"My Wife and Kids" (2001) TV series 2001-2005

Creators:

Don Reo
Damon Wayans
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

28 March 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Michael Kyle longs for a traditional life, but his day-trader wife Janet, gangsta rap-worshipping son Michael Jr., and brooding daughters Claire and Kady make his dream just that ... a dream.

Plot Keywords:

Father Daughter Relationship | Teenage Girl | Brother Sister Relationship | Food | Chair

Awards:

10 wins & 36 nominations

Cast

Damon Wayans	...	Michael Kyle (123 episodes, 2001-2005)
Tisha Campbell-Martin	...	Janet 'Jay' Kyle / ... (123 episodes, 2001-2005)
George Gore II	...	Michael Kyle Jr. / ... (123 episodes, 2001-2005)
Parker McKenna Posey	...	Kady Kyle (123 episodes, 2001-2005)
Jennifer Freeman	...	Claire Kyle (111 episodes, 2001-2005)
Noah Gray-Cabey	...	Franklin Aloysius Mumford / ... (60 episodes, 2002-2005)

Series Directed by
James Widdoes		(22 episodes, 2001-2002)
Andy Cadiff		(21 episodes, 2001-2003)
Damien Dante Wayans		(19 episodes, 2002-2005)
Dean Lorey		(8 episodes, 2003-2005)
Eric Laneuville		(7 episodes, 2003-2004)
Leonard R. Garner Jr.		(6 episodes, 2001-2002)
Guy Distad		(5 episodes, 2003-2005)
Peter Filsinger		(5 episodes, 2003-2005)
Ron Moseley		(5 episodes, 2003-2005)
Kim Wayans		(4 episodes, 2004-2005)
Philip Charles MacKenzie		(2 episodes, 2001)
Will Mackenzie		(2 episodes, 2002)
George Gore II		(2 episodes, 2004-2005)
Craig Wayans		(2 episodes, 2004-2005)
James Vallely		(2 episodes, 2004)

Series Writing credits
Don Reo		(123 episodes, 2001-2005)
Damon Wayans		(123 episodes, 2001-2005)
Damon Wayans Jr.		(31 episodes, 2003-2004)
Kim Wayans		(16 episodes, 2002-2005)
Dean Lorey		(14 episodes, 2001-2005)
Rodney Barnes		(12 episodes, 2002-2004)
James Vallely		(9 episodes, 2001-2004)
Damien Dante Wayans		(9 episodes, 2002-2004)
Craig Wayans		(7 episodes, 2001-2004)
Buddy Johnson		(6 episodes, 2001-2003)
Valencia Parker		(6 episodes, 2002-2005)
Kevin Rooney		(6 episodes, 2003-2005)
Kevin Knotts		(5 episodes, 2003-2005)
Kerry Parker		(5 episodes, 2004-2005)
Alyson Fouse		(3 episodes, 2001-2003)
Janis Hirsch		(3 episodes, 2001-2002)
Elvira Wayans		(3 episodes, 2004-2005)
Adam Hamburger		(2 episodes, 2001)
David Hamburger		(2 episodes, 2001)
Aeysha Carr		(2 episodes, 2003-2005)
Kyra Keene		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Don Reo	....	executive producer (123 episodes, 2001-2005)
Damon Wayans	....	executive producer (123 episodes, 2001-2005)
Dean Lorey	....	executive producer / co-executive producer (111 episodes, 2001-2005)
Susan Crank	....	producer / associate producer (103 episodes, 2001-2005)
David Himelfarb	....	executive producer (97 episodes, 2001-2004)
Mark Nasser	....	co-producer / associate producer (97 episodes, 2001-2004)
Eric L. Gold	....	co-executive producer (96 episodes, 2001-2004)
James Vallely	....	co-executive producer (85 episodes, 2001-2004)
Craig Wayans	....	producer / co-producer / ... (83 episodes, 2002-2005)
Kevin Rooney	....	co-executive producer (70 episodes, 2002-2005)
Annice Parker	....	co-producer (65 episodes, 2002-2005)
Kim Wayans	....	producer / supervising producer (56 episodes, 2003-2005)
Buddy Johnson	....	producer / supervising producer (53 episodes, 2001-2002)
Janis Hirsch	....	co-executive producer (42 episodes, 2001-2002)
Rodney Barnes	....	producer (26 episodes, 2004-2005)
Damien Dante Wayans	....	supervising producer (26 episodes, 2004-2005)
Andy Cadiff	....	executive producer (19 episodes, 2002-2003)
Julie Tsutsui	....	producer (13 episodes, 2001-2002)
Katherine Green	....	consulting producer (13 episodes, 2004-2005)
Dionne Kirschner	....	producer (12 episodes, 2001-2002)
Eunetta T. Boone	....	co-executive producer (11 episodes, 2001-2002)
Adam Hamburger	....	producer (11 episodes, 2001-2002)
Howard J. Morris	....	co-executive producer (11 episodes, 2001-2002)
J.J. Wall	....	consulting producer (11 episodes, 2001-2002)
David Hamburger	....	producer (10 episodes, 2001-2002)
Kyra Keene	....	co-producer (9 episodes, 2002-2003)
Tony Hicks	....	co-producer (8 episodes, 2004-2005)
James Hannah	....	producer (5 episodes, 2001)

