| South Central | |
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
|---|---|
| Created by | Ralph Farquhar Michael J. Weithorn |
| Written by | Mara Brock Akil Ralph Farquhar Gary Hardwick Kathleen McGhee-Anderson Gina Prince-Bythewood Michael Anthony Snowden Michael J. Weithorn |
| Directed by | W.E. Baker Stan Lathan Terri McCoy |
| Starring | Tina Lifford Larenz Tate Tasha Scott Keith Mbulo Paula Kelly Ken Page |
| Composer(s) | Kurt Farquhar |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Ralph Farquhar Michael J. Weithorn |
| Producer(s) | W.E. Baker |
| Running time | 30 mins. (approx) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | FOX |
| Original run | April 5, 1994 – June 7, 1994 |
South Central is a short-lived American comedy-drama series that aired on the FOX network from April 5, 1994 to June 7, 1994. It was cancelled following its first season, and the airing of only 10 episodes.
Contents |
Synopsis
The series was set in South Central Los Angeles, and dealt with the lives of an African American family, the Moseleys, and issues such as gang violence, drugs, dating, sex, school, and unemployment. Joan Moseley (Tina Lifford) 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), Tasha (Tasha Scott), and foster son Deion Carter (Keith Mbulo). Rounding out the cast of characters are Joan's friend "Sweets" (Paula Kelly) and Andre's mentor Dr. Ray McHenry (Ken Page).
South Central featured many guest stars including Jennifer López, Shar Jackson, and Maia Campbell. The series was very popular among critics for what was perceived as a realistic portrayal of urban life.[1]
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 (which also included The Sinbad Show and In Living Color[2]) and created the Tuesday Night movie. The cancellation of the series, all of which had predominately black casts, prompted Jesse Jackson call for a boycott of the network for perceived institutional racism.[3] FOX maintained that the series were low rated and the decision to cancel was not racially motivated.[4]
Series creator Ralph Farquhar would later co-create the UPN sitcom Moesha, along with Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears. The series (a more traditional sitcom) was set in Leimert Park, a middle-class neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles. Lamont Bentley and Shar Jackson were members of the normal cast.
Cast
- Tina Lifford — Joan Mosely
- Larenz Tate — Andre Mosely
- Tasha Scott — Tasha Mosely
- Keith Mbulo — Deion
Recurring cast
- Lamont Bentley — Rashad
- Paula Kelly — Sweets
- Ken Page — Dr. Ray McHenry
- Michael Beach - Isaiah Washington
- Earl Billings — Mayo Bonner
- Maia Campbell — Nicole
- Shar Jackson — Shanelle
- Jennifer López — Lucille
- Clifton Powell — Bobby Deavers
- Malinda Williams — Candi
Episode list
| Episode # | Production Code | Episode Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1S79 | Pilot | April 5, 1994 |
| 2 | 1S01 | Money | April 12, 1994 |
| 3 | 1S02 | RTD | April 19, 1994 |
| 4 | 1S03 | Co-op | May 3, 1994 |
| 5 | 1S04 | Men | May 10, 1994 |
| 6 | 1S05 | Dad | May 17, 1994 |
| 7 | 1S06 | Gun (Part 1) | May 24, 1994 |
| 8 | 1S07 | Gun (Part 2) | May 24, 1994 |
| 9 | 1S08 | Dog | May 31, 1994 |
| 10 | 1S09 | Date | June 7, 1994 |
Syndication
Episodes of South Central air in the United States on TV One, as of February 22, 2009.
Awards
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Viewers For Quality Television Awards | Won | Founder's Award |
|
References
- ^ Meisler, Andy (1996-01-30). "On TV, Showing Life as Lived". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00EED81639F933A05752C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all.
- ^ Zook, Kristal Brent (1999). Color by Fox: The Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television. Oxford University Press US. pp. 11. ISBN 0-195-10612-1.
- ^ Rosenberg, Howard (1994-10-19). "Did Jackson Save FOX Series With Boycott Threat?". community.seattletimes.nwsource.com. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19941019&slug=1936724. Retrieved on 2008-12-12.
- ^ Dines, Gail; McMahon Humez, Jean (2002). Gender, Race, and Class in Media. SAGE. pp. 590. ISBN 0-761-92261-X.
External links
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