Marlon Wayans recalls In Living Color clash with Fox that led to departure

Last Updated on October 1, 2024

Created by Keenan Ivory Wayans, the sketch comedy series In Living Color was a smash when it first aired. It nabbed the Emmy in its category for its debut season, beating out the likes of SNL, David Letterman, and Tracy Ullman. But that would only last so long, as the key players behind the show—the Wayans Brothers—had a falling out with the network, ultimately leading to a short run.

As Marlon Wayans recounted on the Club Shay Shay podcast (via People), In Living Color found themselves being hoodwinked by Fox, who had put the show on the syndication market without making proper compensation for its creator. “I remember when we left In Living Color because Fox was syndicating the show and it was hurting Keenen’s pockets. Keenen was like, ‘Nah, you ain’t gonna do this to me. My family said, ‘F*ck this money.’ And we all left In Living Color.”

The Wayans are a huge family, with Keenan Ivory, Marlon, Shawn, Damon, and Kim all having various roles throughout In Living Color’s run. So, numbers like that working against Fox will present a domino effect. This was put into action during a Christmas episode in which the gang wore sunglasses on stage and refused to actively participate in the sketch. As Marlon summarized it, “You ain’t going to f*ck my brother. We a family. You touch one, you touch all.”

With the Wayans brothers falling out with Fox, that would eventually build to In Living Color going off the air after just five seasons. It might feel like it lasted longer, but that’s partly because of the impact it had. Too rarely were minorities being represented in that sort of capacity on television, so when you have representation every week — in such a funny arena — it leaves a significant mark. In Living Color also served as a launching point for the likes of Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier, and Jennifer Lopez, who served as one of the show’s Fly Girls.

Were you a fan of In Living Color? What were some of your favorite sketches?