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| genre = [[Sitcom]]
| image =AbbyTVSeriesTitleCard.jpg
| caption =
| alt = An image with the word "Abby" against a dark backdrop with lights
| creator = {{
* Mitchel Katlin
* Nat Bernstein
}}
| executive_producer = {{
*Nat Bernstein
*Mitchel Katlin
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}}
| runtime = 30 minutes
| starring = {{
* [[Sydney Tamiia Poitier]]
* [[Kadeem Hardison]]
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| country = United States
| language = English
| company = {{
* Katlin/Bernstein Productions
* [[CBS Productions]]
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| first_aired = {{Start date|2003|1|6}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2003|3|4}}
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 10 (1 unaired)
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| location = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| camera = [[multiple-camera setup|Multi-camera]]
}}
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[[File:Sydney Tamiia Poitier.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.85|[[Sydney Tamiia Poitier]] plays the lead character of ''Abby''.|alt=A woman wearing a tan/gold dress. She is looking toward the left, while smiling toward cameras.]]
Set in [[San Francisco]], the series follows its titular character Abigail "Abby" Walker ([[Sydney Tamiia Poitier]]), one of the few women working for the fictional television sports program ''West Coast Sports Report''.<ref name="Journal1">{{cite journal|date=January 27, 2003|title=Sydney Tamiia Poitier Tackles Racy Sports World and Rocky Love Life as Star of New TV Show 'Abby'|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fr4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58|volume=103|issue=5|pages=58–60, 62|journal=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709023225/https://books.google.com/books?id=Fr4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58|archive-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> Although Abby becomes the producer of ''West Coast Sports Report'',<ref name="Book2">[[Abby (TV series)#Terrace2008|Terrace (2008)]]: p. 4</ref><ref name="Source5">{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/advice-upn-rid-abby-article-1.667600|title=Advice for UPN: Get Rid of 'Abby'|last=Bianculli|first=David|date=January 6, 2003|work=[[New York Daily News]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413045804/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/advice-upn-rid-abby-article-1.667600|archive-date=April 13, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Source8">{{cite web|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/TV/20030106owen0106fnp5.asp|title=TV Reviews: 'Abby' a trite sexcom; Travel show examines jet crashes|last=Owen|first=Rob|date=January 6, 2003|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|access-date=May 28, 2018|archive-date=February 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213071716/http://old.post-gazette.com/TV/20030106owen0106fnp5.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> according to Bernadette Adams Davis of ''[[PopMatters]]'', the character does not display a particular interest in any sport.<ref name="Source11">{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/abby-030116-2496237226.html|title=Abby|last=Davis|first=Bernadette Adams|date=January 15, 2003|work=[[PopMatters]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413045804/https://www.popmatters.com/abby-030116-2496237226.html|archive-date=April 13, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Poitier characterized Abby as a woman who "doesn't design herself to fit other people's perceptions and wants".<ref name="Journal1" /> Episodes include storylines where Abby imagines being someone else, and overshares details about her love life with her best friend, Max Ellis ([[Randy J. Goodwin]]),<ref name="Book2" /> who is also the program's anchorman.<ref name="Journal1" />
In the pilot, Abby breaks up with her boyfriend, Will Jeffries ([[Kadeem Hardison]]), but they argue over their [[Rent control in the United States|rent-controlled]] apartment and decide to share it as [[Platonic love|platonic]] roommates. A writer for [[Jet (magazine)|''Jet'']] called their relationship "antagonistic and supportive".<ref name="Journal1" /> Will, a professional photographer, still harbors feelings for Abby and attempts to rekindle their romance.<ref name="Books1">[[Abby (TV series)#brooksmarsh2009|Brooks & Marsh (2009)]]: pp. 8–9</ref> He is portrayed as selfish with no interest in her professional life. Incidents showing his negative behavior include his purchase of an expensive watch for himself for their second anniversary, and his marriage proposal to Abby saying "there is no more perfect gift" than himself.<ref name="Source7">{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-06/lifestyle/0301030761_1_abby-walker-sydney-tamiia-poitier-upn|title=Tv Advice: Check Out New Upn Show Abby|last=Jicha|first=Tom|date=January 6, 2003|work=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413045804/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-06/lifestyle/0301030761_1_abby-walker-sydney-tamiia-poitier-upn|archive-date=April 13, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Abby''<nowiki/>'s concept and tone received comparisons to the [[sitcom]]s ''[[Three's Company]]'' and ''[[Will & Grace]]''.<ref name="Source5" /><ref name="Source23">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/abby-tv-series-v280397|title=Abby|last=Erickson|first=Hal|publisher=[[AllMovie]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413191514/https://www.allmovie.com/movie/abby-tv-series-v280397|archive-date=April 13, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Rob Owen (journalist)|Rob Owen]] referred to the series as a [[sex comedy]],<ref name="Source8" /> though other critics felt it was a [[romantic comedy]].<ref name="Source12">{{cite web|url=
