The streaming network’s “Strong Black Lead” division announced that a number of classic Black sitcoms—many of which aired on the UPN network in the late 1990s and early 2000s—will be coming to the streaming platform over the next three months.
All six seasons of the critically acclaimed series Moesha, which starred singer Brandy as the lead, will be the first to arrive on Netflix; it’s coming on Saturday, and will be followed by several more shows, including The Game, Sister Sister, Girlfriends, The Parkers, Half & Half and One on One.
“Time to pop bottles,” the Strong Black Lead Twitter account wrote in a post on Wednesday that listed the release dates of each of the sitcoms.
The announcement included a video message featuring several stars from the series, like Tracee Ellis Ross, who played the beloved attorney Joan Clayton on the series Girlfriends, and her castmates Jill Marie Jones and Golden Brooks, who starred as Joan’s best friends Toni Childs and Maya Wilks, respectively.
Other actors also appear in the clip, among them: Moesha’s Sheryl Lee Ralph and Marcus T. Paulk; Sister, Sister co-stars Tim Reid, Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry-Housley; Robert Ri’chard of One on One; Chio Benymon of Half & Half; and The Parkers’ Jenna Von Oÿ.
Fans were thrilled to learn that some of their favorite childhood sitcoms are headed to Netflix.
“MOESHA IS COMING AUGUST 1ST AND I DON’T KNOW WHY I’M TEARING UP BUT I AMMMMM,” entertainment journalist and TV personality Gia Peppers wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
Several others shared in her emotion and claimed that they would not be doing much of anything for the next few months aside from binge-watching the shows of their youth. “Netflix secured Girlfriends, Sister Sister, One on One, Moesha, The Game, Half & Half… I was already an introvert but now? Baby I’m not goin ANYWHERE,” another user wrote.
Other fans were simply happy to see Netflix finally make an effort to get more popular Black shows of the past on the platform, especially considering how long viewers have requested for Netflix to secure the licensing for shows like Girlfriends and Moesha. Over the years Netflix has hosted plenty of other beloved TV shows, like Friends, Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls and the original Charmed; viewers have long been hoping the company would ramp up its Black classic options, too.
“Never in my wildest dreams did i think Netflix would acquire the rights to most of our favorite Black sitcoms. I can cancel every other service and be just fine with these throwbacks tbh. One on one, Moesha, the Parkers and GIRLFRIENDS?!” one person wrote on Twitter.
See a few more reactions from fans below.
