HUGHLEYS, THE: THE THIN BLACK LINE {SECOND SEASON FINALE} (TV)
Summary
The second season finale in this comedy series about the Hughleys, a black family that moves to the white suburbs. In this episode, Yvonne's cousin Byron prepares to screen his thesis documentary film about the Hughleys' experience in a white neighborhood, despite Darryl's protestations that it is a "twisted misrepresentation." In the documentary, Darryl strongly objects to being filmed, saying that he looks like a "sell-out," but Yvonne convinces him to help her relative. The kids declare that they like their new school, though Sydney deals with a bully, Kenyatha, who accuses her of "sounding white." Yvonne has trouble finding her usual beauty products at the local store, and when Byron interviews the Rogers, they struggle to keep their comments politically correct and Dave eventually prepares a written statement. Darryl is taken aback to hear Sydney using "Valley Girl" lingo, and when the Hughleys host a party, she ends up wearing the same outfit as one of her white friends as the Rogers hurriedly praise their "fabulous" house. Milsap assures Byron that he is still cool, though the film reveals that he is a frequent patron of a country music-themed bar.
Over a fancy dinner, Yvonne and Darryl are upset to learn that Michael has gotten into trouble at school for fighting and using foul language. At a meeting with the principal, Michael explains that he was defending Sydney from Kenyatha, who is still teasing her for "acting white" and being a "teacher's pet." The principal orders them to behave, but Kenyatha's father agrees that Darryl is a sell-out, and he decides that he wants the cameras out of their house, as the documentary is making them look bad. Milsap suggests that they "write their own ending," however, and Darryl takes the family to a soul food restaurant and declares that they are going to visit Africa, hurriedly denying the kids' questions about their usual preppy skiing vacations. When Byron asks Darryl why he did not move to an affluent black neighborhood, he states that he does not have to defend himself and is not defined by those minor aspects of his life. Unaware that they are being filmed, Sydney admits to Darryl that she intentionally did poorly on an English test because of Kenyatha's mockery, pointing out that he too occasionally teases her for "acting white." He apologizes, saying that he was working with "a really bad definition of blackness" and assuring her that she should always be herself. Yvonne tells him that she is proud of her family, and the documentary receives a round of applause, though Darryl is less than pleased when he learns that Yvonne helped to fund the project as well. In some unused footage, Michael displays his "skill" at impressions. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: April 28, 2000 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:30:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:60345
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Families; African-American Collection - Comedy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1998-2000
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - A.1. steak sauce
- TV - Commercials - Burger King restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Colgate toothpaste
- TV - Commercials - Gillette Sensor Excel razors
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Neutrogena cosmetics
- TV - Commercials - Neutrogena facial wash
- TV - Commercials - Olive Garden restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Pepsi One soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Starburst candies
- TV - Commercials - Thompson's House & Trim paint
- TV - PSA - Are You Into It? community service
- TV - PSA - Energy conservation
- TV - PSA - Recording Artists, Actors & Athletes Against Drunk Drivers
- TV - Promos - "Arabian Nights"
- TV - Promos - "Dinosaur" motion picture
- TV - Promos - "Galaxy Quest" home video
- TV - Promos - "Stuart Little" home video
- TV - Promos - "The Weekenders"
- TV - Promos - Stanley Cup playoffs
CREDITS
- Chris Rock … Executive Producer
- Robert Greenblatt … Executive Producer
- David Janollari … Executive Producer
- Michael Rotenberg … Executive Producer
- Dave Becky … Executive Producer
- Matt Wickline … Executive Producer, Created by
- Kim Friese … Co-Executive Producer
- Eunetta T. Boone … Co-Executive Producer
- Coral Hawthorne … Producer
- D.L. Hughley … Producer, Created by
- Karen Clark … Associate Producer
- Stefen Maekawa … Associate Producer
- John Bowman … Consulting Producer
- Billy Van Zandt … Consulting Producer
- Jane Milmore … Consulting Producer
- Mark Cendrowski … Director
- Myles Avery Mapp … Writer
- Jonathan Wolff … Music by
- Paul Buckley … Music by
- D.L. Hughley … Cast, Darryl Hughley
- Elise Neal … Cast, Yvonne Hughley
- Eric Allan Kramer … Cast, Dave Rogers
- John Henton … Cast, Milsap
- Ashley Monique Clark … Cast, Sydney Hughley
- Dee Jay Daniels … Cast, Michael Hughley
- Marietta DePrima … Cast, Sally Rogers
- Ricky Worthy … Cast, Byron
- Gerry Becker … Cast, Mr. Bickel
- Kyla Pratt … Cast, Kenyatha
- Brad Wright … Cast, Tall Man
- Lauren Summers … Cast, Felicity
- Scot Zeller … Cast, Clerk
- Laurence A. Mandley … Cast, Mr. Jones
- Ann Walker … Cast, Gwen
- Valerie D. Young … Cast, Joann