Moesha (1996–2001)

Moesha started off as a good little situation comedy with a difference: it was the first situation comedy centered around an African-American teenaged girl. Moesha, Hakeem, Kim and Niecy got into the usual trouble that teens on sitcoms do. However, it didn't always feel like the same old plot lines because of the appealing cast, at least in the first couple of seasons.

Unfortunately, the show decided to do continuing storylines, turning it more into a soap opera than a sitcom. I'm still wondering--who's bright idea it was to reveal that Moesha's dad Frank had an affair in the past that produced a son? It was sort of disturbing to see upstanding Frank's image tarnished, and the resulting fallout that happened afterwards. Then Countess Vaughn left to star in `The Parkers', and her character (Kim) was seldom referred to after that. Andell (Yvette Wilson), the owner of the café the teens hung out at, was unceremoniously hustled off the show (fortunately, she was placed on `The Parkers'), and her fiancee (Bernie Mac) disappeared, never to be heard about again. What was the deal with Dee (Sheryl Lee Ralph) taking a job in Jamaica during the last season? Other than a few appearances, her character virtually disappeared. All the drama involving Moesha's relationships with Q and Hakeem, and Dorian's (Brandy's real life brother, Ray J) brushes with the law became tiring.

Moesha was canceled with not one, but two major cliffhangers left unresolved-one involving a pregnancy and the other involving a kidnaping. A disappointing ending to a show that showed much promise in the beginning.