The PJs

Did You Know?

• The series has aired reruns on Adult Swim, Fuse, MTV2, and TV One.
• Episodes are available on demand for streaming on several apps and websites in the United States including on the LOL! Network and Plex.

Production and release

Over two years and four months, only 43 episodes of The PJs were made, with each installment requiring more than two months of production due to the demanding stop-motion technique. Though co-creator Eddie Murphy is listed as the voice of Thurgood Stubbs in every episode, actor Phil Morris has stated that he actually voiced the character in some installments. According to Morris, Murphy sometimes did not want to come in to record Thurgood’s lines, so the producers brought in Morris to record them in a separate booth from the other actors. This setup allowed the producers to swap in Murphy’s voice later if he chose to record his dialogue. The show ran for two seasons on Fox before moving to The WB in 2000. Its high production costs and falling ratings led to cancellation in 2001, with the final two episodes not airing until 2003. The series later appeared in syndication on Trio, Fuse, MTV2, and Adult Swim. As of 2020, it is no longer syndicated by other networks but occasionally streams on Pluto TV’s Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud! Network, and the full series is available on NBCUniversal’s Peacock. The PJs won three Emmy Awards and one Annie Award. The theme music was produced by Quincy Jones’ son QD3, together with George Clinton.

Characters

Thurgood Orenthal Stubbs, often called The Super or just Super, is the superintendent of the Hilton-Jacobs housing projects and the main character of the show. He is voiced by Eddie Murphy for most episodes, with Phil Morris taking over later, and Mark Moseley serving as an understudy. Thurgood has good intentions, but he is quick to anger, impatient, not especially intelligent, and suffers from numerous health problems. His outfit consists of a white short-sleeved shirt, blue overalls, and brown shoes. His salt-and-pepper hair is styled tall, similar to Don King’s; it was originally a black afro until a wedding-day accident changed it. He has a fear of black rats, as shown in the episode “Fear of a Black Rat.” The show’s comedy often comes from Thurgood’s reluctance to fix the rundown projects or handle the many annoyances of leading a poor urban community. Despite his laughable lack of education, he is kind and can be a natural leader when needed. His diet—heavy on fried foods, red meat, and forties—is another joke, and likely explains his large belly and the health complaints he makes, like angina. Throughout the series, Thurgood uses interjections that reference famous African Americans, such as “What on Eartha Kitt?” or “Mother Marion Barry!” He appears in the background of The Simpsons episode “Missionary: Impossible” as a telethon volunteer alongside characters from other Fox shows, and his image appears on a manhole cover in the Futurama episodes “I Second That Emotion” and “The Luck of the Fryish.” In turn, the PJs episode “Cliffhangin’ with Mr. Super” includes a missing-person poster on a milk carton featuring Futurama’s Philip J. Fry.

Muriel Stubbs, whose maiden name is Warren, is voiced by Loretta Devine. She is Thurgood’s supportive wife and the voice of reason on the show. She wears a pink sweatsuit with the word “Paris” on it, which she got during a trip to Paris with Don King, along with pastel pink shoes. Muriel has a sister named Bebe Ho, who is married to another tenant in the projects. Muriel and Bebe were likely raised in Alabama during the era of school desegregation, as Muriel once met her state’s governor while attending an all-white high school. She explains, however, that the only reason she met him was because he was blocking the school door.

Locations

Thurgood and Muriel live in a ground-level apartment near the building's entrance, set below the street. Most of the outdoor action happens in the front courtyard, where Thurgood and Sanchez sometimes play chess at a corner table. Down in the boiler room, Thurgood kicks back with a Forty and his stack of Jet magazines to brainstorm or unwind. That room once doubled as a beauty salon for Muriel and Bebe in "Weave's Have a Dream," and another episode reveals it contains a nuclear reactor that supplies power to the entire projects. Up on the roof, residents hold a community garden in "Haiti Sings The Blues" and host a gumbo cookoff in "Operation Gumbo Drop." Thurgood meets Tarnell on the street corner to pick up whatever goods he's after. For building supplies, he heads to the HUD Building, whose front sign displays a rotating set of cynical slogans each episode. Near the projects sits a rundown porno theater; Thurgood bought it hoping to fix it up, but accidentally screened a dirty movie on opening night. In season one, episode six, Thurgood stumbles upon a penthouse belonging to Hilton Jacobs hidden inside the building.