''Girlfriends'' is an American

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

television series that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network,

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

, before being cancelled in 2008. The final episode aired on February 11, 2008.

Episodes

Broadcast history

The series debuted on UPN on Monday September 11, 2000. After airing for several years on the network at 9/8C on Mondays,

moved ''Girlfriends'' to Sundays at 8/7C. After this, the ratings plummeted. On October 9, 2006, ''Girlfriends'', along with The CW's other African-American programs, moved back to Mondays. At this point, ''Girlfriends'' returned to its original time slot. While UPN was still airing new episodes of ''Girlfriends'', the network also began airing reruns five days per week. When the show moved to

network after UPN merged with

The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...

network, MyNetwork TV (which was created to take over UPN's former affiliate stations) picked up the rights to air reruns of ''Girlfriends'', although they eventually discontinued running them.

WE tv We TV (stylized as WE tv) is an American pay television channel. Owned by AMC Networks since its September 1997 launch, it is oriented mainly towards lifestyle and entertainment programming. As of February 2015, approximately 85.2 million Amer ...

, a network primarily focused on women's programming, later acquired exclusive rights to air the limited-release episodes on Sundays and exercised an option to not allow broadcast television networks re-broadcast rights to these reruns. Due to the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, the last episodes produced aired on February 11, 2008. The CW had announced plans to move the series to Sunday nights. However, it was later announced on February 13, 2008 that the series was cancelled after 8 seasons and a proper

series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...

would not be produced. A representative from The CW stated that the network was going to cancel the series due to low ratings and that it would have been too expensive to re-enter production. A retrospective episode was in development to conclude the series but was later scrapped. The network had offered the actors only half of their usual episodic salary to take part, and the actors collectively turned the offer down.

Characters

Main

* Joan Carol Clayton, Esq: (played by

Tracee Ellis Ross Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and '' Black-ish'' (2014–2022). She is ...

) is considered the unofficial "den mother" of the group, as she frequently looks out for her friends even at the expense of dealing with her own problems, which are plentiful throughout the series. Originally from Fresno, Joan owns a home in the Wilton Historic District Joan met Toni when they were children and then met Lynn in college, and Maya is her assistant at the law firm. She has always had relationship problems and gave up her law career to pursue her dreams. She and Toni clash several times throughout the series, resulting in ending and reconciling their friendship. Major incidents involved Joan inadvertently revealing Toni's cheating to Greg, and Joan's jealousy of Toni's marriage to Todd, but their friendship officially ends by the end of Season 6 when Joan fails to appear for Toni's custody hearing. For much of Season 7, Joan mourned the loss of her friendship with Toni, eventually opting to resent and belittle her in front of the group. At the end of Season 7, she became engaged to Aaron Waters, whom she met while rehabilitating homes in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

damaged by

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

; she moved into his home, in West Adams, Los Angeles, while Aaron was deployed to Iraq and rented her house to Lynn. * Maya Denise Wilkes (née Woods): (played by

Golden Brooks Golden Brooks is an American actress. She began her career with starring role in the Showtime comedy series, '' Linc's'' (1998–2000), and later has appeared in films ''Timecode'' (2000) and ''Impostor'' (2001). From 2000 to 2008, Brooks ...

) is a former assistant to Joan and a housewife/author. Maya grew up in

Compton, California Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and, on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city in Los Angeles County to incorporat ...

and is married to her high school sweetheart, Darnell (played by Flex Alexander). They have one child, Jabari. Maya is the youngest and sassiest of the group, and is often at odds with Toni over her ego-driven lifestyle. She is a devoted wife and mother, and is frequently depicted with stronger religious and moral convictions. Maya is the most "working-class" member of the group, especially in earlier seasons. In the first few seasons Maya was more obviously "from the hood", with the associated stereotyped speech and mannerisms. However, as she becomes more successful in her career and interacts more extensively with the legal and publishing industries, she exhibits fewer stereotypes; while still obviously from a different social background as the rest of the group, she is no longer as caricatured. In the early seasons, Maya's marriage to Darnell imploded after she had an emotional affair with an acquaintance. Later, after she launches a career as a self-help author, they reunite. In Season 8, the couple endured a miscarriage and later explored the possibility of adopting a baby girl. Over the course of the series, Maya lived in South Central Los Angeles,

Leimert Park Leimert Park (; ) is a neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California. Developed in the 1920s as a mainly residential community, it features Spanish Colonial Revival homes and tree-lined streets. The Life Magazine/Le ...

