Soul Food (TV series)
Soul Food | |
---|---|
Genre | Family drama |
Based on | Soul Food by George Tillman, Jr. |
Developed by | Felicia D. Henderson |
Starring | |
Narrated by | Aaron Meeks |
Theme music composer | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds & Al Green |
Opening theme | |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 74 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Showtime |
Release | June 28, 2000 – May 26, 2004 |
Soul Food is an American drama series that aired Wednesday nights on Showtime from June 28, 2000 to May 26, 2004. Created by George Tillman, Jr. and developed for television by Felicia D. Henderson, Soul Food is based upon Tillman's childhood experiences growing up in Wisconsin, and is a continuation of his 1997 film of the same name. Having aired for 74 episodes, it is the longest running drama with a predominantly black cast in the history of North American prime-time television.[1][2]
Premise
Soul Food follows the triumphs, struggles, and rivalries of the Josephs, a tight-knit African American family living in Chicago, Illinois. The series picks up six months after the events in the 1997 film, as the family tries to hold together after the death of the Joseph sisters' mother Josephine (Irma P. Hall, reprising her role in flashback sequences), usually referred to as Mama, Mother Joe, or Big Mama.
Episodes
Cast
- Rockmond Dunbar as Kenny Chadway
- Darrin Dewitt Henson as Lem Van Adams
- Aaron Meeks as Ahmad Chadway
- Nicole Ari Parker as Teri Joseph
- Malinda Williams as Tracy "Bird" Joseph Van Adams
- Vanessa A. Williams[3] as Maxine Joseph Chadway
- Boris Kodjoe as Damon Carter (recurring in seasons 1 and 5; regular cast in seasons 2–4)
Recurring cast members and notable guest stars
During the run of the series, only Irma P. Hall returned from the original film to appear in the series as her original character, albeit in flashback scenes as a guest star.
- Mary Alice as Mrs. Pettaway
- Vinessa Antoine as Monica Lewis
- Tichina Arnold as Adina
- James Avery as Walter Carter
- Obba Babatundé as Benjamin Chadway
- Tyra Banks as Nina Joseph
- Lamont Bentley as Pruitt
- Ardon Bess as Uncle Pete
- Wayne Best as Doug Parelli (#1)
- Yannick Bisson as Brian Tedrow
- Lisa Branch as Faith Hunter
- Jim Brown as Agent Willie White
- Diahann Carroll as Aunt Ruthie
- Richard Chevolleau as Franco Van Adams
- Jim Codrington as Agent Daniels/Police Officer
- Deborah Cox as herself
- Vondie Curtis-Hall as Charles Miller
- James B. Douglas as Principal Gordon
- Gary Dourdan as Jack Van Adams
- Drake (credited as Aubrey Graham) as Frederick
- Faye Dunaway as Katherine Burke
- Christopher B. Duncan as Bob Wayne
- Michael Ealy as Steve
- Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds as Darrell Hart
- Idris Elba as Smitty
- Kimberly Elise as Estella
- Giancarlo Esposito as Jules
- Kent Faulcon as Michael King
- Tyson Fennell as Mandel
- Tyra Ferrell as Frances Lester
- Gloria Foster as Ella Lester
- Anais Granofsky as Christine Hughes
- Kevin Rahsaan Grant as Reggie
- Irma P. Hall as Josephine Joseph
- Nicole Hardy as Keisha Thomas
- Hill Harper as Kelvin Chadway
- Dennis Haysbert as Rick Grant
- Tamara Hope as Callie
- Djimon Hounsou as Victor Onuka
- Terrence Howard as Benny Jones
- C. David Johnson as Doug Parelli (#2)
- Star Jones as Shauna Black
- Eva LaRue as Josefina Alicante
- Cirroc Lofton as Anthony Carter
- Taylor Love as Kelly Chadway
- Keenan Macwilliam as Amina
- Kevin Mambo as Smokey
- Wynton Marsalis as himself
- Larry Marshall as Jeremiah Joseph
- John-Patrick Mavric as Kevin Tucker
- Donovan Ian Hunter McKnight as K.C.
- Nicki Micheaux as Lila
- Debbi Morgan as Lynette Van Adams
- Alisha Morrison as Young Teri
- Mari Morrow as Nyla
- Jason Powell as Jake Phillips
- Amy Price-Francis as Heather Bryant
- Bradley Reid as Michael
- Jacque Reid as herself
- Naya Rivera as Lauryn
- Kyle Rivers as Laurence Freeman
- Richard Roundtree as Hardy Lester
- Tony Sciara as Al
- Kimberly Scott as Alderman Teresa Davis
- Stuart Scott as himself
- Ernest Thomas (uncredited) as Detective Craig Quinn
- Raphael Nash Thompson as Ray Moore
- Terrell Tilford as Malik Todd
- Rip Torn as Peter Redmond
- Treach as Philky
- Usher (credited as Usher Raymond) as Cameron Marks
- Mario Van Peebles as Quentin James
- Alan Van Sprang as Dr. Caldwell
- Terri J. Vaughn as Eva Holly
- Michael Warren as Baron Marks
- Isaiah Washington as Miles Jenkins
- Jascha Washington as Avery
- Vernee Watson-Johnson as Cassandra DeLeon
- Kenneth Welsh as Dr. Jackson Pruit
- Michael Jai White as Russell Banks
- Troy Winbush as Lionel Willock
- Kathryn Winslow as Gloria
- Bokeem Woodbine as Detective Conrad
- William Allen Young as Coach John Robinson
Response
Soul Food was one of the first 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, there was use of mild profanity and partial nudity. Certain episodes even served as launching pads for up-and-coming new musical artists. Many known performers such as Gerald Levert, Montell Jordan, India.Arie, Sunshine Anderson and Common have made appearances as well.