Series Original Music by
Dwayne Wayans		(33 episodes, 2003-2005)
Derryck Thornton		(26 episodes, 2001-2003)

Series Cinematography by
Donald A. Morgan		(114 episodes, 2001-2005)
James W. Roberson		(3 episodes, 2001-2002)

Series Film Editing by
James Wilcox		(60 episodes, 2002-2005)
Marco Zappia		(19 episodes, 2001-2002)
Kenny Tintorri		(3 episodes, 2001-2002)

Series Casting by
Reuben Cannon		(45 episodes, 2001-2003)
Kim Williams		(45 episodes, 2001-2003)
Kevin Scott		(23 episodes, 2003-2005)
Eileen Mack Knight		(3 episodes, 2001-2002)

Series Production Design by
Carlos Barbosa		(1 episode, 2001)

Series Art Direction by
Michael Hynes		(50 episodes, 2001-2005)

Series Set Decoration by
Amy Wells		(73 episodes, 2001-2005)
Jennifer Alisa Kornkosar		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Dahlia Foroutan		(71 episodes, 2001-2005)
Michelle Cole		(unknown episodes)
Beatriz Eliza		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Joann Kozloff	....	key makeup artist / makeup artist (101 episodes, 2001-2005)
Andrea Young	....	hair stylist (62 episodes, 2002-2005)
Tysuela Hill-Scott	....	makeup department head / makeup artist / ... (43 episodes, 2003-2005)
Phyllis Williams	....	makeup artist (26 episodes, 2002-2003)
Lyssa Wittlin Baumert	....	makeup artist / hair stylist (22 episodes, 2001-2002)
Debbie Pierce	....	hair stylist (17 episodes, 2001-2002)
Iraina Gibson	....	hair stylist (4 episodes, 2002)
Allan A. Apone	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Cynthia Hernandez	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Nadyne Peoples	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Susan Crank	....	unit production manager (61 episodes, 2002-2005)
Irwin Marcus	....	unit production manager (5 episodes, 2001-2002)
Bruce Chevillat	....	unit production manager (4 episodes, 2001-2002)
Francis Conway	....	unit production manager (3 episodes, 2002)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ron Moseley	....	second assistant director / first assistant director (69 episodes, 2001-2005)
Guy Distad	....	first assistant director / second assistant director (67 episodes, 2001-2005)
Brent Clark	....	second assistant director (4 episodes, 2003-2005)
Charles H. Siegel	....	first assistant director (3 episodes, 2001-2002)
Marcia L. Lappin	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 2003-2004)
Mattie Caruthers	....	associate director (3 episodes, 2004)
Paul Puma Nelson	....	second assistant director (2 episodes, 2001)