, and finally bought her dream home with Darnell in Lancaster. At the end of Season 7, Maya and Darnell sell their home in Lancaster and move to West Adams, Los Angeles. * Lynn Ann Searcy: (played by Persia White) was Joan and Toni's roommate at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

and lived with Joan for eight years before the series begins. Lynn holds five post-graduate degrees. Born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

to a black father and a bipolar white mother from a wealthy family, Lynn was adopted by a white family in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

(her dad affectionately calls her "Noodle"). She did not embrace her black heritage until college. When Joan decides it is time for Lynn to move out of her home, Lynn reluctantly becomes more independent by taking on various, mostly menial jobs. She previously lived with Toni, William, Maya, and Sivad (temporarily); and shared a garage with then-boyfriend Vosco before moving into her own apartment (after becoming a property manager at the complex where Maya lived). She produces a documentary on the HIV/

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...

pandemic, focusing on

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

women. While Lynn is depicted as the most sexually adventurous one of the group (with frequent mentions of one-night stands, group sex, sex toys, and her infamous "Lynn Spin"), she also dates frequently. She is most attracted to artistic and spiritual men, and over the course of the series has relationships with a Jamaican immigrant, a poet, a pastor, and a musician named Finn (the recording artist Tricky). She was also briefly married to William. Her romantic involvement with Lenny (who was so similar to Lynn that the others labeled him as her "brother") was the catalyst for her to search for her biological father. After dating Finn, she discovers that music is her passion, and starts a band called ''Indigo Skye''. Lynn is often considered the

bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

of the group, with her carefree nature and down-to-earth personality, and is a

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...

. By Season 8, she had signed with "Dirty Girl" Records. * Antoinette "Toni" Marie Childs-Garrett: (played by

Jill Marie Jones Jill Marie Jones (born January 4, 1975) is an American actress and former professional dancer and cheerleader. Jones is best known for her role as Antoinette "Toni" Childs-Garrett on the UPN comedy series, '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2006). Jon ...

, Seasons 1–6) has been Joan's friend since they were eight-years-old, they attended elementary, high school, and college together. Toni grew up on poor on a farm with an alcoholic mother in Fresno, California. Toni is considered the shallow and popular one of the girlfriends and is the self-proclaimed "cute one" of the group. During the first season Toni and Maya don't get along (she considered Maya to be a lower-class intruder), but ultimately embraced her friendship. Toni is a real-estate agent who eventually opens her own brokerage. She rekindles her romance with Greg Sparks (the "love of her life"), but he dumps her when he learns she cheated on him with Dr. Clay Spencer. Toni unexpectedly finds love with Todd Garrett, a white, Jewish plastic surgeon, whom she marries after a short courtship. After a rocky year-long marriage, the two separate after Todd moves to New York. Toni and Todd have a baby named Morgan. They fight over custody, but at the end of the 6th season work out their issues. Joan misses the custody hearing leading to the fight that ultimately ends Toni and Joan's friendship. Toni moves to New York City so Morgan can be closer to Todd, but has maintained her friendships with Maya and Lynn. Toni's condo was located in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

Hancock Park. * William Jerrowme Dent, Esq: (played by Reggie Hayes) is the girls' closest male friend. He is senior partner at Goldberg, Swedelson, McDonald and Lee. Hailing from

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the List of United States cities by populat ...

