In the House (TV series)
In the House is an American sitcom starring LL Cool J, Debbie Allen, Maia Campbell, Dee Jay Daniels, Alfonso Ribeiro and Kim Wayans. The series aired for two seasons on NBC from April 1995 to May 1996 after which it was canceled due to low ratings.[1] UPN quickly picked up In the House[1] where it aired for an additional two seasons. UPN canceled the series in May 1998.[2] The series ran in first-run syndication for a fifth and final season from August 3 to August 11, 1999.
In the House | |
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Genre | Sitcom |
Created by | Winifred Hervey |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Quincy Jones III Theodore Miller Kurt Farquhar |
Composers |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 76 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers | Walter Allen Bennett, Jr. Teri Schaffer Hicks Michelle Jones Werner Walian |
Running time | 22 minutes |
Production companies |
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Distributor | Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution |
Release | |
Original network |
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Original release | April 10, 1995 – August 11, 1999 |
Synopsis
Marion Hill (LL Cool J) is a former professional football player. Because of his financial predicament, Marion is forced to rent out most of the rooms in his house to newly divorced single mother Jackie Warren (Debbie Allen) and her two children, Tiffany (Maia Campbell) and Austin (Jeffery Wood).[3]
After the second season, the series was retooled, becoming more adult-oriented. Jackie and Austin both moved back East while Tiffany stayed with Marion to finish high school. Joining the cast for the third season was former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro as Dr. Maxwell "Max" Stanton and In Living Color cast member Kim Wayans as Tonia Harris. Both Maxwell and Tonia helped Marion manage the Los Angeles sports clinic he owns, then Tonia leaves for the WNBA after Season 4, and Tiffany leaves after only two episodes in Season 5.[4]
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||||
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First aired | Last aired | Network | ||||
1 | 6 | April 10, 1995 | May 15, 1995 | NBC | ||
2 | 20 | September 18, 1995 | May 13, 1996 | |||
3 | 22 | August 26, 1996 | May 19, 1997 | UPN | ||
4 | 22 | August 25, 1997 | April 7, 1998 | |||
5 | 6 | August 3, 1999 | August 11, 1999 | Syndication |
Cast
Main
- LL Cool J – Marion James Hill
- Kim Wayans – Tonia Riley Harris (seasons 2–4)
- Maia Campbell – Tiffany Warren
- Alfonso Ribeiro – Dr. Maxwell Stanton (seasons 3–5, as Carlton Banks in Season 2, Episode 1)
- Debbie Allen – Jackie Warren (seasons 1–2)
- Jeffery Wood – Austin Warren (seasons 1–2)
- Dee Jay Daniels – Rodney (season 3, episodes 1–7)
- Lisa Arrindell Anderson – Heather Comstock (seasons 1–2)
Recurring
- Ken Lawson – Carl (season 3–5)
- Paulette Braxton – Natalie Davis (season 4)
- Gabrielle Carmouche – Raynelle (season 3–5)
- Luis Antonio Ramos – Tito Barrientos (season 4)
- Lark Voorhies – Mercedes Langford (seasons 4–5)
- Kenya Moore – Valerie Bridgeforth (season 5)
- John Amos – Coach Sam Wilson (season 1–4)
- Chris Browning – Clayton (season 2)
- Richard F. Whiten – Henry (season 3)
- Mel Jackson – Graham (season 4)
- Michael Warren – Milton (but cast as Russell in episode 105) (season 1–2)
- Mari Morrow – Amber (season 3)
- Derek McGrath – Bernie/Agent Dick Kelly (season 4)
- Phil Morris – Goldwire (season 4)
- Eric Howell Sharp – Benny (season 3)
- Dawn McMillan – Sasha (season 1–2)
- Chaz Lamar Shepherd – Mark (season 4)
- Joan Pringle - Patricia Hill (Season 4-5)
Notable guest stars
- Evander Holyfield – himself (season 3)
- Yolanda Adams – YoYo (season 4)
