The Parkers is an American television sitcom created by Ralph Farquhar, Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears, which aired on UPN from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004, lasting five seasons. The series stars Mo’Nique, Countess Vaughn, Dorien Wilson, Jenna von Oÿ, Yvette Wilson, Ken L., and Mari Morrow. It centers on the relationship between a mother and daughter, Nikki and Kim Parker, who reside outside of Los Angeles, in Santa Monica, California, while both attending the local Santa Monica College. The series was produced by Big Ticket Television, in association with Saradipity Productions and Regan Jon Productions. Executive Producers were Bill Boulware, Ralph Farquhar, Sara V. Finney, Vida Spears and Andrea Wiley.
Premise
This comedy series centers around a low-income mother and daughter who both attend Santa Monica College. Nikki Parker was forced to drop out of high school, nearly 20 years earlier, when she discovered she was pregnant. As the time arrived for her daughter to go to college, Nikki decided to go as well as a way to get an experience and education that was taken from her so many years earlier. Through a series of hilarious situations, Nikki has to adjust to the fact that her daughter is growing up, while Kim realizes that Nikki has a lot more going on in her life beyond being a mother.
Main Cast Members
Kim Parker (Countess Vaughn): A ditzy college student and Nikki’s daughter. Although she can be shallow, Kim has a kind heart and is close with Nikki. Kim is also a lead singer in the music group Free Style Unity, which also includes Stevie and T. At the end of series, she fails out of Santa Monica College but becomes a successful fashion designer.
Nikki Parker (Mo’Nique): A boisterous, confident single mother, who embraces college life to the fullest. She is in love with Professor Oglevee, despite his apparent hatred of her. In the series finale, she eventually wins him over after five years of chasing him and they get married.
Desiree Littlejohn (Mari Morrow): Initially, the Parkers’ neighbor and Nikki’s friend. She only appears in the first season and is uncredited as a regular after five episodes. She is not seen after episode 13. It was stated that creator, Ralph Farquhar, wrote her off because he wanted a stronger dynamic with another one of his characters. She was replaced by Yvette Wilson.
Stevie Alison Van Lowe (Jenna von Oÿ): A sarcastic, intelligent white college student as well as Kim’s best friend. Stevie is from a affluent family and has a tempestuous relationship with her mother. She is also a member of the music group Free Style Unity, alongside Kim and T. Upon graduating from Santa Monica College, Stevie attends UCLA and goes into business with Kim.
Thaddeus Tyrell “T” Radcliffe (Ken Lawson): A flirtatious, attractive college student as well as a friend to Kim and Stevie. He is also a member of the music group Free Style Unity. At the end of the series, T goes on to attend Berklee College of Music
Professor Stanley Oglevee (Dorien Wilson): A handsome professor at Santa Monica College. Although he prides himself on his intelligence, he often becomes embroiled in hare-brained schemes, often due to his own foolishness. Although he is initially repulsed by Nikki’s affections, he eventually declares his love for her, and they marry in the series finale.
Andell Wilkerson (Yvette Wilson): Nikki’s level-headed best friend. Andell originated as a regular character on Moesha and appears on The Parkers in a recurring role during the first season; she became a main character in the middle of Season 1. From Season 3 onward, she is the owner of a restaurant called Andell’s. At the end of the series, she marries her boyfriend, Lester.
Syndication
The Parkers has aired in syndication on Centric (previously BET J), UP, TV One, VH1, MTV2, and Nick@Nite.
Currently, the series airs reruns on BET, Fuse, and Cleo TV.
The series started streaming on Netflix on October 1, 2020.
International airings
In Europe, the show has aired in Ireland and the UK. In Ireland, it aired on RTÉ Two from 2000 to 2005, usually airing Thursdays at 7.00 pm. The first four seasons were aired in this evening time slot, with season five beginning in this timeslot and with the few remaining episodes moved to a late-night timeslot on Fridays. After the series finished on RTÉ Two, there have been no re-runs and no current plans to run the show again. It was also shown on UK channel Trouble, which was also available in Ireland. It usually aired weekdays from 2000 to 2004 but after it was completely removed, it was shown on a one-off weekend in late 2006, with episodes airing all day. In Australia, it aired on Fox8, and in Jamaica on TVJ.
Reception
Critical response
Although The Parkers initially received mixed reviews and was criticized for its outrageous characters, the series was a ratings success for UPN. Its debut season ranked as the number-one comedy on the network; it was the most popular show among black audiences, ahead of The WB’s The Steve Harvey Show. The success of the series has been credited to its ability to relate to many audiences, especially young people.
Awards and nominations
Year Award Result Category Recipient
2001 NAACP Image Awards Nominated Outstanding Comedy Series –
Won Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Mo’Nique
2002 Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Yvette Wilson
Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Dorien Wilson
Won Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Mo’Nique
2003 Nominated Outstanding Comedy Series –
Nominated Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Mo’Nique
2004 Won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Dorien Wilson
Won Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Mo’Nique, Countess Vaughn
2005 Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Dorien Wilson
Nominated Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Mo’Nique
2003 Young Artist Award Nominated Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Guest Starring Young Actor Christopher Massey
2004 BET Comedy Awards Nominated Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series –
Reunion
n 2009, cast members Countess Vaughn, Jenna von Oÿ, Ken Lawson, and Dorien Wilson appeared on The Mo’Nique Show for a full-length episode, “The Parkers Reunion.” Series creator Sara V. Finney was part of the audience for the episode. Yvette Wilson didn’t appear due to her busy work schedule.
Home media
The Parkers: The Complete Collection, containing all five seasons, was released on region 1 DVD in Canada via Visual Entertainment in a 14-disc set on 18 March 2016.