he is portrayed as somewhat of a "mama's boy", but possesses self-confidence and a dry sense of humor. (One episode focused on his distant and complicated relationship with his father, who is a perfectionist.) After being left at the wedding altar by the woman he loved and police officer, Yvonne Blackwell, he reluctantly gets back into the groove of dating, including Donna, Kara, senior partner Sharon Upton Farley (played by Anne-Marie Johnson), and the at-times the vicious Monica Charles Brooks (whom he ultimately marries). Fearing that Joan would beat him to the altar, he eloped with Lynn on a whim; though he quickly realized that he wanted to find true love and they ultimately divorce. He later realizes that Joan is the right woman for him, but after three months of courting, the two end their relationship. He became a sperm donor for his sister Linda and her same-sex partner, and regards the baby as his "nephew-son." He is also co-owner of the J-Spot restaurant with Joan. In later seasons, William forges a tight bond with Darnell, Maya's husband. During Season 7, he was working on his marriage with Monica. According to William's mother, his middle name is spelled with two "R"s, and a silent "W". Beginning in season 2, William owns a home in the Valley. * Darnell Leroy Wilkes: (played by Flex Alexander Season 1, and then played by

Khalil Kain Khalil Kain is an American actor, film producer and rapper best known for his role as Raheem Porter in the 1992 crime thriller film ''Juice'' and as the second Darnell Wilkes on the UPN/CW sitcom '' Girlfriends'' (2001–2008). He is also known fo ...

, Seasons 6–8, main; 2–5, recurring) is Maya's husband. He and Maya married at a young age and had their son, Jabari. Darnell was an airport baggage handler, before becoming a mechanic at a local car repair shop. For a while, he was a

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

pit crew mechanic. After Maya's affair with Stan Wright the two divorce. In earlier seasons, he felt threatened by Maya's friendship with Joan, Toni and Lynn; though he ultimately put his issues aside and became friends with them. After the divorce, he dated a woman named Lena (

Chenoa Maxwell Chenoa Maxwell (born November 16, 1969) is an American actress and photographer. Career Maxwell is best known for her starring role in the 1997 romantic comedy ''Hav Plenty'' and as the recurring character Lena Turner on the hit UPN sitcom '' Gi ...

) whom Maya disliked because she still had feelings for Darnell. At Lena and Darnell's wedding Maya professed her love for Darnell. The two reconcile and begin living together again in Season 6. In the end of Season 7, Darnell accepts an offer to buy back his garage and get Maya and Jabari a new house in Los Angeles. After suffering a miscarriage, the couple considers adopting a baby girl. * Monica Charles Brooks-Dent: (played by

Keesha Sharp Keesha Ulricka Sharp (née Fletch; born June 9, 1973) is an American actress and film / television director. She began her career appearing on television dramas, before her regular role as Monica Charles Brooks in the UPN/ The CW comedy series ...

, Seasons 7–8, main; 3–6, recurring) is William's wife. All four of the girlfriends (especially Lynn and Toni) hated her (Joan comes to see her vulnerable side and becomes her friend, and Toni moves to New York City at the end of the sixth season). In the seventh season, the girls slowly and later fully accept Monica as their friend as Monica does the same. Although engaged to William, the two date twice before; they meet at a bar the first time. Since the last time William proposes to her in Monaco, he has occasionally had doubts about ever doing so. Eventually William and Monica get married, but on their wedding day he has too much to drink and confesses that he has had and still has doubts about marrying her. Monica leaves William in Season 7, but returns shortly after the girlfriends go to Chicago to persuade her to get back together with William. On their visit, the girls discover that Monica, due to her father's dementia and her mother's power of attorney, has been cut off from her family fortune, so Joan offers Monica a job at the J-Spot. William is thrilled about Monica's return until she demands half of what he earned while they were married. They manage to slowly rebuild their relationship but constantly clash at the J-Spot. In the Season 7 finale, Monica and William get back together. By Season 8, Monica was pregnant and is seen spending more time with the other three girlfriends, particularly Joan.

