Few sitcoms have impacted Black culture and entertainment as much as Living Single. Viewers connected to every character and storyline, making it a beacon for Black television. Now, decades after the show’s legendary run, stars Erika Alexander and Kim Coles invite fans to revisit the laughs, lessons and moments through their video podcast, ReLiving Single.
Produced by Kevin Hart’s entertainment company HartBeat, the podcast is more than just an opportunity to rewatch the iconic show — it’s a chance to gain new insights and perspectives on our favorite cast members.
“This feels like the right thing to do,” Coles told Blavity’s Shadow and Act in a recent interview when asked about deciding to do the podcast versus a reboot.
Why they wanted to do this instead of a reboot
“This actually feels better than a reboot to me because people were like, ‘Oh my goodness, I want to see a reboot, where’s Overton and Synclaire, where’s Max?’ And then some said, ‘It lives in a place in my heart and my head. That’s perfect. I don’t want them to reboot and write the characters doing some stuff that I don’t see them doing. Let it be.’ And I was like that’s so true.”
Alexander echoed her cohost’s sentiment about knowing the impact of the podcast versus the now-popular reboot approach, especially when it came to dissecting the characters and on-screen moments.
“I know how this can go long and deep, and you can’t do that with a documentary. You can’t do that with the reboot,” she told us. “I wanted to honor the show and shape it to give fans a seat at the table. I realized that Living Single was much more than entertainment; it was cultural moments.”
Through weekly episodes, Coles and Alexander dive into the five seasons of the series, giving listeners a front-row seat to behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes that created the iconic moments. Fans can learn things like “Woo Woo Woo,” the line made famous by Cole’s character Synclaire, was a term of endearment from her mother. Or how Alexander’s character, Maxine, influenced a generation of Black women and men entering the legal field, leading to organizations such as the Maxine Shaw Effect, which created courses on how the character shaped the minds of young viewers.
T.C. Carson recently appeared on ‘ReLiving Single’
ReLiving Single brings on special guests, including other cast members, to rediscover the chemistry and mark the show’s impact on the culture. Moments like the recent viral clip between Alexander and T.C. Carson, who played her infamous counterpart Kyle Barker, are notable.
The two shared emotional moments reliving Carson being written off the show after he voiced concerns about Warner Bros. favoring Friends over Living Single.
While ReLiving Single allows listeners to take a walk down memory lane, both Alexander and Coles love that they get to celebrate the people who made the series so special. Alexander has given life to characters in critically acclaimed films such as Get Out and American Fiction, and Coles has brought her comedic genius to Bounce TV’s Mind Your Business and has helped build future entertainers and entrepreneurs through her life coaching efforts.
“My growth meant that I wanted to and needed to activate other parts of myself, mostly so I didn’t have to wait for somebody to give me another audition or another job, and also so that I could be Sinclair and other things,” Coles said.
She continued, “Comedy is actually connection,” later adding, “You make people laugh and there’s a connection that people feel to you.”
This instant fandom of ReLiving Single is a testament to the relationship the show has with fans, new and old, which neither woman is surprised about.
When asked what they hope this will create for fans of Living Single, Alexander answered, “Legacy.”
She continued, “That sisterhood and friendship are revolutionary. And that Black stories matter then and now, and I believe that the work we did on Living Single helped kick open doors for a lot of people. And so I hope folks leave each episode feeling seen, celebrated and loved.”
