History Trivia / InLivingColor

* OldShame: Kim Wayans later admitted in an interview her dismay and regret at the Creator/OprahWinfrey skits (particularly the first one centered on Oprah's weight issues, where she kept eating throughout her interviews and got so big that she exploded) and felt bad about Oprah's own negative reaction to the parodies, even apologizing to her for them.

* InMemoriam: The second episode was dedicated to comedian Robin Harris (who died a month before the show first aired) and actor Jesse Aragon (who was featured in the 1987 film ''Hollywood Shuffle''.) A season three episode was dedicated to Creator/SamKinison (who had appeared on the show twice, having been a fan of Kelly Coffield's GenderFlipped parody of him) and the show's hairstylist Troy White.

* ShortLivedBigImpact: The show lasted for only four years from 1990 to 1994 (and the last season might as well not exist, as far as fans and modern-day relevance are concerned), but still served as a SpiritualPredecessor to ''Series/MadTV1995'', inspired rival show ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' to bring in more minorities and not underuse them and launched the careers of several of their cast members and writers, such as Creator/KeenenIvoryWayans, Creator/DamonWayans, Creator/TommyDavidson, Creator/JimCarrey, Creator/JamieFoxx, Creator/JenniferLopez, Creator/DavidAlanGrier, Creator/KimColes, and Creator/LarryWilmore.

* ShortLivedBigImpact: The show lasted for only four years from 1990 to 1994 (and the last season might as well not exist, as far as fans and modern-day relevance are concerned), but still served as a SpiritualPredecessor to ''Series/MadTV'', inspired rival show ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' to bring in more minorities and not underuse them and launched the careers of several of their cast members and writers, such as Creator/KeenenIvoryWayans, Creator/DamonWayans, Creator/TommyDavidson, Creator/JimCarrey, Creator/JamieFoxx, Creator/JenniferLopez, Creator/DavidAlanGrier, Creator/KimColes, and Creator/LarryWilmore.

* ShortLivedBigImpact: The show lasted for only four years from 1990 to 1994, but still served as a SpiritualPredecessor to ''Series/MadTV'', inspired rival show ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' to bring in more minorities and not underuse them and launched the careers of several of their cast members and writers, such as Creator/KeenenIvoryWayans, Creator/DamonWayans, Creator/TommyDavidson, Creator/JimCarrey, Creator/JamieFoxx, Creator/JenniferLopez, Creator/DavidAlanGrier, Creator/KimColes, and Creator/LarryWilmore.

* ShortLivedBigImpact: The show only lasted for four years, but still served as a SpiritualPredecessor to the longer-running ''Series/MadTV'' (which lasted 14 years), inspired rival show ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' to bring in more minorities and not underuse them and launched the [[Creator/JimCarrey careers]] [[Creator/JamieFoxx of]] [[Creator/JenniferLopez several]] [[Creator/DavidAlanGrier of]] [[Creator/TommyDavidson the]] [[Creator/TheWayansFamily cast]] [[Creator/KimColes members]] [[Creator/AlexandraWentworth or]] [[Creator/LarryWilmore writers.]]

** Creator/MauryPovich ''loved'' Creator/JimCarrey’s spoofing of him in the “Me Want Maury” music video, citing it as his favorite parody of himself.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Creator/JimCarrey did this at least twice: Vera de Milo, the voice in particular, was inspired by a female bodybuilder he encountered during a visit to Gold's Gym. Grandpa Jack [=McGee=] originated in Carrey's youth as a parody of his paternal grandfather he created to amuse/comfort his father after the grandfather chewed him out as a loser during a family gathering.

* AdoredByTheNetwork: Zig-zagged as far as Creator/{{Fox}} was concerned. While the show got a lot of advertising and airtime, the fact that it constantly had to battle the network due to censorship undermines this quite a bit. Played straight in syndication however, as the channels that have aired it over the years such as Creator/{{BET}}, Fusion, FX[[note]]The first channel to air the series in syndication and one of the first shows on the then-fledging network in 1997[[/note]], FXX and Aspire Network have given it plenty of airtime and an all-day marathon or two.

