Erika Alexander Tells David Schwimmer ‘Living Single’ ‘Invented The Template’ For ‘Friends’
Both shows were produced by Warner Bros., but we know which show got more investment.
Erika Alexander is not here for anyone erasing the legacy of 90s classic Living Single.
The Fox series, that ran from 1993 to 1998, centered on a group of friends living in the same Brooklyn brownstone. It starred Alexander, Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Kim Fields, Terrence C. Carson and John Henton, and became an instant hit.
The actress and producer addressed comments made by David Schwimmer in The Guardian, regarding the lack of diversity in Friends, which featured an all-White cast. The actor, who portrayed Ross on the 90s series that also centered on friends living in the same New York City building, said “there should be an all-Black Friends or an all-Asian Friends.”
Alexander swiftly responded to the interview on Twitter, pointing out that there had already been an all-Black show with the same concept prior to Friends— her series, Living Single.
“Hey @DavidSchwimmer @FriendsTV- r u seriously telling me you’ve never heard of #LivingSingle? We invented the template! Yr welcome bro,” she wrote in part.
Both produced by Warner Brothers, Friends was reportedly given a larger amount of financial investment than Living Single. In fact, Alexander revealed during a 2018 interview with The Breakfast Club that Friends was actually a working title for Living Single during the development stages of the show.
“The original name for Living Single was My Girls, but it didn’t test well so they came up with some other names. Living Single and Friends were some of the names presented. Obviously, they chose one and the other went to another show, also produced by Warner Bros,” she detailed.