Series Art Department
Greg Gneier	....	set designer (123 episodes, 2001-2005)
Patrick Lees	....	leadman (113 episodes, 2001-2005)
John P. Bozajian	....	property master (69 episodes, 2001-2005)
Victor Anderson	....	construction foreman (16 episodes, 2005)
Judeth Lowey	....	assistant art director (11 episodes, 2004-2005)
John 'Skip' Weaver	....	property master / assistant property master (3 episodes, 2002)
Robert Grbavac	....	painter (3 episodes, 2005)
Chris Buchinsky	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 2004)
Kenneth Heimer	....	propmaker (unknown episodes)
Ray Massara	....	property master (unknown episodes)
Richard N. McGuire	....	propmaker (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Peter Damski	....	production sound mixer / production sound (83 episodes, 2001-2005)
Jack Donato	....	post production sound / sound post-production / ... (82 episodes, 2001-2005)
Charlie McDaniel	....	post production sound / sound post-production / ... (74 episodes, 2001-2005)
Todd Grace	....	post production sound / post-production sound / ... (10 episodes, 2001-2002)
Matt Pavolaitis	....	additional effects mixer: Technicolor Glendale (10 episodes, 2001-2002)
John Bickelhaupt	....	post production sound (2 episodes, 2002)
Jesse K-D. Dodd	....	foley mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Matt Corrigan	....	special effects technician (6 episodes, 2004)

Series Visual Effects by
Dan Carrington	....	Flame artist (1 episode, 2005)
Scott Milne	....	visual effects supervisor (1 episode, 2005)
Rick Cortes	....	visual effects storyboard: MFX (unknown episodes)
Adam Howard	....	visual effects (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Eddie L. Watkins	....	stunt coordinator (11 episodes, 2001)
Richard Burden	....	stunt rigger (unknown episodes)
Laura Dash	....	stunt double (unknown episodes)
Dane Farwell	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Kelsee King-Devoreaux	....	stunt double (unknown episodes)
Shawn Lane	....	utility stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Kerrec 'K-Man' Williams	....	best boy grip (123 episodes, 2001-2005)
Gary Stark	....	dimmer operator (114 episodes, 2001-2005)
Mary Gonzales	....	first assistant camera (85 episodes, 2001-2005)
Michael A. Johnson	....	steadicam operator (5 episodes, 2002-2005)
Alicia Brauns	....	loader (2 episodes, 2001)
Larry Gaudette	....	jib camera operator (unknown episodes, 2002-2005)
Randy Baer	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Kia Dawson	....	additional camera loader (unknown episodes)
Michael R. Marquette	....	first assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Georgia Packard	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Mark Pickens	....	daily dolly grip (unknown episodes)
Melissa Toy	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Stanton Cruse	....	animator (1 episode, 2005)
Greg Franklin	....	animation director: animated segment (1 episode, 2005)

Series Casting Department
Eileen Mack Knight	....	original casting (68 episodes, 2001-2005)
Bonita Deneen	....	casting assistant (14 episodes, 2003-2004)
Heather Carey	....	casting: Bahamas (2 episodes, 2005)
Amy Carty	....	casting secretary (unknown episodes)
Mariann H.W. Lee	....	extras casting (unknown episodes)
Cara Shin	....	casting assistant (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Steve Hicke	....	costume supervisor (57 episodes, 2001-2005)
Pamela Broussard	....	set costumer (2 episodes, 2001)
Dolores Ybarra	....	costumer (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Robert S. Douglas	....	on-line editor (67 episodes, 2001-2003)
Wesley Walker	....	assistant editor (27 episodes, 2002-2003)
Tony Milus	....	post production coordinator / post-production coordinator (23 episodes, 2001-2005)
Roc Perry	....	post production assistant / post-production assistant (6 episodes, 2002-2005)
Babette Dickerson	....	first assistant editor (unknown episodes, 2004-2005)
Lenny Duge	....	post-production duplication (unknown episodes)
Abraham Park	....	post-production: Touchstone Television (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Derryck Thornton	....	composer: additional music (43 episodes, 2001-2003)
Robert Nedd	....	music production coordinator (19 episodes, 2003-2005)

