{ "id": "epsdg0k9sy", "slug": "half-and-half-epsdg0k9sy", "title": "Half & Half", "updated": "2026-10-25", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv", "label": "Scripted television and comedy series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy", "label": "Sitcom and comedy series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy.american_sitcom_series", "label": "American sitcoms and comedy series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy.american_sitcom_series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy.american_sitcom_series.2000s-network-sitcoms", "label": "2000s network sitcoms", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy.american_sitcom_series.2000s-network-sitcoms" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy.american_sitcom_series", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020: American sitcoms and comedy series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy.american_sitcom_series", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv", "label": "Scripted television and comedy series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy", "label": "Sitcom and comedy series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy.american_sitcom_series", "label": "American sitcoms and comedy series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy.american_sitcom_series" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Half & Half is an American UPN sitcom (2002-2006, 91 episodes) about half-sisters Mona and Dee Dee Thorne, played by Rachel True and Essence Atkins, a black-cast comedy later cited for its streaming-era unavailability.", "snippet": "Half & Half is an American UPN sitcom (2002-2006, 91 episodes) about half-sisters Mona and Dee Dee Thorne, played by Rachel True and Essence Atkins, a black-cast comedy later cited for its streaming-era unavailability.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_scripted_tv_comedy.american_sitcom_series.2000s-network-sitcoms", "markdown": "# Half & Half\n\n**Half & Half** is an American television sitcom that aired on the UPN network from September 2002 to May 2006, running for four seasons and 91 half-hour episodes.[1](https://epguides.com/HalfandHalf/) It follows Mona and Dee Dee Thorne, paternal half-sisters with the same father who did not really know each other as children and are complete opposites, but who as adults live in the same apartment building and at least try to bond.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-%26-half/1000171258/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Run | September 2002 to May 2006 on UPN (US); status canceled/ended[1](https://epguides.com/HalfandHalf/) |\n| Format | Half-hour comedy, TV-14 rating, 91 episodes in four seasons[1](https://epguides.com/HalfandHalf/) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-%26-half/1000171258/) |\n| Premise | Half-sisters Mona and Dee Dee Thorne, opposites raised apart, live in the same apartment building and try to bond[2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-%26-half/1000171258/) |\n| Main cast | Rachel True (Mona), Essence Atkins (Dee Dee), Telma Hopkins (Phyllis), Valarie Pettiford (Big Dee Dee), Theron \"Chico\" Benymon (Spencer)[1](https://epguides.com/HalfandHalf/) |\n| Episode titles | Every episode title begins with \"The Big,\" as in \"The Big Pilot Episode\" and \"The Big Dose of Reality Episode\"[1](https://epguides.com/HalfandHalf/) |\n| Awards | 2005 BET Comedy Award winner, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series; 2005 nominee for Outstanding Comedy Series; 2007 Image Award nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series[2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-%26-half/1000171258/) |\n\n## Premise and characters\n\nThe pilot, \"The Big Pilot Episode,\" first aired on September 23, 2002 and establishes the central situation: Mona, a self-reliant record executive, is set to move into the penthouse apartment her father has always promised her, but her plans come to an end when she learns that her spoiled half-sister Dee Dee, and Dee Dee's overbearing mother, also lay claim to the apartment. The sisters' relationship is further strained when Dee Dee inadvertently attracts a man whom Mona was pining for.[3](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/half-and-half/allseasons/official)\n\nThe two leads are differentiated by their family backgrounds. Mona was raised by Phyllis, played by [Telma Hopkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/telma-hopkins), while Dee Dee was raised by Big Dee Dee, played by [Valarie Pettiford](https://www.edgepedia.org/valarie-pettiford); the first-season [Thanksgiving](https://www.edgepedia.org/thanksgiving) episode brings both households together, with Mona's grandmother as guest of honor and Phyllis and Big Dee Dee making a deal.[3](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/half-and-half/allseasons/official) Chico Benymon plays Spencer, Mona's best friend, whose storylines include a blind date arranged by the sisters in \"The Big Upsetting Set-up Episode\" and a pregnancy scare in \"The Big Condom-Nation Episode.\"\n\nA consistent naming convention runs through the series: every episode title begins with \"The Big,\" from \"The Big Crappy Birthday Episode\" in season 1 to the final \"The Big Who You Gonna Call Episode.\"\n\n## Production and broadcast\n\nHalf & Half ran four seasons on UPN, whose 2002-03 slate also introduced the sitcom [One on One](https://www.edgepedia.org/one-on-one).