Recurring

* Jabari Darnell Wilkes: (Seasons 1–6 played by: Tanner Scott Richards, Season 7–8 played by: Kendré Berry) is Maya and Darnell's son. He was born when Maya was 16 years old. He was depicted to be a sweet innocent child but once he entered his teen years he seemed to be a little more dimwitted and rebellious. * Jeanette Woods: (played by

Charmin Lee Charmin Lee is an American actress. She had a recurring role as Jeanette Wood, Maya's Mother, on the series '' Girlfriends''. Filmography Film Television External links * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Charmin Living people American tel ...

) is Maya's no-nonsense mother who won't hesitate to put a

switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...

to her adult daughter. She babysat Jabari while he was younger, and also rented out her garage for Lynn and her then-boyfriend Vosco, from Jamaica, to live after Joan kicked her out of her house. She initially took an instant dislike to Joan's "sadiddy" behavior towards Maya's style (also labeling Joan as "classist" and "egregious" as Maya does), but eventually grew to accept her. She and Maya also butt heads when she decides to sell her home to move in with her boyfriend Earl (whom Maya doesn't like). Jeanette was seen throughout Seasons 1–7. * Veretta Childs: (played by Jenifer Lewis) is Toni's loud and outspoken mother from Fresno whose high-spirited behavior and garish outfits often embarrass Toni. She suffered from alcoholism during Toni's formative years, which put a strain on their relationship. Veretta eventually sobered up. However, she briefly relapsed during Toni and Todd's engagement party - this was partially due to her guilt over her daughters Toni and Sherri not getting along. While she and Toni often clash, she supports her daughter. Veretta appears throughout Seasons 2-6. * Ronnie: (played by Lamont Johnson) is Maya's cousin and hair stylist. In the series he helped sell her semi-biographical book. He owns two beauty salons called Situations and Situations Deux. He is last seen at the ending of season 7 as Aaron proposed to Joan. * Peaches: (played by Shawn Harrison) Ronnie's boyfriend who is a hair stylist at Situations and had a short stint as Joan's assistant and temporary confidante after Maya goes to work as William's secretary after William becomes Senior Partner. Peaches is last seen at the ending of season 7 as Aaron proposes to Joan. Peaches also made a cameo in a season 2 episode of '' Eve''. *Sherri Childs: (played by Yvette Nicole Brown) Toni's oldest sister who she does not get along with due to Toni leaving the family due to their mother's alcoholism to go to school. They reconcile their relationship in the episode where Toni gets married to Todd. She, alongside Lynn, Maya and Melanie (Toni's other sister) were a part of her ceremony as her bridesmaids. She appears in two episodes in season 3. * Davis Hamilton: (played by

Randy J. Goodwin Randy J. Goodwin (born as Ivan Jerome Goodwin on December 24, 1967), is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as "Kennedy Winslow" on ''Fast Track'' and "Max Ellis" on the show '' Abby'', as well as his recurring roles on '' ...

) owner and operator of the girls' favorite restaurant/hangout spot, 847 (Season 1). He and Joan flirted with one another, and almost went away for a romantic weekend while both were involved with other people. However, during Season 4, in the aftermath of Joan's breakup with Brock, she runs into Davis at a movie theater. She learns that Davis had lost the restaurant and also ended his relationship with his fiancée'. They talk about how they missed the opportunity to start a relationship, and ultimately decide to just remain friends. * Charles Swedelson: (played by Phil Reeves) the managing partner at Goldberg, Swedelson, McDonald and Lee who is also Joan's and William's supervisor. Though highly professional, he is known to have a roving eye for the ladies, and tends to use "hip-hop" and "urban" euphemisms towards Joan and William to appear more laid back and sociable. Mr. Swedelson was seen throughout the entire series run. * Yvonne Blackwell(pronounced Yuh Von): (played by

Cee Cee Michaela Cee Cee Michaela (born May 1, 1970) is a television and Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U. ...

) William's girlfriend, later fiancée in the first two seasons. Yvonne originally was a crazy police officer that William met on the internet and went on a date in the Season 1 episode, "Hip-Ocracy" but Yvonne and William start dating midway through the first season and later get engaged at the beginning of Season 2. Yvonne quits the police force after her life was put on the line and after William issued her an ultimatum. During Season 2, Yvonne and William have some issues in their relationship mainly because William bought a house unbeknownst to Yvonne. Later in the episode, "Willie or Won't He II: The Last Chapter?", Yvonne and William get married but she leaves William at the altar after confessing the many issues happening in their relationship.