Popularity
The show 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.
The Soul Food cast was interviewed by comedian Mo'Nique about fan reaction to the series. The cast explained that fans of the show would approach them at various places, including the airport, and would talk to them about story lines that they enjoyed or disliked. Nicole Ari Parker commented on studio executives telling the cast and crew that they were not marketable overseas; yet, after the show ended, the series gained a fan base in France.
Syndication
In 2004, Black Entertainment Television (BET) acquired the rights to air reruns of the series (in the United States). The episodes have been edited to allow for commercials, and to meet FCC content standards for basic cable networks. BET aired syndicated reruns of Soul Food for several years, until it shifted the series to its sister network, BET J (now known as Centric). On March 15, 2010, the principal cast members (excluding Rockmond Dunbar), appeared together on the BET late-night talk show The Mo'Nique Show. TV One began airing reruns of the series in January 2012. Syndication rights are currently held by Aspire, which began airing reruns of the series in January 2016.
Home releases
On June 24, 2003, Paramount Home Entertainment released the first season of Soul Food on DVD, just two weeks after the series wrapped its fourth season. After a long delay, the remaining four seasons were released in 2007 and 2008 by Paramount and CBS Home Entertainment. While season one (billed as "the complete first season") runs in its unedited form, the remaining seasons do not, primarily due to musical licensing issues.
International rights to the series are held by Fox, which has yet to release DVD sets in other territories.
DVD name | Ep # | Release date |
---|---|---|
Season 1 | 20 | June 24, 2003 |
Season 2 | 20 | August 7, 2007 |
Season 3^ | 20 | February 5, 2008 |
Final season | 14 | July 8, 2008 |
Complete Series | 74 | July 8, 2008 [4] |
^ The 20-episode DVD release of "Season 3" actually contains the 10 episodes in Season 3 and the 10 episodes in Season 4.
Awards and nominations
Status | Year | Award | For |
---|---|---|---|
Winner | 2001 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress - Aaron Meeks |
Winner | 2002 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Drama Series |
Winner | 2002 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Debbi Morgan |
Winner | 2002 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress - Aaron Meeks |
Winner | 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Drama Series |
Winner | 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Vanessa A. Williams |
Winner | 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Drama Series |
Nominee | 2001 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Main Title Theme Music - Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Al Green |
Nominee | 2001 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Drama Series |
Nominee | 2001 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Nicole Ari Parker |
Nominee | 2001 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Vanessa A. Williams |
Nominee | 2001 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Irma P. Hall |
Nominee | 2002 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Nicole Ari Parker |
Nominee | 2002 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds |
Nominee | 2002 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Boris Kodjoe |
Nominee | 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Nicole Ari Parker |
Nominee | 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Malinda Williams |
Nominee | 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Boris Kodjoe |
Nominee | 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Aaron Meeks |
Nominee | 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Kimberly Elise |
Nominee | 2003 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) - Supporting Young Actor - Aaron Meeks |
Nominee | 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Nicole Ari Parker |
Nominee | 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Malinda Williams |
Nominee | 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Vanessa A. Williams |
Nominee | 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Darrin Dewitt Henson |
Nominee | 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Boris Kodjoe |
Nominee | 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Terri J. Vaughn |
Nominee | 2004 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) - Supporting Young Actor - Aaron Meeks |
Nominee | 2005 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Drama Series |
Nominee | 2005 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Nicole Ari Parker |
Nominee | 2005 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Malinda Williams |
Nominee | 2005 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - Vanessa A. Williams |
Nominee | 2005 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Darrin Dewitt Henson |
Nominee | 2005 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Diahann Carroll |
References
- ^ "No black dramas left on television", MSNBC.com, May 24, 2004. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ Wiggins, Ovetta. "Last Call for 'Soul Food'", The Washington Post, May 26, 2004. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ Vanessa A. Williams, who portrays Maxine, is not to be confused with Vanessa L. Williams—the R&B/pop singer, actress, and Miss America 1984—who portrayed Teri in the film upon which the series is based.
- ^ a b "Soul Food DVD news: Announcement for Soul Food - The Final Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". www.tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on 2008-03-20.
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External links
- African-American television
- 2000s American drama television series
- 2000 American television series debuts
- 2004 American television series endings
- Showtime (TV network) original programs
- American drama television series
- Serial drama television series
- Television programs based on films
- Television series by CBS Television Studios
- Television series by 20th Century Fox Television
- Television shows set in Chicago
- English-language television programs