Barbershop | |
---|---|
Based on |
Barbershop (2002 film) Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004 film) |
Developed by | John Ridley |
Starring |
Omar Gooding Gbenga Akinnagbe Anna Brown Wes Chatham Leslie Elliard Barry Shabaka Henley Toni Trucks Dan White |
Narrated by | Omar Gooding |
Composer(s) | Steve Hampton John Adair |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 |
Production | |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company(s) | State Street Pictures International Famous Players Radio Pictures Corporation Cube Vision MGM Television |
Distributor | MGM Worldwide Television Distribution |
Release | |
Original network | Showtime |
Original release | August 14 – October 16, 2005 |
Chronology | |
Followed by | Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016 film) |
Barbershop: The Series is an American sitcom which made its debut on the Showtime cable network in August 2005. It is based upon the Mark Brown-created characters from the popular films Barbershop (2002) and Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), and was developed for television by screenwriter John Ridley. It starred Omar Gooding as Calvin Palmer, Jr., the proprietor of an African-American barbershop on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois.
The series was produced by Barbershop and Barbershop 2 producers George Tillman, Jr. and Robert Teitel, along with original Barbershop star Ice Cube. It lasted for only one season, and ten episodes were aired (seven of which were written by Ridley).
While the original films were no stranger to controversy, the series uses humor to more deeply explore a variety of issues related to the contemporary African-American community, including drug abuse, entrepreneurship, local politics, and the use of the N-word.
Continuing from the events of Barbershop 2, the series makes several minor changes. Isaac's surname is changed from Rosenberg to Brice (and the dark-haired man becomes a blond). The Nigerian-born Dinka is renamed "Yinka", as Yinka is an actual Nigerian name, while Dinka is not. Additionally, Dinka was naive and slightly overweight, while Yinka is well-educated and muscular. Ricky, the reformed criminal, is replaced by a more hardened ex-con, Jen's distant relative Romadal Dupree. Finally, Isaac and Jimmy (instead of Yinka) each harbor a crush on Terri.