Guest appearances

* Adrian Lester; Ellis Carter *

Aldis Hodge Aldis Alexander Basil Hodge (born September 20, 1986) is an American actor. Among his significant roles, he played Alec Hardison in the TNT series '' Leverage'', MC Ren in the 2015 biopic ''Straight Outta Compton'', Levi Jackson in the 2016 film ...

; Matthew Miles & Derwin Davis * Angie Stone; Darla Mason * Anne-Marie Johnson; Sharon Upton Farley *

Bebe Moore Campbell Bebe Moore Campbell (February 18, 1950 – November 27, 2006) was an American author, journalist and teacher. Campbell was the author of three ''New York Times'' bestsellers: ''Brothers and Sisters'', ''Singing in the Comeback Choir'', and ''What ...

; Herself * Bernard Parks; Himself * Bernie Casey; Edward Dent * Bern Nadette Stanis; Herself *

Beverly Johnson Beverly Ann Johnson (born October 13, 1952) is an American model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. Johnson rose to fame when she became the first African-American model to appear on the cover of American ''Vogue'' in August 1974. In 1975, Jo ...

; Herself *

Big Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 300 ...

; Himself *

CCH Pounder Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder (born December 25, 1952) is a Guyanese-American actress. She has received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her roles in ''The X-Files'', '' ER'', '' The Shield'', and ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agenc ...

; Dr. Myers * Cee Cee Michaela Harshaw; Yvonne Blackwell * Car'ynn Sims; Chevonne Brown * Chante Moore; Herself *

Charnele Brown Karen Charnele Brown (née Dozier; born October 30, 1960) is an American actress, producer, writer, fashion designer and singer. Brown is perhaps best known for her role as Kimberly Reese on NBC comedy sitcom ''A Different World'' from 1988 until ...

; Beverly * Christina Vidal; Samantha Stephens * Chrisette Michele; Herself * Christopher Darden; Himself * Chuma Hunter-Gault; Greg Sparks *

Cindy Williams Cynthia Jane Williams (born August 22, 1947) is an American actress and producer, known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1975–1979), and ''Laverne & Shirley'' (1976–1982). Early life Williams was bo ...

; Lisa *

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

; Omar *

Coby Bell Coby Scott Bell (born May 11, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Jesse Porter on the USA Network original series ''Burn Notice'' and professional football player Jason Pitts on The CW/BET comedy-drama '' The Game''. He ...

; Jason Pitts * Danny Bonaduce; Himself * Darius McCrary; Antoine Childs * David Groh; Michael Goldberg * David Ramsey; Randall Potter *

Dawn Wells Dawn Elberta Wells (October 18, 1938 – December 30, 2020) was an American actress known for her role as Mary Ann Summers on the CBS sitcom ''Gilligan's Island''. Early life Wells was born to Evelyn (née Steinbrenner) and Joe Wesley Wells ...

; Herself * Dawnn Lewis; Linda Dent * Demond Wilson; Kenneth Miles *

Dondre T. Whitfield Dondre, or Dondré , is a masculine given name. Notable people with the given name include: *Dondre Gilliam (born 1977), American football player *Dondré Whitfield (born 1969), American actor *Dondre Wright Dondre Wright (born April 7, 1994) is ...

; Sean Ellis * Donnie McClurkin; Himself * Don Franklin; Stan *

Doug Spearman Doug Spearman (born September 3, 1962, in Washington, D.C.) is an American actor. His career highlights include work on such television shows as '' Noah's Arc'', '' Star Trek: Voyager'', ''The Drew Carey Show'', ''The Hughleys'', ''Charmed'', ''Gi ...

; Man *

Drew Sidora Drew Sidora Pittman (née Jordan; born May 1, 1985) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her recurring role as Chantel in the Disney Channel Original Series ''That's So Raven'', as Lucy Avila in the 2006 film '' Step Up'', as Tion ...

