Queen Latifah confirms the head of NBC jacked the concept of Living Single to create Friends

[The Devil's Advocate]

Could have sworn sinclair and overton were together.
Could have sworn kyle and maxine were together.
Martin had Gina and Martin and Pam and tommy
BUt hey ignore reality.

that happened later in the series dopey

martin and gina didn't even live in the same building off top... she didn't move in until damn near end of second season.... pam lived somewhere else... so did tommy



THAT'S reality... so try again



you think she didn't think this through?? it's not friends... it's not relationships... it's not having a man or not... it's not any of that



there are two shows where a group of single people share 2 apts in the same building... going through make ups, break ups, fights and make ups.... all being together, all in the same building, all young, single (at the start), and living in nyc


dude came out in damn public saying he wishes he could steal this... and then next comes the exact same premise and you talking bout martin

 

[No_bammer_weed]

I'm saying Living Single was not an original concept, a show about friends who interact with each other.
Its really no different than Seinfield, 3s company, Martin, Murphy Brown, and etc. IMHO. Ensemble tv shows like Taxi, except centered around apartments instead of jobs.

Living Single didnt re-invent the sitcom wheel, but it definitely put an original and fresh spin on the format. That spin is what the head of NBC at the time acknowledged and imitated, and the LS concept was markedly different than the sitcoms you listed. LS featured young, attractive professionals, with the storylines generally focused on realistic scenarios centered on life, love, and relationships versus wacky hijinks and over-the-top comedic situaitons. The show was aimed at the young Gen-Xers of the day, and oriented around themes they could relate to in their personal lives.

Not only was LS different from the shows you listed, but it was a departure from the usual format of a sitcom revolving around children, and a nuclear family.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

Could have sworn sinclair and overton were together.
Could have sworn kyle and maxine were together.
Martin had Gina and Martin and Pam and tommy
BUt hey ignore reality.

neither couple on LS started the show as a couple. re:martin - martin and gina didn't live together until later, pam and tommy never did. outside and gina and martin, no one in that crew ever lived in the same building.

 

[hayesc0]

Which show???

Street Time.

Street Time (TV Series 2002–2003) - IMDb

 

[David_TheMan]

neither couple on LS started the show as a couple. re:martin - martin and gina didn't live together until later, pam and tommy never did. outside and gina and martin, no one in that crew ever lived in the same building.

I know they aren't exactly alike, friends and ls aren't exactly alike.
I was just showing the similarities between martin and LS, that exist within Friends and LS.

 

[David_TheMan]

Living Single didnt re-invent the sitcom wheel, but it definitely put an original and fresh spin on the format. That spin is what the head of NBC at the time acknowledged and imitated, and the LS concept was markedly different than the sitcoms you listed. LS featured young, attractive professionals, with the storylines generally focused on realistic scenarios centered on life, love, and relationships versus wacky hijinks and over-the-top comedic situaitons. The show was aimed at the young Gen-Xers of the day, and oriented around themes they could relate to in their personal lives.

Not only was LS different from the shows you listed, but it was a departure from the usual format of a sitcom revolving around children, and a nuclear family.

LS wasn't the first to do what you are saying though, thats all I'm saying, it wasn't new and fresh when it premired as a concept, outside of it being black focused ImHO

 

[David_TheMan]

that happened later in the series dopey

martin and gina didn't even live in the same building off top... she didn't move in until damn near end of second season.... pam lived somewhere else... so did tommy



THAT'S reality... so try again



you think she didn't think this through?? it's not friends... it's not relationships... it's not having a man or not... it's not any of that



there are two shows where a group of single people share 2 apts in the same building... going through make ups, break ups, fights and make ups.... all being together, all in the same building, all young, single (at the start), and living in nyc


dude came out in damn public saying he wishes he could steal this... and then next comes the exact same premise and you talking bout martin

I didnt say they were identical
try to keep up kid.

 

[notPsychosiz]

Hows living single that different from 3s company or Martin?

Martain stars a titular character. The other characters are periphreal or revolving characters around the centerpiece (that being Martain).
3's company is not about all 3 characters (to my knowlege) but about 1 character livinh with the other 2.

There have been many shows of this format. Most shows folow this format. I Love Lucy is about a single person. Although she has strong co-stars, if you remove the star there is no show. No Lucy, No Gilligan, No Martain.... no show.

Living Single on the other hand was an ensemble piece. It was not about any specific character but followed each equally. This has been done before as well (Golden Girls for example), but is harder to replicate. Friends directly attempted to copy the Living Single format and simply appeal to a white audience.

Thats my take anyway.

 

[nieman]

Hows living single that different from 3s company or Martin?

Hell, even Golden Girls...

 

[David_TheMan]

Martain stars a titular character. The other characters are periphreal or revolving characters around the centerpiece (that being Martain).
3's company is not about all 3 characters (to my knowlege) but about 1 character livinh with the other 2.

There have been many shows of this format. Most shows folow this format. I Love Lucy is about a single person. Although she has strong co-stars, if you remove the star there is no show. No Lucy, No Gilligan, No Martain.... no show.

Living Single on the other hand was an ensemble piece. It was not about any specific character but followed each equally. This has been done before as well (Golden Girls for example), but is harder to replicate. Friends directly attempted to copy the Living Single format and simply appeal to a white audience.

Thats my take anyway.

Living Single was headline and built around queen latifah and supported by Kim fields, just like martin was built around Martin Lawrence.
3s company was about ritter and the two females, don knotts was support who stole the show.
I love lucy is about Lucy and Desi, Desi the straight man, Lucy the wild one who plays off him.

Living Single and all shows are ensambles for the most part, but that doesn't cahnge the leads from being leads.

 

[MartyMcFly]

I felt like this was the biggest duh ever. Didn't need Queen to confirm it. It's obvious as hell

But everyone saying barely any show is original in its setup is spot on. You normally take five or six people and just put them in different scenarios. Whether its a bar, a workplace, an apartment building, etc and just repeat. The setup isn't and shouldnt be the hook. its the characters that make a show original to me.

 

[MartyMcFly]

Which show???

street time.

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

I didnt say they were identical
try to keep up kid.

breh every sitcom gonna have the same basics... friends interacting

the difference in this one was small.... but never done before


she didn't say it was a mind blowing idea... she said it was stolen

 

[feelosofer]

Yea, I could definitely see that, I remember saying on another thread how underrated Living Single was as a concept, you basically had Black women that were young, professional, intelligent and attractive living concurrently and having a show that focused on their lives, the ups and downs, etc. Friends definitely shark bit that concept, by watering it down and homogenizing it to appeal to a broader audience.

 

[David_TheMan]

breh every sitcom gonna have the same basics... friends interacting

the difference in this one was small.... but never done before


she didn't say it was a mind blowing idea... she said it was stolen

Well my point is that the concept of the show isn't original and it wasn't really stolen, not more stolen than like I said living single from 3s company or martin