One on One (TV series)

One on One
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Eunetta T. Boone
Starring	Flex Alexander (seasons 1-4, regular; season 5, recurring) Kyla Pratt Robert Ri'chard Kelly Perine (seasons 1-4) Sicily (seasons 1-4) Jonathan Chase (season 5) Camille Mana (season 5) Nicole Paggi (season 5) Ray J (season 5) Kel Mitchell (season 5, recurring)
Theme music composer	Jonathan Wolff & Becky Kneubuhl (remixed by Ray J and Detail for season 5)
Opening theme	"Living One on One", performed by Shanice and Tonéx
Ending theme	"Living One on One" (instrumental)
Composer(s)	Jonathan Wolff Becky Kneubuhl (season 1) Kurt Farquhar (seasons 2-3) Jamey Jazz (seasons 4-5)
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	113 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Eunetta T. Boone (entire run) Robert Greenblatt David Janollari (seasons 1-3) Dan Cross David Hoge Bill Boulware (all; season 5)
Camera setup	Film; Multi-camera
Running time	23 min
Production company(s)	The Greenblatt/Janollari Studio Daddy's Girl Productions Paramount Network Television
Distributor	CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006-2007) CBS Television Distribution (2007-present)
Broadcast
Original channel	UPN
Picture format	480i (SDTV; entire run) 720p (HDTV; seasons 2-5)
Audio format	Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Original run	September 3, 2001 (2001-09-03) – May 15, 2006 (2006-05-15)
Chronology
Related shows	Cuts Eve

One on One is an American sitcom that aired on the now-defunct UPN from its September 3, 2001 premiere until May 15, 2006. 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 Breanna (Kyla Pratt) moves in with him. The series was based in Baltimore for the first four seasons before changing settings to Los Angeles for the final season.

The series featured numerous celebrities and athletes including Lil Zane, Chris Brown, Brave from RichGirl, Lil' Romeo, Eve, Lloyd, Floetry, Angie Stone, Mario, Omarion, Brandy, Solange Knowles, Marques Houston, Smokey Robinson, Avant, New Edition, Jennifer Freeman, Method Man, Bobby V and Lisa Leslie, among others. The show was cancelled when The WB and UPN merged to form The CW.

Synopsis

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 (which he revealed in a later episode he tried three times in order to get due to failing the class twice) and became a sportscaster. Flex works for the fictional WYNX-TV 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 only had a couple of serious relationships, one of which was Breanna's mother Nicole Barnes (Tichina Arnold), whom he impregnated 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.

Breanna's best friend is 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 old girlfriend, Ginger (Khanya Mhkize). Arnaz became jealous when, in season two, Breanna started dating Josh (Josh Henderson). The two finally became a couple in the later part of the series. They break up by the fifth season and move on to date other people, even though they know they still love each other. The series ends with Arnaz chasing after Michelle (Brandy Norwood), D-Mack's sister, who he has fallen in love with while Breanna is shown in bed with D-Mack (Ray J).

