Delicate balance

The third and final season of American comedy series Harlem is out now on Prime Video.

Starring Meagan Good, Jerrie Johnson, Grace Byers and Shoniqua Shandai, the series follows the lives of four female friends who met while attending university and are now in their 30s living in Harlem, as they try to balance personal lives with their professional careers.

The series was created by Tracy Oliver, who also co-wrote the hit film Girls Trip (2017). In an interview, the showrunner expressed her gratitude for how far the show has come, despite all the hardships that were faced in the process, and for the positive environment she and her crew were able to create while filming.

“When I first sold the show, we were hit with several setbacks, including a pandemic shutdown in the middle of production and a strike and, honestly, surviving all of that is already a major blessing,” she said.

The project was first announced in 2019 and filming was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2023, the American actors’ union SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) went on strike over a labour dispute, which lasted from July to November and put a pause on many filming projects.

“That said, I’d go for many more seasons if it were up to me, but knowing this was the end going into it, I approached it with that in mind, I wanted everyone’s stories to feel satisfying.

“Harlem restored my faith in this industry and affirmed it is possible to get work done in a positive, loving environment. For our leads, this was a spiritual experience, I watched them pray for each other over the years as we all experienced personal difficulties. Their friendship, the respect they have for each other, and for me, is all real,” she added.

Released in 2021, season one was met with positive reviews and critical acclaim, as it earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96 per cent.