Last night was the 2 hour premiere of the VH1 original comedy "Single Ladies". Billed as a mix of "Sex in the City" and "Girlfriends" the show stars gorgeous actresses Stacey Dash, Lisa Raye, Lauren London and new comer Charity Shea. I won't lie to you, I was genuinely excited to see the show. Surely this dramedy (drama and comedy) produced by Queen Latifah was going to be amazing! I mean the promo clips released months ago showed tons of promise. I was so amped for the series premiere.
Man oh man was I in for a let down.
Saying the show was disappointment is an understatement. Let me start by saying I understand how difficult it is to get a black show on to a major network so I applaud VH1 for green lighting this project. We've come a long way since the Flavor of Love days. However, last night's show was lackluster at best.
What didn't I like? Let's start with all the drama that popped off in the first 5 minutes of the show. It felt immediately like a Tyler Perry production. Very melodramatic and extreme. I compared the show to a Nigerian movie where the film goes on and on with several plot lines enough to give you whiplash. Oh and let's discuss the acting. As much as I love Lisa Raye and Stacey Dash these women are clearly not known for their Oscar worthy acting skills. In my humble opinion the meaty roles on the show were not suitable for the actresses. Too much dialogue, especially for Stacy..at times I felt like I was watching a bad high school play.
On the bright side the show had plenty of guest stars, Kim Porter (Diddy's babymama), Chilli, Cam'Ron to add a little flavor. The stand out of the show was Lisa's love interest played by DB Woodside, hubby of "Girlfriends" actress Golden Brooks. That man was a definitely eye candy for the ladies and some men as well.
So will I tune in again? Nah I don't think I will. As a black woman I don't believe in the concept of supporting a black show just because it's black. I need network television to not underestimate my intelligence by shoving anything in my face and expecting me to love. It's almost like when John McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running mate and expected that he would get the female vote. Try again.
So what did you think of the show? Will you tune in next week?
