ONE ON ONE (TV SERIES)

'One on One' is an American sitcom originally based in Baltimore, and later in Los Angeles. The series stars Flex Alexander as a single sportscaster, who becomes a full-time dad when his ex-wife decides to accept a job out of the country and his teenage daughter moves in with him. The series ran on the now-defunct UPN from September 3, 2001, to May 15, 2006 and ended after 113 episodes. The series featured numerous celebrities and athletes including Chris Brown, Eve, Lloyd, Floetry, Angie Stone, Mario, Omarion, Brandy, India.Arie, Marques Houston, Smokey Robinson, Avant, and Lisa Leslie, among others.

Contents

Cast and characters

About the show

Later developments

Theme song

Reruns/syndication

United States

United Kingdom

Middle East

Guest Stars

Trivia

Cast and characters

About the show

The show follows the lives of Flex Washington (Flex Alexander) and his teenage daughter Breanna Barnes (Kyla Pratt). The series begins with Breanna wanting to stay with her father, Flex, whom Breanna used to see only two weeks a year. When he blew out his knee during an NBA game, Flex had his communications degree to fall back on and became a sportscaster. Flex works for the fictional WYNX TV station in Baltimore, resides in the ultimate bachelor pad, and lives the life of luxury. He is a ladies' man who wants to be both a responsible parent and a best friend to Breanna. Flex is very protective of his daughter, especially with boys. He has a way with women and has only had a couple of serious relationships, one of which was Breanna's mother Nicole Barnes (Tichina Arnold), whom he got pregnant at the age of 18. When Nicole takes a job in Nova Scotia, Nicole allows Breanna to live with Flex.
Flex's best friend and Breanna's godfather, Duane Odell Knox (Kelly Perine), is a used car salesman who lives across the hall from Flex and Breanna and is a constant presence in their lives for better or worse. Duane's way with women is the exact opposite of Flex, in which Duane usually repels women. The women he does date, however, are somewhat unusual. His only serious girlfriend during the series was Candy (Shondrella Avery), with whom he dated for two years before getting engaged and later breaking up.
On Breanna's side is her best friend Spirit Jones (Sicily Sewell) with whom she creates some mischief. Her other best friend, Arnaz Ballard (Robert Ri'chard), is the object of her on-again, off-again affection. The two were just best friends, but Breanna became jealous of Arnaz's new girlfriend, Ginger (Khanya Mhkize). Arnaz became jealous when, in season two, Breanna started dating Josh (Josh Henderson). The two finally became a real couple in the latter part of the series. They break up by the fifth season and move on to date other people.

Later developments

''One on One'' was created by Eunetta T. Boone, who later devised ''Cuts'' as a spinoff from ''One on One'' with some character crossovers. In a ''One on One'' episode, special guest star Marques Houston returns as Flex's brother, Kevin Barnes, when a hair-care mogul buys their family barbershop, "Phatheadz", and forces his spoiled daughter, Tiffany (Shannon Elizabeth), to co-manage the salon with Kevin. Although the episode served as a backdoor pilot in hopes of winning a time-slot on the 2004-2005 fall season, the series (renamed as ''Cuts'') later debuted as a mid-season replacement in 2005. Characters from both shows made occasional guest appearances on the other show.
The fourth season marked the final season for Kelly Perine and Sicily Sewell. (The actors were fired due to the network issuing pay cuts to some of their series for the upcoming 2005-2006 season.) In order to keep the show going, the writers and producers decided to take the series in a new direction for the fifth (and final) season. After graduating from high school, Breanna decides to move from Baltimore to attend college in Los Angeles with Arnaz by her side. Wanting to pursue films, Flex Alexander decided to appear in only a few episodes, allowing his character, Flex, to occasionally visit Breanna when his job allows.
Four new characters were added to the show for the fifth season turning the series from a five-person African-American ensemble to a six-person multi-ethnic ensemble, different from UPN's other Monday night sitcoms. The characters were: Cash Bagen (Jonathan Chase), a cocky photographer who aspired to be a filmmaker; Lisa Sanchez (Camille Mana), a materialistic, underachieving college student; Darrell "D-Mack" McGinty (Ray-J), the hip-hop obsessed college student who is really just another boy from the suburbs; and Sara Crawford (Nicole Paggi), a stylish, career-challenged young woman who was constantly in search of love.
Both ''One on One'' and ''Cuts'' were cancelled by UPN in May 2006, and they were two of several UPN and The WB shows not initially picked up by The CW.

Theme song

The show's theme song ''Living One on One'' was written and performed by Shanice (wife of series star Flex Alexander) and Tonex. The theme song was slightly shortened and remixed by Detail and Ray-J for the show's fifth season.

