her childhood or when angered. It is implied that Dee is a member of

Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emp ...

sorority due to a quote in the episode "Niece" in which Moesha says that she wouldn't be persuaded by Dee with ''Delta'' picnics. Ralph left her role as a main cast member following season 5. She did not appreciate the storyline in which the family discovered that Frank was Dorian's real father. * Countess Vaughn as Kimberly Ann "Kim" Parker (Seasons 1–4) – Moesha's boy-crazy best friend who has a crush on Hakeem during the first two seasons, but later dates Michael. She leaves the show after the fourth season to star in her own spin-off series ''

The Parkers ''The Parkers'' is an American television sitcom created by Ralph Farquhar, Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears. The series ran for five seasons from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004, on UPN. It stars Mo'Nique, Countess Vaughn, Mari Morrow, Dorien Wi ...

'' with

Mo'Nique Monique Angela Hicks (née Imes; born December 11, 1967), known mononymously as Mo'Nique, is an American comedian and actress. She debuted as a member of The Queens of Comedy and earned recognition as a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian. In 2 ...

, who played her mother, Nikki Parker. She and Nikki graduate from Crenshaw High School in 1999 and go on to study at

Santa Monica College Santa Monica College (SMC) is a Public university, public community college in Santa Monica, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1929, SMC enrolls over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study. The coll ...

. Kim originally planned to go to the Fashion Institute of Leimert, but ended up going to SMC after the former shut down suddenly toward the end of her senior year of high school. * Marcus T. Paulk as Myles Mitchell — Moesha's pesky younger brother. Early in the series, he is known mostly for playing practical jokes on his sister and her friends. Throughout the series, he progresses from 3rd grade to 8th grade. *

Lamont Bentley Lamont Bentley (October 25, 1973 – January 19, 2005) was an American actor and rapper best known for his role as Hakeem Campbell on the UPN sitcom ''Moesha''. Bentley was also known for his role as Crazy K in the 1995 horror film ''Tales from ...

as Hakeem Campbell — A frequent visitor to the Mitchell household, he is Moesha's lifelong friend and neighbor, and later her boyfriend. In the spin-off ''

'', it was revealed that he and Moesha were no longer in a relationship. He dated Kim's best friend Stevie Van Lowe (played by

Jenna von Oÿ Jenna von Oÿ (born Jennifer Jean von Oy; May 2, 1977) is an American actress. She played the role of Six LeMeure in the 1990–1995 sitcom ''Blossom'' and Stevie Van Lowe in the 1999–2004 sitcom ''The Parkers''. Early life and career Bo ...

). *

Yvette Wilson Yvette Reneé Wilson (March 6, 1964 – June 14, 2012) was an American comedian and actress. She was known for her role as Andell Wilkerson, the owner of the local restaurant and hangout on the UPN sitcoms ''Moesha'' (1996–2001); and restaurant ...

as Andalusia Louise "Andell" Wilkerson (Seasons 1–5) — Moesha's adult friend and owner of the neighborhood hangout The Den. During season 5 she sells her establishment to a local funeral director. Andell is featured on the spin-off show ''

'', where she owns a self-named restaurant and bar. *

Shar Jackson Sharisse Jackson (born August 31, 1976) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Niecy Jackson on the UPN sitcom ''Moesha'' (1996–2001). She was crowned the winner of MTV reality show '' Celebrity Rap Superstar'' in 2007. ...

as Denise "Niecy" Jackson (Seasons 2–6; recurring in Season 1) — Moesha's best friend and later her roommate. She has four brothers and four sisters whom she has to care for during high school, so she does not find time to work during high school like her friends Hakeem and Moesha. Niecy also made a guest appearance in a season 1 episode of '' Girlfriends''. *

Fredro Starr Fred Lee Scruggs Jr. (born April 18, 1971), better known by his stage name Fredro Starr, is an American rapper and actor best known as a member of the hardcore rap group Onyx. Fredro Starr was discovered by the late hip hop star Jam Master Jay o ...

as Quinton "Q" Brooks (Seasons 2 & 3; recurring Seasons 4–6) — Moesha's longest-running love interest. He is from

