Living Single (Oxygen)

LIVING SINGLE is a sitcom about a group of young, upwardly mobile African-American twenty- and thirty-somethings who support each other as they build successful lives in Brooklyn, New York. Khadijah James (Queen Latifah) is the editor-in-chief of an up-and-coming urban magazine called Flavor; she shares a brownstone with her Troll doll-loving cousin, aspiring actress Synclair (Kim Coles); and her childhood friend, the image-conscious, boutique-buying Regine (Kim Fields, best known as Tootie on The Facts of Life). Rounding out the ensemble are Khadijah's best friend, attorney Maxine (Erika Alexander), a constant visitor who thinks nothing of mooching off of the trio; Kyle (TC Carson), a Wall Street funds broker; and Overton (John Carson), the tool-loving building superintendent. Khadijah continuously struggles between finding love and supporting the magazine, while Regine attempts to move beyond her working-class background. Sexual tension between Maxine and Kyle leads to five years of constant sparring, and Maxine struggles between pursuing her legal career and pursuing motherhood by way of a sperm donor.

An entertaining series, Living Single is also about African-American pride. While there's no shortage of "yo momma" jokes, this circle of friends not only finds strength in each other, but in their place within the African-American community. As a result, the series provides much-needed positive messages about diversity and multicultural acceptance and makes the show even more worth watching. Despite all of Living Single's positive messages and strong humor, its characters' active love lives and penchant for innuendo makes it best for teens and up.