Characters

Main characters

• Flexter Alexander "Flex Washington" Barnes (Flex Alexander) - Flex was born to Richard and Eunice Barnes and is the oldest of three children. In high school, Flex met Nicole, his first serious girlfriend. Before that, Flex had a reputation with women that caused many fathers in his neighborhood to dislike him. At age 18, Flex got Nicole pregnant as a senior in high school. She gave birth to a baby girl named Breanna. A couple of years later, Flex and Nicole went their separate ways when Flex pursued a career in the NBA playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. During a game however, he blew out his knee and was sidelined. Luckily, he had a communications degree to fall back on (which he admitted he tried to get twice) and became a sportscaster in Baltimore for television station WYNX News 3. After his daughter stays over for a weekend, Nicole springs news that she got a job in Nova Scotia and wants to take Breanna with her. Flex unwittingly volunteers to take care of Breanna, even though it may hamper his bachelor lifestyle. After his divorce from Nicole, Flex took on a player persona and even had a 30-day rule (not to date a woman for more than 30 days, otherwise it becomes a relationship). He broke that rule when he dated Natalie, Breanna's art teacher, which they broke up a year into the relationship because she didn't want to have children of her own though she wanted to be a good stepmom to Breanna. A year later, he began dating Danielle, a therapist who initially didn't want to date Flex because she was his and Breanna's therapist. They eventually started dating and later became engaged. Around the same time, his show "The Flex Files" became syndicated. In season 5, the show's premise was revamped and Flex was quietly phased out of the series, but he appeared occasionally as a recurring character. He would fly out to California to visit Breanna and to also make sure Arnaz wasn't trying to have sex with her.
• Breanna Latrice Barnes (Kyla Pratt) - Breanna is the daughter of Flex Washington and Nicole Barnes, born when the two were barely out of high school. When Breanna finds out that her mom Nicole got a job in Nova Scotia, it is Breanna who comes up with the idea to have Flex take care of her. During her stay with Flex, she and best friend Spirit joined the cheerleading squad, which she initially would have never thought to try out for until the head cheerleader taunts her and tries everything she can to keep her from joining. Breanna has had several crushes, including Arnaz, one of her two best friends, who became an on-again/off-again love interest during the series, and with whom she didn't show any romantic interest in until the end of the first season. Breanna dated Josh, a handsome but dimwitted boy, who became part of a love triangle between Breanna, Josh and Arnaz. Eventually, Breanna and Arnaz became a couple, only to break up when Josh and Arnaz' ex-girlfriend Ginger came up with a plan to break the two up, in which Breanna caught Ginger kissing Arnaz. During the third season, Arnaz and Breanna seemed to be on the way to getting back together until he revealed he wasn't a virgin one night when Breanna wanted to lose her virginity to Arnaz in order to stay popular with the cheerleaders (she didn't go through with it after she found out). It was then that Breanna decided to remain a virgin until she was ready to have sex, even if it wasn't until she was married. Breanna also kind of went out with a boy from her school, Nyghtmare, (Nightmyre?) who's real name was Clayton. he was smart but had a reputation of a bad boy. when Breanna found out she said something that almost lead into a kiss. Flex saw them and prevented Breanna from seeing him. Nightmare explained to Breanna's dad what was going on and she could see him again but he came in before Arnaz could tell her his feelings for her. In the next episode he wasn't there they just had an attraction to each other. By the fourth season, Breanna and Arnaz finally became a couple, but Breanna had to endure jealousy when Charlie, a French girl, joined Arnaz's band as the lead singer. Nothing happened between Arnaz and Charlie, because his heart was with Breanna. In the fourth season's finale, Breanna and Arnaz broke up after Nicole came up with a plot to keep Breanna from making the same mistakes that she made with Flex when they were her age, after Breanna announced she was going to live with Arnaz, and Flex tried to convince Arnaz to let Breanna go to California to attend CalArts University. Arnaz ran onto the plane that Breanna was taking to California to tell her he couldn't live without her. They eventually went to California, where they moved in with four other roommates: Cash, D-Mack, Lisa, and Sara. They broke up again when Arnaz and their roommate D-Mack's sister began getting closer. She started dating Calvin, a manager at McDonald's, only to break up because he thought that her heart was still with Arnaz. Breanna tells Arnaz she still loves him. She is later seen with D-Mack
• Arnaz Leroy Ballard (Robert Ri'chard) - Arnaz is an aspiring rock star and was born to a Caucasian mother and an African-American father, who left his mother and owns a crab restaurant (this is seen when Arnaz's parents are shown later in the series, however this contradicted a reference in the season one episode "The Case of the Almost Broken Heart" which Breanna stated that Arnaz's father was Caucasian and his mother was of mixed African-American, Jamaican and Chinese descent). Arnaz had his own rock band called Zanra (which is his name spelled backwards). Arnaz had a massive crush on Breanna when she and Arnaz met and would stop at nothing to impress her. Towards the end of season one, however, as he got her attention, his attention turned to Ginger, who became Breanna's rival. After he and Ginger broke up, Arnaz attempted to get Breanna back but Breanna was dating Josh at the time. One Christmas, Breanna was given a half-heart pendant by Arnaz, who kept half of the pendant to show he would always keep Breanna close to his heart. In the fourth season premiere, Arnaz, Breanna and Spirit ran off to New York to pursue their dreams (Breanna acting, Arnaz playing guitar and Spirit designing). After three years of a "will they or won't they" situation between them, Arnaz and Breanna became a couple in the fourth season. A year later, Arnaz and Breanna's relationship hit the skids when their roommate D-Mack's sister Michelle (Brandy Norwood) visited, and eventually Arnaz and Michelle became close friends. One night, the two fell asleep on the couch, Michelle fully clothed and Arnaz wearing pants but no shirt. Breanna and their roommates, Sara, D-Mack, Lisa and Cash walked in after returning from a party in Mexico and saw them. Though they hadn't done anything intimate, Breanna and Arnaz broke up. Eventually, Michelle and Arnaz did get together, but they went their separate ways after Michelle realized Arnaz's heart was still with Breanna. He thought differently, so he borrowed Breanna's car (with permission) and chased Michelle to the mountains. However, since the series didn't make it to a sixth season, it remained undetermined whether Breanna and Arnaz would eventually get back together.