Reruns/syndication

United States

''One on One'' is currently being broadcast in the United States on individual television stations across the country weekdays running twice a day, depending on market. All five seasons also currently air on The N, double-running weeknights.

United Kingdom

''One on One'' can be seen on Trouble in the UK.

Middle East

All seasons of ''One on One'' are being aired on the Paramount Comedy Channel in the Middle East. Season five has not been aired completely.

Guest Stars

★ (1.05) 'My Life As a Dog' Laila Ali

★ (1.08) 'Phantom Menace' Duane Martin

★ (1.09) 'Fifteen Candles' Lil' Zane

★ (1.15) 'Adventures in Double-Dating' Nate Dogg

★ (1.16) 'Me and My Shadow' Shanice

★ (1.16) 'Me and My Shadow' Alfonso Ribeiro

★ (1.16) 'Me and My Shadow' Margaret Cho

★ (1.17) 'It's Raining Women' Lisa Leslie

★ (1.18) 'The Way You Make Me Feel' Vanessa Bell Calloway

★ (1.22) 'He Got Game...Again' Darius Miles

★ (2.02) 'I Believe I Can Fly Part 2' Hal Sparks

★ (2.07) 'Give'm An Inch, They'll Throw a Rave' Method Man

★ (2.09) 'Crappy Birthday' Judge Joe Brown

★ (2.20) 'Checkmate Daddy' Kim Coles

★ (3.01) 'It's a Family Thing' Mablean Ephriam

★ (3.09) 'Tears of a Clown' Smokey Robinson

★ (3.09) 'Tears of a Clown' Jenny McCarthy

★ (3.09) 'Tears of a Clown' Beth Littleford

★ (3.10) 'Spy Games' Lil' Romeo

★ (3.10) 'Spy Games' Robin Givens

★ (3.12) 'Dream Seller' Anthony Hamilton

★ (3.13) 'East Meets East Coast' Omarion

★ (3.13) 'East Meets East Coast' Clyde Kusatsu

★ (3.14) 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Hip Hop World' Eve

★ (3.14) 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Hip Hop World' Floetry

★ (3.14) 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Hip Hop World' Angie Stone

★ (3.15) 'The Catch' Solange Knowles

★ (3.15) 'The Catch' Ruben Studdard

★ (3.18) 'Cabin Fever' Common

★ (3.20) 'No More Wire Hangers' Kim Fields

★ (3.23) 'The Prodgial Brother' Marques Houston

★ (3.24) 'Phatheadz' La La Vasquez

★ (3.24) 'Phatheadz' Shannon Elizabeth

★ (4.02) 'We'll Take Manhattan' Maria Menounos

★ (4.03) 'Zen Daddy' Curtis Armstrong

★ (4.05) 'Rock the Vote' Charlie Murphy

★ (4.05) 'Rock the Vote' Ron Canada

★ (4.05) 'Rock the Vote' Loon

★ (4.05) 'Rock the Vote' Slum Village

★ (4.06) 'Manic Monday' Gary Hall, Jr.

★ (4.07) 'You Don't Have to Go Home...' Tim Meadows

★ (4.08) 'Daddy's Home' Nina Sky

★ (4.11) 'Lost in the Headlights' Haylie Duff

★ (4.19) 'Glug, Glug' Chingy

★ (5.06) 'Where's My Yemmy?' Emmanuel Lewis

★ (5.10) 'Waiting for Huffman' Bobby Valentino

★ (5.11) 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Venice?' Dana Woods

★ (5.14) 'Espresso Your Love' Kindred the Family Soul

★ (5.15) 'Tijuana Break Up?' Brandy

★ (5.17) 'Recipe for Disaster' Chris Brown

★ (5.20) 'Double Trouble' Fatlip

★ (5.21) 'I Love L.A. Part 1' India.Arie

★ (5.21) 'I Love L.A. Part 1' Christine Lakin

Trivia

★ Originally, the fourth season ended with Breanna staying in Baltimore and moving in with her boyfriend, Arnaz, but finding Arnaz had spent his rent on a plane ticket to stop her from leaving for L.A. By the fifth season's premiere, this was changed to them deciding to move to L.A. together, in order to accommodate the newtwork-enforced casting changes.

★ During seasons 1, 2, and 3, Arnaz has a Yin and Yang tattoo on the right side of his neck, but in the 4th and 5th seasons, it's gone. The change is especially noticed when Arnaz and Michelle, D-Mack's sister, go to a rock concert, and afterwards Arnaz addresses the fact about how the band members had numerous tattoos, and he doesn't have any.

★ Many of the show's titles are taken from songs ("The Way You Make Me Feel") or movies ("Phantom Menace", "Spy Games"), or takes on the two ("It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Hip Hop World", "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Venice?")