Wanda at Large

Sykes starred as Wanda Hawkins, a former government worker who decides to become a stand-up comedian. Through her friend Keith (Dale Godboldo), Wanda is tapped by WHDC-TV head Roger to become a new editorial correspondent for the low-rated political talk show The Beltway Gang .{{cite book|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present|year=2003|publisher=Ballantine Books|isbn=0-345-45542-8|pages=1280}} She is immediately seen as unprofessional and inexperienced by the show's moderators, Bradley (Phil Morris) and Rita (Ann Magnuson), whose conservative politics clash with Wanda's liberal views. At home, she must deal with her sister-in-law Jenny (Tammy Lauren), a widow raising Wanda's niece Holly (Jurnee Smollett) and nephew Barris (Robert Bailey Jr.), whom Wanda finds irritating. As the show progresses, Wanda begins to bond with her family and win over her colleagues, with some hinted attraction to Bradley.

• Wanda Sykes as Wanda Hawkins
• Phil Morris as Bradley Grimes
• Dale Godboldo as Keith Townsend
• Tammy Lauren as Jenny Hawkins
• Jurnee Smollett as Holly Hawkins
• Robert Bailey Jr. as Barris Hawkins

• Jason Kravitz as Roger
• Ann Magnuson as Rita Bahlberg

{{Episode table

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|overall = 4

|season = 4

|title = 25

|director = 12

|writer = 20

|airdate = 13

|country = US

|episodes =

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| EpisodeNumber2 = 1

| Title = Pilot

| DirectedBy = Gerry Cohen

| WrittenBy = Bruce Helford & Les Firestein & Wanda Sykes & Lance Crouther

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|3|26}}

| ShortSummary = In the series' pilot, Wanda accompanies Keith to a party where she impresses his boss, who offers her an audition for an on-air job.

| LineColor = 770077

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| EpisodeNumber2 = 2

| Title = King Rat

| DirectedBy = John Blanchard

| WrittenBy = Sue Murphy

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|4|2}}

| ShortSummary = Wanda weighs whether or not to run a piece that would embarrass the health official (Mario Joyner) she's dating.

| LineColor = 770077

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| EpisodeNumber2 = 3

| Title = Wanda and Bradley

| DirectedBy = John Blanchard

| WrittenBy = Lance Crouther

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|4|9}}

| ShortSummary = After contentious behavior between Wanda and Bradley, Roger plays up to both as he tricks them into participating in a promo for the show.

| LineColor = 770077

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| EpisodeNumber2 = 4

| Title = Wanda's Party

| DirectedBy = Bob Koherr

| WrittenBy = Dino Shorte & Jack Lugar

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|4|16}}

| ShortSummary = Wanda thinks she's been robbed after Keith takes her keys to detain her while Jenny sets up a surprise birthday party.

| LineColor = 770077

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| EpisodeNumber2 = 5

| Title = Death of a Councilman

| DirectedBy = Leonard R. Garner Jr.

| WrittenBy = Wanda Sykes

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|4|23}}

| ShortSummary = Wanda exposes a crooked councilman, who dies before the piece airs, so it's edited into a tribute without her consent.

| LineColor = 770077

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 6

| EpisodeNumber2 = 6

| Title = Alma Mater

| DirectedBy = Leonard R. Garner Jr.

| WrittenBy = Barton Dean

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|4|30}}

| ShortSummary = After differing with Wanda over accepting honorary degrees from their alma mater, Keith goes to work for Bradley.

| LineColor = 770077

}}

}}

{{Episode table

|total_width =

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|overall = 4

|season = 4

|title = 25

|director = 12

|writer = 20

|airdate = 13

|country = US

|episodes =

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 7

| EpisodeNumber2 = 1

| Title = The Favor

| DirectedBy = Lee Shallat Chemel

| WrittenBy = Lance Crouther

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|9|19}}

| ShortSummary = When Wanda looks to score an interview with a troubled athlete (Adam Lazarre-White), it forces her to reconnect with her ex-husband (Dave Chappelle).

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 8

| EpisodeNumber2 = 2

| Title = Where's Roger?

| DirectedBy = Bob Koherr

| WrittenBy = Jack Kenny & Brian Hargrove

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|9|26}}

| ShortSummary = After the temporary station manager censors her piece, Wanda tries to charm the man over drinks, but has to badger him to participate.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 9

| EpisodeNumber2 = 3

| Title = Bradley Has a Friend?

| DirectedBy = Lee Shallat Chemel

| WrittenBy = Jack Kenny & Brian Hargrove

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|10|3}}

| ShortSummary = Wanda uses Bradley's visiting friend to goad him into visiting a strip club, where she embarrasses him further by buying him a lap dance.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 10

| EpisodeNumber2 = 4

| Title = Leave Your Daughter at Home Day

| DirectedBy = Bob Koherr

| WrittenBy = Jennifer Fisher

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|10|17}}

| ShortSummary = Tired of paling in comparison with the permissive Wanda, Jenny sends Holly over to live with her “cool aunt.”

