Eve is an American television sitcom created by Meg DeLoatch that originally aired for three seasons on UPN from September 15, 2003, to May 11, 2006.

Featuring an ensemble cast consisting of Eve, Jason George, Ali Landry, Natalie Desselle-Reid, Brian Hooks, and Sean Maguire, the show revolves around two sets of male and female friends attempting to navigate relationships with the opposite sex.

The series was developed as a vehicle for Eve under the working title The Opposite Sex; UPN executives approached the rapper about a television project after the success of fellow musician Brandy in another of the network's sitcoms, Moesha.

Shelly frequently looks for advice from former model Rita Lefleur (Ali Landry) and married friend Janie Egins (Natalie Desselle-Reid), while J.T.

finds support in his best friends, nightclub manager Donovan Brink (Sean Maguire), and IRS worker Nick Dalaney (Brian Hooks).

[5] Episodes typically depict the friends' comedic and romantic adventures and career issues, such as Shelly, Rita, and Janie working together at their Miami-based fashion boutique DivaStyle, and J.T.

[1][6] The six characters each have many dates and serious relationships, and the series can be viewed as an extension of the concept of "the battle of the sexes" for its equal representation of both male and female viewpoints on the matter.

Several celebrities also make cameo appearances on the show, including Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, Brooke Burke, Vivica A.

United Paramount Network (UPN) executives approached Eve about developing a television project following her performance of her rap single "Gangsta Lovin'" (2002) at an event marking the channel's 2002 season premieres.

After the title was established, the show's premise was modified slightly, but remained centered around male and female friends discussing their love lives, and navigating their relationships with the opposite sex.

[15][16] A writer from Today described UPN's enlistment of Eve into a comedy as an example of the network's attempt to form its own identity through targeting a younger, multi-ethnic audience.

[17] In his book TV-a-Go-Go: Rock on TV from American Bandstand to American Idol, Jake Austen identified Eve as part of a trend in which musicians were prominently featured as the stars of television programs; he cited Brandy's role in Moesha and Queen Latifah on Living Single as two other examples.

[18] By the time the series was officially announced during UPN's broadcast upfront presentations, Ali Landry, Natalie Desselle-Reid, and Brian Hooks were confirmed in the roles of Rita, Janie, and Nick, respectively.

[19][21] The supporting cast of Landry, Desselle-Reid, Hooks, and Maguire were described by Tom Jicha of the Sun-Sentinel as "peripheral," since they were written to "servic[e] the highs and lows of the romance between Shelly and J.T."

[6] Since she found comedy to be challenging due to the "certain beats you have to learn," Eve hired two acting coaches to help improve her timing.

[7] During the development of the second season, Eve viewed the set as her home, and felt the process was easier, having grown closer to the cast and crew.

Fern Gillespie of The Crisis was critical of UPN's decision to cancel the series given how the network, "in one swoop, wiped out five of its eight African-American comedies" with the creation of The CW.

Gillespie expressed disappointment at the lack of African American sitcoms on the three major networks, saying: "Without that opportunity for some of the younger artists to hone and develop their skills, it will potentially have a generational impact.

Melanie McFarland of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer praised the changes made during the show's development, and highlighted Maguire as the standout.

"[13] The supporting cast was praised by David Hinckely of the New York Daily News, who wrote that they "form an entertaining and appropriately neurotic chorus behind Eve's relationship dance.

"[33] Brian Josephs of Spin shared positive memories of African-American television shows on UPN, identifying Monday nights on the network as the place "where Eve transformed from Ruff Ryder to sitcom actress.

"[34] Eve was listed by scholar Jake Austen as one of the shows "that emerged in the wake of the civil rights era" that served as "a dynamic showcase for black creativity.

Clark was critical of the episodes' titles, such as "Condom Mania," "She Snoops to Conquer," and "Porn Free," and wrote that they indicated an overuse of "outrageous clichés that boob-tube audiences would come to know and love once reality TV hit its boon.

"[36] Arianna Davis of Refinery29 negatively compared Eve to 1990s black sitcoms, and determined that it was a part of the "rollout of campy shows ... that felt less like purposeful programming and more like cheap attempts at copying a successful advertising model.

"[37] The Los Angeles Times' Mimi Avins felt that the show lacked the spark and the writing quality of Sex and the City, identifying Eve as its weakest link.

She felt that Eve did not show "the acting ability or high-voltage charisma that vaulted Will Smith from rapper to television star" in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

[4] During her review of the pilot episode, Melanie McFarland wrote that the sitcom lacked any potential due to Eve's poor performance on top of the "[t]errible scenery, cheap costumes, and a few glaring miscasts.

[38] Echoing Catlin's assessment, the San Francisco Gate's Tim Goodman was critical of Eve's and Landry's performances.

Goodman also wrote that the show was an example of "the worst writing on television," citing its homophobic jokes and its reliance on clichés.

According to The A.C. Nielsen Company, the show achieved high ratings among "Latina adolescents Ages 12–17," and earned 3.8 million viewers in that demographic in 2005.