Where I Live
Encyclopedia
Where I Live is an American sitcom
that premiered in 1993 as part of ABC
's TGIF
lineup. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Jacobs
and Ehrich Van Lowe.
as Douglas St. Martin, a Trinidadian
-American teenager living in the Harlem
section of New York City. He lived with his caring, hard-working parents and his younger sister. Much of the show focused on Douglas' misadventures with his best friends, Reggie (Flex
) and Malcolm (Shaun Baker
). The show was based on Doug E. Doug's own childhood.
A midseason replacement
, the series drew critical acclaim for its realistic portrayals, but the ratings
were very low, putting the show on the brink of cancellation. Support from fans and Bill Cosby
helped the show get renewed for a second season. The show returned in the summer on Tuesdays after Full House
, which raised the ratings temporarily. Bill Cosby then became a consultant
on the series. However, the show was moved to Saturday nights for its second season and the ratings even lower than before. Eight episodes were produced for the second season but the show was cancelled after three of them aired.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that premiered in 1993 as part of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's TGIF
TGIF (ABC)
TGIF was the name of an American family-friendly prime time television programming block on the ABC network. The name comes from the initials of the popular phrase "Thank God It's Friday"...
lineup. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Jacobs
Michael Jacobs
Michael Jacobs is a writer and producer whose work has appeared on Broadway, Off Broadway, television and film. He is the creator/producer of several popular television series including Boy Meets World, Dinosaurs, Charles in Charge and My Two Dads...
and Ehrich Van Lowe.
Synopsis
The series starred Doug E. DougDoug E. Doug
Douglas Bourne, better known as Doug E. Doug is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and film director. He started his career at age 17 as a stand-up comedian...
as Douglas St. Martin, a Trinidadian
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
-American teenager living in the Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
section of New York City. He lived with his caring, hard-working parents and his younger sister. Much of the show focused on Douglas' misadventures with his best friends, Reggie (Flex
Flex Alexander
Mark Alexander Knox , better known as Flex Alexander or Flex, is an American actor, comedian and dancer.-Early life:Born in New York City in Harlem, Alexander is the son of Alethia Knox and Robert Whitehead....
) and Malcolm (Shaun Baker
Shaun Baker (actor)
Shaun Baker, is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Quick Williams on the syndicated television series V.I.P.Baker had a minor role in the 1990 Kid 'n Play film House Party. His first major television role was Malcolm on the ABC sitcom Where I Live, co-starring with Doug E. Doug...
). The show was based on Doug E. Doug's own childhood.
A midseason replacement
Midseason replacement
In American and Canadian television, a midseason replacement is a television series that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between January and May...
, the series drew critical acclaim for its realistic portrayals, but the ratings
Audience measurement
Audience measurement measures how many people are in an audience, usually in relation to radio listenership and television viewership, but also in relation to newspaper and magazine readership and, increasingly, web traffic on websites...
were very low, putting the show on the brink of cancellation. Support from fans and Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
helped the show get renewed for a second season. The show returned in the summer on Tuesdays after Full House
Full House
Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
, which raised the ratings temporarily. Bill Cosby then became a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
on the series. However, the show was moved to Saturday nights for its second season and the ratings even lower than before. Eight episodes were produced for the second season but the show was cancelled after three of them aired.
Cast
- Doug E. DougDoug E. DougDouglas Bourne, better known as Doug E. Doug is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and film director. He started his career at age 17 as a stand-up comedian...
– Douglas St. Martin - FlexFlex AlexanderMark Alexander Knox , better known as Flex Alexander or Flex, is an American actor, comedian and dancer.-Early life:Born in New York City in Harlem, Alexander is the son of Alethia Knox and Robert Whitehead....
– Reggie Coltrane - Shaun BakerShaun Baker (actor)Shaun Baker, is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Quick Williams on the syndicated television series V.I.P.Baker had a minor role in the 1990 Kid 'n Play film House Party. His first major television role was Malcolm on the ABC sitcom Where I Live, co-starring with Doug E. Doug...
– Malcolm Richardson - Lorraine ToussaintLorraine ToussaintLorraine Toussaint is an actress best known for starring alongside Annie Potts in Any Day Now.Toussaint graduated from Manhattan's School of Performing Arts in 1978, before going on to graduate from Juilliard School...
– Marie St. Martin - Yunoka Doyle – Sharon St. Martin
- Jason Bose Smith – Kwanzie
- Sullivan WalkerSullivan WalkerSullivan Walker is a Trinidadian actor who has played numerous small and recurring roles on television shows since the early eighties...
– James St. Martin
Season 1
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Occupant" | March 5, 1993 |
| 1-2 | "One Dead Mother" | March 12, 1993 |
| 1-3 | "Curf Me? ... Curfew!" | March 19, 1993 |
| 1-4 | "My Fair Forward" | March 26, 1993 |
| 1-5 | "Doug Gets Busy" | April 2, 1993 |
| 1-6 | "Dontay's Inferno" | April 6, 1993 |
| 1-7 | "Past Tense, Future Imperfect" | April 9, 1993 |
| 1-8 | "Opposites Attack" | April 16, 1993 |
| 1-9 | "Married ... with Children" | April 23, 1993 |
| 1-10 | "Malcolm 2X" | April 30, 1993 |
| 1-11 | "I Live Where?" | May 7, 1993 |
| 1-12 | "Shirt Happens" | Never aired |
| 1-13 | "The Terminator" | Never aired |
Season 2
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Big Mon on Campus" | November 6, 1993 |
| 1-2 | "I Am Not a Role Model" | November 13, 1993 |
| 1-3 | "The Big Easy" | November 20, 1993 |
| 1-4 | "Local Hero" | Never aired |
| 1-5 | "Miracle on 134th Street" | Never aired |
| 1-6 | "Class Action" | Never aired |
| 1-7 | "The Domino Theory" | Never aired |
| 1-8 | "Let Them Eat Snacks" | Never aired |
Syndication
Reruns of the series, including the unaired episodes, were broadcast on the TV One cable network in 2009.Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best Youth Comedian | Doug E. Doug |
| Best Youth Actress Recurring or Regular in a TV Series | Yunoka Doyle | |||