Living Single with my Girlfriends

There's a difference between friends and girlfriends. A friend is someone who you may fight with and the relationship could end at a moment's notice. But a girlfriend is someone you can fight with and still ask her if she wants to go out later as if nothing happened.

In the '90s, Living Single dominated as a top black sitcom. Since its inception in 2000, Girlfriends has become one of the hottest and most fashionable black sitcoms of the millennium.

"In a '90s kind of world, I'm glad I got my girls," sings Queen Latifah on the theme song of the Fox network's sitcom "Living Single". On the theme song from UPN's "Girlfriends", Angie Stone sings, "My girlfriend, there through thick and thin."

Anyone who has seen either show knows how true those words are. Both shows share similar themes. Like the four women on "Living Single", the four women of "Girl¬friends" became family through the love they share for one another.

Yvette Lee Bowser created Living Single, 1993-1998. Living Single, now in syndication, told the story of four African American career women. Khadijah (Queen Latifah) a successful hip-hop magazine publisher, and her cousin/receptionist Syn¬claire (Kim Coles), shared an apartment in a Brooklyn Brownstone with gossip and wig hound Regine (Kim Fields) a buyer for a local boutique.

Then there was Max (Erika Alex¬ander), a sharp-witted attorney who "lived" at Khadijah's place without really living there. The Brownstone became the meeting place for everyone, and seemed to be another character in the show. Upstairs lived two men-- Overton the handyman (John Henton) who had an eye for Synclaire and Kyle (TC Carson), a stock¬broker, with an eye for Max. Max and Kyle's constant bickering kept them at arm's length of each other.

Girlfriends, now in its fifth season, was created by Mara Brock Akil and Kelsey Grammer of Frasier fame. Girlfriends tells the story of four African American women living in 21st century Los Angeles, the Mecca of fast paced living. Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross) is an attorney who made junior partner at 29. She has since quit law to follow her dream of opening her own restaurant. Toni (Jill Marie Jones) is a materialistic real estate agent who thinks everything and everyone revolves around her. (And if it isn't about her, she will make it about her!) Maya (Golden Brooks), started out as Joan's secretary and is now a successful author who has a comeback for any¬thing and anyone.

Maya speaks her mind and her girlfriends' minds when they are unable to do so. And there's Lynn (Persia White) a free spirited soul who can't hold a job. She knows what she wants out of life but is having a hard time finding it. Lynn is the sexually liberated, renaissance woman of the group.

The girlfriends only need one man in their circle-William (Reggie Hayes) a straight-laced attorney and a big brother to women. William lends his ears as well as his shoulders to cry on as he tries to understand what the women are going through, even when he has no idea.

Unlike Living Single, Girlfriends doesn't rely on a central gather¬ing place like Khadijah's apartment. Girlfriends utilizes a variety of settings--such as restaurants, business offices and one another's homes. Towards the end of each episode, the girlfriends meet up at Joan's house to vent, discuss and solve their problems. Their love for each other draws them together.