The Sinbad Show
Encyclopedia
The Sinbad Show is an American sitcom
starring comedian Sinbad
that premiered on September 16, 1993 on Fox
. The show's main plot is about a bachelor taking in two orphaned children. Chuck Brown
performed this sitcom's theme music. It was canceled after one season on April 21, 1994, with two episodes left unaired.
) and L.J. Beckley (Ray J
), who face several issues which they work through together.
The show follows David as he helps L.J. and Zana deal with their new lives, L.J. dealing with school, friendships, girls and being a teenager, and Zana learning how to function in everyday life. Meanwhile, Clarence shares his antics and David's parents helping him deal with raising kids.
, Thursday nights on Fox. The series was one of several shows featuring predominately black casts that were canceled by Fox around the same time (others included Roc
, South Central
and In Living Color
). Activist
Jesse Jackson
protested the cancellations and called for a boycott of the network for their "institutional racism
". Fox maintained that the series were low rated and the decision to cancel was not racially motivated.
Monday to Thursday at 9:30 p.m. and weekend mornings at 11:30. It also aired on Disney Channel
for a short time during the mid-1990s.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
starring comedian Sinbad
Sinbad (entertainer)
David Adkins better known by his professional name of Sinbad, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became well known in the 1990s from being featured on his own HBO specials, appearing on several television series, and starring in the films Necessary Roughness, Houseguest, First Kid,...
that premiered on September 16, 1993 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. The show's main plot is about a bachelor taking in two orphaned children. Chuck Brown
Chuck Brown
Chuck Brown is a guitarist and singer who is affectionately called "The Godfather of Go-go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed in and around Washington, D.C. in the mid- and late 1970s...
performed this sitcom's theme music. It was canceled after one season on April 21, 1994, with two episodes left unaired.
Overview
The series follows the life of David Bryan (Sinbad), a carefree bachelor, who becomes a single parent when he adopts two orphaned children, Zana (Erin DavisErin Davis (actress)
Erin Denise Davis is an American actress. She is most notable for portraying Zana Beckley in Fox's short-lived sitcom The Sinbad Show in 1993 – 1994....
) and L.J. Beckley (Ray J
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:...
), who face several issues which they work through together.
The show follows David as he helps L.J. and Zana deal with their new lives, L.J. dealing with school, friendships, girls and being a teenager, and Zana learning how to function in everyday life. Meanwhile, Clarence shares his antics and David's parents helping him deal with raising kids.
Characters
| Character | Played by | Description |
|---|---|---|
| David Bryan | Sinbad Sinbad (entertainer) David Adkins better known by his professional name of Sinbad, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became well known in the 1990s from being featured on his own HBO specials, appearing on several television series, and starring in the films Necessary Roughness, Houseguest, First Kid,... |
Dave is the father of the family. His friends often refer to him as "Red" and he is known for acting out flamboyant scenes for Zana and hitting on attractive women. He designs video games. |
| L.J. Beckley | Ray J Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:... (credited as Willie Ray Norwood, Jr.) |
L.J. is the older brother of Zana. He is 12 years old, but turns 13 in the duration of the show. He is one of the more sarcastic characters on the show. He often states he can look after himself, but wants Zana to be safe. He tries to control what Dave does for Zana. He doesn't do that well in school, and he gets tutored by Ms. Page. He is often very surly and disrespectful towards David and other authoritative figures. |
| Zana Beckley | Erin Davis Erin Davis (actress) Erin Denise Davis is an American actress. She is most notable for portraying Zana Beckley in Fox's short-lived sitcom The Sinbad Show in 1993 – 1994.... |
Zana is 6 years old, and has greatly depended on L.J. in the past. She loves David very much but is still insecure about moving away from him, due to her experiences with various foster homes. |
| Clarence Hall | T.K. Carter | Clarence works at the Big and Tall store, and has been friends with David since grade school. He is often teased about his difficulties with women, although he remains boastful about his exploits. He is known for his cluelessness. |
Regular guests
- Hal WilliamsHal WilliamsHarold "Hal" Williams is an American actor, best known for his recurring role as the black cop Officer Smith on Sanford and Son, and as the patriarch Lester Jenkins, the husband of Marla Gibbs's character, on 227....
- Rudy Bryan (12 episodes) - Nancy Wilson - Louise Bryan (12 episodes)
- Patrice Chanel — Claudette (2 episodes)
- Trina McGeeTrina McGee-DavisTrina McGee-Davis is an American actress best known for playing Angela Moore on Boy Meets World.Her mother was a classical pianist, and her father was a photographer and political activist. Because of his denouncement of Papa Doc in the 1960s and subsequent fleeing from the Haitian authorities, he...
— Faith (2 episodes) - Michael RalphMichael RalphMichael Ralph is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring roles as Spencer Boyer on the sitcom A Different World, Tyrell Livingston on Cleghorne! and as Kelly on The Bernie Mac Show....