• Cloteal Spirit Freedom Jones (Sicily) - Spirit is the daughter of Leilani and Cooper Jones, former hippies who run an incense shop. Spirit knew Arnaz since they were younger kids and became best friends with Breanna. Spirit has an unusual fashion sense, which has given her the distinction of being the "Black Blossom Russo." It was revealed in one episode that Spirit once kissed Arnaz in a game of Spin the Bottle. The secret angered Breanna because she liked Arnaz, but the two friends apologized for the situation as Breanna realized that Spirit was one of her few true friends. A running gag in the series is how Spirit never has a boyfriend. This changed in the fourth season when Spirit started dating A-Train, Arnaz's rival in a Battle of the Bands contest. Their relationship strained her and Arnaz's for a little while, but eventually they mended fences. The character was written out of the series for Season 5. The character of Spirit is claimed to be the influence of the character of Dijonay Jones from Disney's The Proud Family which Kyla Pratt (Breanna) voices the main character, Penny Proud.
• Duane Odell Knox (Kelly Perine) - Duane is a used car salesman for Big Sal's Used Cars who lived up to the stereotype that car salesmen cheat their customers. As he says in the episode "Playing Possum", he "eats sleaze for breakfast and washes it down with a tall glass of dishonesty." Duane was Flex's best friend since they were kids. Duane had lived in his mother's basement well into his 20s and 30s, eventually moving into an apartment across the hall from Flex. He had an on-again/off-again relationship with Candace Taylor (known as Candy), a manicurist at Flex's father's barbershop Phatheadz. They first broke up after Duane lied to her about losing his job at Big Sal's. They later became engaged, but eventually broke off the engagement. When Duane found out he had a serious health problem (high cholesterol), he needed to contact his father, since his high cholesterol might be hereditary. He met his father, Vaughn Odell Knox (Smokey Robinson) after months of searching for him. Not long after, Vaughn asked Duane for a kidney, which turned out to be for Duane's half-brother Dwayne (Orlando Brown). After losing his car salesman job, he started his own business, D's Dubs and Subs, which was a cross between a sandwich shop and a custom auto parts shop. Throughout the series, Duane always wore a hat. This was because, when they were kids, Flex's brother Kevin made a mistake while practicing his barbering skills on Duane, which never healed; this was revealed in the episode "Phatheadz". The character was written out of the series for Season 5.
• Lisa Sanchez (Camille Mana) - The character of Lisa Sanchez was introduced at the start of Season 5. Lisa is one of the four roommates Breanna and Arnaz live with when they move out to California. Other than her roommates, she is somewhat overlooked by people, such as D-Mack's sister Michelle, who doesn't remember her at all even though she lived with D-Mack. Lisa has had a long-standing crush on D-Mack, though he takes no interest in her. She eventually dates Benjamin, the sweet, nerdy manager of the BLOG, a restaurant hangout where Arnaz works.
• Cash Bagan (Jonathan Chase) - The character of Cash was introduced at the start of Season 5. Cash is another of the four roommates Breanna and Arnaz live with in California. Cash considers himself a filmmaker but works as a paparazzi in order to make money. Since the apartment has only two bedrooms, Arnaz is initially alarmed at the idea of sharing a room with Cash and D-Mack, but before long the three become friends. Throughout the season, Cash chases women, and while he isn't as lucky as he'd like to be, he's more successful in his endeavors than D-Mack or Arnaz. At the end of one episode, in an amusing mirror of roommate Sara's usual behaviour, Cash uses his toned body to entice a female hotel manager out of making them pay their bill.
• Darrell "D-Mack" McGinty (Ray J) - The character of Darrell McGinty, nicknamed "D-Mack", was introduced at the start of Season 5. D-Mack is one of the four roommates Breanna and Arnaz live with when they move out to California. D-Mack has a hip-hop persona although his lifestyle as a Malibu rich kid comes out at times. He used his sister Michelle (Brandy Norwood) to become close to Arnaz so he could date Breanna but without success. He becomes upset ,come to find out his sister (Brandy Norwood) and Arnaz are going behind everyones back sneaking around together. Meanwhile Michelle leaves Arnaz. He leaves going after her to the Mountains ,leaving D-Mack and Breanna the only ones left in the house ,he questions her about being free ,then unexpectedly kisses her ,later Sara comes back to find them sleeping together in Breanna's bed. She panics then leaves. The season (5] is left with them together in bed.
• Sara Crawford (Nicole Paggi) - The character of Sara Crawford was introudced at the start of Season 5. Sara is one of the four roommates Breanna and Arnaz live with when they move out to California and is the sexpot girl-next-door of the house. Sara is considered a golddigger, and dreams of being a trophy wife, since she grew up in a trailer park in Iowa. In the last episode, she dated Andrew, whom she met while she and Lisa accompanied Breanna to a clinic to get information on contraceptives (Breanna was prepared to have sex with Arnaz just to keep him from straying from her, but she never did), however his need to get to know Sara before having sex with her tired her to the point where she gave up on him. Her passiveness turned him on, but the next night, Sara caught Andrew with another woman.

