• Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
      • Hair News
      • Natural
      • Relaxed
      • Transitioning
      • Weave
      • 4C
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Entertainment

Erika Alexander Tells David Schwimmer 'Living Single' 'Invented The Template' For 'Friends'

Both shows were produced by Warner Bros., but we know which show got more investment.
David Schwimmer Tells Erika Alexander He ‘Meant No Disrespect’ After ‘Friends’ Comment
Photo by Deborah Feingold/Corbis via Getty Images
By Keyaira Boone · Updated December 6, 2020

Erika Alexander is not here for anyone erasing the legacy of 90s classic Living Single.

The Fox series, that ran from 1993 to 1998, centered on a group of friends living in the same Brooklyn brownstone. It starred Alexander, Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Kim Fields, Terrence C. Carson and John Henton, and became an instant hit.

The actress and producer addressed comments made by David Schwimmer in The Guardian, regarding the lack of diversity in Friends, which featured an all-White cast. The actor, who portrayed Ross on the 90s series that also centered on friends living in the same New York City building, said “there should be an all-Black Friends or an all-Asian Friends.”

Hey ⁦@DavidSchwimmer ⁦@FriendsTV⁩ – r u seriously telling me you’ve never heard of #LivingSingle? We invented the template! Yr welcome bro. 😉 David Schwimmer 2 The Guardian: “Maybe there should be an all-black Friends or an all-Asian Friends” https://t.co/r8W1ZHBwoy

— Erika Alexander (@EAlexTheGreat) January 28, 2020

Alexander swiftly responded to the interview on Twitter, pointing out that there had already been an all-Black show with the same concept prior to Friends— her series, Living Single. 

“Hey ⁦@DavidSchwimmer @FriendsTV⁩- r u seriously telling me you’ve never heard of #LivingSingle? We invented the template! Yr welcome bro,” she wrote in part.

Both produced by Warner Brothers, Friends was reportedly given a larger amount of financial investment than Living Single. In fact, Alexander revealed during a 2018 interview with The Breakfast Club that Friends was actually a working title for Living Single during the development stages of the show.

“The original name for Living Single was My Girls, but it didn’t test well so they came up with some other names. Living Single and Friends were some of the names presented. Obviously, they chose one and the other went to another show, also produced by Warner Bros,” she detailed. 

TOPICS:  celebrity Christmas christmas movie david schwimmer Entertainment Erika Alexander Essence News friends holiday holiday movie Kim Fields lifetime Living Single regine warner brothers
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now