Wanda at Large
Wanda at Large is an American sitcom starring Wanda Sykes; Sykes also created the series alongside Bruce Helford, Les Firestein, and Lance Crouther. The series aired for two seasons on Fox from March 26 to November 7, 2003.
| Wanda at Large | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Bruce Helford Les Firestein Wanda Sykes Lance Crouther |
| Starring | Wanda Sykes Phil Morris Dale Godboldo Tammy Lauren Jurnee Smollett Robert Bailey Jr. |
| Composer | Mathematics |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 19 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Les Firestein Brian Hargrove Bruce Helford Jack Kenny Deborah Oppenheimer |
| Producers | Michael Attanasio Jennifer Fisher Ernest Johnson Lisa Koontz Wanda Sykes |
| Cinematography | Gregg Heschong Julius Metoyer |
| Editor | Larry Harris |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production companies | Mohawk Productions Warner Bros. Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | March 26 – November 7, 2003 |
Synopsis
Sykes starred as Wanda Hawkins, a former government worker who decides to become a stand-up comedian. Through her friend Keith (Dale Godboldo), Wanda is tapped by WHDC-TV head Roger to become a new editorial correspondent for the low-rated political talk show The Beltway Gang .[1] She is immediately seen as unprofessional and inexperienced by the show's moderators, Bradley (Phil Morris) and Rita (Ann Magnuson), whose conservative politics clash with Wanda's liberal views. At home, she must deal with her sister-in-law Jenny (Tammy Lauren), a widow raising Wanda's niece Holly (Jurnee Smollett) and nephew Barris (Robert Bailey Jr.), whom Wanda finds irritating. As the show progresses, Wanda begins to bond with her family and win over her colleagues, with some hinted attraction to Bradley.
Cast
- Wanda Sykes as Wanda Hawkins
- Dale Godboldo as Keith Townsend
- Phil Morris as Bradley Grimes
- Tammy Lauren as Jenny Hawkins
- Jurnee Smollett as Holly Hawkins
- Robert Bailey Jr. as Barris Hawkins
Recurring
- Jason Kravitz as Roger
- Ann Magnuson as Rita Bahlberg
Episodes
Season 1 (2003)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Gerry Cohen | Bruce Helford & Les Firestein & Wanda Sykes & Lance Crouther | March 26, 2003 | |
| In the series' pilot, Wanda accompanies Keith to a party where she impresses his boss, who offers her an audition for an on-air job. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "King Rat" | John Blanchard | Sue Murphy | April 2, 2003 | |
| Wanda weighs whether or not to run a piece that would embarrass the health official (Mario Joyner) she's dating. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Wanda and Bradley" | John Blanchard | Lance Crouther | April 9, 2003 | |
| After contentious behavior between Wanda and Bradley, Roger plays up to both as he tricks them into participating in a promo for the show. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Wanda's Party" | Bob Koherr | Dino Shorte & Jack Lugar | April 16, 2003 | |
| Wanda thinks she's been robbed after Keith takes her keys to detain her while Jenny sets up a surprise birthday party. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Death of a Councilman" | Leonard R. Garner Jr. | Wanda Sykes | April 23, 2003 | |
| Wanda exposes a crooked councilman, who dies before the piece airs, so it's edited into a tribute without her consent. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Alma Mater" | Leonard R. Garner Jr. | Barton Dean | April 30, 2003 | |
| After differing with Wanda over accepting honorary degrees from their alma mater, Keith goes to work for Bradley. | ||||||
Season 2 (2003)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "The Favor" | Lee Shallat Chemel | Lance Crouther | September 19, 2003 | |
| When Wanda looks to score an interview with a troubled athlete (Adam Lazarre-White), it forces her to reconnect with her ex-husband (Dave Chappelle). | ||||||
| 8 | 2 | "Where's Roger?" | Bob Koherr | Jack Kenny & Brian Hargrove | September 26, 2003 | |
| After the temporary station manager censors her piece, Wanda tries to charm the man over drinks, but has to badger him to participate. | ||||||
| 9 | 3 | "Bradley Has a Friend?" | Lee Shallat Chemel | Jack Kenny & Brian Hargrove | October 3, 2003 | |
| Wanda uses Bradley's visiting friend to goad him into visiting a strip club, where she embarrasses him further by buying him a lap dance. | ||||||
| 10 | 4 | "Leave Your Daughter at Home Day" | Bob Koherr | Jennifer Fisher | October 17, 2003 | |