Abby's sister, Joanne "Jo" Walker (Tangie Ambrose), and Max each support Abby.<ref name="Journal1" /> Jo encourages her to move on from her relationship with Will, while Max harbors an [[Unrequited love|unrequited crush]] on Abby over the course of the series.<ref name="Books1" /> Abby frequently clashes with her chauvinistic boss, Roger Tomkins ([[Sean O'Bryan]]),<ref name="Journal1" /> who is also close friends with Will.<ref name="Source11" /> Roger frequently attends the [[Strip club|gentlemen's club]] "The Booty Barn" with Will,<ref name="Source11" /> and advises him to reconcile with Abby.<ref name="Books1" /> The ''[[Sun-Sentinel]]''<nowiki/>'s Tom Jicha described Roger as the series' "[[Tokenism|token white]]" character.<ref name="Source7" /> Abby's mother and father, played by [[Michelle Phillips]] and [[Charlie Robinson (actor)|Charlie Robinson]], appear as [[recurring character]]s.<ref name="PostStar1">{{cite web|url=https://poststar.com/lifestyles/making-her-own-name/article_def6bd0b-7709-524a-acd4-df7c47fe2f95.html|title=Making her own name|last=Byrne|first=Bridget|date=January 2, 2003|work=[[The Post-Star]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413045804/http://poststar.com/lifestyles/making-her-own-name/article_def6bd0b-7709-524a-acd4-df7c47fe2f95.html|archive-date=April 13, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
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|WrittenBy=Nat Bernstein & Mitchel Katlin
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|2|11}}<ref name="TVGuideAirDates" />
|ShortSummary= Abby invites Will to her
|Viewers=2.01<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41429708/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Television Rankings|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 21, 2003|page=E43|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|LineColor=4A96FF
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==Broadcast history==
UPN promoted the series as part of "an aggressive rollout strategy",<ref name="Source7" /> targeting a primarily African-American audience.<ref name="Source16">{{cite web|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/upn-introduces-three-new-shows|title=UPN introduces three new shows|last=Wilkerson|first=David B.|date=May 16, 2002|publisher=[[MarketWatch]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528192119/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/upn-introduces-three-new-shows|archive-date=May 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="LATimes1">{{cite web|url=
Commercially unsuccessful, ''Abby'' ranked last on the list of 146 shows tracked by the [[Nielsen Holdings]]; it attracted an average of 1.7 million viewers per week.<ref name="Source1" /> Canceled after a nine-episode season,<ref name="Source14" /> the series had its final episode air on March 4, 2003.<ref name="BookFinalEpisode">[[Abby (TV series)#Smith2010|Smith (2010)]]: p. 1603</ref> From July 2003 to August 2003, [[rerun]]s aired on Tuesday nights at 8:30{{nbsp}}pm{{nbsp}}EST.<ref name="Books1" /> Overall, ''Abby'' was broadcast for a total of 270 minutes.<ref name="Source52">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/23/the-1657-tv-shows-that-spent-less-time-on-the-air-than-the-hillary-clinton-benghazi-hearing/|title=The 1,657 TV shows that spent less time on the air than the Hillary Clinton Benghazi hearing|last=Bump|first=Philip|date=October 23, 2015|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|publisher=WP Company LLC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927175220/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/23/the-1657-tv-shows-that-spent-less-time-on-the-air-than-the-hillary-clinton-benghazi-hearing/|archive-date=September 27, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
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=== Book sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Brooks |first1 = Tim |last2 = Marsh |first2 = Earle F. |title =The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&dq=%22Abby+Situation+Comedy%22&pg=PA8|year = 2009 |publisher =[[Random House Publishing Group]] |location = New York|isbn = 978-0-345-49773-4 |ref =brooksmarsh2009 }}
* {{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture [4 volumes]|editor-last1 = Smith |editor-first1 = Jessie Carney|year = 2010 |publisher =[[ABC-CLIO]]|location =Santa Barbara |isbn = 978-0-313-35796-1 |ref = Smith2010}}
* {{cite book |last = Terrace |first = Vincent|title = Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 |year = 2008 |publisher = [[McFarland & Company|McFarland]] |location = Jefferson|isbn =978-0-7864-6477-7|ref = Terrace2008}}
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[[Category:2000s American romantic comedy television series]]
[[Category:2000s American sex comedy television series]]
[[Category:2000s American multi-camera sitcoms]]
[[Category:2003 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2003 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television shows set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Television series by CBS Studios]]
[[Category:UPN
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