South Side (TV series)
South Side is an American sitcom created by Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle. Filmed and set in the Englewood area of Chicago, it follows two friends (portrayed by Sultan Salahuddin and Kareme Young) who recently graduated from community college and are seeking business success while working at a rent-to-own shop. The show premiered on Comedy Central on July 24, 2019.[1][2] In August 2019, the series was renewed for a 10-episode second season.[3] The series moved to HBO Max for its second season on November 11, 2021, making the series a "Max Original".[4] The second season premiered on November 11, 2021.[5]
| South Side | |
|---|---|
 Title screen for South Side | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Diallo Riddle Bashir Salahuddin Sultan Salahuddin |
| Starring | Sultan Salahuddin Kareme Young Quincy Young Chandra Russell Bashir Salahuddin Diallo Riddle Lil Rel Howery Zuri Salahuddin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Michael Blieden Will A. Miles Diallo Riddle Bashir Salahuddin |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | Emerald Street The Riddle Entertainment Group Jax Media Comedy Partners MTV Entertainment Studios |
| Distributor | ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks |
| Release | |
| Original network |
|
| Picture format | 16:9 HDTV |
| Original release | July 24, 2019 – present |
Premise
South Side centers on "a pair of newly minted community college graduates and small-time hustlers who are always cooking up some petty scheme from black market Viagra to street corner popcorn — with an eye toward upward mobility".[6]
Cast
- Sultan Salahuddin as Simon James[6]
- Kareme Young as Kareme Odom[6]
- Chandra Russell as Sergeant Turner[6]
- Bashir Salahuddin as Officer Goodnight[6]
- Lil Rel Howery as Terrence Bishop[6]
- Zuri Salahuddin as Stacy[6]
- Quincy Young as Quincy Odom[6]
- Diallo Riddle as Allen Gayle[6]
- Lanre Idewu as Greg the Marine[6]
- Jelani Lofton as Teddy[6]
Episodes
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | ||||
| 1 | 10 | July 24, 2019 | September 18, 2019 | Comedy Central | ||
| 2 | 10 | November 11, 2021 | November 25, 2021 | HBO Max | ||
Season 1 (2019)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Xbox" | Michael Blieden | Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle & Sultan Salahuddin | July 24, 2019 | 0.256[7] |
| 2 | 2 | "Sell Yourself" | Michael Blieden | Bashir Salahuddin & Diallo Riddle | July 31, 2019 | 0.279[8] |
| 3 | 3 | "Turner Buys a Building" | Michael Blieden | Bashir Salahuddin & Diallo Riddle | August 7, 2019 | 0.316[9] |
| 4 | 4 | "The Day the Jordans Drop" | Michael Blieden | Langston Kerman | August 14, 2019 | 0.277[10] |
| 5 | 5 | "Cold Cases" | Michael Blieden | Chauncey B. Raglin-Washington & Bennett Walsh | August 21, 2019 | 0.241[11] |
| 6 | 6 | "Mongolian Curly" | Michael Blieden | Chandra Russell | August 28, 2019 | 0.262[12] |
| 7 | 7 | "Chi-town" | Michael Blieden | Sultan Salahuddin | September 4, 2019 | 0.311[13] |
| 8 | 8 | "Weird White Murderer" | Michael Blieden | Alisha Cowan | September 11, 2019 | 0.246[14] |
| 9 | 9 | "Mild Sauce Meatballs" | Michael Blieden | Will Miles | September 18, 2019 | 0.210[15] |
| 10 | 10 | "Litcoin" | Michael Blieden | Michael Blieden | September 18, 2019 | 0.199[15] |
Season 2 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [16] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Treat Yourself" | Michael Blieden | Alisha Cowan | November 11, 2021 |
| 12 | 2 | "Ambulance" | Michael Blieden | Bashir Salahuddin & Diallo Riddle | November 11, 2021 |
| 13 | 3 | "The Election" | Ismail Salahuddin | Langston Kerman | November 11, 2021 |
| 14 | 4 | "Turner’s and Brenda’s Day Off" | Michael Blieden | Chandra Russell & Alisha Cowan | November 18, 2021 |
| 15 | 5 | "Life of an Ottoman" | Michael Blieden | Bennett Walsh | November 18, 2021 |
| 16 | 6 | "Chicago’s #1 Party Promoter" | Michael Blieden | Will Miles | November 18, 2021 |
| 17 | 7 | "Face Your Fears" | Michael Blieden | Sultan Salahuddin | November 25, 2021 |
| 18 | 8 | "Tornado" | Bashir Salahuddin & Diallo Riddle | Michael Blieden | November 25, 2021 |
| 19 | 9 | "10 Less Minutes" | Michael Blieden | Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle & Zuri Salahuddin | November 25, 2021 |
| 20 | 10 | "Sarcophacouch" | Michael Blieden | Chandra Russell | November 25, 2021 |
Production
Development
On October 17, 2017, it was announced that Comedy Central had ordered the pilot for South Side from creators Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle, writing alums from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[17][18] The two also serve as executive producers and co-stars. On May 16, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on July 24, 2019.[18]
Showrunners Salahuddin and Riddle stated that South Side was created to portray the South Side of Chicago where Bashir Salahuddin grew up and to show that "[t]here is joy on the South Side and the many Chicagoans who made this show, both in front of and behind the camera, are eager to share that joy."[19] The show is set in Englewood and features local actors and production members from Chicago.[20]
Casting
Sultan Salahuddin, cast in the lead role of Simon, is the brother of show creator Bashir Salahuddin. Bashir plays Officer Goodnight opposite his wife, Chandra Russell, who portrays Sergeant Turner. Sultan's co-lead, Kareme Young, is the real-life twin brother of cast member Quincy Young, who also plays his brother on the show.[21] Other cast members and guest stars include Chicago natives Lil Rel Howery, Nathaniel “Earthquake” Stroman, LisaRaye McCoy, Chance the Rapper, and Kel Mitchell.[19]
Release
South Side premiered on July 24, 2019. On August 28, 2019, Comedy Central renewed the series for a 10-episode second season.[3] On August 13, 2020, it was reported that the series' first season was set to be streaming on HBO Max in 2021 and the series moved to HBO Max in November 2021, making the series a "Max Original".[4] The second season was released on November 11, 2021.[5]
Reception
South Side received positive critical reception.[22] The first season of the show has a score of 79/100 on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[23] Writing for Vanity Fair, Laura Bradley stated: "The writers worked to imbue the series with a diverse cast of characters whose values, socioeconomic status, and ambitions varied widely...the thing all of the show’s main characters have in common is their drive."[21] Tambay Obenson wrote in a review for IndieWire, "The creators and cast know this world intimately, and instead of turning their camera on the usual crime and poverty, they find the humor that exists within the mayhem."[24]
Other media
On September 4, 2019, Comedy Central and WBEZ Chicago launched South Side Stories, a podcast collaboration that celebrates the real-life people and places that inspired the scripted comedy series.[25]
References
- Jevens, Darel (February 11, 2019). "VIDEO: Trailer shows slice-of-life humor of 'South Side,' an upcoming TV series". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
- Ihejirika, Maudlyne (January 20, 2019). "Star of Comedy Central's 'South Side' to create film jobs for youth through nonprofit". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
- Petski, Denise (August 28, 2019). "'South Side' Renewed For Season 2 By Comedy Central". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- Schwartz, Ryan (August 13, 2020). "The Other Two and South Side Exit Comedy Central for HBO Max". TVLine. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- Mitovich, Matt Webb (November 3, 2021). "South Side Season 2: Watch Trailer for MIA Comedy's Return via HBO Max". TVLine. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- "'South Side': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.24.2019". Showbuzz Daily. 2019-07-25. Archived from the original on 2019-07-25. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.31.2019". Showbuzz Daily. 2019-08-01. Archived from the original on 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.7.2019". Showbuzz Daily. 2019-08-08. Archived from the original on 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.14.2019". Showbuzz Daily. 2019-08-15. Archived from the original on 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.21.2019". Showbuzz Daily. 2019-08-22. Archived from the original on 2019-08-22. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.28.2019". Showbuzz Daily. 2019-08-29. Archived from the original on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
- "UPDATED with Broadcast: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.4.2019". Showbuzz Daily. 2019-09-05. Archived from the original on 2019-09-05. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.11.2019". Showbuzz Daily. 2019-09-12. Archived from the original on 2019-09-14. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
- "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.18.2019". Showbuzz Daily. 2019-09-19. Archived from the original on 2019-09-20. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
- "Shows A-Z – South Side on HBO Max". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- Andreeva, Nellie (2017-10-17). "Comedy Central Orders 2 New Series From 'Saturday Night Live', 'Late Night' Alums". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- Megh Wright (2019-05-16). "Trailer: Comedy Central's Upcoming Show 'South Side'". Vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
- Stidhum, Tonja Renée. "Watch: Comedy Central's South Side Highlights the 'Hope and Love' of Chicago in Debut Trailer". The Grapevine. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-02-12). "Comedy Central's 'South Side': Meet The Neighborhood – Trailer". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- "Comedy Central's South Side Is a Raucous Summer Must-Watch". Vanity Fair. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
- Roeper, Richard (2019-07-23). "'South Side' sitcom so funny, so smart, that 10 episodes aren't enough". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
- South Side, retrieved 2020-04-12
- Obenson, Tambay (2019-07-23). "'South Side' Review: Comedy Central's New Series Humanizes an Oft-Derided Community". IndieWire. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
- Rockett, Darcel. "WBEZ's 'South Side Stories' podcast brings attention to the lives and stories of South Siders". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
External links
- South Side on Comedy Central
- South Side at IMDb
