Girlfriends

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Girlfriends is a popular American sitcom centered on the lives of four successful African American women living in Los Angeles, California. The show premiered in September 2000 and will begin its seventh season in September 2006 on The CW. The show is praised for its honest portrayal of African-American women and often tackling socially relevant issues, such as the status of women in society.

Contents

Overview

Los Angeles attorney Joan Clayton and her three best girlfriends share each others ups-and-downs of living single, marital bliss, and career goals. Joining the ladies in their journey through life is William Dent, a man that has endured the good times and the bad with the ladies he adores. As each woman travels down her own path, she still leans on her girlfriends for support and guidance while trying to live her life to the fullest.

Receiving critical acclaim and produced by Kelsey Grammer (Frasier), it was often referred to as a black copy of Sex and the City but differs in that it features present issues faced more commonly by black women. The first season of the show started off rather shaky, but later on in the series, it took on a life of its own and became a success. Each episode in season one featured Joan breaking the fourth wall, and talking directly to the viewer, often used in series like Malcolm in the Middle and Saved by the Bell. This gimmick continued half-way through season two; then was phased out.

During the series' run, Girlfriends has been nominated for 14 NAACP Image Awards, winning two of them for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Reggie Hayes). The show's also been nominated for 12 BET Comedy Awards and won 3. Its wins included Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Golden Brooks), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Tracee Ellis Ross) and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Other nominations for the series include one for GLAAD Media Awards and an Emmy Award.

Original format and cast

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The original cast of Girlfriends included actresses Christina Cox and Leslie Silva in the roles of Lynn and Toni respectively, who left the production, because of which some parts of the first episode were reshot to include Persia White and Jill Marie Jones. Girlfriends was picked up for a full season after the ratings success of the first thirteen episodes, according to rave reviews about the show's content in 2000.

Very little story elements of the unaired pilot were later changed. Notable examples are the fact that Joan is preparing to make partner at her law firm; she hires Maya as her assistant; and her friends set out to find her a man.

Characters

Main characters summary

Joan Clayton

Joan Clayton (Tracee Ellis Ross) is the unofficial "den mother" of the group, often looking out for the needs of her friends while placing her own on the back burner. Joan's parents divorced when she was twelve years old, and she moved to Fresno at approximately the same time, where she met Toni Childs. The two became best friends. She attended college at UCLA, earning her law degree. She later became a junior partner at Goldberg, Swedelson, McDonald and Lee, a prestigious Los Angeles law firm, and often struggled to gain the appreciation and respect of her colleagues. While on her quest to find "Mr. Right", Joan recently left the law firm and started her own restauraunt and bar, the J-Spot.

Toni Childs-Garrett

Toni Childs-Garrett (Jill Marie Jones) is Joan's friend since childhood and was her roommate at UCLA. Toni grew up in a poor family with an alcoholic mother and in Fresno. She has six siblings (three sisters and three brothers). Toni met Joan when they were in grade school, and the two became best friends. Toni is much more vain than her girlfriends and is the self-proclaimed "cute one" of the group. At the beginning of the show, she despised Maya but later the two have come to settle their differences. Toni is a real-estate agent and has sold many houses, including one to singer Beyoncé. Toni unexpectedly found love with Todd Garrett, a Jewish white plastic surgeon, whom she eventually marries. After a rocky year-long marriage, the two separated after Todd moved to New York; Toni later accused Todd of adultery. The birth of their daughter, Morgan Garrett, brings forth new issues for her self-indulged personality, but she soon finds a way to balance career, being single and motherhood, while trying to fight a custody battle with Todd over the welfare of Morgan.

Maya Wilkes

Maya Wilkes (Golden Brooks) was Joan's sassy assistant at the law firm. She was married to her high school sweetheart, an airport baggage handler named Darnell and the two have a son, Jabari. In the beginning of the series, she hated Toni because of her egotisical behavior. The two eventually learned to accept one another. A devoted wife and mother, Maya soon befriends Stan Wright, an employee at the law firm whom she sets up on a date with Joan. After growing jealous of the two, Maya expresses an attraction to Stan, which he later returns. When the two share a kiss, Maya is then uncomfortable with Stan's advances and terminates the relationship. Stan tried to threaten Maya's marriage but Darnell finds the truth another way. The result ends in the two getting a divorce. While newly single, Maya returns to school at a nearby community college and wrote an essay. When the essay was rejected by her professors, she showed it to some people at a hair salon, and decided to use her essay as the mold for her book, Oh Hell Yes. With the steady success of her book, she later works on her marriage with Darnell and the two finally reunite.