Series Other crew
Mattie Caruthers	....	script supervisor / associate director (121 episodes, 2001-2005)
Julie Miller	....	executive assistant: Mr. Reo (64 episodes, 2002-2005)
Peter Filsinger	....	technical coordinator (51 episodes, 2001-2005)
La Trenda Carey	....	executive assistant: Mr. Wayans / production associate (49 episodes, 2001-2003)
Titus Carson	....	production coordinator / production assistant (43 episodes, 2002-2005)
Richard Lyons	....	theatrical consultant (43 episodes, 2002-2004)
Jemiscoe Chambers	....	assistant: George O. Gore (42 episodes, 2002-2004)
Kim Wayans	....	executive story editor / story editor (40 episodes, 2002-2003)
Kevin Carraway	....	production coordinator (27 episodes, 2002-2003)
Elvira Wayans	....	assistant to writers (27 episodes, 2004-2005)
Damon Wayans Jr.	....	story editor (27 episodes, 2004-2005)
Pat Fischer-Doak	....	technical coordinator (23 episodes, 2001-2002)
Derek Kilgore	....	production coordinator (23 episodes, 2001-2002)
Damien Dante Wayans	....	executive story editor (19 episodes, 2003-2004)
Craig Wayans	....	executive story editor (18 episodes, 2001-2002)
Rodney Barnes	....	executive story editor (17 episodes, 2003-2004)
Jackie Chapkis	....	executive assistant: Mr. Wayans (16 episodes, 2003-2004)
Alyson Fouse	....	story editor (14 episodes, 2002)
Lena Bouton	....	executive assistant: Mr. Wayans (14 episodes, 2004-2005)
Joseph Vassallo	....	writing consultant (9 episodes, 2005)
Sheryl Louie	....	production assistant / executive assistant to producer (7 episodes, 2002-2005)
Valencia Parker	....	story editor (6 episodes, 2004-2005)
James Vallely	....	consultant (6 episodes, 2004-2005)
William Jay Bennett	....	assistant to producer / assistant to producers / ... (5 episodes, 2002-2005)
Aeysha Carr	....	assistant to writers / assistant to writer (3 episodes, 2002-2005)
Howard Akers	....	assistant: Mr. Wayans / production assistant (3 episodes, 2002-2003)
Renee Confair	....	location manager (3 episodes, 2002)
Bruce Fine	....	story editor (3 episodes, 2002)
Lisa Hendizadeh	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 2004-2005)
Ty Johnson	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 2004-2005)
Ron Elecciri	....	assistant: Mr. Himelfarb / executive assistant: Mr. Himelfarb (2 episodes, 2002-2003)
Jessica Green	....	executive assistant: Mr. Gold (2 episodes, 2002-2003)
Robert Nedd	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 2002-2003)
Dwayne Wayans	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 2002-2003)
Scott Mick	....	executive assistant: Mr. Wayans (2 episodes, 2003-2004)
Chaunte Wayans	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 2003-2004)
Tee Arthur	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 2004)
Sir Duplechan	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 2004)
Erin Copen	....	executive assistant: Mr. Wayans (2 episodes, 2005)
Sharon Liggins	....	publicist (unknown episodes, 2003)
Damon Wayans	....	story editor (unknown episodes, 2004)
Alex Weinberger	....	production executive (unknown episodes, 2004)
Leah Estes	....	production accountant (unknown episodes)
Laura Gary	....	studio teacher (unknown episodes)
Candy Tjarks	....	stand-in: Hawaii (unknown episodes)
Marie Whitaker	....	executive assistant: Damon Wayans (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Touchstone Television
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
• Impact Zone Productions
• Wayans Bros. Entertainment

