In Living Color
Encyclopedia
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy
television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network
from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen
and Damon Wayans
created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television
. The show was taped before a live studio audience at stage 7 at the Fox Television Center
on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The title of the series was inspired by the NBC
announcement of broadcasts being presented "in living color" during the 1950s and 1960s, prior to mainstream color television
. It also refers to the fact that most of the show's cast was African-American, unlike other sketches comedy shows like Saturday Night Live
whose casts are usually mostly white.
Other members of the Wayans family
—Kim
, Shawn and Marlon
—had regular roles, while brother Dwayne
frequently appeared as an extra. The show also starred the previously unknown comedians Jim Carrey
and Jamie Foxx
.
members of the original cast), Jamie Foxx (a future Academy Award
winner, who joined the cast in the third season) and David Alan Grier
(an established theatre actor, who had worked in Keenen Ivory Wayans' 1988 motion picture I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
).
The series strove to produce comedy with a strong emphasis on modern black
subject matter. For instance, Carrey was frequently used to ridicule white musicians such as Snow
and Vanilla Ice
who performed in genera more commonly associated with black people. A sketch parodying Soul Train
mocked the show as Old Train, suggesting the show (along with its host, Don Cornelius
) was out of touch and only appealed to the elderly and the dead.
claimed in a lawsuit that the show stole the band's logo and name, the logo was changed to one with rather plain-type letters of three colors.
In the first two seasons, the opening sequence was set in a room covered with painters' tarps, and each cast member played with paint in a different way (throwing globs of it at the camera by hand, using a roller to cover the lens, etc.). The sequence ended with a segue to a set built to resemble the rooftop of an apartment building, where the show's dancers perform a routine and open a door to let Keenen Ivory Wayans greet the audience.
For the third and fourth seasons, an animated sequence and different logo were used. Here, the real-life cast members were superimposed over pictures hanging in an art gallery and interacted with them in different ways (spinning the canvas to put it right-side up, swinging the frame out as if it were a door, etc.). The final image was of the logo on a black canvas, which shattered to begin the show. The fifth season retained the logo, but depicted the cast members on various signs and billboards around a city (either New York or Chicago), ending with the logo displayed on a theater marquee.
The hip-hop
group Heavy D & the Boyz
performed two different versions of the opening theme. One version was used for the first two seasons and remixed for the fifth, while the other was featured in the third and fourth seasons.
as their first performer (appearing again in the third season). Some of the other music acts who performed on the show were Heavy D, Public Enemy, Kris Kross
, En Vogue
, Eazy-E
, Monie Love
, Onyx, 3rd Bass
, MC Lyte
, Arrested Development, Jodeci
, Mary J. Blige
, Tupac Shakur
, and Leaders of the New School
.
, Deidre Lang, Lisa Marie Todd, and Michelle Whitney-Morrison. Rosie Perez
was the choreographer for the first four seasons. Perhaps the most notable former Fly Girl was future actress/singer Jennifer Lopez
, who joined the show in its third season.
The Fly Girls would sometimes be used as extras in sketches, or as part of an opening gag. In one sketch, they were shown performing open-heart surgery (in the sketch, the girls are dancing in order to pay their way through medical school).
the show's content and rerunning early episodes without his consultation. Wayans feared that Fox would ultimately decrease the syndication value of In Living Color. During the fourth season in 1992, he appeared only in the (1992–1993) season opener, though he remained the executive producer and thus stayed in the opening credits until the thirteenth episode. Marlon Wayans left with Keenen. Shawn Wayans and Kim Wayans both left the show at the end of the fourth season. Damon Wayans left at the end of the third season to pursue a movie career, though he made a few "special guest appearances" in the fourth season.
halftime special (branded by the network as The Doritos Zaptime/'In Living Color' Super Halftime Party). During the "Men on Football" sketch, Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier ad libbed a suggestion that Richard Gere
and track and field star Carl Lewis
were homosexuals, much to Lewis' dismay. The programming stunt lured 20 million to 25 million viewers from CBS
' telecast of the halftime festivities during Super Bowl XXVI
on January 26, 1992. Also, in the originally aired version of another sketch unrelated to the Super Bowl special ("Men on Fitness" – February 7, 1993), there was a simulation of Damon Wayans' character Blaine enjoying receiving facial ejaculation
while being sprayed with a water bottle. These two segments were initially cut from reruns, but have been recently airing on the Centric cable channel. The DVD releases has the Gere and Lewis references cut but retains the facial ejaculation simulation.
