South Central (TV series)

Synopsis

The series was set in 1990s South Central Los Angeles, and dealt with the lives of an African American family, the Moseleys, and issues such as gang violence, drugs, dating, sex, school, and unemployment. Joan Moseley (Tina Lifford) is a divorced mother, raising three children with no assistance from her ex-husband. Her oldest son Marcus having been murdered years earlier by a gang member, Joan's financial situation becomes complicated after she is laid off. Her remaining children include Andre (Larenz Tate), Tasha (Tasha Scott), and foster son Deion Carter (Keith Mbulo). Rounding out the cast of characters are Joan's best friend "Sweets" (Paula Kelly) and Andre's mentor Dr. Ray McHenry (Ken Page).

South Central featured a recurring cast which included Jennifer Lopez, Shar Jackson, and Maia Campbell. The series, which was produced on a smaller budget than most sitcoms, was popular among critics for what was perceived as a realistic and sometimes dark portrayal of urban life.{{cite news

Cancellation

The show aired on Tuesday evenings following Roc. Due to the decline in ratings of the entire night of programming, Fox cancelled all the shows on that night (as well as Thursday comedies The Sinbad Show and In Living Color). The cancellation of the series, all of which had predominantly black casts, prompted Jesse Jackson to call for a boycott of the network for perceived institutional racism. Fox maintained that the series was low rated and the decision to cancel was not racially motivated.

Series co-creators Ralph Farquhar and Michael J. Weithorn would go on to create other series independently: Farquhar would co-create the UPN sitcom Moesha, along with Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears. The series (a more traditional sitcom) was set in Leimert Park, a middle-class neighborhood near View Park-Windsor Hills Los Angeles. Lamont Bentley and Shar Jackson were members of the cast. Weithorn went on to create the Fox series Ned and Stacey (starring Thomas Haden Church and Debra Messing) and later the CBS series The King of Queens (starring Kevin James, Leah Remini and Jerry Stiller).

Cast

Main

• Tina Lifford as Joan Mosely
• Larenz Tate as Andre Mosely
• Tasha Scott as Tasha Mosely
• Keith Mbulo as Deion Carter

Recurring

• Lamont Bentley as Rashad
• Paula Kelly as Sweets
• Ken Page as Dr. Ray McHenry
• Michael Beach as Isaiah Washington
• Earl Billings as Mayo Bonner
• Maia Campbell as Nicole
• Shar Jackson as Shanelle
• Jennifer Lopez as Lucille
• Clifton Powell as Bobby Deavers
• Malinda Williams as Candi

Episodes

Syndication

Episodes of South Central aired in the United States on TV One.

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Zook, Kristal Brent. (1999). "Color by Fox: The Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television". Oxford University Press US.
2. Rosenberg, Howard. (1994-10-19). "Did Jackson Save FOX Series With Boycott Threat?". community.seattletimes.nwsource.com.
3. Dines, Gail. (2002). "Gender, Race, and Class in Media". SAGE.