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee – herself (season 3)
- MC Lyte – LuLu (season 4)
- Jane Lynch – Ruth Randell (season 1)
- Phylicia Rashad – Rowena (season 2)
- Fred Roggin
- Iona Morris – Gloria Alblack (season 4)
- Tatyana Ali – Ashley Banks (season 2)
- James Avery – Judge (season 2) Samson (season 4)
- Daphne Maxwell Reid – Cleo (season 4)
- Joseph Marcell – Pastor (season 4)
- Reggie Theus
- Gary Sheffield – himself (season 4)
- Kimberly Elise – Roulette (season 2)
- RuPaul – Kevin (season 2)
- Kobe Bryant – himself (season 4)
- Anthony Anderson – Eddie/Snax (season 2)
- Fredro Starr – Trey (season 4)
- Ricky Watters – himself (season 3)
- Orlando Brown – Stevem (season 2)
- Eddie George – himself (season 3)
- Clifton Powell – Eddie (season 4)
- Deion Sanders – himself (season 2)
- Junior Seau – himself (season 3)
- Vonté Sweet – James (season 4)
- Jerome Bettis – himself (season 3)
- Isabel Sanford – Nanna (season 2)
- Sherman Hemsley – Grandpa Buster (season 2)
- Derek Fisher – himself (season 4)
- Roger E. Mosley – Buff (season 2)
- LisaRaye McCoy – Delivery Woman (season 3)
- Lennox Lewis – himself (season 3)
- Del Harris – himself (season 4)
- Judyann Elder – Florence (season 2)
- Lynn "Red" Williams – David (season 1)
- Lance Slaughter – Kevin (season 3)
- Lazarus Jackson – Eric (season 4)
- Spud Webb – himself (season 2)
- Fredro Starr - Trey Hill, Marion’s younger brother. (Season 4)
U.S. television ratings
Season | TV Season | Network | Ratings Rank | Viewers (in millions) |
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1 | 1995 | NBC | #44 | 11.1 |
2 | 1995–1996 | NBC | #59 | 9.4 |
3 | 1996–1997 | UPN | #189 | 3.3 |
4 | 1997–1998 | UPN | #152[5] | 2.8[5] |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
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1996 | Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best Performance by an Actor Under Ten – Television | Jeffery Wood |
Best Performance by a Young Actress – TV Comedy Series | Maia Campbell | |||
NAACP Image Awards | Nominated | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | John Amos | |
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | LL Cool J | |||
Outstanding Comedy Series | ||||
1997 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | LL Cool J | ||
1998 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | LL Cool J | ||
Won | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Alfonso Ribeiro | ||
1999 | Nominated | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Alfonso Ribeiro | |
1997 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series | Art Busch (For episode "Curse of the Hill House") |
Syndication
The show aired in off-network syndication during the 1999–2000 season, the series had reran weeknights at 7pm EST on New York City's local UPN affiliation WWOR-TV until it was replaced by The Jamie Foxx Show reruns in fall 2000, and on TV One from 2004–2008. On June 13, 2016, BET aired reruns of the show in the earlier months on the weekdays in random times from 2:30AM to 4:00AM on Fridays until the week of August 29 to September 2, 2016. The series also aired reruns on BET Her. Aspire will begin airing reruns of the show on August 1, 2020.
References
- Pierce, Scott D. (May 17, 1996). "UPN Will Try To Get Funny". deseret.com. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- Hontz, Jenny (May 21, 1998). "UPN shakes up fall sked". Variety. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- "Debbie Allan LL Cool J win laughs in new TV show 'In the House.'". Jet. 1995-04-25. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- Whetstone, Muriel L. (October 1996). "Cosby is back, but Black-oriented shows decline". Ebony. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
- "Final Ratings for '97–'98 TV Season". The San Francisco Chronicle. 1998-05-25.