Reruns of the program on BET
contain questionable words and phrases (such as "ho" and "bitch") muted. One line ("drop the soap") during the second "Men on Film" sketch was muted out by Fox censors before ever airing on TV for its implications of prison rape. The DVD releases have the language intact (except for the "drop the soap" line), but numerous sketches have been cut, particularly the music video parodies due to copyright reasons.
On the May 5, 1990, broadcast, Keenen Ivory Wayans did a take-off on a Colt 45
commercial featuring Billy Dee Williams
(in which the purpose of the beverage is to get your lady friend wasted) that ended with a woman (played by Kim Coles
) passed out on her back on a dining table, and "Billy Dee" moving in on her unconscious body to have sex with her. The "Colt 45" sketch was seen only once during the original broadcast. The sketch was omitted from repeats because some felt it was making light of date rape
. The Season 1 DVD set of ILC didn't include the "cut" sketch from the pilot
. This skit was cut by Fox censors, and the necessary modifications were made to the master tape. But Keenen "accidentally" mixed up the masters
, and the original master was broadcast. That segment has never been broadcast since, not even in syndication, on FX
or BET. It has been replaced by "The Exxxon Family" (a fake promo for a sitcom about a clumsy Exxon boat captain) in syndication and DVD box sets.
, James Brown
, Rodney Dangerfield
, Sherman Hemsley
, Biz Markie
, Peter Marshall
, Ed O'Neill
, Chris Rock
, Tupac Shakur
and stars of the NBA
. Kelly Coffield
, who, prior to Alexandra Wentworth
's arrival in the fourth season was the lone white female cast member, left at the end of the fourth season. Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, Tommy Davidson
, T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh
, and "Fly Girl" Deidre Lang are the only cast members to remain on the show throughout all five seasons, although Carrey's presence during the fifth season was limited due to his rising movie career, while Davidson missed most of the fourth season for unknown reasons.
"The Fly Girls":
was never an official cast member on In Living Color. Rock appeared (as a "special guest star") in a number of skits in the fifth season, and reprised his "Cheap Pete" character from I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
. In the early years of In Living Color, Rock was parodied as being the only African American cast member on Saturday Night Live
(SNL also had Tim Meadows). In an SNL episode honoring Mother's Day
, Rock's mother states that she is disappointed in him for not trying out for In Living Color, to which Rock states he is happy with his job on SNL.
Other recurring guest stars in the fifth season include Nick Bakay (for The Dirty Dozens sketches) and Peter Marshall
(for several editions of East Hollywood Squares
). Rapper Biz Markie
also appeared in various roles as a guest star in the fifth season, such as being (not too much) in drag as Wanda the Ugly Woman's sister or as "Dirty Dozens" contestant Damian "Foosball" Franklin.
on Fox, the series was in reruns on local affiliates and on the News Corporation
-owned FX Network, where it was distributed by Twentieth Television.
Reruns of the show aired on BET from 2005–2008, and returned in 2010. Reruns have also aired on MTV2
, VH1
, Sí TV
and on BET-owned Centric.
