Classic Show Profile
20 years ago (1994) One of the greatest shows of all time ended. May 19,1994 was the last first run episode. The show that featured and became a launching pad for some well known stars and even an Oscar winner. In the final season the show seemed to be just a shell of what it was and had no involvement from the creator and nor his family members. The show had premiered 4 years earlier (1990) The show pushed the envelope and set the standard for all the shows that followed. Now even in 2014 you can mention a phrase from a sketch or a characters name and instantly break into a impression.
The show was In Living Color. The brainchild of Keenan Ivory Wayans was one of the flagship shows of a fledgling "4th network". Keenan has stated that after a screening of his movie "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka" Fox television reps came to him and told him that they wanted him to do a show for the network, Initially hesitant as he wanted to do movies,he was swayed when he was told that he could "do the show he wanted to do". The shows initial lineup in its first season was Jim Carrey,Kim Coles,David Alan Grier,Keenany Ivory Wayans, Kim Wayans,T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh,Tommy Davidson, Damon Wayans and Shawn Wayans The constant battles with the censors aside the show had instant success.
The show introduced us to future stars Jim Carey and Jamie Fox. Always a family affair Keenan made sure that many of his 9 brothers and sisters would also appear and play prominent rolls on the show. Some of the best sketches were sometimes completely improvised. The show was not without controversy. The sketch starring fan favorites David Alan Grier and Damon Wayans as Blaine and Antoine "Men on Film" during the 1993 Super Bowl Halftime show caused quite a stir. In later seasons Keenan not happy that Fox had begun syndicating the show by rerunning episodes of the show without his consent left the show. Soon after all of the Wayans departed. Of the original cast only Jim Carrey, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier and T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh stayed for the entire run.
The show can now be seen by a whole new generation of people. Some of the material is quite dated, but still quite funny. There was an attempt by Keenan and Fox to do a "reboot" of the show. A pilot was shot after an exhaustive casting call. The show did not make it to the air. One of the reasons that Keenan gave was that it would be unfair to the new cast to try to measure up to the original. Keep It Oldskool remembers In Living Color
You know then you really didn't appreciate how groundbreaking this show was
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