Actress Kim Coles Says ‘Living Single’ Reboot May Not Happen, Reveals All Cast Members Have Signed On But One Person

We’re living in an age where reunions, reboots, and revivals are becoming wildly popular, and shows of yesteryear are coming back on streaming platforms offering fans all the nostalgia they haven’t had much access to.  Shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Girlfriends, Family Matters, and Moesha have all seen their cast reunite to share memories during production, discuss how the show has affected their lives and the lives of those who watched, as well as the possibility of rebooting.  

One popular show that has been in those conversations but hasn’t risen to the opportunity like their counterparts is Living Single, led by writer and creator Yvette Lee Bowser, who because of the show became the first African-American woman to develop her own prime-time series.  The show stars Queen Latifah as magazine editor Khadijah James, Kim Fields as Khadija’s childhood friend Regina “Regine” Hunter, Erika Alexander as attorney Maxine “Max” Felice Shaw, and Kim Coles as aspiring actress Synclaire James-Jones, all “no-nonsense” women who live in New York and tackle various topics including male toxicity.  

Although the show was widely popular amongst African American viewers, actress Kim Coles says the show actually transcended the racial boundaries, crossing over into other markets as well.  Coles shared with EW a time where she encountered a Jewish man on the line at a bank and this moment helped her realization. 

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A post shared by 💜Kim Coles💜 (@kimcoles) on Oct 29, 2020 at 12:01pm PDT

“It was understood we had a Black audience and marketed to Black people,” Bounce TV’s In the Cut star tells EW. “Well, this cute little Jewish man came to me and started squeezing my arm. He was like ‘Hey beautiful, how are ya? I’m from New York and you girls remind me of my time in Brooklyn.’ I know who that man was. I lived in Brooklyn, in a neighborhood that was predominantly Jewish. He knew who I was; I knew who he was. I remember telling my friends, this Black show resonated with this man.  So that really opened up my eyes. I would say to anyone, if you want to laugh, you’ll laugh.”

In the same interview, she expresses her joy in seeing the revivals of classic Black sitcoms, calling it a much-needed movement for the next generation of TV viewers and creators. “It’s going to be refreshing to see what gets created as a result of this,” Coles says. “We have a generation of people who have listened to us, saying we need more shows that represent all of us. Now, people have the ability to see what’s come before to spark something anew.”

For years there have been talks of a reboot, and last year Queen Latifah appeared on Watch What Happens Live and hinted at the possibility.  Funny you should ask. We’re actually working on it,” she told host Andy Cohen when asked about a potential comeback. “It’s not there yet, but hopefully we can get it happening.”  

Coles was also asked about a possible reboot by ET while on the red carpet for the inaugural Wendy Williams Hunter Give Back Gala in 2018.  “[Queen Latifah’s] been talking, listen what [I’d] love to say is that I have been neither contacted nor contracted. However, something is happening next month that I cannot talk about and that’s all I’m gonna say.”  Although being pressed for more information, the actress remained coy. “That’s all I can say. The six of us together; a reboot-ish. That’s all I can say.” Sounds like fans of the beloved ‘90s sitcom are in for something special in the days ahead, even if it’s not the classic show’s return.

According to Coles, however, until one unnamed cast member that’s not 100 percent on board signs on, it won’t be happening.  For fans who are wishing and praying for a reboot of the classic show, Coles offered an explanation as to why it hasn’t happened yet in a recent interview with ABC Audio. “There’s a certain number of things that have to be in place in order for this person to say ‘yes,'” Coles says, “and I have to respect that… especially since I’m hoping that they change their mind.  And believe me, I’d be trying to change their mind a lot. And it’s not like an anti- ‘I don’t want to do the show.’ It’s just…[they] need certain things to be in place in a very secure way in order for [them] to say ‘yes.'”

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A post shared by 💜Kim Coles💜 (@kimcoles) on Sep 1, 2020 at 5:43pm PDT

Before any assumptions can be made on who this cast member could potentially be, and fans certainly have their opinion as to who it could be, Coles says “it’s not who you think it is,” while adding that everyone has their “own desire for what the requirement would have to be” in order for them to return.  Yet, she still remains hopeful, saying that all that’s needed from everyone is a “powerful yes”.

“We know the fans are ‘yes,'” Coles stated. “I will happily come back to do Synclaire for a little bit…So before everything falls all the way apart, I’m all for it. It’s just a matter of all the yeses aligning to make it happen.” 

Until the cast can hopefully get it together and until the “powerful yes” happens, all five seasons of  Living Single can be binged on Hulu right now.