The Best of In Living Color aired on MyNetworkTV
from April 16 to June 18, 2008. Hosted by David Alan Grier, it was a retrospective show featuring classic sketches, along with cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The show aired on Wednesdays at 8:30 pm Eastern/7:30 pm Central, after MyNetworkTV's sitcom Under One Roof
.
reported that Fox has announced In Living Color is scheduled to return in 2012, airing two half-hour specials hosted and executive produced by co-creator Keenan Ivory Wayans, with the option of picking the series up for the following season. The show is a "contemporary take" on the original premise, with new performers and musical performances.
Note: Ratings data courtesy of TVTango.com
has released all five seasons of In Living Color on DVD in Region 1. Unfortunately the sets have been edited due to music licensing issues, resulting in some episodes having entire sketches removed.
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Keenen Ivory Wayans is an American actor, comedian, director and writer known as the host and creator of the FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color, which also starred Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, brothers Damon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, sister Kim Wayans, David Alan Grier, Tommy...
and Damon Wayans
Damon Wayans
Damon Kyle Wayans is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans brothers.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager...
created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
. The show was taped before a live studio audience at stage 7 at the Fox Television Center
Metromedia Square
Metromedia Square was a radio and television studio facility located at 5746 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on the southeastern corner of Sunset and Van Ness Avenue. For decades it was recognizable by the white, ladder-like snake on the building's roof...
on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The title of the series was inspired by the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
announcement of broadcasts being presented "in living color" during the 1950s and 1960s, prior to mainstream color television
Color television
Color television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
. It also refers to the fact that most of the show's cast was African-American, unlike other sketches comedy shows like Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
whose casts are usually mostly white.
Other members of the Wayans family
Wayans family
The Wayans family is a family including many directors, screenwriters, comedians and actors. Their parents are Howell and Elvira Wayans. There are ten siblings in the first generation, with many children of their own....
—Kim
Kim Wayans
Kim Wayans is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer and director. She is also a member of the Wayans family.-Early life:...
, Shawn and Marlon
Marlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
—had regular roles, while brother Dwayne
Dwayne Wayans
Dwayne Kim Wayans is an American writer and film score composer. He is a member of the Wayans Family.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager. His family was involved in the Jehovah's...
frequently appeared as an extra. The show also starred the previously unknown comedians Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
and Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
.
Description and history
The sketch comedy show helped launch the careers of male comedians/actors Jim Carrey (then credited as "James Carrey", a future Golden Globe winner and one of only two caucasianWhite people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
members of the original cast), Jamie Foxx (a future Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
winner, who joined the cast in the third season) and David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
(an established theatre actor, who had worked in Keenen Ivory Wayans' 1988 motion picture I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka is a 1988 blaxploitation parody film written by, directed by and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans. Featured in the film are several black actors who were part of the blaxploitation phenomenon; including Jim Brown, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas and Isaac Hayes...
).
The series strove to produce comedy with a strong emphasis on modern black
African American culture
African-American culture, also known as black culture, in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of Americans of African descent to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The distinct identity of African-American culture is rooted in...
subject matter. For instance, Carrey was frequently used to ridicule white musicians such as Snow
Snow (musician)
Darrin O'Brien , better known by his stage name Snow, is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rap and reggae musician. He is best known for his 1992 single "Informer", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.-Life and work:...
and Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
who performed in genera more commonly associated with black people. A sketch parodying Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
mocked the show as Old Train, suggesting the show (along with its host, Don Cornelius
Don Cornelius
Donald Cortez "Don" Cornelius is an American television show host and producer who is best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971-1993...
) was out of touch and only appealed to the elderly and the dead.
Opening credits
For the first episode, an exotic-looking black-and-white logo was used for the opening credits. After the band Living ColourLiving Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
claimed in a lawsuit that the show stole the band's logo and name, the logo was changed to one with rather plain-type letters of three colors.
In the first two seasons, the opening sequence was set in a room covered with painters' tarps, and each cast member played with paint in a different way (throwing globs of it at the camera by hand, using a roller to cover the lens, etc.). The sequence ended with a segue to a set built to resemble the rooftop of an apartment building, where the show's dancers perform a routine and open a door to let Keenen Ivory Wayans greet the audience.
