Moesha

I am proud to say that I was a teenager in the late 90's and that I was a true product of a 90's teenager. In the 90's, we had a fair share of shows that focused on the lives of typical teenagers. We had the "Fresh Prince," "My So Called Life" and even to a lesser extent, "Blossom." There was a little show that debuted in January 1996 on UPN called "Moesha," featuring then a teenage singing sensation known to the world as Brandy. Who would know that this show would strike a chord with audiences and also become one of UPN's longest running series.

I would like to say that I thought "Moesha" was a very good show and it proves Brandy's strengths as an television actress. The characters were lovable, funny and charming but as with every sitcom this show wasn't without it's flaws. I felt at certain points this show kinda took itself to seriously by having too many dramatic episodes/moments. It seems as if every episode(especially during the first and last seasons) tried to take itself way too serious as it shouldn't have(especially in the first season with the ongoing subplot of Moesha not fully getting along with Dee). Well hey I guess this is what made "Moesha" work. Well the show was good while it lasted and I still catch it in reruns. Again, it's a pretty good show that is worthy to view at least once.

Moesha started off as a good little situation comedy with a difference: it was the first situation comedy centered around an African-American teenaged girl. Moesha, Hakeem, Kim and Niecy got into the usual trouble that teens on sitcoms do. However, it didn't always feel like the same old plot lines because of the appealing cast, at least in the first couple of seasons.

Unfortunately, the show decided to do continuing storylines, turning it more into a soap opera than a sitcom. I'm still wondering--who's bright idea it was to reveal that Moesha's dad Frank had an affair in the past that produced a son? It was sort of disturbing to see upstanding Frank's image tarnished, and the resulting fallout that happened afterwards. Then Countess Vaughn left to star in `The Parkers', and her character (Kim) was seldom referred to after that. Andell (Yvette Wilson), the owner of the café the teens hung out at, was unceremoniously hustled off the show (fortunately, she was placed on `The Parkers'), and her fiancee (Bernie Mac) disappeared, never to be heard about again. What was the deal with Dee (Sheryl Lee Ralph) taking a job in Jamaica during the last season? Other than a few appearances, her character virtually disappeared. All the drama involving Moesha's relationships with Q and Hakeem, and Dorian's (Brandy's real life brother, Ray J) brushes with the law became tiring.

Moesha was canceled with not one, but two major cliffhangers left unresolved-one involving a pregnancy and the other involving a kidnaping. A disappointing ending to a show that showed much promise in the beginning.

Brandy Norwood was a much better actress on "Thea." Ray J was a much better actor on "The Sinbad Show." And Countess Vaughn was a much better actress on "227." This show was annoying the first episode. Dee shouldn't have been so mean to Moesha! She was just Moesha's step mother. And the show got worse a little later during the first season when Moesha turned down a brand new Saturn because she wanted a jeep. (Spoiled Brat!) But the show really started getting crazy when Shar Jackson became a regular and Kim stopped trying to talk to Hakeem every episode. When they made Ray J. a regular on the show, the show became too crazy. Ray J. would do something horrible and get in trouble every episode. Then Frank admitted that he was D Money's dad. The show became out of control with guest appearances of Lil Bow Wow as D Money's 1/2 brother. It was so out of control that Sheryl Lee Ralph left the show. Of course Moesha was still conceited. But what made this show end so horribly was the fact that the show ended with a cliffhanger! Who was pregnant? Who kidnapped Miles? Countess Vaughn left for "The Parkers" just in time! RIP Lamont Bentley!

I gotta give it to The WB and UPN. They aired quite a few Black-American shows that would otherwise not have seen the light of day. There was "The Wayans Bros.," "In the House," "Parent 'Hood," "Malcolm & Eddie," "The Jamie Foxx Show," "The Steve Harvey Show," "Sister, Sister," and others. Among them was "Moesha" starring the singer Brandy.

"Moesha" was right in my wheelhouse as a show. To me it was like the African-American answer to "Blossom." Brandy was a hip, stylish teen dealing with teen things; plus Brandy was huge at that time. She was putting out hits, so who wouldn't want to see her on screen--and she wasn't bad as an actress.

This was one of the most watched sitcoms that garnered a huge African- American audience during it run on UPN. Originally is was supposed to start off as pilot for CBS in 1995,but instead UPN picked up the series and it did extremely well becoming the network's longest-running show which mainly came on Monday nights at the 8:00pm hour(which gave teens time to finish up their studies before the show came on). Moesha started out as a good little comedy,but its was Brandy and crew that kept the show going and it was the first to center around the everyday occurances of a African-American teenager(which Brandy's character Moesha Mitchell made the transition from high school to college during the show's run) but the show had so much more. From interactions with her parents Frank and Dee(played by William Faulk and Sheryl Lee Ralph) to rival sibling feuds with Myles,her closest friends who managed to get themselves in all kinds of trouble like Niecy and Kim(it was Niecy who join Moesha in college in later episodes) to her on again,off again relationships with Hakeem and Q and later on constant confrontations with her cousin Dorian (played by Brandy's real life brother Ray J) who was always in trouble with the law. This was a show that was funny at times,but most of the time you had to just follow along cause you'll never know what Brandy's character is thinking or doing whatever next. Very interesting show.

Unfortunately,Moesha was cancelled in 2001,but the show had two major cliffhangers that were left unsolved-including one that dealt with teen-marriage,one dealt with pregnancy,and the other involving a kidnapping and drugs. The final episode of the series ended on May 23,2001 which was an hour long episode that dealt with those issues including the showdown between Dorian and Frank and there interaction with a notorious drug lord (played by Master P),and the sudden fate of Moesha who runs off with her high school pal Q,and the fight scene where Hakeem and Q come to blows when they find out that Brandy's character is pregnant and Frank gets furious. As for Dee,she leaves for Jamaica....the end.