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and had an on-and-off relationship with Moesha until departing in the middle season 3 to manage a hip-hop group. Frank dislikes him, because he feels is a bad influence on Moesha. In season 6, Q proposes to Moesha and she accepts, but the engagement is called off when Q wants to sell Moesha's engagement ring to help support his hip-hop group on Thanksgiving. *

Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, television presenter, and actor. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother o ...

as Dorian Long (Seasons 5 & 6) — Moesha and Myles' long lost half-brother, previously said to be their cousin. Dorian is originally from

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

, but runs away from his mother's home to live with the Mitchells. He was known to be a troublemaker back in Oakland so the Mitchells did not treat him lightly. Dorian is also an aspiring rapper going by the nickname, "D-Money". He graduates from high school during season 6.

Recurring

Bernie Mac Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008), better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American stand up comedian, actor and film producer. He joined fellow comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L. H ...

as Bernard Jefferson "Bernie" Mitchell (Seasons 1–4) Moesha's uncle and Frank's brother; Andell's boyfriend *

Ricky Harris Richard George Harris II (October 5, 1962 – December 26, 2016), known professionally as Ricky Harris, was an American producer, actor, and comedian. He was best known for his role as Malvo in the UPN/The CW sitcom ''Everybody Hates Chris''. ...

as Javon Aramis "J.W." Willis (Seasons 1–3), a mechanic working for Frank; Andell's boyfriend * Merlin Santana as Ohaji (Season 1; guest appearance in Season 4), Moesha's first boyfriend *

Kara Brock Kara Denean Brock (born March 29, 1974) is an American television and film actress best known for her recurring role as Regina Foster, the sorority-sister of Kim Parker (played by Countess Vaughn) in the UPN sitcom ''The Parkers''. She was born ...

as Sara (Season 1), a friend of Moesha, Kim and Niecy *

Antwon Tanner Antwon Tanner (born April 14, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Michael on the UPN sitcom ''Moesha'' (1996–97), and its spinoff ''The Parkers'' (2001). He is also known for his roles as Drano in the sports ...

as Michael (Seasons 2 & 3; guest appearance in Season 1), Kim's boyfriend and Q's teammate on the basketball team *

Kellie Shanygne Williams Kellie Shanygne Williams-Jackson (née Williams; born March 22, 1976) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Laura Lee Winslow, the middle-born child of Carl and Harriette Winslow on the ABC/CBS television series '' Family M ...

as Charrisse (Seasons 2 & 4), Moesha's cousin who is in college *Dwight Woody as Coach Vines, Crenshaw High's basketball coach (Seasons 2 & 3) *Dru Mouser as Haley Dillard (Season 3), Moesha's first friend at Bridgewood *

Usher Raymond Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. With some publications referring to him as the King of R&B, he is recognized as an influential figure in contemporary R&B and pop music. In 1994, U ...

as Jeremy Davis (Season 3; guest appearance in Season 4), a love interest of Moesha who goes to Bridgewood *

Dante Basco Dante Roman Basco (born August 29, 1975) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Rufio, the leader of the Lost Boys, in Steven Spielberg's ''Hook'', Dolph in the cult film '' But I'm a Cheerleader'', the lead character Ben Mercado in th ...

as Marco (Season 3), a friend of Moesha's at Bridgewood *Monica McSwain as Mary Ellen Hobbs (Seasons 3 & 4) a stuck-up girl at Bridgewood who clashes with Moesha *

Jon Huertas Jonathan William Scott Hofstedt (born October 23, 1969) is an American actor. Known professionally as Jon Huertas, he is best known for his role as witch hunter Brad Alcerro in ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'', Sergeant Antonio 'Poke' Espera in HB ...

as Antonio Avalan (Season 4), a friend of Hakeem and high school student at Crenshaw High School *

Brandon Quintin Adams Brandon Quintin Adams (born August 22, 1979) is an American actor, known for having played Jesse Hall in the first two '' Mighty Ducks'' movies and Kenny DeNunez in ''The Sandlot''. He also played Jimmy Bean in the 1989 film ''Polly''. Career ...

as Aaron (Season 4), Moesha's college-aged boyfriend *

as Nicole "Nikki" Parker (Season 4; guest appearance in Season 6), Kim's mother who goes back to high school in order to graduate with her daughter and her friends *

