The title of the series was inspired by the NBC announcement of broadcasts being presented "in living color" during the 1960s, prior to mainstream color television. It also refers to the fact that most of the show's cast was black, unlike other sketch comedy shows such as "Saturday Night Live", whose casts are mostly white. It was controversial due to the Wayans' decision to portray black humor from a raw and uncut perspective in a time when mainstream American tastes regarding black comedy had been set by shows such as "The Cosby Show", causing an eventual feud for control between Fox executives and the Wayans.