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 11

| EpisodeNumber2 = 5

| Title = They Shoot Reporters, Don't They?

| DirectedBy = Katy Garretson

| WrittenBy = Dino Shorte

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|10|31}}

| ShortSummary = Wanda and Keith are drafted to do live coverage when her filming of a piece on automated-teller machines is interrupted by a bank robbery.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 12

| EpisodeNumber2 = 6

| Title = Hurricane Hawkins

| DirectedBy = Shelley Jensen

| WrittenBy = Alyson Fouse

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|10|31}}

| ShortSummary = Wanda's in-your-face style is reduced to “in your place, child” when her overbearing mother (Jo Marie Payton) visits.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 13

| EpisodeNumber2 = 7

| Title = Clowns to the Left of Me

| DirectedBy = Bob Koherr

| WrittenBy = Wanda Sykes

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|11|7}}

| ShortSummary = After Wanda offends animal-rights activists, Max puts their leader (Jenny McCarthy) on the show where they form a bond — in silencing Bradley.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 14

| EpisodeNumber2 = 8

| Title = Back to the Club

| DirectedBy = Leonard R. Garner Jr.

| WrittenBy = Sue Murphy

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2003|11|7}}

| ShortSummary = Wanda garners the ire of the show staff when her irreverence toward the station owner moves tapings to late Saturday nights.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 15

| EpisodeNumber2 = 9

| Title = Only Built for Cuban Wandas

| DirectedBy = Bob Koherr

| WrittenBy = Lance Crouther

| OriginalAirDate = Unaired

| ShortSummary = Bradley disses a rap mogul who steps in to appear on the show when the scheduled rapper (RZA) fails to appear.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 16

| EpisodeNumber2 = 10

| Title = Did Wanda Say a 4-Letter Word?

| DirectedBy = Bob Koherr

| WrittenBy = Lance Crouther

| OriginalAirDate = Unaired

| ShortSummary = Wanda goes to Keith's therapist (Cheryl Hines) as a skeptic, but leaves a changed woman, who admits having feelings for Bradley.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 17

| EpisodeNumber2 = 11

| Title = The Plane Trip

| DirectedBy = Bob Koherr

| WrittenBy = Jennifer Fisher

| OriginalAirDate = Unaired

| ShortSummary = Wanda's new boyfriend shows some negative qualities when their plane to a skiing weekend is delayed at the airport.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 18

| EpisodeNumber2 = 12

| Title = The Un-Natural

| DirectedBy = Linda Mendoza

| WrittenBy = Patrick Meighan

| OriginalAirDate = Unaired

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 19

| EpisodeNumber2 = 13

| Title = Twas the Knife Before Christmas

| DirectedBy = Bob Koherr

| WrittenBy = Alyson Fouse

| OriginalAirDate = Unaired

| ShortSummary = Wanda and Keith's Christmas is stymied when Jenny comes down with appendicitis, forcing Wanda to look after Holly and Barris.

| LineColor = F988AE

}}

}}

Note: The unaired second-season episodes were aired for the first time on TV One on July 4, 2006, during the 4th of July launch marathon of the series.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2018}}

Fox premiered it on March 26, 2003. Fox renewed the show for a second season. The show returned with new episodes in September 2003, but in the so-called Friday night death slot at 8:00{{nbsp}}pm. It was canceled on November 7, along with the new Fox comedy series Luis.

During an interview with the Urbanite magazine at Georgia State University, Sykes explained that the show was only supposed to be on Friday night for an interim basis. According to Sykes, "We were told if the new night didn't work out, we would be moved to another timeslot. But, that's part of the game television execs play." She also admitted in a January 2004 interview that she wished that the series would have launched on UPN instead of Fox.{{cite web|url=http://media.www.gsusignal.com/media/storage/paper924/news/2006/04/13/Urbanite/Wanda.Does.Urbanite-2014424.shtml|title=Wanda does Urbanite|last=Huff|first=Dominique |date=2006-04-13|publisher=gsusignal.com|access-date=2009-03-18}}

Reruns began airing regularly on July 5, 2006 on American cable channel TV One. A marathon aired on July 4 as part of the channel's "Power to the People" July 4 weekend celebration.

In 2022, the series is made available for streaming online on Fox Corporation's Tubi.{{cite web|url=https://tubitv.com/series/300008648/wanda-at-large|title=Watch Wanda at Large|website=Tubi|accessdate=May 12, 2022}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2018}}

Wanda at Large premiered on Fox on March 26, 2003, following American Idol. It gradually decreased in the ratings, premiering with 14.3 million viewers, and diminishing to 10 million by the season finale. It still averaged 12.2 million for the six-episode season, however, making it the fourth highest-rated show on Fox that year out of 26, and leading Fox to renew the show. In September, the show returned with new episodes in the Friday night death slot at 8:30{{nbsp}}pm.

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.wandaatlarge.com/}}
• {{IMDb title|0353113}}
• [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wanda_at_large Wanda at Large] on Rotten Tomatoes
• {{epguides|WandaatLarge}}

{{Wanda Sykes}}

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Category:2000s American multi-camera sitcoms

Category:2000s American black sitcoms

Category:2003 American television series debuts

Category:2003 American television series endings

Category:Television series about dysfunctional families

Category:American English-language television shows

Category:Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios

Category:Television shows set in Washington, D.C.

Category:Television series created by Bruce Helford

Category:Television series by Mohawk Productions

Category:Fox Broadcasting Company sitcoms