; Sage * Duane Martin; Preston C. Hall *

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

; Herself * Evan Ross; Himself * Harry Lennix; Earl *

Hosea Chanchez Hosea Chanchez (born September 12, 1981), also credited as Hosea, is an American actor best known for his recurring role on ''For Your Love'' and the quarterback football player Malik Wright on The CW/ BET sitcom, '' The Game'' and its 2021 rev ...

; Malik Wright *

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songw ...

; Eugene Childs * Idris Elba; Paul * Jackie Collins; Herself *

James L. Avery Sr. James La Rue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Philip Banks in '' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', Shredder in ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', Judge Michael Conover on ''L ...

; Dr. Couch * Jason Pace; Dr. Todd Garrett * Jenifer Lewis; Veretta Childs *

Jennifer Baxter Jennifer Baxter (born 1976) is a Canadian actress and comedian formerly based out of Toronto and currently living in Los Angeles with her husband Mike Beaver. Her best-known roles include Number 9 in George A. Romero's ''Land of the Dead'', W ...

; Kelly Pitts * Jill Scott; Donna Williams * Joan Pringle; Carol Clayton *

Joe Torry Joe Torry is an American actor and comedian. Filmography Film Television References External links * *Joe Torry's Giving Back the Love Foundation Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Living ...

; Mel * Jo Marie Payton; Annette Miles * John L. Adams; Vosco * John Salley; Byron * Jonelle Allen; Eleanor Charles * Kadeem Hardison; Eldon Parks *

Karen Austin Karen Austin is an American actress. She played Lana Wagner on the sitcom ''Night Court'' in 1984. Her film appearances include ''Summer Rental'' (1985), '' Jagged Edge'' (1985), and '' The Ladies Club'' (1986). Career Austin first gained notabi ...

; Sandy Bickle *

Katt Williams Micah "Katt" Williams (born September 2, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He played Money Mike in ''Friday After Next'', had a stint on ''Wild 'n Out'', portrayed Bobby Shaw in ''My Wife and Kids'', provided the voice of A Pimp N ...

; Rick Beatty *

Kellie Shanygne Williams Kellie Shanygne Williams-Jackson (née Williams; born March 22, 1976) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Laura Lee Winslow, the middle-born child of Carl and Harriette Winslow on the ABC/CBS television series ''Family Mat ...

; Cecily *

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the g ...

; Tammy *

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...

; Himself *

Kenya Moore Kenya Summer Moore (born January 24, 1971) is an American actress, model, producer, author, television personality, and entrepreneur. She is best known for winning the Miss USA pageant in 1993 and being a main cast member on Bravo's reality ser ...

; Kara *

Kimberly Elise Kimberly Elise Trammel (born April 17, 1967) is an American film and television actress. She made her feature film debut in '' Set It Off'' (1996), and later received critical acclaim for her performance in '' Beloved'' (1998). During her career, ...

; Reesie Jackson *

Kurt Loder Kurtis Loder (born May 5, 1945) is an American entertainment critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at ''Rolling Stone'', during a tenure that ''Reason'' later called "legendary". He has contribute ...

; Himself * Laila Ali; Herself *

Laivan Greene Laivan Greene (born February 17, 1992) is an American actress, singer and dancer known for her roles in ''All of Us'' and ''Jump In!''. Early life and education Greene was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. She attended Orange Lutheran High ...

; Herself * Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs; Leonard James * Lil' Zane; Himself *

Loretta Devine Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and voice actor. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of '' Dreamg ...

; Judge Vashti Jackson *

Malik Yoba Abdul-Malik Kashie Yoba (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on the Fox police drama ''New York Undercover'' and as Yul Brenner in the film ''Cool Runnings''. H ...

; Brock Harris * Marcia Clark; Herself *

Master P Percy Robert Miller Sr. (born April 29, 1967), known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record executive, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as ...

