Girlfriends (American TV series)

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Girlfriends
File:Girlfriends-titlecard-0607.png
Girlfriends title card
Created byMara Brock Akil
StarringTracee Ellis Ross
Golden Brooks
Persia White
Reggie Hayes
Jill Marie Jones (2000-2006)
Featuring:
Khalil Kain
Keesha Sharp
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons7 (Production on season 8 has not yet started)
No. of episodes159 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersMara Brock Akil
Kelsey Grammer
Running time30 minutes (approx. 22 min)
Original release
NetworkUPN (2000-2006)
The CW (2006-)
ReleaseSeptember 11, 2000 –
present

Girlfriends is an American sitcom that was created by Mara Brock Akil and produced by Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier). It premiered in 2000 on UPN, and continues to air to this day, on The CW.

The theme song to Girlfriends is sung by R&B artist Angie Stone.

Girlfriends returned in the The CW's 2007-08 fall line-up for its 8th season in the same time slot, making it the longest-running series currently on the network and the longest-running live-action sitcom currently on the air.

Show background

File:Girlfriends-promo.png
Season 7 promo.

Based on the lives of successful African American women living in Los Angeles, California, Girlfriends is produced by Happy Camper Productions, in association with Grammnet Productions (owned by Kelsey Grammer) and Paramount Television. The series debuted on UPN on September 11, 2000, becoming one of the successful sitcoms of the new millennium. After airing several years on the network at 9:00 pm on Mondays, The CW moved Girlfriends to Sundays at 8:00 pm. On October 9, 2006, Girlfriends, along with The CW's other African-American programs, moved back to Mondays. It now airs in its original time slot. The move was prompted by low ratings and a highly critical article in the Los Angeles Times by staff writer Greg Braxton in which Mara Brock Akil suggested that the network was neglecting its African-American programs at the expense of those with primarily white audiences, like Gilmore Girls.[1] Logo's most popluar program Noah's Arc has been cited as the gay version of Girlfriends.

Pilot

In the test Pilot, the original cast of Girlfriends included actresses Christina Cox and Leslie Silva in the roles of Lynn and Toni respectively, who were replaced with Persia White and Jill Marie Jones for the first official episode, "Toe Sucking." Girlfriends was picked up for a full season after the ratings success of the first 13 episodes, according to rave reviews about the show's content in 2000.

The first official episode of Girlfriends, "Toe Sucking," is the pilot episode with some re-shot scenes that include Persia White and Jill Marie Jones. Few story elements of the unaired pilot were changed in subsequent episodes. Notable examples are Joan is preparation to make partner at her law firm, her hiring Maya as an assistant, and her friends' quest to find her a man.

