Bet You Didn't Know: Facts Behind The Making Of "Moesha"

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Update

With Netflix bringing one of the most beloved shows of the ’90s to its streaming platform over the weekend, we thought it was time to go back down memory lane and look at the behind-the-scenes tea you may not have known about Moesha when it aired on UPN from 1996-2001.

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Love Moesha? So do we! If we weren’t getting braid envy from the lead character, we were lusting over Q, laughing at Kim, or relating to Niecy. Not to mention that we were trying to figure out Moesha’s reasoning for certain things. For instance: Who passes up on a free Saturn for a busted and disgusted Jeep?! All in all, we learned a lot from Mo’ and her crew, and we have Mara Brock Akil to thank for some of that, as she was a writer and producer for the show. But how much do you know about the series in general? Click through this “Bet You Didn’t Know” post and find out.

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About That Name…

“Mo to the, e to the” might have been the name of Brandy’s character, but during a past interview, the singer revealed that she was not a fan of the name.

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The Beef Was Real Between Countess Vaughn And Brandy

In an interview with Ebony in 1998, Brandy said things between her and Countess Vaughn were quite icy on set. In fact, she claimed Vaughn said she was the reason the show was a success, and called the singer a “b—h” during a break in filming. The bad blood went on for years before they attempted to mend things earlier this year. Vaughn wrote an open apology letter and Brandy responded with, “You are beautiful to me. Always have been and always will be!”

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Moesha And Girlfriends Were Connected

Moesha was Mara Brock Akil’s first real show as writer and producer, and one of her biggest future projects would be connected to the series. For instance, Moesha was set in the Leimert Park neighborhood of L.A. The Maya Wilkes character from Girlfriends lived in that neighborhood as well. Wilkes, played by Golden Brooks, also appeared on Moesha as the sister of Barbara Lee, Dorian’s (played by Ray J) birth mother. And Shar Jackson’s character Niecy appeared on an episode of Girlfriends, giving Joan advice.

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Ray J Played Three Totally Different Characters On The Show

Wherever Brandy goes, Ray J just had to follow and get a check. He played three different characters on the show: Dorian, himself, and a character named Charles of the “Council of the Concerned Youth” from the “Million Boy March” episode.

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Nicknames Abound

Moesha’s stepmother may have gone as “Dee,” but her full first name was Deidra. And Moesha’s friend Niecy’s full first name was actually Denise.

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Sheryl Lee Ralph Wasn’t Happy With The Direction Of The Show

Ralph, who played Dee, was done with the show by Season 6. She left after having disagreements with producers about the direction of the show. Guess she was just as bothered as we were that they made Frank Dorian’s dad instead of keeping him as the uncle…

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Yvette Wilson Left Moesha For The Parkers

No more The Den for Andell. The late Yvette Wilson, who played character Andell Wilkerson on Moesha, jumped ship in Season 5 to join The Parkers.

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Even Brandy Was Disappointed With The Series Finale

When UPN decided they didn’t want to renew the show after Season 6, the series ended with Myles being kidnapped, a mysterious pregnancy test found in Moesha’s dorm room trash, and Mo mulling over the idea of moving in with Hakeem. Womp, womp.

Brandy didn’t even know what the outcome was for the characters. “I don’t know what happened, and I feel so bad because, you know, so many of the fans, they’re mad about that,” Brandy told KeKe Palmer on Just KeKe. “That’s not the way you end a show that’s been on for six years. So, I’m sorry, y’all.”