For the third and fourth seasons, an animated sequence and different logo were used. Here, the real-life cast members were superimposed over pictures hanging in an art gallery and interacted with them in different ways (spinning the canvas to put it right-side up, swinging the frame out as if it were a door, etc.). The final image was of the logo on a black canvas, which shattered to begin the show. The fifth season retained the logo, but depicted the cast members on various signs and billboards around a city (either New York or Chicago), ending with the logo displayed on a theater marquee.
The hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group Heavy D & the Boyz
Heavy D & the Boyz
Dwight Arrington Myers , better known as Heavy D, was a Jamaican-born American actor, rapper, record producer, singer and former leader of Heavy D & the Boyz, a hip hop group which included G-Whiz , "Trouble" T. Roy , and Eddie F...
performed two different versions of the opening theme. One version was used for the first two seasons and remixed for the fifth, while the other was featured in the third and fourth seasons.
Live musical performances
In Living Color was known for its live music performances, which started in Season 2 with Queen LatifahQueen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
as their first performer (appearing again in the third season). Some of the other music acts who performed on the show were Heavy D, Public Enemy, Kris Kross
Kris Kross
Kris Kross was an American rap duo of the 1990s comprising Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith. The duo are best known for their hit 1992 song "Jump", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and was certified double platinum as a single...
, En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
, Eazy-E
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
, Monie Love
Monie Love
Simone Riscoe , better known by her stage name Monie Love, is an English emcee and former radio personality in the United States...
, Onyx, 3rd Bass
3rd Bass
3rd Bass was an American hip-hop group that rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip-hop groups.-Career:...
, MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
, Arrested Development, Jodeci
Jodeci
Jodeci is an American band, whose repertoire includes R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. The group consists of two pairs of brothers from Hampton, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina: Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci & Jojo,...
, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, and Leaders of the New School
Leaders of the New School
Leaders of the New School was a Long Island, New York-based hip hop crew.-History:The crew was composed of Uniondale, New York, natives Charlie Brown and Dinco D ; North Amityville, New York native Cut Monitor Milo ; and Busta Rhymes , who was originally from Brooklyn, New York but later moved to...
.
The Fly Girls
The show employed an in-house dance troupe, known as the "Fly Girls". The original lineup consisted of Cari French, Carrie Ann InabaCarrie Ann Inaba
Carrie Ann Inaba is an American dancer, choreographer, actress, game show host, and singer.She started her career as a singer in Japan, but became best known for her dancing, first introducing herself to American audiences as one of the original Fly Girls on the sketch comedy series In Living Color...
, Deidre Lang, Lisa Marie Todd, and Michelle Whitney-Morrison. Rosie Perez
Rosie Perez
Rosa María "Rosie" Pérez is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, director and community activist.- Early life :...
was the choreographer for the first four seasons. Perhaps the most notable former Fly Girl was future actress/singer Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, who joined the show in its third season.
The Fly Girls would sometimes be used as extras in sketches, or as part of an opening gag. In one sketch, they were shown performing open-heart surgery (in the sketch, the girls are dancing in order to pay their way through medical school).
Departure of the Wayans Family
Keenen Ivory Wayans left the show in 1992 after the end of the third season, over disputes with Fox about the network censoringCensorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
the show's content and rerunning early episodes without his consultation. Wayans feared that Fox would ultimately decrease the syndication value of In Living Color. During the fourth season in 1992, he appeared only in the (1992–1993) season opener, though he remained the executive producer and thus stayed in the opening credits until the thirteenth episode. Marlon Wayans left with Keenen. Shawn Wayans and Kim Wayans both left the show at the end of the fourth season. Damon Wayans left at the end of the third season to pursue a movie career, though he made a few "special guest appearances" in the fourth season.