Lynn Searcy

Lynn Searcy (Persia White) was Joan and Toni's roommate at UCLA and lived with Joan for eight years before the series started. Lynn holds no less than five post-graduate degrees. Born to a black father and a white mother, Lynn was adopted by a white family in Seattle and did not embrace her black background until attending college, where she met Joan and Toni. When Joan decided it was time for Lynn move out of her home, Lynn reluctantly became more independent by receiving various types of employment and moving into her own apartment. Some of the odd jobs she is had included being a tour guide for Japanese tourists (and passing off the girlfriends' homes as celebrities' houses) and hosting a public access talk show. She also developed a documentary on the HIV/AIDS pandemic involving African-American women. Wanting to learn more about her parents, Lynn meets biological mother, whom in return helps her contact her biological father. Lynn is extremely sexually active (even becoming William's "sex buddy") and has been intimate with both men and women, though she prefers men. Like her girlfriends, she is still searching for her perfect match.

William Dent

William Dent (Reggie Hayes) is one of Joan's closest male friends. He is senior partner at Goldberg, Swedelson, McDonald and Lee. He is also portrayed as somewhat of a "mama's boy" but possesses self-confidence and a dry sense of humor. After being left at the wedding altar by the woman he loved, Yvonne, he reluctantly gets back into the groove of dating numerous women, including the vicious Monica Charles Brooks and senior partner Sharon Upton Farley. He later realizes that the right woman for him is Joan. After 3 months of courting, the two ended their relationship. He is now co-owner of the J-Spot with Joan.

Recurring characters

Jabari Wilkes is Maya's and Darnell's son. He was born when Maya was only seventeen years old. Toni has a habit of mispronouncing his name by calling him epithets such as Gymboree, Jujube, Jacuzzi, Jabooboo, Jafifi, Jeep, etc. Toni has only said his name right once.

Peaches (Shawn Harrison)Plays Ronnie's boyfriend

Ronnie Maya's cousin and hair stylist. In the series he also took part in her semi-biographical book "Oh Hell Yes!"

Boyfriends

Joan's boyfriends

Davis Hamilton (Randy J. Goodwin) owned the restaurant, 847, that the girlfriends frequent. Joan tried to have a one night stand with him, despite the fact that it went against her "three month rule." After making a pass at him, she found out that he was engaged. Although nothing happens between them, Joan told Toni and Lynn that she slept with him. Davis' fiancée dumped him after the girls spread the news around town. After three years, they run into each other at a movie theater on Valentine's Day. They soon go out on a date, but Joan realizes that she is not ready to get into another relationship after her breakup with Brock.

Marcus Stokes (Rodney Van Johnson) is a man whom Joan met over the Internet. Maya believed that Marcus would turn out to be a serial killer, but Joan enjoyed her first date with Marcus. Joan later freaked out after discovering that Marcus wears a girdle because he has large hips. Marcus began to become clingy, so Joan planned to break up with him. But after having "pity sex" with Marcus, she could not bring herself to do. Her friends all each made up a lies about Joan so that Marcus would dump her instead. Marcus did not believe anything they said, but broke up with Joan anyway.

Sean Ellis (Dondre T. Whitfield) is a man that Joan met at an art gallery. Sean seemed to meet all of the qualifications on the list that Joan made for the "perfect man," but Joan seemed to frighten him away by being aggressive. Joan began to believe that he was either gay, or sleeping with another woman because he refused to have sex with her, or even touch her. He admitted that he was a recovering sex addict. When they finally had sex, Joan was disappointed because Sean did not know how to "make love." After Toni discovered that Joan was responsible for her breakup with Greg, she tried to sleep with Sean through retaliation. Having difficulty battling his sex addiction, Sean moves to New York on business and asks Joan to live with him. Knowing that she can't just take off and relocate to another city, the two break up. After a few months, Sean visits Los Angeles again, while Joan is involved with Chris Dennison. She immediately dumps Chris. While expecting to start over again with Sean, he reveals to her that he is engaged - a lie he made up to avoid getting back together.