Characters

Main characters

File:Joan-aron.png
Aron proposed to Joan.
  • Joan Clayton: (Tracee Ellis Ross) Joan Carol Clayton 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; she met Toni Childs, and the two became best friends. She attended college at UCLA and earned her law degree. She later became a junior partner at Goldberg, Swedelson, McDonald and Lee, a prestigious Los Angeles law firm, often struggling to gain the appreciation and respect of her colleagues. Recently, on her quest to find "Mr. Right", Joan leaves the law firm and starts her own restaurant and bar, the J-Spot, along with one of her closest friends William, who helps her start the business by investing in it.
  • Maya Wilkes: (Golden Brooks) Maya Denise Wilkes is Joan's sassy assistant at the law firm. She married her high school sweetheart, an airport baggage handler named Darnell and the two have a son, Jabari. In the beginning of the series, Maya hates Toni because of Toni's egotistical behavior, but the two eventually learn to accept one another. A devoted wife and mother, Maya soon befriends Stan Wright, 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 becomes uncomfortable with Stan's advances and terminates the relationship. Stan threatens to expose Maya's affair to Darnell, but Darnell finds the truth another way, and the two divorce. While newly single, Maya returns to school at a nearby community college and writes an essay. When the essay is rejected by her professor, she shows it to her fellow hair salon patrons, and decides to use the essay as the basis for her book, Oh Hell Yes. With the steady success of her book, Maya later revives her relationship with Darnell and the two reunite. She is currently pregnant with their second child.
  • Lynn Searcy: (Persia White) Lynn Ann Searcy was Joan and Toni's roommate at UCLA and lived with Joan for eight years before the series begins. 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 decides it is time for Lynn move out of her home, Lynn reluctantly becomes more independent by receiving various types of employment and moving into her own apartment. Some of the odd jobs she has include being a tour guide for Japanese tourists, passing off the girlfriends' homes as celebrities' houses and hosting a public-access talk show. She also produces a documentary on the HIV/AIDS pandemic involving African-American women. Wanting to learn more about her parents, Lynn meets her biological mother, who in turn helps her contact her biological father. Her actions and comments often hint that she is a vegan (e.g. making vegan cornbread, etc.) like Persia White in real life. Like her girlfriends, Lynn is still searching for her perfect match.
File:Girlfriends-willieorwont-he.png
Keesha Sharp, Tracee E. Ross, Persia White & Golden Brooks in the episode Willie He Or Won't He Part III: This Time It's Personal.
  • William Dent: (Reggie Hayes) William Jerome Dent is Joan's closest male friend. He is senior partner at Goldberg, Swedelson, McDonald and Lee. He is 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, including the at-times vicious Monica Charles Brooks (who is now his ex-wife) and senior partner Sharon Upton Farley. He later realizes that Joan the right woman for him, but after three months of courting, the two end their relationship. He is also co-owner of the J-Spot restaurant with Joan.
  • Monica Charles Brooks-Dent: (Keesha Sharp) is William's ex-wife. All four of the girlfriends hate her (Joan comes to see her nice side and becomes her friend, and Toni moves to New York at the end of the sixth season.) In the seventh season, they slowly begin accepting Monica. Although engaged to William, the two date twice before; they meet at a bar the first time. Since the last time William proposes to her in Monaco, he has occasionally had doubts about ever doing so. Eventually he marries her, but on their wedding day he has too much to drink and confesses that he has had and still has doubts about marrying her. Monica leaves William in season 7 but returns shortly after the girlfriends go to Chicago to persuade her to get back together with William. On their visit, they discover that Monica, due to her father's dementia and her mother's power of attorney, has been cut off from her family fortune, so Joan offers Monica a job at the J-Spot. William is thrilled about Monica's return until she demands half of what he earned while they were married. They manage to slowly rebuild their relationship but constantly clash at the J-Spot. In the season 7 finale, they get back together.
  • Darnell Leroy Wilkes: (originally Flex Alexander, later Khalil Kain) is Maya's husband. He and Maya married at a young age and had Jabari. Darnell was an airport baggage handler, before becoming a mechanic at a local car repair shop. For a while, he is a NASCAR pit crew mechanic. After Maya's affair with Stan Wright the two divorce. He dates a woman named Lena (Cheona Maxwell) whom Maya dislikes because she still has feelings for Darnell. At Lena and Darnell's wedding Maya professes her love for Darnell. The two are back together as of the current season, and he and Maya are expecting a baby. In the end of season 7 Darnell takes an offer to buy the garage where he used to work.

Former characters

  • Antoinette "Toni" Marie Childs-Garrett: (Jill Marie Jones) Toni Marie Childs-Garrett is Joan's friend since childhood, and they went away to school together at UCLA. Toni grew up in a poor family with an alcoholic mother in Fresno, California. 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 considered the materialistic and self- centered one of her girlfriends and is the self-proclaimed "cute one" of the group. During the first season of the show, she despises Maya Wilkes but later the two come to settle their differences. Toni is a real estate agent, who eventually opens her own real estate brokerage. Toni unexpectedly finds love with Todd Garrett, a white, Jewish plastic surgeon, whom she eventually marries after a short courtship. After a rocky year-long marriage, the two separate after Todd moves to New York; Toni later accuses Todd of adultery after finding him in rather cozy settings with his fellow doctor. The birth of their daughter Morgan Garrett brings forth new issues for her self-indulgent personality, but she finds a way to balance her career, being single and a mother, while trying to fight a custody battle with Todd. She and Todd come to a mutual agreement and settle their differences for the sake of Morgan. She now resides in New York so that Morgan can be closer to her father.

