Moesha
Moesha (/moʊˈiːʃə/) is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with her upper middle class family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was originally ordered as a pilot for CBS' 1995–1996 television season but was declined by the network.[1] It was then later picked up by UPN, which aired it as a mid-season replacement. It went on to become the biggest success for the nascent network and one of the greatest hits over the course of the network's entire run.[2] The series was a joint production for UPN by Regan Jon Productions, Saradipity Productions, and Jump at the Sun Productions in association with Big Ticket Television.
Not to be confused with Moesia.Moesha
"Moesha Main Title" performed by Brandy
"Moesha Closing Theme" (Instrumental)
Kurt Farquhar
United States
English
6
127 (list of episodes)
- Ralph Farquhar
- Sara V. Finney
- Vida Spears
- Jacque Edmonds
- Warren Hutcherson
- Fred Johnson
21–24 minutes
- Regan Jon Productions
- Saradipity Productions
- Jump at the Sun Productions
- Big Ticket Television
January 23, 1996
May 14, 2001
Production[edit]
Opening credits[edit]
There have been different versions of the opening credits theme song, which was performed by Brandy. One version was used for season 1, a second version was used for seasons 2 and 3, and a third version was used for the final three seasons. Although the same recording of the theme song was used for the last three seasons, two different openings were used for each of the first three seasons.
The opening sequence for season 1 shows Moesha dancing in front of a fountain, walking with friends, dancing in a moving car, and winning at a game of chess while waving at a guy as he walks away.
The opening sequence for seasons 2 and 3 features the same scenario with some changes. Moesha was still dancing in front of the fountain but with a bass guitar player behind her. Instead of just depicting Moesha with her friends, this intro sees her playing basketball and baseball with her friends and family, driving with her friends, strutting down a block with Kim and Niecy, teaching Kim how to rollerblade (later replaced with footage of Moesha & Q chasing Myles), and once again being served a meal at the diner by Andell while seated with her family. When Moesha is again distracted by a cute guy walking by, Frank tries to cover Moesha's eyes.
Season 4 showed the cast around the neighborhood and Moesha, Kim, and Niecy dancing at the fountain while wearing red outfits.
Season 5 showed the cast dancing in a panoramic view as Norwood lip-syncs to the theme song on a background of clouds and a rising sun. The introduction for season 6 is similar to that of season 5, but features a twist. Since Yvette Wilson left Moesha to join the cast of The Parkers and Sheryl Lee Ralph's character Dee became a recurring character, the season 6 opening features footage of Norwood lip-syncing over the portion of the theme song where Yvette Wilson and Sheryl Lee Ralph appeared in the previous season's opening.
Spin-off and Brock Akil universe[edit]
Given her popularity for four seasons on Moesha, Countess Vaughn left the show in 1999 for her spin-off, The Parkers, which premiered on August 30, 1999, on UPN. It centered on Kim attending community college with her mother, played by comedian Mo'Nique. Leaving Moesha, Yvette Wilson joined the cast of The Parkers as Andell Wilkerson, Nikki's childhood friend.
Several Moesha cast members (including Brandy Norwood, William Allen Young, Shar Jackson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Marcus T. Paulk) made crossover appearances on The Parkers. Lamont Bentley, being the most frequent, appears in three episodes.
Though not a direct spin-off of Moesha, the show Girlfriends was created by Moesha writer Mara Brock Akil and exists in the same universe as Moesha. The character Maya Wilkes (Golden Brooks) from Girlfriends lives in Leimert Park like the characters of Moesha, and appeared in an episode babysitting for her sister-in-law Barbara Lee, who happened to be Dorian's birth mother. Niecy appeared in a season 1 episode of Girlfriends.
The CW series The Game was spun off from Girlfriends with the loose thread of main character Melanie Barnett (Tia Mowry) being a cousin of Girlfriends main character Joan Clayton (Tracee Ellis Ross). The Melanie and Derwin characters re-appeared in the Girlfriends Season 7 finale episode at Joan's engagement party. On Moesha, Brandy played herself as a celebrity doppelganger to Moesha, and ironically Brandy joined the cast of The Game in its fifth season as Chardonnay Pitts, further complicating the notion of the show existing in the same universe.[7]
Cancellation[edit]
By the sixth season, ratings for Moesha had dropped and UPN opted not to renew or air the series for a seventh season.[8][9][10] The series ended on an unresolved cliffhanger with Myles being kidnapped by a rival of Dorian, Moesha considering moving in with Hakeem or her best friend Niecy, and a positive pregnancy test being found in the trash at Moesha's dorm room, without positive identification as to whose it was. Entertainment Weekly reported a rumor that certain plots were to be resolved on The Parkers,[11] but those storylines were ultimately never resolved.[10]
Possible revival[edit]
On November 3, 2017, the cast reunited on The Real and have expressed interest in reviving the show. "Absolutely, we need a reboot to this show, because we ended on a cliffhanger." Norwood pointed out.[12] In August 2020, Norwood revealed she was in talks for a reboot, citing the show's success on Netflix.[13][14]
Syndication[edit]
The show aired in syndication on UPN, Fox, and The WB affiliates. The series aired on WGN America (now NewsNation) from 2005 to 2008, The N from 2005 to 2009, Up TV, BET Her, and BET until mid 2016, Fuse until 2019, Bounce TV until 2021, and currently airs on Dabl since 2023. On Up TV, it was edited for content to make it more "family-friendly" and was often edited heavily for broadcast on BET and BET Her due to airtime constraints.
In the UK, Moesha aired on Channel 4 from 1996 until 1998, with only the first three seasons being broadcast. It also aired on Nickelodeon from 1996 to 2000, who only showed episodes from the first four seasons which were edited so they would be more suitable for broadcast on children's television. Paramount Channel aired the series from 2000 to 2003, as did Trouble from 2003 to 2006. From 1 November 2019, the programme started airing on Trace Vault following its rebrand from The Vault.
Since 2008, the show has aired in international syndication in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Israel, the Middle East, Russia, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, South Africa, Latin America, Brazil, and Australia. In Spain, it ran on Disney Channel from 2005 to 2011 in an edited format deemed suitable for children's television.
The series is currently streaming on Netflix in the US, while spinoff series The Parkers is available to stream on the platform as well.[15] The series is also available to stream on Paramount+, BET+, and Hulu.[16][17][18]