Renewed interest in ’90s and early 2000s Black sitcoms has led some fans to realize that “Moesha,” “The Parkers,” “Girlfriends,” and “The Game” have more in common than Mara Brock Akil and Ralph Farquhar being behind their storylines.
In fact, fans of each of the series have concluded that easily overlooked crossover episodes prove that the programs are all set in the same TV universe. Akil became a staple in creating content for the culture as a writer on “Moseha,” which ran from 1996 to 2001, and was co-created by Farquhar.
Farquhar first used the success of the show to create “The Parkers” as a spinoff, shining a light on Moesha’s friend Kim and her mother Nikki, respectively portrayed by Countess Vaughn and Mo’Nique, from 1999 to 2004.
The coming-of-age teen sitcom that starred Brandy also proved to be a vehicle of sorts for Akil to develop “Girlfriends.” The latter follows a group of four Black women of varying degrees of career success navigating life in Los Angeles.
Its lead character, Joan Smalls, was portrayed by Tracee Ellis Ross; however, it was character Maya Wilkes, portrayed by actress Golden Brooks that helped introduce the beloved “Sex & the City”-esque show to viewers. Wilkes appeared in “Moesha” season 6, episode 15, “That’s My Mama,” as the teen’s aunt who lived next door.
“Why I’m today old not knowing that Girlfriends was connected to Moesha. I watched both shows religiously,” wrote one fan as a clip of the episode recently began to recirculate. Another person noticed that Wilkes’ storyline in the crossover painted her as having a brother, but that detail was abandoned in “Girlfriends.” “It’s crazy because Mya was an only child but all of a sudden she had a brother,” they wrote.
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Seven months after the soft launch of Wilkes’ character, “Girlfriends” premiered. The ensemble cast was on air from 2001 to 2008. Their tenure began at UPN but ended on The CW. In its first season, Moesha’s friend Niecy Jackson, played by Star Jackson, made a guest appearance as an eavesdropper, offering relationship advice to Ross’ character, Joan Smalls, furthering the two shows’ connection.
Akil used the tie-in method again in 2006 when she introduced Melanie Barnett, played by Tia Mowry, as Smalls’ cousin, creating fanfare over “The Game.” The latter show, unlike “Moesha” and “Girlfriends,” was set in San Diego instead of Los Angeles.
It ran for three seasons until 2009 before being cancelled on The CW. It would go on to be picked up by BET for four more seasons before the plug was pulled for a second time. Its final network, Paramount+, revived the series in 2021, but it only lasted for two additional seasons, culminating in more than a decade of episodes before ending with the new series’ season 2, episode 10, “A League of Their Own,” in 2023.
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For other fans, all the shared connections between the sitcoms were a no-brainer. “Serious tho….it made perfect sense you know what also made sense….Maya being Dorian’s Auntie on Moesha making Moesha, The Game and Girlfriends all connected by the characters who gave you the most headache,” tweeted one person.
Another posted on X, “Moesha, The Parkers, Girlfriends and The Game was all separate shows that connected. Basically the black sitcom avengers iykyk.”
While the possibility of rebooting “Moesha” or “The Game” seems unlikely, executive producer Kelsey Grammer has remained open to finding a way to bring back the stories of “Girlfriends.”