Minor characters

  • Ronnie: (Lamont Johnson) is Maya's cousin and hair stylist. In the series he helped sell her semi-biographical book "Oh Hell Yes!" He two owns beauty salons called Situations and Situations 2. He is last seen at the ending of season 7 as Aaron proposed to Joan.
  • Peaches: (Shawn Harrison) plays Ronnie's boyfriend. He is a hair stylist at Situations and had a short stint as Joan's assistant and temporary confidante after Mya goes to work as William's secretary after William becomes Senior Partner. Peaches is last seen at the ending of season 7 as Aaron proposes to Joan

Guest Appearances

Past/Current relationships

Joan's relationships

  • 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. Sometime after Joan spread this rumor, Davis and his fiance' separate. They later share a kiss on Valentine's Day when Joan is seeing Sean and Davis is re-united with his fiance. 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 it. Her friends each made up a lie about Joan so that Marcus would dump her instead. Marcus did not believe anything they said. Later Joan tells Marcus she is moving to Peru, but he knows what she is trying to do so they break up..after having sex. Shortly after breaking up with Marcus, an episode airs where Joan has a pregnancy scare with the possibility of Marcus being the father.
  • Frank Anderson (Kent Faulcon) dated Joan while also being married to his wife. In the first season of Girlfriends, Frank's wife chases around for who ever is going out with her husband, both Lynn and Toni at one point take credit for it until the end of the episode when it is revealed that Joan was dating him without knowing he was married. They subsequently chase him out of Joans house and presumably the next day put up a billboard poster with Frank's face on a dog, declaring "Women Beware of Dog."
  • 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. Sean eventually admits to Joan that he is 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. A job offer moves Sean to New York finding it hard to battle his sex addiction he asks Joan to live with him. Knowing that she can't just take off and relocate to another city, the two take a break. 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 because under the inflence of his addiction, he has "cheated" on her countless times and cannot bear going back into another relationship.
  • 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. When her hope for a reconciliation with Sean is dashed, Joan returns to 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. Their relationship was rocky at best and after a period of calm, the two break up after Joan falls in love with Brock Harris, Ellis's agent when they have a chance meeting in the rain and when he later escorts her to the Producers in Ellis's stead.
  • 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. He also reappears in the season seven finale and admits to Joan that he is ready for children.
  • 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 soon 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.
  • Kurtis Carter (Claude Brooks) is a guy Joan was dating at the same time as Derek and Javon. Ultimately she ends things with him when she decides to pursue her relationship with Javon.
  • 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.
  • Aaron (Richard T. Jones) is a teacher that Joan met in New Orleans. He also lives in LA, and asked her on a date. She accepted, but gets too caught up in her marriage dreams, but he says that he is looking for marriage also. They hit it off until Joan goes to his apartment, and he looks poor. Joan blabs to Lynn on the phone in his bathroom about how poor he sounds, while Aaron hears her and kicks her out. Joan comes back apologizing, and he explains he's saving money to buy a home, and they continue to see each other. At the end of Season 7, Maya and Lynn have Joan's mom and dad and cousin Melanie and Derwin and lots of friends and family come to Aaron's new house that Joan helped him rebuild. Aaron proposes to Joan and she accepts.
  • Keith Atwood (Troy Winbush) is a man that Joan had an affair with during her long distance relationship with Sean. One day, she blew a tire and a man stopped to help her, well she "helped" him for six months even though she knew he was married. This was the same time Maya was having an affair with Stan, and that made Joan stop hers. She kept this a secret until she met Keith again, because he is a long lost friend of Aaron's.