Jo Marie Payton Jo Marie Payton (born August 3, 1950) is an American actress. She portrayed Harriette Baines Winslow on the ABC/CBS sitcom ''Family Matters'' (1989–1998), a role she originated on its forerunner series '' Perfect Strangers''. From 2001 to 2005 ...

as Bernetta Campbell (Seasons 4 & 5), Hakeem's mother, who works at the

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...

theater *Alexis Fields as Alicia (Seasons 5 & 6; guest appearance in Season 4), Moesha's rival at California University. She later shares a suite with Moesha, Niecy, and Brenda during their sophomore year *

Marissa Jaret Winokur Marissa Jaret Winokur (born February 2, 1973), sometimes credited as Marissa Winokur, is an American actress and singer known for her Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Tony-winning performance as Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway theatre, ...

as Theresa (Season 5), Moesha's roommate during her freshman year of college *

Master P Percy Robert Miller (born April 29, 1967), better known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, dancer, actor and entrepreneur. He founded the record label No Limit Records in 1991, which was relau ...

as Patience (Season 5), a thug that Dorian associates with and later gets him into trouble *Lahmard Tate as Jerome (Seasons 5 & 6), a friend of Hakeem's who attends college with him; Niecy's on-and-off boyfriend *

Iona Morris Iona Morris is an American actress. She has performed in numerous films and television shows, including extensive voice work in animation. Early life Iona was born in Columbus, Ohio, and is the daughter of late actor Greg Morris (1933–1996) a ...

as Sandra "Sandy" Mitchell-Long (Seasons 5 & 6) Moesha's aunt and Dorian's adoptive mother from

Ginuwine Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine ( ), is an American R&B singer. He began his career as a member of the musical collective Swing Mob in the early 1990s. As a solo act, he signed with Epic R ...

as Khalib (Season 6), a group member of Q's and later a love interest of Moesha *

Jazsmin Lewis Jazsmin Lewis (born March 22) is an American actress, film producer and musician. Lewis is best known for her starring role as the title character in the 2005 film ''Traci Townsend'' and as Jennifer Palmer, Calvin's wife in the ''Barbershop (fi ...

as Lanae Foster (Season 6), an older woman that Dorian has a short-lived love affair with *

Olivia Brown Olivia Brown (born ) is an American actress, best known for her role as detective Trudy Joplin in the NBC crime drama series ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989). Life and career Brown was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, and raised in Sacramento, Calif ...

as Barbara Lee (Season 6), Dorian's birth mother and sister-in-law of Maya Wilkes from '' Girlfriends'' *

Bree Turner Bree Nicole Turner (born March 10, 1977) is an American actress and dancer; she is best known for her roles in several major motion pictures in films like My Best Friend’s Wedding, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, American Pie 2, T ...

as Brenda (Season 6), one of Moesha's and Niecy's roommates in sophomore year *

Kym Whitley Kym Whitley (born July 21, 1962) is an American comedian, actress and podcaster. She is known for her roles on television sitcoms, such as ''My Brother and Me'', '' Sparks'', ''Animal Practice'', ''The Boondocks'', ''Young & Hungry'', ''The Park ...

as Gertrude "Gertie" Lowe (Season 6), a woman who dated Frank, and later Nikki's best friend in ''

Production

Opening credits

There have been different versions of the opening credits theme song, which was performed by

. One version was used for season 1, a second version was used for seasons 2 and 3, and a third version was used for the final three seasons. Although the same recording of the theme song was used for the last three seasons, two different openings were used for each of the first three seasons. The opening sequence for season 1 shows Moesha dancing in front of a fountain, walking with friends, dancing in a moving car, and winning at a game of chess while waving at a guy as he walks away. The opening sequence for seasons 2 and 3 features the same scenario with some changes. Moesha was still dancing in front of the fountain but with a

