The Wayans Bros.

Marlon and Shawn

We're brothers!
 We're happy and we're singing and we're colored!
*Beat*
Gimme a high-five!

Sitcom that ran on The WB from 1995 to 1999, staring real-life brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans. The series' premise was pretty simple: The two brothers lived in a shared one-bedroom apartment in New York. Said apartment was above their father's restaurant, called simply "Pops", which the two would visit on occasion during the first season.

In the second season, Pops moved his restaurant to the Neidermeyer Building, where Shawn managed to acquire a newspaper stand and worked alongside Marlon. The rest of the series took place here. The newspaper stand came with a security guard (Lou in the second season, Dee for the remainder of the show) who became a close friend of theirs. The boys also moved into a brownstone which still had one bedroom.

The Wayans Bros was generally a situation comedy with the brothers getting into silly hijinks and trying to figure a way out of them. If you were a fan of The WB back in 90s, no doubt you were watching this.

Tropes used in The Wayans Bros. include:
  • Acquired Situational Narcissism: Even though he always have been a bit arrogant, it happens to Marlon who, after becoming an stage actor and embarked on a successful tour with Keith Sweat, acts like a total dick until he screwed up and the play was cancelled.
    • Shawn as well in the season one episode "I'm Too Sexy For My Brother", in which he steals Marlon's thunder and becomes a model. Of course Shawn then-girlfriend Lisa called him out at the end.
  • Actor Allusion: In one episode Marlon sees Shawn spinning records and says "Give it up for SW1!"
    • There was one episode where the brothers asked their uncle, played by Antonio Fargas, what ever happened to those platform shoes with the goldfish inside of them.
    • In one episode Marlon says, "I haven't see Dee this angry since they cancelled Amen!" the actress who played Dee starred on the show.
  • Age-Inappropriate Dress: the episode "Hip-Hop Pops" where Pops starts dressing and acting like someone in his 20's.

Shawn (to Pops): You look like the Grinch That Stole Hip-Hop!

  • Amusing Injuries: Some of the cold openings in the first season had Marlon electrocuted from fixing a toaster, burning alive from trying to cook french fries and having his head explode from blowing up the hundtreth balloon for a party. Usually Shawn reacts nonchalantly about these situations.
  • Annoying Younger Sibling: Marlon
  • Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?: Frequently invoked before Shawn and Marlon set out on a scheme.
  • Bad Bad Acting: Shawn and Marlon do this when trying to lure a burglar back to their apartment to catch him.
    • They also did it to sweet talk Pops to give his brother the loan.

Pops: I've seen better acting on Homeboys in Outer Space.