Toni's relationships

  • Charles (Jason Winston George) a toe-suckin millionaire and one of Joan's ex-boyfriends. Things ended between the two when Toni realised her loyalties lie with Joan and her friendship is more important.
  • Del Toussaint (Rodney Charles) a man Toni met on the internet whom she rejected because his skin is too dark.
  • Keith (Nigel Thatch) a guy Toni dated whom she knew to be married but later discovered that he wasn't married and had only said this so that things would not get too complicated between them.
  • Greg Sparks (Chuma Hunter-Gault) is an old flame of Toni's who is an aspiring artist. Toni begins dating him again but they run into problems due to his lack of income. She soon starts taking an interest in Maya's doctor, the wealthy Dr. Clay Spencer. While her relationship with Greg becomes strained, she cheats on Greg with Dr. Spencer and contracts chlamydia. Toni soon accepts Clay's marriage proposal, though 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. Toni later walks in on Greg cheating on her in her own house, revealing that he only took her back to seek revenge against her. Two years later, Greg reaches out to Toni, leaving her a remorseful message right before her wedding to Todd, which Todd hides. 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 once she finds out about the message. She then learns that Greg is, too, engaged.
  • Dr Clay Spencer (Phil Morris) is a wealthy doctor who fell in love and proposed to Toni while she was dating Greg. Toni accepts his proposal but later realises her true love is for Greg despite him being poor.
  • Terrell Davis (Terrell Davis) a NFL star who hits it off and proposes to Toni in Jamaica. She accepts his proposal although she still is love with Greg, which forces Joan to confess the real reason Greg dumped her promting Toni to storm off back to America, and she therefore does not marry him.
  • Dr. Todd Garrett (Jason Pace) is Toni's estranged husband, who is in a custody battle over their child Morgan. When the relationship began, Toni always made good-hearted jokes about how short he is. He is a plastic surgeon for a reality television show. At the end of the sixth season, their custody battle was settled.

Maya's relationships

  • Darnell Wilkes (see above)
  • Stan (Don Franklin) is a man who had an "emotional affair" with Maya. After one kiss, Maya ends the relationship, but Stan retaliated by befriending Darnell and threatening Maya with the prospect of revealing the relationship. He ultimately decided not to tell Darnell, whom he had grown to genuinely consider a good friend. However, Darnell learned of the relationship anyway after Maya inadvertently left an incriminating message on the couple's answering machine. The revelation leads Darnell to divorce Maya.
  • Antoine Childs (originally Russell Hornsby, later 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 Maya's bathroom when she rejected him.
  • Jalen (Rockmond Dunbar) was Maya's neighbor after her divorce from Darnell. Although he aggressively pursued Maya (and despite her attraction to him), the two never started a true relationship. But she did wind up sleeping with him around the time they first met.
  • Alex Mendoza (Stephen Bishop) was Maya's Dominican-born professional baseball player boyfriend. Although they loved each other dearly, Alex could not give up the player lifestyle and commit to Maya.

Lynn's relationships

  • 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), to whom she was legally married to at one point, but the marriage was annulled.
  • 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.
  • Lenny is Lynn's could-have-been soulmate. They had everything in common. Everything she's been through, he has also; which led her to believe that he was her brother, since she was adopted and didn't know for sure. It was confirmed by his parents that they weren't related in anyway, but they never hooked up again, which is what Lenny's mother didn't want, she tried to hook them back up. Instead he immediately got married to someone else. And this is what led Lynn to try and find out who her father was.
  • Finn (Tricky) is a Trip-Hop musician Lynn met when she was helping her brother audition for a band. Lynn eventually broke up with him because he was dating groupies while he was dating her. In the end they decided to make it about the music and nothing else.
  • Eldon (Kadeem Hardison)is a local church pastor who had an early sexual encounter with Lynn and broke things off because of his disbelief in pre-marital sex.