Censorship
Fox censorship of scripts increased after In Living Color produced a live Super BowlSuper Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
halftime special (branded by the network as The Doritos Zaptime/'In Living Color' Super Halftime Party). During the "Men on Football" sketch, Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier ad libbed a suggestion that Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
and track and field star Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
were homosexuals, much to Lewis' dismay. The programming stunt lured 20 million to 25 million viewers from CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
' telecast of the halftime festivities during Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
on January 26, 1992. Also, in the originally aired version of another sketch unrelated to the Super Bowl special ("Men on Fitness" – February 7, 1993), there was a simulation of Damon Wayans' character Blaine enjoying receiving facial ejaculation
Ejaculation
Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the male reproductory tract, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. It is usually the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. In rare cases ejaculation occurs because of prostatic disease...
while being sprayed with a water bottle. These two segments were initially cut from reruns, but have been recently airing on the Centric cable channel. The DVD releases has the Gere and Lewis references cut but retains the facial ejaculation simulation.
Reruns of the program on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
contain questionable words and phrases (such as "ho" and "bitch") muted. One line ("drop the soap") during the second "Men on Film" sketch was muted out by Fox censors before ever airing on TV for its implications of prison rape. The DVD releases have the language intact (except for the "drop the soap" line), but numerous sketches have been cut, particularly the music video parodies due to copyright reasons.
On the May 5, 1990, broadcast, Keenen Ivory Wayans did a take-off on a Colt 45
Colt 45 (malt liquor)
Colt 45 is a brand of malt liquor introduced by National Brewing Company in the spring of 1963. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, the National Brewing Company and its brands are today owned by the Pabst Brewing Company....
commercial featuring Billy Dee Williams
Billy Dee Williams
William December "Billy Dee" Williams, Jr. is an American actor, artist, singer, and writer.-Early life:Williams was born in New York City, New York, the son of Loretta...
(in which the purpose of the beverage is to get your lady friend wasted) that ended with a woman (played by Kim Coles
Kim Coles
Kimberley "Kim" Coles is an American actress and comedian.-Career:Coles has appeared on many television shows, including Frasier , Six Feet Under, Celebrity Mole and The Geena Davis Show...
) passed out on her back on a dining table, and "Billy Dee" moving in on her unconscious body to have sex with her. The "Colt 45" sketch was seen only once during the original broadcast. The sketch was omitted from repeats because some felt it was making light of date rape
Date rape
"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....
. The Season 1 DVD set of ILC didn't include the "cut" sketch from the pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
. This skit was cut by Fox censors, and the necessary modifications were made to the master tape. But Keenen "accidentally" mixed up the masters
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
, and the original master was broadcast. That segment has never been broadcast since, not even in syndication, on FX
FX Networks
FX is the name of a number of related pay television channels owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group...
or BET. It has been replaced by "The Exxxon Family" (a fake promo for a sitcom about a clumsy Exxon boat captain) in syndication and DVD box sets.
The final season
By the fifth and final season, none of the Wayans family had any involvement with the show. The show's traditional reliance on the character-driven sketches featuring Damon and Keenen gave way to an increasing reliance upon walk-on cameos and guest appearances, including Nick Bakay, Barry BondsBarry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
, Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Alexander Hemsley is an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P...
, Biz Markie
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989...
, Peter Marshall
Peter Marshall
Peter Marshall may refer to:* Peter Marshall , British author whose works include Demanding The Impossible: A History of Anarchism and Europe's Lost Civilization...
, Ed O'Neill
Ed O'Neill
Edward Phillip "Ed" O'Neill, Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the Fox Network sitcom Married... with Children, for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes...
, Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
, Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
and stars of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Kelly Coffield
Kelly Coffield Park
Kelly Coffield Park is an American actress and comedian. She is known for being one of two white members of the original cast in the sketch comedy television series In Living Color ....
, who, prior to Alexandra Wentworth
Alexandra Wentworth
Alexandra Wentworth is an American comedienne, actress and author who starred in Head Case on Starz.-Early life:...