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

player behind her. Instead of just depicting Moesha with her friends, this intro sees her playing basketball and baseball with her friends and family, driving with her friends, strutting down a block with Kim and Niecy, teaching Kim how to rollerblade (later replaced with footage of Moesha & Q chasing Myles), and once again being served a meal at the diner by Andell while seated with her family. When Moesha is again distracted by a cute guy walking by, Frank tries to cover Moesha's eyes. Season 4 showed the cast around the neighborhood and Moesha, Kim, and Niecy dancing at the fountain while wearing red outfits. Season 5 showed the cast dancing in a panoramic view as Norwood lip-syncs to the theme song on a background of clouds and a rising sun. The introduction for season 6 is similar to that of season 5, but features a twist. Since

left ''Moesha'' to join the cast of ''

'' and

's character Dee became a recurring character, the season 6 opening features footage of Norwood lip-syncing over the portion of the theme song where

and

appeared in the previous season's opening.

Spin-off and Brock Akil universe

Given her popularity for four seasons on ''Moesha'', Countess Vaughn left the show in

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

for her spin-off, ''

'', which premiered on August 30, 1999, on

. It centered on Kim attending community college with her mother, played by comedian

. Leaving ''Moesha'', Yvette Wilson joined the cast of ''The Parkers'' as Andell Wilkerson, Nikki's childhood friend. Several ''Moesha'' cast members (including Brandy Norwood, William Allen Young, Shar Jackson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Marcus T. Paulk) made crossover appearances on ''

''. Lamont Bentley, being the most frequent, appears in three episodes. Though not a direct spin-off of ''Moesha'', the show '' Girlfriends'' was created by ''Moesha'' writer

Mara Brock Akil Mara Brock Akil (born May 27, 1970) is an American television writer and producer. She began her screenwriting career at age 23 on '' South Central'' (1994) on Fox. At age 30, she became the youngest African American showrunner on broadcast net ...

and exists in the same universe as ''Moesha''. The character Maya Wilkes (

Golden Brooks Golden Brooks (born December 1, 1970) is an American actress. She began her career with starring role in the Showtime comedy series, '' Linc's'' (1998–2000), and later appeared in the films ''Timecode'' (2000) and ''Impostor'' (2001). Fr ...

) from ''Girlfriends'' lives in Leimert Park like the characters of ''Moesha'', and appeared in an episode babysitting for her sister-in-law Barbara Lee, who happened to be Dorian's birth mother. Niecy appeared in a season 1 episode of ''Girlfriends''.

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

series '' The Game'' was spun off from ''Girlfriends'' with the loose thread of main character

Melanie Barnett Melanie Barnett-Davis is a fictional character, portrayed by actress Tia Mowry, who appears in the American sitcom The Game (2006 TV series), ''The Game'', which aired on the CW Television Network and BET from 2006 to 2015. Introduced in a backdo ...

(

Tia Mowry Tia Dashon Mowry (; July 6, 1978) is an American actress. She first gained recognition for her starring role as Tia Landry in the sitcom '' Sister, Sister'' (1994–1999), opposite her twin sister Tamera Mowry. The sisters then starred together ...

) being a cousin of ''Girlfriends'' main character Joan Clayton (

Tracee Ellis Ross Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and '' Black-ish'' (2014–2022) receivin ...

). The Melanie and Derwin characters re-appeared in the ''Girlfriends'' Season 7 finale episode at Joan's engagement party. On ''Moesha'', Brandy played herself as a celebrity doppelganger to Moesha, and ironically Brandy joined the cast of ''The Game'' in its fifth season as Chardonnay Pitts, further complicating the notion of the show existing in the same universe.

Cancellation

By the sixth season, ratings for ''Moesha'' had dropped and UPN opted not to renew or air the series for a seventh season. The series ended on an unresolved

cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...

with Myles being kidnapped by a rival of Dorian, Moesha considering moving in with Hakeem or her best friend Niecy, and a positive pregnancy test being found in the trash at Moesha's dorm room, without positive identification as to whose it was. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' reported a rumor that certain plots were to be resolved on ''

'', but those storylines were ultimately never resolved.

Possible revival

On November 3, 2017, the cast reunited on ''

The Real In continental philosophy, the Real refers to reality in its unmediated form. In Lacanian psychoanalysis, it is an "impossible" category because of its inconceivability and opposition to expression. In depth psychology The Real is the ...

'' and have expressed interest in reviving the show. "Absolutely, we need a reboot to this show, because we ended on a cliffhanger." Norwood pointed out. In August 2020, Norwood revealed she was in talks for a

reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...

, citing the show's success on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

Syndication

The show aired in syndication on

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

, and

The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...

affiliates. The series aired on

WGN America WGN America was an American subscription television network that operated from November 9, 1978 to February 28, 2021. The service was originally uplinked to satellite by United Video Inc. as a national feed of Chicago independent station WGN-T ...

(now ''NewsNation'') from 2005 to 2008,

The N The N (standing for Noggin) was a prime time and late-night block programming, programming block on the Noggin (brand), Noggin television channel, aimed at preteens and teenagers. It was launched on April 1, 2002, by MTV Networks and Sesame Works ...

from 2005 to 2009,

Up TV UP TV (stylized as UPtv; formerly GMC TV and originally Gospel Music Channel) is an American basic cable television network that was founded to have a focus on gospel music. It has expanded into family-friendly original movies, series, and specia ...

BET Her BET Her is an American basic cable television network currently owned by the BET Media Group subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. The channel originally launched in 1996 as BET on Jazz, a spin-off from BET with a focus on ...

, and

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

until mid 2016,

Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protec ...

until 2019,

Bounce TV Bounce TV is an American digital terrestrial television, digital broadcast television network owned by Scripps Networks, a subsidiary of E. W. Scripps Company. It launched on September 26, 2011, and was promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multic ...

until 2021, and currently airs on

Dabl Dabl () is an American digital multicast television network owned by the CBS Media Ventures subsidiary of Paramount Global and operated by Weigel Broadcasting. Dabl launched in September 2019 with a female-targeted lifestyle format. It aired r ...

since 2023. On Up TV, it was edited for content to make it more "family-friendly" and was often edited heavily for broadcast on BET and BET Her due to airtime constraints. In the UK, ''Moesha'' aired on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

from 1996 until 1998, with only the first three seasons being broadcast. It also aired on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

from 1996 to 2000, who only showed episodes from the first four seasons which were edited so they would be more suitable for broadcast on children's television. Paramount Channel aired the series from 2000 to 2003, as did

Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...

from 2003 to 2006. From 1 November 2019, the programme started airing on

Trace Vault Trace Vault (formerly Video Vault and The Vault) was a British free-to-air music and entertainment television channel owned by Trace Group. On 1 November 2019, the channel rebranded as Trace Vault following TRACE's takeover of Sony's music chan ...

following its rebrand from The Vault. Since 2008, the show has aired in international syndication in Spain, Portugal, Israel, the Middle East, Russia, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, South Africa, Latin America, Brazil, and Australia. In Spain, it ran on

Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...

from 2005 to 2011 in an edited format deemed suitable for children's television. In Italy the series currently airs on Canale 8. The series is currently streaming on

in the US, while spinoff series ''

'' is available to stream on the platform as well. The series is also available to stream on

Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...

BET+ BET+ is a Video on demand#Subscription models, streaming service operated by Tyler Perry Studios and the BET Networks, BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. The service was first announced on June 24, 2019, ...

, and

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

Home media

On September 27, 2011,

CBS Home Entertainment CBS Home Entertainment (formerly CBS Video Enterprises, Inc., MGM/CBS Home Video, CBS/Fox Video and CBS Video, currently branded as CBS DVD for DVD releases and CBS Blu-ray for Blu-ray releases) is an American home video company that distribut ...

released ''Moesha: The First Season'' on DVD in Region 1 via Amazon.com's CreateSpace program. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Amazon.com.

Ratings

The following table summarizes the U.S. television ratings for the series:

Awards

References

External links

* * {{UPN 1996 American television series debuts 2001 American television series endings 1990s American black sitcoms 2000s American black sitcoms 1990s American high school television series 2000s American high school television series 1990s American teen sitcoms 2000s American teen sitcoms American English-language television shows Television series about families American television series about teenagers Television series by CBS Studios Television shows set in Los Angeles 1990s American college television series 2000s American college television series Coming-of-age television shows UPN sitcoms 1990s American multi-camera sitcoms 2000s American multi-camera sitcoms