Recurring characters

Arranged by the season(s) they appeared:

• Ron Canada as Richard, Flex's father (Seasons 1-3)
• Joan Pringle as Eunice, Flex's mother (Seasons 1-3)
• Tamala Jones as Tanya, an old girlfriend of Flex's (Seasons 1 and 4)
• Tichina Arnold as Nicole, Flex's ex-wife and Breanna's mother (Seasons 1-4)
• Holly Robinson Peete as Stacy Morgan, Flex's co-worker (Season 1)
• Jenny McCarthy as Holly Spears, Flex's co-host (Season 1)
• Khanya Mkhize as Ginger, Breanna's rival and Arnaz's former girlfriend (Seasons 1-3)
• Omar Gooding as Malik, a barber at Phatheadz (Seasons 2-3)
• Rashaan Nall as Walt, a barber at Phatheadz (Seasons 2-4)
• Laz Alonso as Manny, a barber at Phatheadz (Seasons 2-3)
• Shondrella as Candy, a nail stylist at Phatheadz and love interest for Duane (Seasons 2-4)
• Melissa De Sousa as Natalie Odessa, Breanna's teacher who later dates Flex (Seasons 2-3)
• Josh Henderson as Josh McEntire, Breanna's new love interest after her break-up with Arnaz (Seasons 2-3)
• Kim Coles as Leilani Jones, Spirit's mother (Seasons 2-4)
• Edward "Grapevine" Fordham, Jr. as Ace Fields, a new barber at Phatheadz (Seasons 2-3).
• Saskia Garel as Danielle, Flex's best friend and therapist, later girlfriend, then wife (Season 4)
• Lloyd as A-Train (Season 4)
• Kel Mitchell as Manny Sellers, the former child actor and Breanna's landlord. (Season 5)
• Ernie Grunwald as Benjamin (Season 5)
• Brandy Norwood as Michelle, D-Mack's sister (Season 5)

Notable guest stars

• India.Arie
• Laila Ali
• Curtis Armstrong
• Avant
• Vanessa Bell Calloway
• Chris Brown
• Judge Joe Brown
• Ron Canada
• Common
• Chingy
• Haylie Duff
• Jason Earles
• Shannon Elizabeth
• Mablean Ephriam
• Eve
• Fatlip
• David Faustino
• Kim Fields
• Floetry
• Jennifer Freeman
• Robin Givens
• Reagan Gomez-Preston
• Gary Hall, Jr.
• Anthony Hamilton
• Jackée Harry
• Marques Houston
• Kindred the Family Soul
• Solange Knowles
• Clyde Kusatsu
• Christine Lakin
• Emmanuel Lewis
• Lil' Romeo
• Lil' Zane
• Lisa Leslie
• Beth Littleford
• Loon
• Mario
• Duane Martin
• Method Man
• Jenny McCarthy
• Maria Menounos
• Darius Miles
• Charlie Murphy
• Nate Dogg
• New Edition
• Omarion
• Lloyd Polite
• Alfonso Ribeiro
• Quentin Richardson
• Smokey Robinson
• Shanice
• Wendy Worthington
• Nina Sky
• Slum Village
• Hal Sparks
• Angie Stone
• Ruben Studdard
• Bobby V
• La La Vasquez
• Paul Wight

Theme song and opening sequence

The show's theme song "Living One on One", was written and performed by Shanice (wife of the series star Flex Alexander) and Tonex with music composed by Jonathan Wolff and Becky Kneubuhl (who composed the scene change music for the first season). The theme song was slightly shortened and remixed by Detail and Ray J for the show's fifth season. A truncated version of the theme stripped of all lyrics except the words "One on One", was used as a closing theme, heard only in syndicated airings.