's arrival in the fourth season was the lone white female cast member, left at the end of the fourth season. Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, Tommy Davidson
Tommy Davidson
Tommy Davidson is an American comedian, film and television actor.Born in Washington, D.C., Davidson was adopted when he was 2-years-old. He was a child of an interracial adoption, with his parents being Caucasian and he being African-American. He attended high school at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High...
, T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh is an American actress, writer, director, producer, singer, and comedian. In addition to her status as an original cast member of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color, she is perhaps best known for her roles as Erica Lucas on the CBS sitcom Cosby, and as Tanya...
, and "Fly Girl" Deidre Lang are the only cast members to remain on the show throughout all five seasons, although Carrey's presence during the fifth season was limited due to his rising movie career, while Davidson missed most of the fourth season for unknown reasons.
Cast
Repertory cast members:- James CarreyJim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
- Kelly CoffieldKelly Coffield ParkKelly Coffield Park is an American actress and comedian. She is known for being one of two white members of the original cast in the sketch comedy television series In Living Color ....
(seasons 1-4) - Kim ColesKim ColesKimberley "Kim" Coles is an American actress and comedian.-Career:Coles has appeared on many television shows, including Frasier , Six Feet Under, Celebrity Mole and The Geena Davis Show...
(season 1 only) - Tommy DavidsonTommy DavidsonTommy Davidson is an American comedian, film and television actor.Born in Washington, D.C., Davidson was adopted when he was 2-years-old. He was a child of an interracial adoption, with his parents being Caucasian and he being African-American. He attended high school at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High...
- Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
(featured in season 3; regular in seasons 4-5) - David Alan GrierDavid Alan GrierDavid Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
- Anne-Marie JohnsonAnne-Marie JohnsonAnne-Marie Johnson is an American actress and impressionist who has starred in film and on television. She is perhaps best known for her role as high school educator Althea Tibbs on the NBC/CBS television drama In the Heat of the Night. She is also known for her role as Nadine Hudson Thomas on...
(season 5 only) - T'Keyah Crystal KeymáhT'Keyah Crystal KeymáhT'Keyah Crystal Keymáh is an American actress, writer, director, producer, singer, and comedian. In addition to her status as an original cast member of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color, she is perhaps best known for her roles as Erica Lucas on the CBS sitcom Cosby, and as Tanya...
- Jay Leggett (season 5 only)
- Reggie McFadden (season 5 only)
- Steve ParkSteve Park (comedian)Steve Park is a Korean-American comedian. Originally a stand-up comedian, his best known work includes being a cast member of In Living Color during the 1991-1992 season and the roles of Mike Yanagita in Fargo, Sonny in Do The Right Thing and Detective Brian in Falling Down...
(featured in season 3 only) - Carol Rosenthal (season 5 only)
- DJ Twist (featured in seasons 3-4; regular in season 5)
- Damon WayansDamon WayansDamon Kyle Wayans is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans brothers.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager...
(seasons 1-3) - Keenen Ivory WayansKeenen Ivory WayansKeenen Ivory Wayans is an American actor, comedian, director and writer known as the host and creator of the FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color, which also starred Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, brothers Damon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, sister Kim Wayans, David Alan Grier, Tommy...
(seasons 1-4) - Kim WayansKim WayansKim Wayans is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer and director. She is also a member of the Wayans family.-Early life:...
(seasons 1-4) - Marlon WayansMarlon WayansMarlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
(featured in season 4 only) - Shawn Wayans (featured in seasons 1-2 as "DJ SW-1"; regular in seasons 3-4)
- Alexandra WentworthAlexandra WentworthAlexandra Wentworth is an American comedienne, actress and author who starred in Head Case on Starz.-Early life:...
(featured in season 4; regular in season 5) - Marc WilmoreMarc WilmoreMarc Wilmore is a television writer, producer, and actor. In the early 1990s, he was a writer for In Living Color, and became a regular cast member in the final season, widely considered the worst season of the show. From 1999-2001, he served as a writer for the claymation series The PJs, and...