Chris Dennison (RonReaco Lee) is the mailroom courier at the law firm. He and Joan eventually date, despite the couple's age difference. During their courtship, Joan finds herself unintentionally being exposed to a different lifestyle such as taking drugs (ecstasy) and loitering, much to the influence of Chris. When she learns that her former boyfriend, Sean, comes to town, she breaks up with Chris.

Ellis Carter (Adrian Lester) is an actor that Joan met when they got into an argument over a treadmill at the gym. They began dating. They broke up after Joan admitted having feelings for his agent.

Brock Harris (Malik Yoba) is the mold of a man that Joan dreams about. He was Ellis' agent for a time and secretly pursued Joan, forcing her to choose between the two men. He later proposed to Joan but they broke up when Joan learned that he did not want to have children. A few months later, she re-considers their relationship while observing him playing with his niece and concludes that she might be satisfied having children in her life without being a mother for a while. However, a visit to her gynecologist gives her pause when she is forced to face the fact that her child-bearing years are limited. He makes another appearance in her life while she and William were dating.

William Dent (Reggie Hayes)

Kenneth Daly (Melvin Van Peebles) is a partner at a law firm who encourages Joan to puruse her dreams of keeping her restaurant, the J-Spot. Although Kenneth is much older than she, the two briefly date.

Derek Tyler (Wayne Brady) is a local writer that Joan meets while working at the restaurant. While Derek researches the J-Spot for an upcoming article, she soons worries that her personal relationship with him may have had some influence on his decision in making her grace the cover of the magazine. She begins dating him, along with two other men. When Joan decides to choose her basketball player boyfriend, Javon Dennis, she breaks up with Derek.

Javon Dennis (Mustafa Shakir) is a hot basketball player whom Joan is acquainted with while dining at her restaurant. He seems interested in Joan and the two begin dating. The relationship created problems with her friendship with Toni. When she thinks she is ready with Javon, Joan learns that Javon has other ideas about their relationship.

Toni's husband and boyfriends

Greg Sparks (Chuma Hunter-Gault) is an old flame of Toni's who is an aspiring artist. Toni begins dating him again but clashes over the fact of his lack of income. She soon starts taking an interest in Maya's doctor, the wealthy Dr. Clay Spencer. While her relationship with Greg became strained, she cheats on Greg with Dr. Spencer and contracts chlamydia. Toni soon accepts Clay's marriage proposal, and a disapproving Joan advises her to look into her heart, as she believes that Greg is the one she really loves. Toni comes to agree with her, and tells Dr. Spencer that she cannot marry him. Unfortunately, in the meantime, Joan (unaware that Greg and Toni are even still together) accidentally tells Greg that Toni is engaged to another man, prompting him to dump her. After a chance meeting at a restaurant, Toni declares her love for Greg and manages to win him back. He soon cheats on her, revealing that he only took her back to seek revenge against her. Two years later, Greg reaches out to Toni after her fiancee, Todd, failed to deliver a remorseful message from Greg before the wedding. Claiming that she needs closure but actually hoping to rub her happiness in Greg's face, she insists that she needs to meet with him. She then learns that Greg is, too, engaged.

Dr. Todd Garrett (Jason Pace) is Toni's Jewish ex-husband, who is in a custody battle over their child Morgan. When the relationship began, Toni always told jokes on how short he is out of love. He is a plastic surgeon for a reality television show. At the end of the sixth season, their custody battle was settled.

Maya's husband and boyfriends

Darnell Wilkes (Flex Alexander in season one, Khalil Kain in season two to the present) is Maya's husband. The two are back together as of the current season.

Antoine Childs (Darius McCrary) is Toni's brother who is studying to become a doctor. He was interested in Maya despite objections from his mother. Eventually he declared his love for Maya, and locked himself in the bathroom when she rejected him.

Lynn's lovers

Vosco (John L. Adams) is a man whom Lynn met when the girlfriends went to Jamaica. He went back to LA with Lynn and secretly moved into Joan's house. His dream was to make a map of celebrity's houses. He had a short lived friendship with Darnell, and irritated Lynn with his refusal to get a job.

William Dent (Reggie Hayes)

Sivad (Saul Williams) is a mysterious and talented poet. He meets Lynn while the two are reciting poetry at a club. The two start dating even though Lynn learns that he practices celibacy. Their relationship becomes rocky when Sivad feels threatened by Lynn's past with William. Bothered by the fact that Sivad.

