On this day in comedy on May 20, 1999 The Wayans Bros. aired its last episode on Fox
Premiering on the WB January 11, 1995, this sitcom starred real life brothers, Shawn and Marlon Wayans as Shawn and Marlon Williams (why bother?); brothers who live together in Harlem. Their over-the-top, slapstick antics drive the show’s comedy. The premise is Shawn “Williams” owns a newsstand (after working for a delivery company) and the duo run it. Their father, “Pops” (John Witherspoon) runs a diner and they all end up working together in a high rise skyscraper in Manhattan. Security guard, (Anna Maria Horsford) also works in that building. So the show centered on the building and the apartment and the laughs generated at both.
The Wayans Bros. was produced by Warner Bros. Television along with Baby Way and Next To Last Productions. It was created by the Wayans Bros., Leslie Ray and David Steven Simon. The opening theme was A Tribe Called Quest’s Electric Relaxation then changed to a hip hop beat produced by Shawn & Marlon and Omar Epps. Also featured in the cast during its run were Lela Rochon, Paula Jai Parker, Ja’net Dubois, Jill Tasker and Mitch Mullany.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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