The all-Black ‘Friends’ was a hit but had people missing ‘Living Single’

While we all anxiously await the HBO Max Friends reunion (could it BE any more delayed?), actress Gabrielle Union grabbed all of her friends for an all-Black Friends virtual table read. The one-off episode was for the second installment of Zoom Where It Happens, an on-going effort to encourage voter registration and turnout. As Union hosted and narrated, she was joined by Ryan Michelle Bathe as Rachel, Bathe’s real-life husband Sterling K. Brown as Ross, Uzo Aduba as Phoebe, Aisha Hinds as Monica, Jeremy Pope as Chandler, and Kendrick Sampson as Joey. Yes, they were all there for you, along with Tony- and Grammy- winner Cynthia Erivo who remixed the theme song for the occasion.

I'm in the Zoom Where It Happens! #ZWIH #Friends pic.twitter.com/s3u7zFplul

— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) September 23, 2020

With each actor in their own personal Zoom box (save for lovebirds Bathe and Sterling who shared one. Aw!), the ensemble recreated the third season fan-favourite episode, “The One Where No One’s Ready” (Going commando. Drinking the fat. “Not touching! Can’t get mad!!”). Like the first installment of Zoom Where It Happens which saw an all-Black reimagining of The Golden Girls, this was a much-needed, long-awaited addition of Black actors to "classic" shows that were historically very white. But fans and viewers alike couldn’t help but point out that an all-Black version of Friends actually already exists (and in fact, predates Friends)—it’s called Living Single.

Zoom Where It All Happens is doing a second recording... this time an all-Black rendition of "Friends"

Mixed feelings because isn't an all-Black version of "Friends" just... pic.twitter.com/RWDAg0F7ZJ— Eric. (@eb4prez) September 21, 2020

We already had Living Single. That's a good show to reignite.

— Jaki (@JaeBKing) September 23, 2020

The gag is Friends is an all white imagining of a black show, Living single

— Canyon moon (@_TOLANI_) September 23, 2020

[video_embed id='2040833']RELATED: 'Friends' all-Black table read casts Sterling K. Brown, Uzo Aduba & more [/video_embed]Living Single—the '90s sitcom starring Queen Latifah—was the original NBC show that centred on six friends living in NYC and going through the ups and downs of friendship, romance, and work struggles together. Sound familiar? The show, which lasted for five seasons, premiered in 1993 while Friends only hit our TVs in 1994 and Queen Latifah has even publicly said that Living Single was a direct inspiration for Friends.So even though fans watching Zoom Where It Happens enjoyed what they were seeing (and Sterling K. Brown made sure to give us a feast for the eyes. Dang), many refused to let the memory of Queen Latifah’s Khadijah and Tutti from The Fact of Life... er, Kim Coles, fall into the shadows of Friends.

There was a black friends show it was called living single.

— Richard Orrett (@RichardOrrett) September 23, 2020

Only, friends is a rip off of the black version. It’s called living single...

— #PandemicPapi (@iWearMyKicks) September 23, 2020

Been saying this for years. Living Single was the original Friends. However, Seinfeld was the original Martin so......

— Daryl Alston (@UnfamilrThought) September 23, 2020

Wasn’t the all black version of friends called Living Single

— Russell Ian (@RussellIan5) September 23, 2020

There's no way in hell Friends is better than Living Single..

— Jack the Gulag Admission Manager (@DrJBProblematyk) September 23, 2020

But the Zoom cast didn't ignore the fact shows like this have historically been devoid of melanin. They, along with Salli Richardson-Whitfield who directed the episode, updated some of the original lines to draw attention to the fact that, yes, the Black experience in New York is a tad different. In the original episode, Ross sarcastically says, “Oh, great. It's starting to rain. That will make it easier to get a cab.” Sterling K. Brown as Ross, however, tweaked the line to make it more accurate to the Black experience: “It’s starting to rain. That will make it easy for a Black man to get a cab.”The episode was also updated for a 21^st century audience. Originally, Chandler screams at Joey, “In the words of A.A. Milne, get out of my chair, dillhole!” But this time around, Chandler has been watching his Oscar-winning horror flicks, because the line became, “So, in the words of Jordan Peele, Get Out!”As least, for those who have never seen an episode of Friends, the all-Black reimagining was finally a reason to see what all the hype is about.

This is the first time I’ve seen an episode of “Friends” all the way through. Only for you, The Zoom Where It Happens! pic.twitter.com/EitYOjMnpM

— Rancho Backstage (@RanchoBackstage) September 23, 2020

[video_embed id='2039679']BEFORE YOU GO: Artist goes viral by singing song in different accents [/video_embed]