William's relationships

  • Yvonne Blackwell (Cee Cee Michaela) a woman William met on the internet, but then discovered she was crazy. They later reunited and began a relationship which consisted of up and downs regarding William's commitment issues and control issues. They were engaged for several months due to William failing to set a date for the wedding, but the two never ended up married as Yvonne jilted William at the altar.
  • Lynn Searcy (Persia White) See above. Upon moving in to William's house the two become sex buddies for a short period. They later married, but had the marriage annulled.
  • Sharon Upton Farley (Anne-Marie Johnson) a senior partner at the Law firm which William works. The two had a brief affair which begun when William was dating Monica. After his relationship ended with Monica, her and William started seeing each other. However the relationship was short-lived after Joan found out about the relationship and accidentally revealed this to Sharon.
  • Donna Williams (Jill Scott) a woman William pursues after a psychic tells him that she is the woman he desires. After much persuasion William finally convinces her to go out with him. However, upon seeing his close relationship with Joan tells William that the purpose of the phsycic may have been to force William to face his true feelings for Joan.
  • Joan Clayton (Tracee Ellis Ross) See above. William confesses his love for Joan after realising his true feelings for her after his breakup with Donna. However Joan doesn't feel the same way and admits to seeing him as an older brother. A 'heart-attack' later prompts her to re-think her feelings and the two begin dating but end up with the realisation that they are better of as friends after failing to consummate thier relationship.
  • Jasmine Crane (Noureen DeWulf) a much younger girl who works at the Gap, whom William dated briefly, but ended due to Joan, Maya, Lynn and Toni's interference by pointing out his attempts to control her.

Cast changes

File:Girlfirends Cast Promo.JPG
Screenshot from "Get Ready" for The CW" promo. Jill Marie Jones is absent from the promo clip.

Jill Marie Jones has left the show rumored to be over a contract dispute as of late May 2006. According to a recent article from LA Times's calendarlive.com, Akil stated "I would love for her to come back, but Jill doesn't want to return. I don't know 100% why she made this decision. She didn't tell me. All she said when we talked was that she felt it was time for her to move on. The door is not closed. We've asked her to come back and have offered different ways for her to return. But I completely wish her well. There's no drama involved." The show will now deal with Toni's loss through Joan's struggles. [2].

Criticisms and Controversies

During the series run, Girlfriends has been a source of controversy for many interracial communions and a number of different civil rights organizations for what has been seen as a "Negative portrayal of interracial relationships and people of mixed ethnic heritage". One issue often cited as evidence of the show producers prejudice is the character Lynn (Persia White), whose mother was white and her father black. As noted in the "Running Gags throughout the season" Lynn's character is often portrayed as a "sex-freak" and as mentioned in the Episodes "Pregnant Pause" and "Sister, Sistah", Lynn had been trying to pass for "white" up until she moved to college, both part of the Tragic Mulatto stereotype. Additional criticisms have been drawn from the failing relationship between Toni Childs and Todd, culminating in their divorce while she is pregnant with his daughter, which some felt was designed specifically to discourage black women from dating outside of thier "race". Similarly, in the episode "Never A Bridesmaid" when William begins dating a white women, Toni and Lynn trying to get him to end it, despite the fact that they both have dated outside their respective race before.

Episode List

Main article: List of Girlfriends episodes

Special Episodes

# Airdate Title Overview
0 Unaired Pilot Joan Clayton is at the great peak of her life. She is almost 30, is almost junior partner at her law firm, and has a great friend circle. She hires a sassy urban woman named Maya Wilkes as her assistant, and has had a friendship with one of her colleagues, William, for over three months. But Joan is going crazy that she hasn't had a man for a year and her plan was to be married by now. Her friends, egotistical Toni Childs and lazy 27-year-old college student Lynn have to cheer her up and get her a man with the help of Maya, whom Toni calls "ghetto."
57 Jan 7, 2003 Howdy Partner* Joan and William vie for a senior partner position, and are shocked when the firm instead brings in an outsider, Sharon Upton Farley (Anne-Marie Johnson). They plan to demonstrate their outrage by walking out, but only one of them follows through with it. Meanwhile, Lynn and Maya help Toni deal with her fears after Todd asks her to take an HIV test.

* This episode aired on a Tuesday night in an attempt to boost ratings for the new sitcom Abby, which was making its first airing on its regular night.