(season 5 only)
"The Fly Girls":
- Cari French (seasons 1-3)
- Carla Garrido (season 2 only)
- Laurie Ann GibsonLaurie Ann GibsonLaurie N. Jibsen is a creative director, VMA-winning choreographer, and Emmy-nominated director best known for her work with Lady Gaga, Diddy and Keri Hilson. She rose to public prominence as the star of MTV's Making the Band and P. Diddy and Mark Burnett’s Starmaker series...
(season 5 only) - MaDonna Grimes (season 4 only)
- Jossie Harris (seasons 4-5)
- Carrie Ann InabaCarrie Ann InabaCarrie Ann Inaba is an American dancer, choreographer, actress, game show host, and singer.She started her career as a singer in Japan, but became best known for her dancing, first introducing herself to American audiences as one of the original Fly Girls on the sketch comedy series In Living Color...
(seasons 1-3) - Keri Lane (season 3 only)
- Deidre Lang
- Jennifer LopezJennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
(seasons 3-4) - Rosie PerezRosie PerezRosa María "Rosie" Pérez is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, director and community activist.- Early life :...
(choreographer, seasons 1-4) - Lisa Joann ThompsonLisa Joann ThompsonLisa Joann Thompson is an American dancer, choreographer, actress, and model who was a Warrior Girl, Laker Girl, Fly Girl, Motown Live Dancer, and Backup dancer to some of the most prominent artists in the musical industry...
(seasons 4-5) - Lisa Marie Todd (seasons 1-3)
- Michelle Whitney-Morrison (seasons 1-2)
- Masako Willis (season 5 only)
Guest stars
Despite popular belief, Chris RockChris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
was never an official cast member on In Living Color. Rock appeared (as a "special guest star") in a number of skits in the fifth season, and reprised his "Cheap Pete" character from I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka is a 1988 blaxploitation parody film written by, directed by and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans. Featured in the film are several black actors who were part of the blaxploitation phenomenon; including Jim Brown, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas and Isaac Hayes...
. In the early years of In Living Color, Rock was parodied as being the only African American cast member on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
(SNL also had Tim Meadows). In an SNL episode honoring Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
, Rock's mother states that she is disappointed in him for not trying out for In Living Color, to which Rock states he is happy with his job on SNL.
Other recurring guest stars in the fifth season include Nick Bakay (for The Dirty Dozens sketches) and Peter Marshall
Peter Marshall (game show host)
Peter Marshall is an American television and radio personality, singer, and actor.He was the original host of The Hollywood Squares, from 1966 to 1981. He has almost fifty television, movie, and Broadway credits...
(for several editions of East Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
). Rapper Biz Markie
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989...
also appeared in various roles as a guest star in the fifth season, such as being (not too much) in drag as Wanda the Ugly Woman's sister or as "Dirty Dozens" contestant Damian "Foosball" Franklin.
Syndication
Where it was originally produced by 20th Century Fox Television20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
on Fox, the series was in reruns on local affiliates and on the News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
-owned FX Network, where it was distributed by Twentieth Television.
Reruns of the show aired on BET from 2005–2008, and returned in 2010. Reruns have also aired on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, Sí TV
Sí TV
NuvoTV is an English-language cable network that caters to the bicultural Latino population of the United States. Programming includes lifestyle, reality, comedy, and more...
and on BET-owned Centric.
The Best of In Living Color aired on MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
from April 16 to June 18, 2008. Hosted by David Alan Grier, it was a retrospective show featuring classic sketches, along with cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The show aired on Wednesdays at 8:30 pm Eastern/7:30 pm Central, after MyNetworkTV's sitcom Under One Roof
Under One Roof (2008 TV series)
Under One Roof is a sitcom starring musician and Flavor of Love star William "Flavor Flav" Drayton and comic actor Kelly Perine best known for his work on One on One. The series is written by Danielle Quarles...
