Editing In Living Color (section)

== Production ==

=== Early history ===
Following Keenen Ivory Wayans' success with ''[[Hollywood Shuffle]]'' and ''[[I'm Gonna Git You Sucka]]'', [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] approached Wayans to offer him his own show.<ref name= pokes>{{cite news |title= New Fox Show Pokes Fun at Black Stereotypes |publisher= Greensboro News & Record |location= Greensboro, North Carolina |agency= Associated Press |page= B6 |date= April 12, 1990 |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB191E9F73E3517&p_docnum=837&p_queryname=3 }}</ref> Wayans wanted to produce a variety show similar to ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', but with a cast of people of color that took chances with its content.<ref name= ready>{{cite news |title= Is prime time ready for rudeness? Fox's new comedy 'In Living Color' will offend some, tickle others |work= The San Diego Union |date= April 13, 1990 |first= Robert P. |last= Laurence |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=1178BA5E348E4AB6&p_docnum=845&p_queryname=3 |page= E1 }}</ref> Wayans’ younger brother Damon had been with ''SNL'' during its 11th season, the first with creator [[Lorne Michaels]] returning after a five-year hiatus. However, Damon grew frustrated with his lack of creative freedom and screen time that he went rogue on one sketch, leading to his dismissal from the series.<ref name= snl>{{cite news |title= Damon Wayans ‘Purposely’ Got Himself Fired From ‘SNL’ by Going Off Script: ‘I Snapped. I Just Did Not Care’ |work= Variety |date= January 17, 2025 |first= Ethan |last= Shanfeld |url= https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/damon-wayans-fired-snl-off-script-1236277276/}}</ref> By contrast, Fox gave Keenen and his family a lot of freedom with ''In Living Color'', although Fox executives were a bit concerned about the show's content prior to its television debut.<ref name= pokes/>

In announcing its debut, Fox described ''In Living Color'' as a "contemporary comedy variety show".<ref name= drawing>{{cite news |title= Back to the Drawing Board |work= The Record |location= New Jersey |date= April 1, 1990 |first= Virginia |last= Mann |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.comer/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB27637542C622C&p_docnum=816&p_queryname=3 |page= E1 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In its preview, the ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]'' warned that its, "raw tone may offend some, but it does allow a talented troupe to experiment with black themes in a ''Saturday Night Live''-ish format."<ref>{{cite news |title= Worth Noting on TV |work= Christian Science Monitor |date= April 11, 1990 |first= Alan |last= Bunce |page= 14 |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB41DF44B7B8217&p_docnum=835&p_queryname=3 }}</ref> Keenen Ivory Wayans said, "I wanted to do a show that reflects different points of view. We've added an Asian and a Hispanic minority to the show. We're trying in some way to represent all the voices. ... Minority talent is not in the system and you have to go outside. We found [[T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh|Crystal]] doing her act in the lobby of a theater in Chicago. We went beyond the Comedy Stores and Improvs, which are not showcase places for minorities."<ref name= even>{{cite news |title= Wayans Gets Even |date= April 12, 1990 |first= Tom |last= Green |work= USA Today |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12812966975FB038&p_docnum=838&p_queryname=3 }}</ref>

The first episode aired on Sunday, April 15, 1990, following an episode of ''[[Married... with Children]]''.<ref name= even/> The first episode was watched by 22.7 million people,<ref>{{cite news |title= Upstart Fox Has Pounced, and the Networks Are Getting Jumpy |work= The Milwaukee Journal |date= April 19, 1990 |first= Mike |last= Drew |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB82603F72B3287&p_docnum=887&p_queryname=3 }}</ref> making it the 29th-most-viewed show for the week.<ref>{{cite news |title= ABC Ends Ratings Race with Strong Finish |work= The Star-Ledger |location= Newark, New Jersey |date= April 18, 1990 |first= Jerry |last= Krupnick |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=1223D6412945F2D0&p_docnum=876&p_queryname=3 }}</ref>