Opening Sequences

The order they appear starts with Tracee Ellis Ross, then Golden Brooks, then Persia White, followed by Jill Marie Jones and Reggie Hayes lastly. The sequence concludes with the four girls together. The order is the same for season 7 but without Jill Marie Jones.


Spinoff

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 Barnett, an aspiring medical student, who wants to give up her future to follow her professional athlete boyfriend to San Diego. The episode has given birth to The Game, a spinoff series which currently airs on The CW. Other cast members include Pooch Hall, Coby Bell, Hosea Chanchez, Brittany Daniel and Wendy Raquel Robinson.

Awards & Nominations

NAACP Image Awards

  • 2007 - Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Tracee Ellis Ross - WON
  • 2007 - Outstanding Comedy Series - Nominated
  • 2007 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Salim Akil For episode "The Game" - Nominated
  • 2007 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Reginald C. Hayes (Also WON in 2005 & 2006) - WON
  • 2007 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Mara Brock Akil For episode "After the Storm" - Nominated
  • 2007 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Regina Y. Hicks For episode "I'll Have a Blueline Christmas" - Nominated
  • 2006 - Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Jill Marie Jones - Nominated
  • 2006 - Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Tracee Ellis Ross - Nominated
  • 2006 - Outstanding Comedy Series (also nominated in 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005) - Nominated
  • 2005 - Outstanding Comedy Series - Nominated

DVD Release

Season Releases

Cover Art DVD Name Release Date Ep # Additional Information
File:Girlfriends-1st season.png The First Season February 27 2007 22
  • No Extras
    • TBA The Second Season August 21 2007[3] 22
    TBA The Third Season 2007 (estimated date) 25
    TBA The Fourth Season 2008 (estimated date) 24
    TBA The Fifth Season 2008/2009 (estimated date) 22
    TBA The Sixth Season 2009 (estimated date) 22
    TBA The Seventh Season 2009/2010 (estimated date) 22
    TBA The Eighth Season 2010 (estimated date) 22

    Season 2 is planed to be released on August 21, 2007 date subject to change.

    Mara Brock Akil creator of Girlfriends talks to the fans on the CWTV website.

    For seasons 1 & 2, some music has been changed for this Home Entertainment Version.

    Trivia

    • This is Mara Brock Akil's (creator) first series.
    • The show was originally ordered for 13 episodes.
    • The two main fonts used throughout the series are Mistral and Times New Roman.
    • Tracee Ellis Ross has referred The CW as the C Dub.
    • After 6 successful seasons on the UPN Network, Girlfriends - Season 1 has finally been released on DVD and Season 2 is scheduled for release in August.
    • Jill Marie Jones (Toni) and Persia White (Lynn) were not the original "girlfriends". The characters were portrayed by Leslie Silva and Christina Cox respectively in the unaired pilot episode.
    • Jill Marie Jones character (Toni) had her left eyebrow painted on for an episode in which she received a botox treatment. There was minor complications when it got too hot on set her eyebrow would run.
    • Tracee Ellis Ross (Joan Clayton) has been on more episodes of Girlfriends than the other cast members.
    • Toni Childs has only said Jabari's name properly twice since the series began (once in Season 2's "Un-Treatable"), often calling him hilarious other names such as Ju Ju Bee, Gymboree, Jafifi, and Jumanji, just to name a few.
    • Golden Brooks appeared as the character Maya on an episode of the TV series Moesha. Later that same evening, Shar Jackson appeared as the character Niecy Jackson on Girlfriends (Old Dog - Season 1).
    • Persia White only had one visible tattoo on her lower back during Season 1.
    • Golden Brooks had clear braces during mid-season 2.
    • Persia White's (Lynn) real-life daughter, Mecca, was on a Mother's Day episode of Girlfriends (My Mother, Myself-Season 2) and played the character of Earl's Grand-daughter.
    • Season 3 had the most episodes with a sum total of 25. Season 4 had 24 episodes and the other seasons have had 22 episodes.
    • Starting at Season 3, every season finale is a 2-part episode.
    • The theme song is sung by R&B artist Angie Stone who has appeared on an episode of Girlfriends. (Blinded by the Lights - Season 3)
    • The J-Spot set is really William's house with a wall removed and a pond added. (Season 5)
    • William rents Spider-Man 2 from Blockbuster, but the movie did not come out on video/DVD until a few weeks after this episode aired. (When Hearts Attack (2) - Season 5)
    • In 1999, Golden Brooks appeared on Mo'Nique's series The Parkers as a lesbian. Coincidentally, Mo'Nique appeared as herself in a 2005 episode of Girlfriends. (See J-Spot Run - Season 5).
    • Joan is the cousin to Melanie Barnett (Tia Mowry) from the spin-off series The Game (The Game - Season 6). She returned in the seventh season finale with her boyfriend, Derwin (Pooch Hall).
    • Peaches (Shawn Harrison), a hair-stylist from Maya (Golden Brooks)'s cousin's salon, appeared on an episode of the TV series Eve.
    • After the sixth season, the show was picked up by The CW because UPN merged with The WB to form The CW.
    • For season 7, Girlfriends began late in the prime-time schedule along with the other Monday night comedies.
    • In the opening scene of the Season 7 premiere Joan is shown jogging through New Orleans. The song that was playing is called "Seasons Change" by Corrine Bailey Rae which was very fitting in light of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
    • When Maya calls her son Jabari by his full name in "If You Can't Stand The Heat, Get Out Of the Boonies" episode Jabari Leroy Wilkes, it's different than in a previous episode, Jabari Darnell Wilkes. (Season 7).
    • Seasons 6 and 7 is the only season not to have music playing the background or during scene changes.
    • As of May 7 Girlfriends have aired their 4th 1-hour season finale.
    • In a recent interview, we now know that Golden Brooks (Maya) was originally signed to play Toni Childs role but declined.[4]
    • After the cancellation of 7th Heaven, Girlfriends is now the longest-running show on The CW Network.