; Himself *

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; Kenneth * Michael Warren; Bill Clayton * Mo'Nique; Herself *

Orlando Jones Orlando Jones (born April 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is known for being one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series '' MADtv'', for his role as the 7 Up spokesman from 1999 to 2002, and for his role ...

; Dr. Lucas *

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; Trina * Phil Morris; Dr. Clay Spencer * Pooch Hall; Derwin Davis * Quddus Phillipe; Xander *

Reverend Al Sharpton Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, talk show host and politician. Sharpton is the founder of the National Action Network. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic ...

; Himself *

Richard T. Jones Richard Timothy Jones (born January 16, 1972) is an American actor. He has worked extensively in both film and television productions since the early 1990s. His television roles include '' Ally McBeal'' (1997), ''Judging Amy'' (1998–2005), '' C ...

; Aaron *

Rockmond Dunbar Rockmond Dunbar (born January 11, 1973) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Baines on the NBC series '' Earth 2'', Kenny Chadway on Showtime family drama ''Soul Food'', and Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin on the Fox crime drama ...

; Jalen *

Rhonda Ross Kendrick Rhonda Ross Kendrick (born Rhonda Suzanne Silberstein; August 14, 1971) is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer and actress Diana Ross. She was born in Los Angeles and raised by Ross and her first husband, Robert Ellis S ...

; Laurie (Halloween party guest) *

Sandra Bernhard Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955) is an American actress, singer, comedian and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy, where she often critiqued celebrity culture and political figures. She is perhaps ...

; Marcia *

Saul Williams Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor. He is known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop, and for his lead roles in the 1998 independent film '' Slam ...

; Sivad * Shar Jackson; Niecy *

Shanti Lowry Shanti Lowry (born Ashanti Misha Lowry; April 2, 1982) is an American actress and dancer. She is best known for her roles as the Treasure Chest Dancer in the 2003 film '' Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle'', and the recurring role as Dionne Taylo ...

; Dionne Marie Taylor * Sinbad; Himself * Steven Cojocaru; Taz *

Suzanne de Passe Suzanna Celeste de Passe (born July 19, 1946, 1947 or 1948) (sources differ) is an American businesswoman, television, music and film producer. De Passe serves as the co-chairwoman of de Passe Jones Entertainment Group. Biography Early life an ...

; Herself * Tasha Smith; Shandara Duranni *

Terrell Davis Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and ...

; Himself *

Terri J. Vaughn Terri Juanita Vaughn (born October 16, 1969) is an American actress, director and producer. She is best known for her role as high school secretary Lovita Alizay Jenkins-Robinson in The WB sitcom ''The Steve Harvey Show'' (1997–2002), for which ...

; Tasha * Tia Mowry;

Melanie Barnett Melanie Barnett-Davis is a fictional character, portrayed by actress Tia Mowry, who appears in the American sitcom ''The Game'', which aired on the CW Television Network and BET from 2006 to 2015. Introduced in a backdoor pilot on the sitcom ' ...

* Traci Bingham; Candy * Tracy Vilar; GiGi * Tricky; Finn *

Una Damon Una Damon (born Kim Una) is a South-Korean and American actress. Her film credits include '' Gattaca'', '' The Truman Show'', '' Deep Impact'', ''Deep Rising'', and ''Spider-Man''. Damon has acted in numerous television shows including ''Curb Yo ...

; Myoshi *

Wayne Brady Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host of ...

; Derek Tyler * Wendy Raquel Robinson; Tasha Mack * Wendell Pierce; Anthony Jackson

Awards and nominations

Spin-off

A 2006 episode of ''Girlfriends'' titled "The Game" featured guest star Tia Mowry as Joan's cousin

, an aspiring medical student, who wants to give up her future to follow her professional athlete boyfriend to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

. That episode was the launching pad for '' The Game'', a

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...

series, which was canceled by The CW television network. In April 2010,

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

announced that it would pick up the series, which aired new episodes until the August 5, 2015 series finale. When the fourth season of ''The Game'' premiered in 2011 it received 7.7 million viewers, which at the time of its airing, made the show the most watched sitcom premiere in cable television history. In November 2021, a revival spin-off of the series was picked up and released to

Paramount+ Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Media Networks (formerly Viacom Media ...

