UPN executives originally wanted Mo'Nique to have her own talk show
When someone says, "Rejection is just redirection," nine times out of ten, they're right. Mo'Nique learned this early in her comedy career. In the '90s and 2000s, UPN was looking for fresh talent to showcase on its network. It was already the top network with black dramas and sitcoms; They were looking to stay at the top.
Mo'Nique was a rising standup comedian when network executives wanted her to be the host of a brand-new talk show. Instead, it led to Mo'Nique starring in a Moesha spinoff, The Parkers.
According to a 1999 Gannett News Service article, the actress filmed a pilot for her talk show, which was promptly rejected. Then, she met with a producer by the name of Larry Little.
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"He watched my tape for 10 seconds," Mo'Nique told the newspaper. "And he said, 'You're a sitcom star. If you can act, you'll have to have your own show.'" So, it was settled that she should indeed be on television, but the big question was, "What show?"
On Moesha, Kim Parker, played by Countess Vaughn, became a fan favorite. In fact, many viewers preferred to watch more of the boy-crazed hilarious teen over Moesha, the star character played by Brandy.
"You look at Mo'Nique, and you look at Countess Vaughn," said producer Ralph Farquhar. "It's obvious they could play mother-daughter." Thus, Moesha viewers learned a little more about Kim Parker's mom, Nikki Parker (Mo'Nique), as she appeared on a few episodes of the show.
Kim's last appearance on Moesha was season four, episode twenty-two, "I Studied Twelve Years for This?" in 1999. That same year, The Parkers debuted. Mo'Nique's talk show wasn't completely forgotten, though, because in 2009, she had one on BET called The Mo'Nique Show.
It lasted for 251 episodes.
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