''South Central'' is an American

comedy drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

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 the

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 ...

network from April 5, 1994, to June 7, 1994. It was cancelled following its first season, after ten episodes aired.

Synopsis

The series was set in 1990s

South Central Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of Downtown Los Angeles, downtown. It is de ...

, and dealt with the lives of an

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

family, the Moseleys, and issues such as gang violence, drugs, dating, sex, school, and unemployment. Joan Moseley (

Tina Lifford Tina Lifford is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for her leading role as single mother Joan Mosley in the critically acclaimed but short-lived Fox sitcom '' South Central'' (1994), and her recurring role as Renee Trussell in ...

) is a divorced mother, raising three children with no assistance from her ex-husband. Her oldest son Marcus having been murdered years earlier by a gang member, Joan's financial situation becomes complicated after she is laid off. Her remaining children include Andre (

Larenz Tate Larenz Tate (born September 8, 1975) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as O-Dog in ''Menace II Society'', Anthony Curtis in ''Dead Presidents'', and as Councilman Rashad Tate in '' Power''. Tate's other fi ...

), Tasha ( Tasha Scott), and foster son Deion Carter (Keith Mbulo). Rounding out the cast of characters are Joan's best friend "Sweets" ( Paula Kelly) and Andre's

mentor Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the perso ...

Dr. Ray McHenry ( Ken Page). ''South Central'' featured a recurring cast which included

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...

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. ...

, and

Maia Campbell Maia Campbell is an American former actress known for her role as Nicole on the 1994 Fox comedy-drama series '' South Central'' and her portrayal of Tiffany Warren in the NBC/ UPN sitcom '' In the House'' for five seasons (1995–1999). She ...

. The series, which was produced on a smaller budget than most sitcoms, was popular among critics for what was perceived as a realistic and sometimes dark portrayal of urban life.

Cancellation

The show aired on Tuesday evenings following '' Roc''. Due to the decline in ratings of the entire night of programming, Fox cancelled all the shows on that night (as well as Thursday comedies ''

The Sinbad Show ''The Sinbad Show'' is an American television sitcom starring comedian Sinbad (comedian), David "Sinbad" Adkins that premiered on September 16, 1993, on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. The show's main plot is about a bachelor taking in two orphan ...

'' and ''

In Living Color ''In Living Color'' is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990, to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions ...

''). The cancellation of the series, all of which had predominantly black casts, prompted

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American Civil rights movements, civil rights activist, Politics of the United States, politician, and ordained Baptist minister. Beginning as a ...

to call for a boycott of the network for perceived

institutional racism Institutional racism, also known as systemic racism, is a form of institutional discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race or ethnic group and can include policies and practices that exist throughout a whole society or organizati ...

. Fox maintained that the series was low rated and the decision to cancel was not racially motivated. Series co-creators Ralph Farquhar and Michael J. Weithorn would go on to create other series independently: Farquhar would co-create the

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, ...

sitcom ''

Moesha ''Moesha'' (, ) is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars Contemporary R&B, R&B singer Brandy Norwood, Brandy as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with ...

'', along with Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears. The series (a more traditional sitcom) was set in

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 ...

, a middle-class neighborhood near View Park-Windsor Hills Los Angeles.

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 ...

and

were members of the cast. Weithorn went on to create the Fox series "Ned and Stacey" (starring Thomas Haden Church and Debra Messing) and later the CBS series "The King of Queens" (starring Kevin James, Leah Remini and Jerry Stiller).

Cast

Main

— Joan Mosely *

— Andre Mosely * Tasha Scott — Tasha Mosely *Keith Mbulo — Deion Carter

Recurring

— Rashad * Paula Kelly — Sweets * Ken Page — Dr. Ray McHenry * Michael Beach - Isaiah Washington * Earl Billings — Mayo Bonner *

— Nicole *

— Shanelle *

— Lucille *

Clifton Powell Clifton Powell (born March 16, 1956) is an American actor who primarily plays supporting roles in films, such as in '' Ray'' (2004), for which he received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture nomination. Ca ...

— Bobby Deavers *

Malinda Williams Malinda Williams (born September 24, 1970) is an American actress and producer. She began her career on television, before appearing in films ''A Thin Line Between Love and Hate'' (1996), ''High School High'' (1996), and ''The Wood'' (1999). Fr ...

— Candi

Episodes

Syndication

Episodes of ''South Central'' aired in the United States on TV One.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *{{epguides, id=SouthCentral 1994 American television series debuts 1994 American television series endings 1990s American black sitcoms 1990s American multi-camera sitcoms American English-language television shows Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television shows set in Los Angeles Fox Broadcasting Company sitcoms