ReLiving Single

What A '90s Sitcom Rewatch Teaches Us About Media Power

Jun 06, 2025

What takes me back to a golden era, the ‘90s, is the “ReLiving Single” podcast co-hosted by living legends Erika Alexander (aka Maxine Shaw, Attorney-at-Law) and Kim Coles (the ever-so-sweet and quirky Synclaire James).

The podcast is the official unofficial ‘Living Single’ rewatch.

It’s so good.

I loved the show then and am enjoying the playbacks coupled with the dynamic duo’s unfiltered takes about what went down behind the scenes.

If you’ve been tuning in, then you know that since its launch on May 7, the podcast has featured special guests, including another living legend, actress and director Kim Fields, who played the fabulous and spunky Regine Hunter on the show; playwright, screenwriter, and producer Rob Horn; and wardrobe and fashion designer Ceci.

The reflective conversations about how the iconic show started and their personal stories as 20- and 30-somethings in the early ‘90s are refreshing. They unpack navigating the industry, their careers during that time, including where they are today, womanhood, and everything in between.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the original cast making appearances to share their hot takes.

Queen Latifah (aka Khadijah James on the show) mentioned recently in a conversation with EBONY that she’s been listening to the podcast. And maybe there’s hope for a possible reboot.

“We've been talking about it for years. Everybody is doing so many different things, but if we could line us all up at the same time. We all love each other enough to do it again, that I can say, we all are still friends… We're all on a group chat, and watching Erica and Kim is just giving me everything I need because you are getting a glimpse into what actually happened throughout these years,” Latifah exclaimed. “You're gonna get the stories. We had a lot of fun doing that show.”

Let’s cross our fingers for a reboot soon.

We need more shows that speak to Black lived experiences.

The Importance Of Ownership And Community

Black voices in media, arts, and across all industries are going through ongoing turmoil, which impacts our communities.

The perspectives I share here are part of reimagining the possibilities and tangible outcomes that lead to economic opportunities when collaboration and aligned partnerships happen.

What I love most about the podcast isn’t solely rooted in nostalgic memories with a legendary cast and team behind it. I’d be remiss not to acknowledge the mastermind and another legendary creator and writer behind “Living Single,” Yvette Lee Bowser.

It’s the fact that the podcast is built on the power of ownership and collaboration among other Black creators.

As I wrote in “Our Stories, Their Profit,”

“Just as networks built empires on shows like “Living Single” only to prioritize “Friends,” today’s streaming giants frequently turn diverse programming into disposable commodities.”

When programs are owned and created by the very people who are reflective of their audiences, it changes everything. It matters more to the culture. There’s timeless value.

The “ReLiving Single” podcast is produced in collaboration with Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud (LOL) Network and Hartbeat, alongside Alexander’s Color Farm Media.

It’s why this podcast works—from the co-hosts to the set, from the conversations to the guests. It’s just that good because the partnership works.

What does this moment teach us?

That ownership and collaboration are the blueprint. When Black creators tell their own stories, legacy isn’t borrowed. It’s built.