Cast changes

Jill Marie Jones has left the show as of late May 2006. No word on whether her character will be replaced with another actress or written off the show.

Episodes

Season 1 (2000-2001)

1. Toe Sucking (9/11/2000)
2. One Night Stand (9/18/2000)
3. Girlfrrenzy (9/25/2000)
4. Hip-Ocracy (10/2/2000)
5. I Pity the Fool (10/9/2000)
6. The Remains of the Date (10/30/2000)
7. Everything Fishy Ain't Fish (11/6/2000)
8. Pregnant Pause (11/13/2000)
9. Fried Turkey (11/20/2000)
10. Never a Bridesmaid (11/27/2000)
11. The Importance of Being Frank (12/11/2000)
12. The List (1/15/2001)
13. They've Gotta Have It (2/5/2001)
14. Bad Timing (2/12/2001)
15. Old Dog (2/19/2001)
16. Friends, Colleagues, Brothers (2/26/2001)
17. The Declaration of Lynndependence (3/5/2001)
18. Diss-regard (3/12/2001)
19. A Kiss Before Lying (4/16/2001)
20. The Burning Vagina Monologues (4/30/2001)
21. Loose Lips Sink Relationships (5/7/2001)
22. Jamaic-Up? (5/14/2001)

Season 2 (2001-2002)

23. The Fallout (9/10/2001)
24. Just Say No (9/17/2001)
25. A Full Court Conspiracy (9/24/2001)
26. Un-Treatable (10/1/2001)
27. Buh-Bye (10/8/2001)
28. Willie or Won't He? (10/15/2001)
29. Trick or Truth (10/29/2001)
30. Joan's Birthday Suit(11/5/2001)
31. Maya Takes a Stan (11/12/2001)
32. Mom's the Word (11/19/2001)
33. You Better Watch Out (12/17/2001)
34. I Have a Dream House (1/21/2002)
35. Sister, Sistah (2/4/2002)
36. Willie or Won't He II: The Last Chapter? (2/11/2002)
37. Can't Stan Ya! (2/25/2002)
38. Take Me Out After the Ballgame (3/4/2002)
39. Childs in Charge (3/18/2002)
40. Taming of the Realtess (3/25/2002)
41. X Does Not Mark the Spot (4/29/2002)
42. My Mother, Myself (5/6/2002)
43. Just Dessert (5/13/2002)
44. Into the Woods (5/20/2002)

Season 3 (2002-2003)

45. Coming to Terms (9/23/2002)
46. Getting Our Act Together (9/30/2002)
47. Secrets and Eyes (10/7/2002)
48. Star Craving Mad (10/14/2002)
49. Don't Leave Me a Loan (10/21/2002)
50. Invasion of the Gold Digger (10/28/2002)
51. Blinded by the Lights (11/4/2002)
52. Handling Baggage (11/11/2002)
53. The Mommy Returns (11/18/2002)
54. A Little Romance (11/25/2002)
55. Santa v. Monica (12/16/2002)
56. Take This Poem and Call Me in the Morning (1/6/2003)
57. Howdy Partner (1/7/2003)
58. Single Mama Drama (2/3/2003)
59. Happy Valentine's Day...Baby? (2/10/2003)
60. Sex, Lies and Books (2/17/2003)
61. A Stiff Good Man Is Easy to Find (2/24/2003)
62. Runaway Bridesmaid (2/24/2003)
63. The Pact (3/17/2003)
64. Where Everyone Knows My Name (4/21/2003)
65. Too Much Sharin' (4/28/2003)
66. Blood Is Thicker Than Liquor (also known as Blood Is Thicker Than Water) (5/5/2003)
67. The Fast Track & the Furious (5/12/2003)
68. Wedding (1) (5/19/2003)
69. Wedding (2) (5/19/2003)

Season 4 (2003-2004)