[1](https://epguides.com/HalfandHalf/) • [4](https://manuals.plus/m/9d50da760f644c812e2bf85e131f62f530ae69f9662c8cd3914e30cb67f1800e.pdf) Season 1 comprised 23 episodes airing from September 2002 to May 2003, season 2 had 24 episodes from September 2003 to May 2004, and season 4 had 22 episodes from September 2005 to May 2006.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-and-half/episodes-season-1/1000171258/) • [6](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-and-half/episodes-season-2/1000171258/) • [7](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-and-half/episodes-season-4/1000171258/) A two-part storyline closed the first half of season 1: in \"The Big Phat Mouth Episode,\" Mona goes on a date with a writer for a music magazine without knowing the conversation is on the record, and when her candid comments about one of her record label's artists are published, she is fired.[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320024/episodes/?year=2003)\n\nIndividual episodes drew modest overnight numbers. The season 1 finale \"The Big Much 'I Do' About Nothing Episode,\" aired April 28, 2003, registered a 2.6 rating and a 4.1 household share in TV Tango's episode log.[9](https://www.tvtango.com/series/half_and_half/episodes) The final two episodes aired on May 15, 2006, and the series is listed as canceled/ended.[1](https://epguides.com/HalfandHalf/)\n\n## Reception and recognition\n\nThe series earned one win and several nominations. At the BET Comedy Awards it was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2004, won that category in 2005, and was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2005; in 2007 it received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-%26-half/1000171258/)\n\n## Availability and legacy\n\nHalf & Half is frequently grouped with the black sitcoms of the 1990s and early 2000s, a period often described as a golden age for storytelling centered on African American lives, alongside [Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-tv-series), In Living Color, The Fresh Prince, Moesha, Sister Sister, The Bernie Mac Show, and Girlfriends.[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/07/09/black-sitcoms-streaming/) In a 2020 Washington Post analysis of why these shows went missing from major streaming platforms, Alfred L. Martin Jr., assistant professor of media studies at the [University of Iowa](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-iowa), cited Half & Half among series treated as \"niche\" and therefore \"not as culturally resonant\" even though their ratings figures are much bigger, a pattern he described as part of \"a continual devaluation of black audiences.\"[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/07/09/black-sitcoms-streaming/) [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide)'s listing recorded the series as currently not available to stream.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-%26-half/1000171258/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Half & Half (a Titles & Air Dates Guide), epguides.com](https://epguides.com/HalfandHalf/)\n2. [Half & Half - Where to Watch and Stream, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-%26-half/1000171258/)\n3. [Half & Half - Aired Order - All Seasons, TheTVDB.com](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/half-and-half/allseasons/official)\n4. [Broadcasting & Cable year-in-review listing, May 2002](https://manuals.plus/m/9d50da760f644c812e2bf85e131f62f530ae69f9662c8cd3914e30cb67f1800e.pdf)\n5. [Watch Half & Half Online | Season 1 (2002), TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-and-half/episodes-season-1/1000171258/)\n6. [Watch Half & Half Online | Season 2 (2003), TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-and-half/episodes-season-2/1000171258/)\n7. [Watch Half & Half Online | Season 4 (2005), TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/half-and-half/episodes-season-4/1000171258/)\n8. [Half & Half (TV Series 2002-2006) - Episode list, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320024/episodes/?year=2003)\n9. [Half & Half - Series - Episode List, TV Tango](https://www.tvtango.com/series/half_and_half/episodes)\n10. [Classic black sitcoms like 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' and 'Living Single' are finally streaming. Why did it take so long?, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/07/09/black-sitcoms-streaming/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Sitcom and comedy series › American sitcoms and comedy series › 2000s network sitcoms*\n\n*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/half-and-half-epsdg0k9sy", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/half-and-half-epsdg0k9sy.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Half & Half\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/half-and-half-epsdg0k9sy. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Half & Half](https://www.edgepedia.org/half-and-half-epsdg0k9sy)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/half-and-half-epsdg0k9sy](https://www.edgepedia.org/half-and-half-epsdg0k9sy). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Half & Half\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/half-and-half-epsdg0k9sy. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Half & Half is an American UPN sitcom about half-sisters Mona and Dee Dee Thorne, played by Rachel True and Essence Atkins, a black-cast comedy later cited for its streaming-era unavailability." }