"Sister, Sister" Stars Recount How Friends Affected Their Show's Fate

The new two-part HBO documentary Seen & Heard, which premiered on September 9, 2025, sheds light on the past, present, and future of Black talent on television. One of the key figures featured in the documentary is Tamera Mowry-Housley, who starred in the sitcom Sister, Sister alongside her twin sister Tia.

According to Mowry-Housley, Sister, Sister was a ratings success during its initial run on ABC from 1994 to 1995. However, the show's trajectory was significantly impacted by the rise of another iconic 90s sitcom - Friends. As Mowry-Housley explains, the success of Friends led many networks to seek out similar hit shows, resulting in Sister, Sister being moved to the fledgling WB network in 1995.

The transition to the WB was a challenging one for the Mowry-Housley sisters. "I remember us just killing it in the ratings and then having all that taken away," Mowry-Housley recalls. "The president of the network, I can remember calling him saying, 'How come we were canceled? What happened?'"

In the latter half of the 1990s, the WB network shifted its focus towards shows with predominantly white casts, such as 7th Heaven, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dawson's Creek. This shift pushed Sister, Sister and other Black-fronted comedies like The Wayans Bros. and The Jamie Foxx Show to the sidelines.

The Seen & Heard documentary features insights not only from Mowry-Housley, but also from other prominent Black entertainment industry figures, including Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross, Debbie Allen, Shonda Rhimes, and Issa Rae. These individuals share their own experiences and perspectives on the ongoing challenges faced by Black talent in the television landscape.