— Leon (2 episodes) - Peter Brost — Young Leon (1 episode)
Cancellation
The Sinbad Show was cancelled after its first season, and aired its last episode on April 21, 1994. It aired at 8:30 p.m., following The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Thursday nights on Fox. The series was one of several shows featuring predominately black casts that were canceled by Fox around the same time (others included Roc
Roc (TV series)
Roc is an American comedy-drama television series which ran on Fox from August 1991 to May 1994. The series stars Charles S. Dutton as Baltimore garbage collector Roc Emerson and Ella Joyce as his wife Eleanor.-Early episodes:...
, South Central
South Central (TV series)
South Central is an American comedy-drama series that aired on the Fox network from April 5, 1994 to June 7, 1994. It was cancelled following its first season, and the airing of only 10 episodes.-Synopsis:...
and In Living Color
In Living Color
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
). Activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
protested the cancellations and called for a boycott of the network for their "institutional racism
Institutional racism
Institutional racism describes any kind of system of inequality based on race. It can occur in institutions such as public government bodies, private business corporations , and universities . The term was coined by Black Power activist Stokely Carmichael in the late 1960s...
". Fox maintained that the series were low rated and the decision to cancel was not racially motivated.
Episode list
| Series # | Title | Notes | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot | David Bryan, a footloose and carefree bachelor, meets two orphaned children and learns the authorities will have to split them up unless someone adopts them both. | September 16, 1993 |
| 2 | "The Toothfairy Has Landed" | L.J. objects to David telling Zana about the Tooth Fairy when she loses her milk teeth. | September 23, 1993 |
| 3 | "The Par-Tay" | David takes a domestic engineering course and believes that the instructor has fallen for him. | September 30, 1993 |
| 4 | "Petty Larceny" | David believes that L.J. may be stealing from him until he catches Zana stealing in the mall and realises that L.J. is lying to protect his sister. | October 7, 1993 |
| 5 | "My Daughter's Keeper" | Zana joins a club and learns that only light-skinned blacks are accepted. | October 14, 1993 |
| 6 | "Strictly Business" | Since L.J. has not been doing his homework assignments, he is not allowed to go to Disneyland with David's parents. | October 21, 1993 |
| 7 | "David's Van" | David has trouble parting with his beloved car in order to buy another. | November 4, 1993 |
| 8 | "I Coulda Been the Man" | David has a hard time enjoying his annual ski vacation when the kids keep calling him at the lodge. | November 11, 1993 |
| 9 | "Shades of Acceptance" | David falls for a past love. | November 18, 1993 |
| 10 | "It's My Party, I'll Cry If I Want To" | When David is unable to get a TV character to come to Zana's party because of the cost, he creates one. | December 9, 1993 |
| 11 | "Breaking the Pattern" | L.J. invites his girlfriend over when no one is home. | December 16, 1993 |
| 12 | "Keep the Faith" | L.J. doesn't believe in God. | January 6, 1994 |
| 13 | "The Dog Episode" | Zana wants to keep a dog after he follows her home. | January 13, 1994 |
| 14 | "David Goes Skiing" | David has a hard time enjoying his annual ski vacation when the kids keep calling him at the lodge. | January 27, 1994 |
| 15 | "The Mr. Science Show" | No synopsis available. | February 3, 1994 |
| 16 | "Black History Month" | L.J. can't decide who to write his Black History Month essay on, and Zana volunteers to play Rosa Parks. | February 10, 1994 |
| 17 | "The Telethon" | David convinces his father to coach a basketball team after he retires. | March 3, 1994 |
| 18 | "Neighborhood Watch" | David starts a neighborhood watch. | March 10, 1994 |
| 19 | "Love Lessons" | L.J. gets a bad grade in a black history class, and is tutored by his favorite teacher | March 17, 1994 |
| 20 | "Can We Talk?" | David and Clarence go on a talk show. | March 22, 1994 |
| 21 | "The Family Reunion" | L.J. and Zana meet David's family. | March 31, 1994 |
| 22 | "Adoption (Part 1)" | No synopsis available. | April 7, 1994 |
| 23 | "Adoption (Part 2)" | L.J. and Zana's uncle want them to live with him. | April 14, 1994 |
| 24 | "Girls Unda-Hoodz" | Zana gets her hair done and Clarence teaches L.J. how cool men drive. | April 21, 1994 |
| 25 | "In the Beginning" | No synopsis available. | Unaired |
| 26 | "Pinch Sitter" | David learns how difficult it is to find a good babysitter. | Unaired |
Syndication
The show aired in syndication on The Family ChannelTelevision networks preceding ABC Family
The cable television network ABC Family has gone through several different owners during its history. Stipulations in sales terms for the network require that the network maintain the word "Family" in its name.-CBN Cable :...
Monday to Thursday at 9:30 p.m. and weekend mornings at 11:30. It also aired on Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
for a short time during the mid-1990s.
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best Actor Under Ten in a Television Series or Show | Erin Davis |
| 1995 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, also known as the KCAs or Kids Choice Awards, is an annual awards show that airs on the Nickelodeon cable channel, which airs live and is usually held and telecast live on a... |
Favorite Television Actor | Sinbad |