* EditedForSyndication: Despite the Wayans' siblings objection to have the show censored in reruns, there have been some cuts done to ''In Living Color'' in reruns and on DVD

** The fourth episode in season one originally had a parody of the Colt 45 commercials with Creator/BillyDeeWilliams (played by Keenan Ivory Wayans) making his date (played by Kim Coles) drink until she passes out with Williams moving in on her unconscious body. FOX didn't like the BlackComedyRape punchline to the sketch, so it was replaced in all reruns (including cable reruns and on the DVD) with a sitcom sketch called "The Exxon Family," about a clumsy Exxon ship captain and his wife (played by token white cast members Jim Carrey and Kelly Coffield). Thanks to the magic of Website/YouTube, you can now see this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlR-I57nmr4 lost sketch]] and judge for yourself if FOX was right or wrong to remove it.

** Music/JenniferLopez tried out as a Fly Girl in season two, only to be rejected. She eventually got her wish in season three and remained for the next two seasons.

* EnforcedMethodActing: In one of the first Wanda skits, where she was on "The Dating Game", no one informed Creator/JimCarrey, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier or Shawn Wayans of Creator/JamieFoxx's appearance, so their respective reactions to her ranging from horror to humor were genuine.

* {{Jossed}}: It was believed that the singing voices of the Brothers Brothers (a parody of the [[Series/TheSmothersBrothersComedyHour Smothers Brothers]]) were provided by [[ParodyAssistance Tom and Dick Smothers themselves]], but this is actually false.

* {{Jossed}}: It was believed that the singing voices of the Brothers Brothers (a parody of the [[Series/TheSmothersBrothersComedyHour Smothers Brothers]] were provided by [[ParodyAssistance Tom and Dick Smothers themselves]], but this is actually false.

* FollowTheLeader: The season after the show premiered, ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' hired Creator/ChrisRock, its first black cast member in four years (its previous black cast members were Danitra Vance and, ironically, Damon Wayans, during the 1985-1986 season). By the following season, Ellen Cleghorne (herself an extra on ''In Living Color'') and Tim Meadows had been hired by ''SNL'', giving the show the most black cast members they had ever had at that point. It's hard not to think the success of ''In Living Color'' had something to do with that.
* HeyItsThatSound: The game show parodies sample sound effects from ''[[Series/{{TheOneMillionChanceofaLifetime}} The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime]]''.

* OldShame: Kim Wayans later admitted in an interview her dismay and regret at the Creator/OprahWinfrey skits (particularly the first one where she kept eating throughout her interviews and got so big that she exploded) and felt bad about Oprah's own negative reaction to the parodies, even apologizing to her for them.

** It was believed that the singing voices of the Brothers Brothers were provided by [[Series/TheSmothersBrothersComedyHour Tom and Dick Smothers]] themselves, [[AvertedTrope but this is actually false.]]

* RomanceOnTheSet: Original cast member Kelly Coffield later married fellow cast member (who joined the cast in the third season) Steve Park.

** In 2014, the show aired on FXX (FX's sister channel), with most of what was cut on TV intact (the words "bitch" and "ho" are reinstated, as are all the pop song and music video references. The Colt 45 commercial parody, along with a part in the "Men on Football" sketch where Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier ad-libbed a suggestion that Richard Gere and track and field star Carl Lewis were homosexuals), have been edited from all reruns. Also edited in reruns is a line from a season five Fire Marshall Bill sketch that made reference to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which [[HarsherInHindsight thanks to the more well-known September 11th attacks]], makes the line less dated.

** The skit of Anton at the Army recruiting office had the last line ("Be all that you can be: get an ugly wife and a messed-up life in the Army!") cut on the [=DVD=] release, most likely due to it coinciding with then-recent [[TooSoon Iraq War.]] However, the line is retained in syndicated airings.

* InMemoriam: The second episode was dedicated to comedian Robin Harris (who died a month before the show first aired) and actor Jesse Aragon (who was featured in the 1987 film ''Hollywood Shuffle''.) A season three episode was dedicated to Creator/SamKinison (who had appeared on the show twice, having been a fan of Kelly Coffield's GenderFlipped parody of him) and Troy White.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Keenan Ivory Wayans claims that he passed up on having Creator/MartinLawrence, Creator/JohnLeguizamo, and Chris Rock as cast members (Rock would later guest star on the show during its final season).