Distributors

• Buena Vista Television (2001) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2001-2005) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• ABC Family (2008-) (USA) (TV) (repeats)
• Canadian Television (CTV) (2001-2005) (Canada) (TV)
• Trouble (2002-) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2004-) (UK) (TV) (repeats)
• Comedy Central (2009) (Hungary) (TV)
• Disney-ABC Domestic Television (2007) (USA) (TV)
• VT4 (2004) (Belgium) (TV)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Complete Post  post-production facilities
• Filmtools  expendables
• MFX  visual effects
• Six Point Harness  animation production services
• Warner Bros. Studio Facilities  post-production sound services

Also Known As:

My Wife & Kids (USA) (alternative spelling)
Wife and Kids (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Television

Trivia:

The Season 5 finale, "The 'V' Story", ended with an intense cliffhanger, but was not intended to be the final episode. However, the show's cancellation was announced the day before the episode's premiere, and this came to be the series finale.

Quotes:

Michael Kyle: Junior, we provide a roof over your head, food on your plate, and clothes on your back, and yet you wanna sit around complaining. If that's not good enough for you hey so long sucker, see ya, bon voyage, arrivederci, later loser, goodbye, good riddance, peace out, let the doorknob hit ya where the good Lord split ya, don't come back around here no more, hasta la vista, kick rocks, and get the hell out.
Michael Kyle Jr.: Well since you put it that way, I will. It's time for me to leave the nest, spread my wings, and fly.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: Back to School Week 5 (#22.25)" (2005)

Began as an admirable effort by Wayans and ultimately succumbed to lazy, absurd and out of place sitcom impulses

Network: ABC; Genre: Family Sitcom; Content Rating: TV-PG (for scatological humor and implied sexual content); Available: Syndication; Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);

Seasons Reviewed: Complete Series (5 seasons)

I was a big supporter of "My Wife and Kids" in its first season. An ABC mid-season replacement, "Kids" felt like a refreshing and real family sitcom without the obnoxious strains to be "edgy" or a slavish following of the man-child husband, nagging wife, cute kids formula that runs most CBS comedies. It was an unlikely star-vehicle turn for "In Living Color" alumni Damon Wayans.

Wayans constructs the show as a living homage to "The Cosby Show": a happy affluent African-American family with a father who spends most of his time at home, a strict but game wife, a dim-bulb son and adorable little daughter. Tisha Cambell-Martin (Janet) plays Michael (Wayans) Kyle's wife as a partner in his adventures instead of a constant adversary. The new Theo is George O. Gordon as Junior, the butt of constant jokes about the size of his head from dad, the new Rudy is the a quintessentially scene-stealing Parker McKenna Posey. "The Cosby Show" is highly regarded for a positive portrayal of its characters in the 80s when TV was seen as going down the moral tubes. "Kids" benefits from a similar swing of the pendulum and got some deserved praise for its ability to resist being smarmy in a sea of garbage.

But as the show wore on, Wayans' scatological impulses begin to overtake him. It starts with season 2's "Table for Too Many", a one-hour juggernaut where Wayans faces off with Larry Miller at a Benihana-type restaurant and the "pee pee" jokes begin to fly. A few seasons later, "Wife" makes a spectacular and unexpected leap off the ramp and over the shark when Junior actually impregnates a girl and we're supposed to believe that a character played to us as nearly mentally retarded is becoming husband and father material.

From season 2 forward the show gets lazier and lazier. The show is charming and pleasant enough – and would have been a perfect fit for all the conservative crusaders who want all TV to be about nice, happy people who nothing happens too but the show begins to stock itself more routinely with sex jokes that are less clever and less implicit. As when applied to any family sitcom, it's a little creepy.

I like that the show doesn't try to gross us out; it doesn't try to be edgy or contemporary (though there is a memorably clever "A Beautiful Mind" homage re-casting Junior in the John Nash role). Not to mention, the show has the benefit of truly wretched ABC family comedies like "Full House" and "Family Matters" still in our memories to make it look better. Wayans does everything he can with what he has and within the limits of the genre (as well as his own self-imposed constraints) and gets a few good laughs along the way, but he alone can't keep the show afloat. The "Cosby Show" comparisons are a distant memory now as "My Wife and Kids" fell into the network family sitcom rut.

* * / 4