The opening titles for the first three seasons featured the cast playing basketball on an outdoor court (though it also showed some characters doing other things at that same setting, e.g., Spirit checking out a boy who walks past her, and Arnaz playing the guitar only to be interrupted by a basketball bouncing in his direction that fell out of Duane's hand and he chases him). The fourth season opening titles featured the cast in a dressing room getting ready for a night on the town, the end of the sequence featured a pan shot of the cast wearing different outfits in the mirror than what they are wearing in the beginning of the pan shot. The opening sequences for the first four seasons included a closeup shot of Flex, Breanna and Arnaz before cutting back to a shot of the entire cast. The final season's opening titles featured the main cast (Breanna, Arnaz and new characters D-Mack, Sara, Cash and Lisa) at various places at the Venice Beach Boardwalk, before meeting back at the beach house to take a picture together.

Nielsen Ratings

Season		Episodes	Premiere	Season finale	Viewers (in millions)	Rank
1	2001–2002	22	September 3, 2001	May 20, 2002	4.1[1]	#132[1]
2	2002–2003	23	September 23, 2002	May 19, 2003	4.16[2]	#141[2]
3	2003–2004	24	September 16, 2003	May 25, 2004	2.94[3]	#184[3]
4	2004–2005	22	September 20, 2004	May 23, 2005	3.1[4]	#147[4]
5	2005–2006	22	September 19, 2005	May 15, 2006	2.8[5]	#139[5]

Syndication

One On One began airing in syndication in September 2006, four months after the series' final episode aired; CBS Paramount Domestic Television held the distribution rights to the series for the first year of its syndication run and CBS Television Distribution has been the series distributor since September 2007.

In the United States, One on One was broadcast on various local television stations (mostly Fox, MyNetworkTV and The CW affiliates) from September 2006 to September 2009. The series originally began airing on The N in October 2006, when the channel was a timeshare service of Noggin then carried over when The N took over the channel space of Nickelodeon Games and Sports in December 2007 and ran until October 2008; it rejoined the channel's lineup on September 14, 2009, and was moved to the rebranded TeenNick on September 28, 2009 and currently airs in two-hour blocks in the morning and late night hours.

The series began airing on BET in 2009, airing in two one-hour blocks (one weekday mornings and one in the afternoon), as well as Saturday telecasts.

International airings

Internationally, One on One is broadcast in Canada on BET and local affiliates; on Nine Network in Australia; on SABC1 in South Africa and in the Middle East on the Paramount Comedy Channel in the Middle East (however, the fifth season has yet to be aired in its entirety on Paramount Comedy).

Awards and Nominations

• BET Comedy Awards

2005 - Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series - Ken Whittingham, Brian K. Roberts, Maynard C. Virgil I, Chip Fields & Mary Lou Belli (Nominated)

2005 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Flex Alexander (Nominated)

2004 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Flex Alexander (Nominated)

• Image Awards

2005 - Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series - Flex Alexander (Nominated)

2004 - Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series - Flex Alexander (Nominated)

2004 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - Kyla Pratt (Nominated)

2003 - Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series - Flex Alexander (Nominated)

2003 - Outstanding Comedy Series (Nominated)

• Prism Awards

2005 - TV Comedy Series Episode for episode "No More Wire Hangers" (Won)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "How did your favorite show rate?". USA Today. May 28, 2002. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/2002/2002-05-28-year-end-chart.htm. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Nielsen's TOP 156 Shows for 2002-03". http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.tv/browse_thread/thread/ee82c0640bcaeb06/82c78e0fe7710443?lnk=st&q=nielsen+top+156&rnum=1#82c78e0fe771044. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "I. T. R. S. Ranking Report: 01 Thru 210". ABC Medianet. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070930171419/http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/progcal/dispDNR.aspx?id=060204_12. Retrieved May 25, 2007. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Primetime series". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Business Media. May 27, 2005. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000937471. Retrieved September 12, 2009. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Business Media. May 26, 2006. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002576393. Retrieved September 12, 2009. 

External links

• One on One at the Internet Movie Database
• One on One at TV.com
• One on One at epguides.com