    Running Gags throughout the Seasons

    • Joan being called "classist and egregious" several times during the show, mostly by Maya and her mother.
    • Joan obsessing about finding her dream man and getting married
    • Joan's three month rule.
    • Joan's neurotic behaviour.
    • Joan finding new ways to unintentionally ruin her relationships.
    • Joan being the "mama" out of the Girlfriends until she loses that role around season 6.
    • Maya being "ghetto", often called so by Toni during the first season.
    • Maya's catchphrases "Oh Hell No!" "Consequences and repercussions," "all up and through."
    • Maya bitch-slapping Lynn when they have their "one-on-ones" because she keeps getting side-tracked or hysterical.
    • Maya bragging about being the only mother.
    • Maya bragging and flaunting that she's younger than the other Girlfriends.
    • Maya and her "women senses" and conspiracy theories.
    • Maya's poor grammar
    • Lynn not being able to find one career and settle down.
    • Lynn not being able to stay in a long-term relationship; almost every season with a new "love" interest.
    • Lynn always "mooching" off the other Girlfriends.
    • Lynn being a sex freak.
    • Lynn always accidentally saying something that ruins everything.
    • Lynn being a vegan; Persia White is in real life as well.
    • Lynn believing her mother is Cher, until she finally meets her birth mother who is not.
    • Toni being a self-centered gold-digger and somewhat thoughtless until her times in need.
    • Toni mispronouncing Jabari's name and not knowing who Darnell is.
    • The girls often meeting up at Joan's house or bar or restaurant to talk about their problems and life; the bars or restaurant have included 847, the Japanese restaurant, Blue Bar, Skia and the J-Spot.
    • William being a "mama's boy".
    • Comments made about William's huge "love machine".
    • William occasionally referring to the girls as "crazy heifers".

    U.S. Broadcast History

    • UPN - Mondays @ 9:30PM/8:30C (2000-2001)
    • UPN / The CW - Mondays @ 9:00PM/8:00C (2002-present)
    • The CW - Sundays (2 Weeks) - 8:00PM/7:00C (2006)

    Worldwide Broadcast

    References

    Wikiquote has quotations related to Girlfriends (American TV series).

    External links

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