  • BBW: Dee
  • Big Applesauce
  • Big Eater: Dupree and Dee
  • Boxing Episode: Marlon fights Hector Macho Camacho
  • Brother Chuck: Shawn's girlfriend Lisa, Lou, Monique, White Mike, Dupree, T.C., and Pop's cook Bennie.
  • Burger Fool: Shawn temporarily worked at a fast food restaurant to keep up with the rent since the newsstand burned down and was in need of repairs. Which was particularly embarrassing when an old teacher of his stopped by with her class and didn't believe him when he tried explaining why he was there. But everything got better though.
  • Captain Ersatz: "Everybody Loves Everybody" seems to be a blend of Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond (if only in name).
  • Catch Phrase: Pops: "BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!"
    • "YEET-TI-TI!"
  • Celebrity Lie: While Shawn and Marlon did know Busta Rhymes, the rapper didn't like them Shawn insulted Busta's girlfriend when they were kids and the brothers trick him into performing in a benefit to save Dee's church from foreclosure.
  • Celebrity Star: Including R&B singer Keith Sweat, En Vogue, Erik Estrada, and Jerry Springer.
  • Christmas Episode: Santa Claus holds the gang at gunpoint because they lacked the Christmas Spirit.
  • Citizenship Marriage: Shawn
  • Clip Show: The 100th episode "Three On a Couch.
  • Continuity Nod: A 2nd season episode had Pop's mentioned that a Cajun restaurant ran by a rival cook named Rick had opened up across the street. This would be a plot point in the season five episode "Romeo & Jeleta" where Shawn dates the rival's daughter.
    • The aforementioned "Three On a Couch was filled to the brim with these.
  • Cool Old Lady: Grandma Ellington
  • Courtroom Episode: Marlon sues Shawn. Hilarity Ensues.
  • The Danza: Shawn and Marlon.
    • Also Pops' actual name is John, and is played by John Witherspoon.
  • Dawson Casting: Dee stated that she was 38 in one season 3 episode. Her actress was 10 years older at that time.
  • The Ditz: Marlon
  • Don't Make Me Take My Belt Off: Pops
  • Double Standard: Pointed out by Marlon in the episode "Ho's on the First", in which he dates a girl who, as the title suggests, really got around. He realizes how he and Shawn have dated a bunch of girls in their day and they never got called on it just because they're guys. He still loves her no matter what and sees that it's in the past, but he's suspecions got the best of him and they broke up.
  • Embarrassing First Name: It's revealed in one episode that T.C.'s actual name is Thelonius Capricornio.
  • Fake Band: Pops was once the lead singer of The Temptones. Their hit? "When My Love Goes Bang, Bang, Bang."
  • Flanderization: In earlier episodes, Marlon wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer but he still had a good degree of common sense and worldliness about him. In later episodes...not so much.
  • Flash Back: Parodied; Marlon begins to have one when he and Shawn visit the house they grew up in. Complete with the harp music and rippling screen, until Shawn stops him momentarily and then joins with him as the flashback continues.
  • Game Show Appearance: The family appears on a Family Feud-esque show called Family Battle.
  • The Ghost: Shawn and Marlon's mother is mentioned, but never seen. This also applies to Dee's mother.
  • Handsome Lech: Shawn. Although he has a healthy flow of women, it's revealed in one episode that he has a fear of commitment.
  • Hey, It's That Guy! / Hey, It's That Voice!: John Witterspoon (Pops) is probably recognizable now as the voice of Robert Freeman on The Boondocks. This also isn't the first time he and Anna Maria Horsford (Dee) worked together; they were Mr and Mrs. Jones in the Friday films.
  • In with the In Crowd: Shawn
  • It's a Wonderful Plot: Marlon has one after gambling away the money for Pops' birthday present.
  • Keep Circulating the Tapes: Season 1 is available on DVD. No plans to release Seasons 2-5. However, it's shown several times a day on MTV 2 and on Centric.
  • Lottery Ticket: Marlon
  • Mistaken for Cheating: This happens to Pops when the brothers grow suspicious about him going out in the middle of the night in a suit. He was taking dancing lessons and he wanted to suprise his wife.
  • Mistaken for Dying: This also happens to Pops in "Pop's Last Hurrah". He was getting a check up for his hemmoroids, and was embarrassed to tell his sons.
  • Mistaken for Murderer: The gang thinks Grandma's new beau is a serial killer who preys on old women.
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: One episode involved a suspiciously named Arnold Crump, the millionaire who threaten to tear down Pops' diner in one episode.
    • Speaking of which, the brothers have a tendency to crack jokes at celebrity shortcomings
  • No Ending: The show never got a proper series finale, something Shawn Wayans' character lampshades in the first Scary Movie.
  • The Rashomon: The episode "Fire!" No one is telling the truth.
  • Real Song Theme Tune: For the first two seasons, the show used A Tribe Called Quest "Electric Relaxation" as the opening theme tune.
  • Running Gag: Pop's taking off his belt whenever the boys got out of line or twitching his eyes whenever he's lying.
    • Marlon being unable to pay his half of the rent.
    • The brothers (usually Marlon) always crying out "WHY!" whenever they think someone has died.
    • Shawn calling Marlon "stoopid" whenever he does or says something...well..stupid.
  • Sassy Black Woman: Dee
  • Screams Like a Little Girl: Marlon.
    • Shawn at times.
  • Shout-Out: Done a few times, but the best example is in the episode "Unspoken Token" where Shawn dreams that he is on an episode of Good Times, in which the brothers have referenced a few times before.
  • Show Within a Show: In the later seasons, Marlon gets a job on the show Everybody Loves Everybody.
  • Sibling Team: Shawn and Marlon Wayans are this in the show and in real life.
  • Take That: Several celebrity jabs made by the brothers.

Shawn (talking about Marlon's passion for art): It's about as real as Michael Jackson's wedding. (Cue laughter and graons from the audiences.)

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