Soul Food: The Series
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| Soul Food: The Series | |
|---|---|
| Image:Soul Food The Series (DVD cover).jpg </small> | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Running time | 1 hour |
| Creator(s) | Felicia D. Henderson |
| Starring | Nicole Ari Parker Vanessa A. Williams Malinda Williams Darrin Dewitt Henson Rockmond Dunbar Boris Kodjoe Aaron Meeks |
| Opening theme | "The Way Love Goes" Al Green (Season 1) Al Green & Sy Smith (Seasons 2-5) |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original channel | Showtime |
| Original run | June 2000–May 2004 |
| No. of episodes | 74 |
- For the type of cuisine, see soul food.
- For the film upon which this series was based, see Soul Food (film).
Soul Food: The Series was a popular television drama that aired Wednesday nights on Showtime from June 28, 2000 to May 26, 2004. The show is currently shown in syndication on the BET cable network. The series was conceptualized by inspiring filmmaker George Tillman, Jr. Tillman based the format of the series on his own childhood experiences growing up in Wisconsin. The series was also inspired by the hit 1997 film of the same title.
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[edit] Premise
A spinoff of the popular hit film, the show follows the triumphs, struggles and rivalries of a tight-knit African-American family living in Chicago. The series picks up five months after the events in the film, as the family tried to hold together after the death of the sisters' mother Josephine Joseph (Irma P. Hall, reprising her role in flashback sequences), usually referred to as Mama, Mother Joe, or Big Mama.
[edit] Cast
- Rockmond Dunbar as Kenny Chadway
- Darrin Dewitt Henson as Lem Van Adams
- Boris Kodjoe as Damon Carter (recurring in Seasons 1 and 5; regular cast in Seasons 2-4)
- Aaron Meeks as Ahmad Chadway
- Nicole Ari Parker as Teri Joseph
- Malinda Williams as Tracy "Bird" Van Adams
- Vanessa Williams1 as Maxine Chadway
Note 1: Vanessa A. Williams, who portrays Maxine, is not to be confused with Vanessa L. Williams -- the R&B singer, actress, and 1984 Miss America -- who portrayed Teri in the film upon which the series is based.
[edit] Recurring cast members and notable guest stars
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[edit] Response
Soul Food was ground-breaking for its time. It was the only long-running and successful dramatic series on television to feature a predominantly African-American cast. Short-lived series such as Under One Roof and City of Angels featured predominantly black casts but never gained recognition due to lack of ratings and viewership. The show tackled topics of politics, homosexuality, racial discrimination and certain forms of abuse (drug, domestic and sexual). Because it aired on Showtime, the show involved mild profanity and partial nudity that may not be suitable to younger viewers. Certain episodes even served as launching pads for up-and-coming new artists. Many known performers such as Gerald Levert, Montell Jordan and India.Arie have made appearances as well.
[edit] Popularity
Soul Food instantly became an over-night success. Its popularity and huge fan base immediately earned the show a record-breaking renewal of 40 episodes in 2001. The show earned many awards during its five-season run on Showtime. It received five NAACP Image Awards nominations for Outstanding Drama Series and won three consecutive times in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Also, a three-book series was launched in 2002.
[edit] Trivia
- Malinda Williams, who portrays Bird, is the former wife of Mekhi Phifer, who portrays Bird's husband Lem in the film version of Soul Food. They both appeared in the 1996 film High School High, and the 1999 direct-to-video film Uninvited Guest.
- During the 2004-2005 season, Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker starred in the short-lived UPN series Second Time Around, about a divorced couple who remarries years later. A real-life couple, Kodjoe and Parker eventually had a child together, and were married in May 2005.
- Kodjoe and Parker also appeared in the 2002 film Brown Sugar, with Kodjoe playing opposite Sanaa Lathan, and Parker paired with Taye Diggs.
- Darrin Dewitt Henson is an accomplished dancer and choreographer, having worked with such performers as Britney Spears, 'N Sync, and Jordan Knight. He is perhaps best known for his instructional dance video Darrin's Dance Grooves, which was heavily marketed in 2001 and 2002.
- Although he was portraying a man who was apparently in his thirties, Rockmond Dunbar did not reach age 30 until the series' fourth season. Similarly, Aaron Meeks was 18 years old by the time the series finale aired at the end of Season 5. Thus, there is only a 13-year age difference between Dunbar and Meeks, even though they portrayed father and son.
[edit] Syndication
In 2004, Black Entertainment Television acquired the rights to air reruns of the series (in the U.S.). The episodes have been edited to allow for commericals, and to meet FCC broadcast standards for basic cable networks.
[edit] DVD
Paramount Home Entertainment released the first season of the series on June 24, 2003, just two weeks after the series wrapped its fourth season. These discs are the only way to see uncut episodes of the series. The later seasons are still being "considered for releasing."
[edit] Soundtrack
The show was so popular that it even had its own soundtrack which served as a companion to the series. Soul Food: The Best R&B of 2000 was released on December 5, 2000 on Def Soul Records. The compilation featured artists like Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J, R. Kelly and Yolanda Adams. It even featured the show's theme song performed by Al Green and Babyface.
