A kick-a$$ American sketch
comedy show 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 Fox Television. Other members of the Wayans
family—Kim, Shawn and Marlon—had regular roles, while
brother Dwayne frequently appeared as an
extra.
The show strove to produce
comedy with a strong emphasis on Black subject matter. Its groundbreaking sketch
comedy helped launch the career of male comedians and actors Jim Carrey (one of only two white members of the original cast, then credited as "James Carrey"), Jamie Foxx (a future Academy Award winner who joined the cast in the third season) and David Alan Grier (an established character actor who had worked in Keenen Ivory Wayans' 1988 motion picture I'm Gonna Git You Sucka). Its Fly Girl dance troupe helped launch careers of future actress/singer Jennifer Lopez (who joined the show in its third season), choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson, choreographer Carrie Ann Inaba (who was a Fly Girl from 1990 to 1992), and future Academy Award Nominee Rosie Perez (the show'
s choreographer 1990 to 1992).