''[[The Miami Herald]]'' said the show was as "smart and saucy as it is self-aware" and "audacious and frequently tasteless, but terrific fun".<ref name= miami>{{cite news |title= TV's Living Color Brightens Spectrum |work= The Miami Herald |date= April 21, 1990 |first= Hal |last= Boedeker |page= 1E |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB34058034923EC&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=3 }}</ref> ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' called it "the fastest, funniest half-hour in a long time".<ref name= philadelphia>{{cite news |title= From Fox, Bold Satire By Blacks |work= The Philadelphia Inquirer |date= April 21, 1990 |first= Jonathan |last= Storm |page= C1 |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB2A03C13FC7E79&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=3 }}</ref> ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' said it had "the free-wheeling, pointed sense of humor that connects with a large slice of today's audience".<ref name= seattle>{{cite news |title= 'In Living Color' Makes This 'Sunset' Look Pretty Pale |work= The Seattle Times |date= April 21, 1990 |first= John |last= Voorhees |page= C3 |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB533ED6F50E846&p_docnum=7&p_queryname=3 }}</ref> ''[[The Columbus Dispatch]]'' described it as a "marvelously inventive" show that has "catapulted television back to the cutting edge".<ref name= columbus>{{cite news |title= Quality Shows Offer Respectable Change |work= The Columbus Dispatch |date= April 22, 1990 |first= Julia |last= Keller |page= 5F |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=11B8680CCD0DEF28&p_docnum=11&p_queryname=3 }}</ref>

When asked about the show's use of stereotypes of Black culture for comedy, Wayans said, "Half of comedy is making fun of stereotypes. They only get critical when I do it. [[Woody Allen]] has been having fun with his culture for years, and no one says anything about it. [[Martin Scorsese]], his films basically deal with the Italian community, and no one ever says anything to him. [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]], all of his films parody upscale White suburban life. Nobody says anything to him. When I do it, then all of a sudden it becomes a racial issue. You know what I mean? It's my culture, and I'm entitled to poke fun at the stereotypes that I didn't create in the first place. I don't even concern myself with that type of criticism, because it's racist in itself."<ref>{{cite news |title= Humor is in 'Living Color': Writers Plan to Capitalize on Funny Cultural Stereotypes |work= Daily News of Los Angeles |date= April 15, 1990 |first= Yardena |last= Arar |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EF5BB34E44340CF&p_docnum=863&p_queryname=3 |page= L25 }}</ref> The only cast members to appear in all 5 seasons were Keymáh, Grier, Davidson, and Carrey, although Carrey's appearances in the fifth season were limited due to his rapidly rising film career. Throughout 1993, Carrey was busy filming ''[[The Mask (1994 film)|The Mask]]'' and ''[[Ace Ventura: Pet Detective]]'' (both 1994) all while still an active cast member on ''In Living Color''.

=== Opening credits ===
For the first episode, an exotic-looking logo was used for the opening credits. However, after the band [[Living Colour]] claimed in a lawsuit that the show stole the band's logo and name,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-08-ca-455-story.html |title=Living Colour band sues Fox |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 8, 1990 |access-date=September 3, 2010}}</ref> the logo was changed to one with rather plain-type letters of three colors. The show title itself is a homage to the [[Logo of NBC#Introduction of the Peacock (1956–1959)|NBC Peacock]] tag line, "The following program is brought to you in living color" from the 1960s when television was transitioning from [[Black-and-white television|black & white]] to [[Color television|color TV]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnvDVaiHXjM NBC Peacock clips] (posted to YouTube on Nov 4, 2011)</ref>

In the first two seasons, the opening sequence was set in a room covered with painters' tarps. Each cast member, wearing black-and-white, played with brightly colored paint in a different way (throwing paintballs at the camera by hand, [[spray painting]] the lens, using a roller to cover the camera lens, etc.). The sequence ended with a segue to a set built to resemble the rooftop of an apartment building, where the show's dancers performed a routine and opened a door to let Keenen Ivory Wayans greet a live audience.