70. Some Enchanting Evening (9/15/2003)
71. If It's Broke, Fix It (9/22/2003)
72. Snoop, There It Is (9/29/2003)
73. You Ain't Gotta Go Home but...You Know the Rest (10/6/2003)
74. Hopelessly Devoted to Two (10/13/2003)
75. Inherit the Lynn (10/20/2003)
76. And Baby Makes Four (11/3/2003)
77. Viva Las Vegas (11/10/2003)
78. Between Brock and a Hard Place (11/17/2003)
79. Don't You Want Me Baby? (11/24/2003)
80. Merry Ex-mas (12/15/2003)
81. Prophet and Losses (1/12/2004)
82. Comedy of Eros (2/9/2004)
83. Leggo My Ego (2/16/2004)
84. Good Catch or Bad Hop? (2/23/2004)
85. On the Couch (3/1/2004)
86. Love, Peace and Hair Grease (3/29/2004)
87. Wieners and Losers (4/12/2004)
88. He Loves Her, He Loves Me Not (4/26/2004)
89. A Partnerless Partner (5/3/2004)
90. Just the Three of Us (5/10/2004)
91. Love Thy Neighbor (5/17/2004)
92. New York Bound (5/24/2004)
93. New York Unbound (5/24/2004)

Season 5 (2004-2005)

94. L.A. Bound (9/20/2004)
95. The Rabbit Died (9/27/2004)
96. A Mile in Her Loubous (10/4/2004)
97. The J-Spot (10/11/2004)
98. Maybe Baby (10/18/2004)
99. Too Big for Her Britches (10/25/2004)
100. The Mother of All Episodes (1) (11/8/2004)
101. When Hearts Attack (2) (11/15/2004)
102. Who's Your Daddy? (11/22/2004)
103. Porn to Write (11/29/2004)
104. All the Creatures Were Stirring (12/13/2004)
105. P.D.A.-D.O.A. (1/3/2005)
106. All in a Panic (2/7/2005)
107. Great Sexpectations (2/14/2005)
108. The Way We Were (2/21/2005)
109. See J-Spot Run (2/28/2005)
110. Good News, Bad News (3/28/2005)
111. Kids Say the DarndestThings (4/25/2005)
112. Finn-ished (5/2/2005)
113. The Bridges of Fresno County (5/9/2005)
114. Wedding on the Rocks (5/16/2005)
115. ...With a Twist (5/23/2005)

Season 6 (2005-2006)

116. Fits & Starts (1) (9/19/2005)
117. Odds & Ends (2) (9/26/2005)
118. And Nanny Makes Three (10/3/2005)
119. Latching On and Lashing Out (10/10/2005)
120. Judging Edward (10/17/2005)
121. Everything Old Is New Again (10/24/2005)
122. Trial and Errors (11/7/2005)
123. Hot Girl on Girl Action (11/14/2005)
124. Sleeping Dogs (11/21/2005)
125. My Business, Not Your Business (11/28/2005)
126. All God's Children (12/12/2005)
127. The Music in Me (1/16/2006)
128. The It Girl (2/6/2006)
129. Work in Progress (2/13/2006)
130. Oh Hell Yes: The Seminar (2/20/2006)
131. Game Over (2/27/2006)
132. I'll Be There for You...but Not Right Now (3/27/2006)
133. The Game (4/17/2006) [backdoor pilot for spin-off series]
134. It's Raining Men (4/24/2006)
135. I Don't Wanna Be a Player No More (5/1/2006)
136. Party Over Here (5/8/2006)
137. Ain't Nothing Over There (5/8/2006) [Season Finale]

Season 7 (2006-2007)

Season Premiere Sunday, October 1 - 8PM/7C on CW Network

Spin-off

Being a staple to UPN's primetime line-up, Girlfriends has become very popular. A 2006 episode of Girlfriends, entitled The Game, featured guest star Tia Mowry as Joan's cousin Melanie, an aspiring med student, who wants to give up her future to follow her professional athlete boyfriend to San Diego.

The episode is intended to launch a spinoff series in which will air in the fall by the new UPN/The WB merger network, The CW. Other guest stars included Coby Bell and Wendy Raquel Robinson. Originally, actress Cynthia Addai-Robinson was slated to star as the role of Melanie but was replaced in favor of Tia Mowry.

Worldwide Broadcast

USA: UPN (will move to The CW beginning with the 2006-2007 season after UPN ceases operations)
Germany: until June on NICK Comedy; in Winter again on Paramount Comedy

References

External links

[Girlfriends] at The CW
[Girlfriends] (fansite)
[Girlfriends] official website at United Paramount Network
[Girlfriends] at TvTome.com
[Obtain free tickets for the live TV taping of Girlfriends in Los Angeles]

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