The premise of this UPN sitcom was based on the notion that half-siblings never get along -- at least, not on black-oriented sitcoms with loud laugh tracks. Rachel True and Essence Atkins starred as half sisters Mona and Dee Dee who, despite their oil-and-water personalities (one was footloose, the other an uptight preppie), ended up living in the same apartment building. As if this wasn't hilarious enough, the girls, who shared the same father, were constantly besieged by their respective mothers Phyllis (Telma Hopkins) and Big Dee Dee (Valarie Pettiford), who likewise never saw eye to eye on anything. The air was thick with creative and sometimes amusing personal insults, enabling the series' writers to bypass such irritations as providing plots or character development. Half and Half debuted September 23, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi