Half & Half

Half & Half follows Mona and Dee Dee Thorne, two paternal half-sisters who grew up apart and reconnect in their twenties. Mona is more reserved and career-focused, while Dee Dee is outgoing and confident, and their clashing personalities create frequent comedic friction. Set in San Francisco, the episodes juggle workplace scenes, dating misadventures, and family gatherings, with their mothers, Phyllis and Big Dee Dee, supplying extra pressure and comic commentary. Over the series the sisters slowly build trust, test boundaries, and redefine what family means for them, all while the show keeps its tone light and grounded in everyday emotional moments.

Created by Jeffrey Klarik, Half & Half premiered on UPN on September 23, 2002 and ran until May 15, 2006. The San Francisco set starred Rachel True and Essence Atkins before ending amid network realignment.

The series didn't win major industry awards like Emmys or Golden Globes, and it wasn't a frequent awards contender. It did secure steady viewership on UPN and cultivated a devoted audience that kept reruns and syndication demand alive after the original run through multiple channels.

Half & Half helped broaden portrayals of contemporary Black women on early 2000s network TV, pairing humor with family dynamics. It became a staple of UPN's Monday nights, and stayed visible through syndication on networks like Global, Trouble and TV One, maintaining recognition among audiences who grew up with it.

Critics and fans generally gave the sitcom warm responses, reflected in a solid viewer rating around 8.2 out of 10. The show focuses on sisterhood, blended family tensions, career pressures and dating in an urban setting, using humor to highlight small ethical choices and everyday emotional shifts with relatable stakes.