Just a few months after the premier of her BET.com web-series, “Buppies,” Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum Tatyana Ali is trying to recreate her 90’s sitcom magic with “Love That Girl” on TV One. Produced by Martin Lawrence and created by Bentley Kyle Evans (who produced “The Jamie Foxx Show”), the series features Ali as a divorcee ready to celebrate her freedom by wielding her newly earned real estate license around L.A. in her knock-off designer suits, as her friends so eagerly point out.

With reality shows in heavy rotation on almost every network from Discovery Health to the Food Channel, scripted sitcoms are refreshing and gladly welcomed – especially Black sitcoms. It would seem, however, that the combination of veterans from “Martin”, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “The Jamie Foxx Show” could come up with a better product than “Love That Girl.” From her flamboyant neighbors who prance around in fluffy pink robes, “man purses” and announce “heeeyy!” in unison when they enter a room; to the over-the-top Shaneyney wanna-be who wears neon catsuits to her job at a real estate office and said “oh uh uh!” one too many times for a half-hour show. The corny one-liners and the extreme character personalities left me cringing more than laughing.

If there was any hope of a return to quality scripted television, it won’t come with “Love That Girl.”

-- JADA F. SMITH