How The Concept For Living Single Was Stolen And Reworked Into Friends 📺 "Friends" is one of the most popular TV shows of all-time. A controversy surrounding the show was the fact it's premise was stolen from an existing sitcom "Living Single". While some dismiss claims of this, Living Single debuted a year before Friends in Summer 1993. The premise for both shows is 6 20- something singles live in New York City as they deal with coming-of-age & slice of life type comedy. When Living Single first arrived, it was a massive success, claiming a show of this format hadn't been done before. NBC executives caught wind of this and began developing their own show. When Friends debuted, both shows were in two separate timeslots however they were eventually moved into the same timeslot. Because of this, both shows had to battle it out for dominance. Despite featuring an all-black cast, Living Single was popular amongst all demographics. Despite having fans of all backgrounds, Friends was criticized for it's lack of diversity. This is notable as New York is one of the most diverse cities in the world. Jay Z music video for "Moonlight" toyed with the concept of all-black Friends cast, furthering the themes of cultural and social segregation on the show. In the end, Living Single was abruptly cancelled in it's fifth season despite it's popularity. In the end, the tale of Friends vs. Living Single is a tale of gentrification & theft in the media. ✊🏾💡🗽🖤✨
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