For the third and fourth seasons, an animated sequence and different logo were used. Cast members were superimposed over pictures hanging in an art gallery and interacted with them in different ways (spinning the canvas to put it right-side up, swinging the frame out as if it were a door, etc.). The final image was of the logo on a black canvas, which shattered to begin the show. The fifth season retained the logo, but depicted the cast members on various signs and billboards around a city (either New York or Chicago), ending with the logo displayed on a theater marquee. The main title sequences were created by [[Klasky-Csupo]], best known for ''[[Rugrats]]'' and produced by Robert Jason with some graphics by Beau Tardy.

The [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] group [[Heavy D & the Boyz]] performed two different versions of the opening theme. One version was used for the first two seasons and remixed for the fifth, while the other was featured in the third and fourth seasons.

=== The Fly Girls ===
The show employed an in-house dance troupe known as the "Fly Girls". The original lineup consisted of [[Carrie Ann Inaba]] (who became a choreographer and judge on ''[[Dancing with the Stars (American TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]''), Cari French, Deidre Lang, Lisa Marie Todd, Barbara Lumpkin and Michelle Whitney-Morrison. [[Rosie Perez]] was the choreographer for the first four seasons. The most notable former Fly Girl was future actress/singer [[Jennifer Lopez]], who joined the show in its third season.

Throughout the show's run, the Fly Girls frequently performed a dance routine to lead into commercial breaks and/or during the closing credits. In the first two seasons, they also performed a routine that immediately followed the opening sequence. Music was provided by an in-house DJ – [[Shawn Wayans]] (credited as SW-1) in the first two seasons, then [[Leroy "Twist" Casey|DJ Twist]] from season 3 onward.

The Fly Girls would sometimes be used as extras in sketches, or as part of an opening gag. In one sketch, they were shown performing open-heart surgery (in the sketch, the girls are dancing in order to pay their way through medical school). Another routine featured the three original female cast members dancing off-beat during the introduction of the show, when it was revealed that the regular Fly Girls were all bound and gagged and breaking through the door where Keenan Ivory Wayans enters.

Three of the Fly Girls also appeared in the eleventh episode of ''[[Muppets Tonight]]'''s second season in 1997.

=== Wayans family departures ===
Keenen Ivory Wayans stopped appearing in sketches in 1992 after the end of the third season, over disputes with Fox about the network [[censorship|censoring]] the show's content and rerunning early episodes without his consultation; he feared that Fox would ultimately decrease the [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]] value of ''In Living Color''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brooks|first=Tim |author2=Marsh, Earle F.|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present |publisher=Ballantine Books|date=2007-10-17|edition=9|page=661|isbn=978-0-345-49773-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brooks |first1=Brian |title='In Living Color' Cast Reunites And Shares Early Stories At Tribeca Film Festival |url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/fox-wanted-to-push-the-envelope-with-in-living-color-tribeca-film-festival-1202603365/ |website=Deadline |access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Reinstein |first1=Mara |title='In Living Color' Oral History: Fox Censors, Spike Lee's Disdain |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/living-color-oral-history-fox-censors-spike-lees-disdain-1219192/#:~:text=what%20started%20to%20happen%20into%20the%20fourth%20season,%20exploiting%20me |website=Hollywood Reporter |access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref> During the fourth season, Keenan only appeared in the opening segment of the season premiere, though he remained in the opening credits up until the thirteenth episode due to his producer status, after which he departed the series altogether. Damon Wayans left at the end of the third season to pursue a film career, though he returned for several guest spots throughout the fourth season. Marlon Wayans, who had joined the fourth season as a featured player, left just two episodes after Keenan stepped down as producer. Shawn and Kim Wayans also wished to leave the series at the same time in solidarity with their family, but were unable to due to still being under contract at the time; both eventually left at the end of the season after their contracts' expirations.