| Tired of paling in comparison with the permissive Wanda, Jenny sends Holly over to live with her “cool aunt.” | ||||||
| 11 | 5 | "They Shoot Reporters, Don't They?" | Katy Garretson | Dino Shorte | October 31, 2003 | |
| Wanda and Keith are drafted to do live coverage when her filming of a piece on automated-teller machines is interrupted by a bank robbery. | ||||||
| 12 | 6 | "Hurricane Hawkins" | Shelley Jensen | Alyson Fouse | October 31, 2003 | |
| Wanda's in-your-face style is reduced to “in your place, child” when her overbearing mother (Jo Marie Payton) visits. | ||||||
| 13 | 7 | "Clowns to the Left of Me" | Bob Koherr | Wanda Sykes | November 7, 2003 | |
| After Wanda offends animal-rights activists, Max puts their leader (Jenny McCarthy) on the show where they form a bond — in silencing Bradley. | ||||||
| 14 | 8 | "Back to the Club" | Leonard R. Garner Jr. | Sue Murphy | November 7, 2003 | |
| Wanda garners the ire of the show staff when her irreverence toward the station owner moves tapings to late Saturday nights. | ||||||
| 15 | 9 | "Only Built for Cuban Wandas" | Bob Koherr | Lance Crouther | Unaired | |
| Bradley disses a rap mogul who steps in to appear on the show when the scheduled rapper (RZA) fails to appear. | ||||||
| 16 | 10 | "Did Wanda Say a 4-Letter Word?" | Bob Koherr | Lance Crouther | Unaired | |
| Wanda goes to Keith's therapist (Cheryl Hines) as a skeptic, but leaves a changed woman, who admits having feelings for Bradley. | ||||||
| 17 | 11 | "The Plane Trip" | Bob Koherr | Jennifer Fisher | Unaired | |
| Wanda's new boyfriend shows some negative qualities when their plane to a skiing weekend is delayed at the airport. | ||||||
| 18 | 12 | "The Un-Natural" | Linda Mendoza | Patrick Meighan | Unaired | |
| 19 | 13 | "Twas the Knife Before Christmas" | Bob Koherr | Alyson Fouse | Unaired | |
| Wanda and Keith's Christmas is stymied when Jenny comes down with appendicitis, forcing Wanda to look after Holly and Barris. | ||||||
Note: The unaired second-season episodes were aired for the first time on TV One on July 4, 2006, during the 4th of July launch marathon of the series.
Production and cancellation
Fox premiered it on March 26, 2003. Fox renewed the show for a second season. The show returned with new episodes in September 2003, but in the so-called Friday night death slot at 8:00 pm. It was canceled on November 7, along with the new Fox comedy series Luis.
During an interview with the Urbanite magazine at Georgia State University, Sykes explained that the show was only supposed to be on Friday night for an interim basis. According to Sykes, "We were told if the new night didn't work out, we would be moved to another timeslot. But, that's part of the game television execs play." She also admitted in a January 2004 interview that she wished that the series would have launched on UPN instead of Fox.[2]
Broadcast and syndication
Reruns began airing regularly on July 5, 2006 on American cable channel TV One. A marathon aired on July 4 as part of the channel's "Power to the People" July 4 weekend celebration.
In 2022, the series is made available for streaming online on Fox Corporation's Tubi.[3]
Reception
Ratings
Wanda at Large premiered on Fox on March 26, 2003, following American Idol. It gradually decreased in the ratings, premiering with 14.3 million viewers, and diminishing to 10 million by the season finale. It still averaged 12.2 million for the six-episode season, however, making it the fourth highest-rated show on Fox that year out of 26, and leading Fox to renew the show. In September, the show returned with new episodes in the Friday night death slot at 8:30 pm.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | BET Comedy Awards | Outstanding Comedy Series | Wanda at Large | Nominated |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Wanda Sykes | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Wanda Skyes | Nominated | |
| 2003 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Breakout Show | Wanda at Large | Nominated |
| Choice TV Breakout Star - Female | Wanda Sykes | Nominated | ||
| Choice TV Actress - Comedy | Wanda Sykes | Nominated |
References
- The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 1280. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
- Huff, Dominique (2006-04-13). "Wanda does Urbanite". gsusignal.com. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
- "Watch Wanda at Large". Tubi. Retrieved May 12, 2022.