, serving as a direct sequel from the original series and was promoted as a refreshed series ''(rebooted and marketed as season 1)'' while also subsequently continuing the overall total seasons ''(chronicled as season 10)''. The new inception continues where it left off from the 2015 finale a few years later switching gears set in the new location of

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

with the new protagonists of reprised characters, chronicling

Tasha Mack This is a list of the characters and plot points from the American comedy-drama television series '' The Game''. Characters Main Recurring Series cast main character format Legacy Characters of the series appeared throughout the various s ...

and her struggles of being a woman of color sports agent; while her son

Malik Wright This is a list of the characters and plot points from the American comedy-drama television series '' The Game''. Characters Main Recurring Series cast main character format Legacy Characters of the series appeared throughout the various s ...

learns to make important decisions in his sports career while quietly battling

mental health issue A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

s and Brittany Pitts who is navigating her adult life taking on serious financial hardships and responsibilities becoming independent away from her Pro-Football dads' (

Jason Pitts This is a list of the characters and plot points from the American comedy-drama television series '' The Game''. Characters Main Recurring Series cast main character format Legacy Characters of the series appeared throughout the various s ...

) image and inheritance. The revived series also introduces new characters to the storyline. The reboot has also garnered favorable and positive reviews from media outlets.

Home media

Soundtrack

Track listing

- "Vibrate On" (4:14) # Jill Scott - " Golden" (3:52) # Angie Stone - "

Wish I Didn't Miss You "Wish I Didn't Miss You" is a song by American recording artist Angie Stone. It was written by Ivan Matias and Andrea Martin for Stone's second studio album, ''Mahogany Soul'' (2001), while production was helmed by Matias, Martin and Swizz Beatz ...

" (4:32) # Corinne Bailey Rae - "

Put Your Records On "Put Your Records On" is a song by English singer Corinne Bailey Rae from her self-titled debut studio album (2006). Written by Bailey Rae, John Beck, and Steve Chrisanthou, it was released as the album's second single in February and early Ma ...

" (3:35) #

Algebra Algebra () is one of the broad areas of mathematics. Roughly speaking, algebra is the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols in formulas; it is a unifying thread of almost all of mathematics. Elementary ...

- "I Know" (3:57) #

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...

- " Stronger Than Me" (3:42) # Estelle - "All Comes Back to You" (3:22) # Chrisette Michele - "Girl Respect Yourself" (3:44) #

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Q ...

feat. Mary J. Blige - "

Disrespectful "Disrespectful" is a song by American recording artist Chaka Khan featuring vocals by singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige along with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Bobby Ross Avila, Dave Young and Issiah J. Avila, and produced for Khan's ele ...

" (4:46) # India.Arie - "

I Am Not My Hair "I Am Not My Hair" is a song by American soul and R&B singer–songwriter India.Arie from her third studio album, '' Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship'' (2006). Written by Arie, Shannon Sanders, and Drew Ramsey, it was released as the album ...

" (3:48) # Dre - "Soulmate" (4:22) # Persia White - "

Choices A choice is the range of different things from which a being can choose. The arrival at a choice may incorporate motivators and models. For example, a traveler might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a give ...

" (2:47) #

Lira Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current currency of Turkey and also the local name of the currencies of Lebanon and of Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, including those of Italy, Malta and Israe ...

- "Feel Good" (5:15)

Streaming

The series is available to stream on

's free digital-only network, CW Seed. The entire series began streaming on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

on September 11, 2020 to commemorate the show's 20th anniversary.

Citations

General sources

* *

External links

''Girlfriends'' site on HHE Paramount

Syndication info. on CBS TV Distribution site
* * {{Authority control 2000 American television series debuts 2008 American television series endings 2000s American black sitcoms 2000s American sex comedy television series 2000s American romantic comedy television series English-language television shows Television series by CBS Studios Television series created by Mara Brock Akil Television shows set in Los Angeles The CW original programming UPN original programming