"In Living Color" (1990) TV series 1990-1994

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Creator:

Keenen Ivory Wayans

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

15 April 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

An afro-american focused comedy sketch show.

Plot Keywords:

Fire Marshal | Firefighter | Actor Playing Multiple Roles | Spoof | Satire

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 4 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh	...	Various (111 episodes, 1990-1994)
Deidre Lang	...	Fly Girl / ... (85 episodes, 1990-1994)
Keenen Ivory Wayans	...	Various / ... (72 episodes, 1990-1994)
Damon Wayans	...	Various (72 episodes, 1990-1994)
David Alan Grier	...	Various (70 episodes, 1990-1994)
Jim Carrey	...	Various (68 episodes, 1990-1994)
Tommy Davidson	...	Various (68 episodes, 1990-1994)
Kim Wayans	...	Various (61 episodes, 1990-1994)
Shawn Wayans	...	Various / ... (59 episodes, 1990-1994)
Kelly Coffield	...	Various (57 episodes, 1990-1994)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

KTTV/Fox Television Center - 5746 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

Homey D. Clown's line "Homey don't play that!" was ranked #20 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 20 Top Catchphrases" (21-27 August 2005 issue).

Quotes:

Beauty Contest Host: [singing] Hey Ms. Black Person USA, the finest in the lan. Hey Ms. Black Person USA, like a sweet baked honey-glazed ham. You're dark and lovely, like a bottle of ripple wine... Just look at that big behind! What a bouquet. Ms. Black Person USA. She's black, ain't no taking her back.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Jennifer Lopez (#26.11)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

That's the Way You're Living When You're Living In Living Color

One of the funniest television shows ever

It gave the Wayans Brothers, Jim Carrey and Jennifer Lopez (credited as a "background dancer") a claim to fame...and fifteen years later it's still kickin'.

It seems like lately - since the release of the DVDs last year - "In Living Color" has taken off more and has grown in popularity with younger crowds...however I've been watching it for years, even when it was only on Comedy Central late nights and Jim Carrey was only starting to make a name for himself.

The show ran for four years (from 1990 - 1994) and featured some great characters over the years. Wayans had his clown character who they were supposedly going to make a movie spin-off about at one time, and Carrey had his ageing firefighter ("let me show 'ya something!") who didn't know squat about the job. Used to crack me up so much! My absolute favorite skit was when Carrey played Mr. Rogers and he's browsing through the porn section of a local suburban video store. Comic genius.

I've heard some white people say they have no interest in watching this because it's an ethnic show and was geared towards Latinos and blacks with its early '90s rap music and dancing...but that's really a myopic view of the show and I think anyone who passes it by based merely on the fact that it has a minority cast (for the most part) is missing out on one of the great shows of the 1990s - and probably of all time.