.
Revival
On October 28, 2011, The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
reported that Fox has announced In Living Color is scheduled to return in 2012, airing two half-hour specials hosted and executive produced by co-creator Keenan Ivory Wayans, with the option of picking the series up for the following season. The show is a "contemporary take" on the original premise, with new performers and musical performances.
Nielsen ratings
- 1990-91: #58 (10.31 rating)
- 1991-92: #56 (10.37 rating)
- 1992-93: #62 (9.67 rating)
- 1993-94: #71 (7.98 rating)
Note: Ratings data courtesy of TVTango.com
Crossovers
- At the 2006 BET AwardsBET AwardsThe BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
when the show returned from one of its commercial breaks, the show's host Damon Wayans played a character very reminiscent to "Men on ..." critic Blaine Edwards. - In Living Color alums Damon Wayans, Jim Carrey, and David Alan Grier reprised some of their In Living Color characters on Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
:- Damon Wayans, a featured player during that show's eleventh seasonSaturday Night Live (Season 11)Saturday Night Live aired its 11th season during the 1985-1986 television season on NBC. The season started on November 9, 1985 and ended on May 24, 1986, 18 episodes were produced....
, hosted an episode from SNLs 20th season in 1995, where he brought on two of his famous In Living Color characters: homeless wino Anton Jackson and gay film critic Blaine Edwards. - Jim Carrey auditioned to be one of the repertory members on SNL 's ill-fated 1980-1981 seasonSaturday Night Live (Season 6)Saturday Night Live aired its sixth season during the 1980–1981 television season on NBC. Season six started on November 15, 1980 and ended on April 11, 1981, with only 13 episodes...
, but was dropped in favor of Charles RocketCharles RocketCharles Rocket was an American film and television actor, notable for his tenure as a cast member on Saturday Night Live as well as for his appearances as the villain Nicholas Andre in the film Dumb and Dumber; as Dave Dennison, the father in Disney's Hocus Pocus.-Early life and career:Rocket was...
(who later appeared in the 19891989 in film-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
film Earth Girls Are EasyEarth Girls Are EasyEarth Girls Are Easy is a 1988 American musical comedy film directed by Julien Temple. It stars Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Michael McKean, Julie Brown, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans. The film is marketed with the tagline "An out-of-this-world, down-to-earth comedy adventure"...
and the 19941994 in film1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
film Dumb and Dumber with Carrey). Carrey hosted the season finale of SNLs 21st season in 1996, where he impersonated Fire Marshal Bill during the monologue. - David Alan Grier first hosted SNL during season 21 and reprised his In Living Color role as "Men on...Men on..."Men on..." is the umbrella title for a series of comedy sketches that appeared in episodes of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color. The sketch featured two gay cultural critics, Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather , commenting on aspects of popular culture, including movies, art and...
" critic Antoine Merriweather, which the end of the sketch included a surprise on-set appearance from Damon Wayans as Blaine. Grier hosted SNL on December 9, 1995 (season 21) and March 18, 1997 (season 22).
- Damon Wayans, a featured player during that show's eleventh season
- Jamie Foxx reprised his role as Wanda in a short segment at the 2009 BET Awards.
- In Liar LiarLiar LiarLiar Liar is a 1997 American comedy film written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical...
, Jim Carrey reprised his "Fire Marshal Bill" character (albeit with no lines) in the background of one of the closing scenes.
DVD releases
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
has released all five seasons of In Living Color on DVD in Region 1. Unfortunately the sets have been edited due to music licensing issues, resulting in some episodes having entire sketches removed.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 13 | April 6, 2004 |
| Season 2 | 26 | September 28, 2004 |
| Season 3 | 30 | May 10, 2005 |
| Season 4 | 33 | October 25, 2005 |
| Season 5 | 26 | April 11, 2006 |
See also
- List of In Living Color sketches
- List of In Living Color cast members
- List of In Living Color episodes