Girlfriends

It has taken me a while to get onto this show. I have heard it mentioned in various magazines and blogs but until a few months back I had no concept of what it was like. Thanks to itunes I was able to watch series seven which is the aftermath of Toni's demise and the tragedy in New Orleans. Without the prior history it took me a while to get into it but once I had sussed out the who was who I was hooked. I have watched all of series seven and I am now onto series eight, which I understand is to be the final series. Damm typical, I find a great show and it is about to end. Still I have the early shows to look forward to. I am hunting for the first six series because I am dying to meet Toni! She is like an enigma to me because she is mentioned many times but of course I have not met her. Girlfriends is an American sitcom about the trials and tribulations of four African American female friends. It is created by Mara Brock Akil who worked on the sitcom, Moesha which starred R&B singer, Brandy and it is produced by Kelsey Grammer who we all know from Frasier.

One of the many reasons why I love this show is because of the fantastic witty dialogue and the intensity of the characters. Everyone of them is complex and has many levels to them and moreover they have flaws. What is so amazing about Girlfriends is that it shows how each person deals with their imperfections and how they are accepted by their peers despite them. My favorite characters are Mya played by Golden Brooks and Darnell played by Khalil Kain; these two have been through the mill but are still going strong. I just adore Mya's sassiness and Darnell's gentleman qualities and he proves that a guy does not need to play the hard man to be strong. Lyn played by Persia White is pretty hit and miss to me - I guess she is the Phoebe of the group but I just don't get her bohemian qualities and find her parasite ways down right annoying. I love Monica played by Keesha Sharp with her fiestiness but I find William played by Reginald C. Hayes (what is up wit that hair?) a complete bore. Which brings me to Joan who is played by Tracee Ellis Ross (Diana Ross' daughter!); it is difficult to describe whether I like her or not. Sometimes her snobbish attitude makes me want to throw things at the TV and at other time she can be very sweet. I guess that is the beauty of Girlfriends, you have real characters that make you think.