It is rare to find a show that actually feels like a specific city's heartbeat. Not the postcard version. Not the "gritty" drama version that makes every street corner look like a crime scene. I'm talking about the real, loud, chaotic, and deeply hilarious soul of a place. That’s exactly what the South Side TV series managed to capture before it was unceremoniously axed by HBO Max (now just Max) in early 2023. Honestly, it’s a tragedy.
Created by Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle, and Sultan Salahuddin, the show isn't just "good for a sitcom." It is a masterclass in hyper-local world-building. Most people outside of Chicago—and even some in it—have a skewed perception of the South Side. The news cycles fixate on statistics and struggle. But this show? It fixates on the hustle. It looks at the guys trying to repossess a water heater or the ambitious cops who are more interested in local gossip than actually making arrests.
If you haven't seen it, the premise sounds simple enough. Two community college grads, Simon and K (played by Sultan Salahuddin and Kareme Young), work at Rent-T-Own. It’s a job they hate. They want to be venture capitalists. They want to be moguls. In reality, they spend their days dodging angry customers and getting caught up in the orbit of some of the most ridiculous characters ever put on screen.
The Anatomy of the South Side TV Series
What makes the South Side TV series stand out from the "workplace comedy" pack is its density. You know how The Simpsons in its prime felt like an entire town existed even when the camera wasn't on them? This show does that for Englewood.
Every character feels like they’ve lived a full life before the scene started. Take Officer Turner and Officer Goodnight. Chandra Russell and Bashir Salahuddin play these two as the most petty, competitive, and wildly unprofessional police officers in television history. They aren't "bad cops" in the systemic sense the media usually portrays; they’re just people who are incredibly bored and obsessed with their own social standing. One minute they’re investigating a lead, the next they’re arguing over who has the better "cool walk."
The dialogue moves at a breakneck pace. You’ll miss three jokes if you sneeze.
- It’s fast.
- It’s unapologetically Black.
- It uses Chicago slang without stopping to explain it to the audience.
That’s a bold move. Most networks want to "generalize" content so it appeals to everyone from Maine to Malibu. The creators of South Side basically said, "Google it if you don't know what we're talking about." That authenticity is why the show has such a cult following. It doesn't pander.
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Why Did Max Cancel It?
Money and mergers. It’s the boring, frustrating answer that defines the current streaming era. When Warner Bros. Discovery started slashing budgets, high-quality but niche comedies were the first on the chopping block. Despite a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its second and third seasons, the South Side TV series didn't have the massive "Stranger Things" numbers required to survive a corporate bloodbath.
Fans were livid. I’m still a little salty about it myself. The show had just moved from Comedy Central to HBO Max, and it felt like it was finally getting the budget it deserved to go even bigger. The third season featured some of the most ambitious episodes, including a hilarious tribute to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that actually worked because it was rooted in the characters' specific neuroses.
The Hustle as a Narrative Engine
In most sitcoms, the plot is driven by a misunderstanding or a romantic "will-they-won't-they." In South Side, the plot is driven by the hustle. Everyone wants something.
Simon wants to move up in the world but is held back by his own bizarre logic. Stacy (played by the brilliant Quincy Young) is just trying to manage the chaos of the Rent-T-Own store while dealing with an endless parade of eccentrics. The show understands that in a neighborhood like Englewood, your "job" is often just the thing you do between your actual dreams.
This leads to some of the most creative B-plots in modern TV. One episode might revolve around a rare pair of sneakers, while another focuses on the politics of a local popcorn shop. It treats small-stakes drama with the intensity of a Shakespearean tragedy. It’s funny because it’s true. If you’ve ever lived in a tight-knit urban community, you know that the guy who sells the best mild sauce is more important than the Mayor.
A Cast of Real Chicagoans
One of the best things the production did was hire locally. A huge chunk of the cast and crew are actually from Chicago. This isn't just a fun fact; it changes the chemistry of the show. When you see a background actor or a guest star, they look and sound like they actually belong on 75th Street.
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Zuri Salahuddin, who plays Stacy, brings a grounded energy that balances out the more "cartoonish" elements of the show. Her timing is impeccable. Then there’s Diallo Riddle’s character, Allen Gayle, a local politician who is the personification of "doing the absolute least."
The chemistry works because many of these people have known each other for years. The Salahuddin brothers and Diallo Riddle have been working together since their days writing for Jimmy Fallon. That shorthand allows for improvised moments that feel organic rather than forced.
The Visual Style of Englewood
Most people don't talk about the cinematography of sitcoms, but we need to talk about it here. The South Side TV series looks vibrant. It’s bright. It’s colorful.
So often, when media portrays the "South Side," they put a gray or blue filter over everything to make it look depressing. This show rejects that. It shows the beauty in the murals, the shine on a Cadillac, and the organized chaos of a neighborhood festival. It treats the setting with dignity by showing it as it is: a place where people live, laugh, and try to make a buck.
The Legacy of the Show in 2026
Even though new episodes aren't being made, the show's DNA is everywhere. You can see its influence in the way newer comedies are prioritizing hyper-local stories. It proved that you don't need to water down your culture to be funny.
If you go back and rewatch it now, it feels like a time capsule of a specific era of Chicago life. It’s also just endlessly rewatchable. Because the joke density is so high, you’ll catch things in the background of the Rent-T-Own store in your third viewing that you never noticed before.
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How to Watch South Side Now
Currently, the South Side TV series is still available to stream on Max (formerly HBO Max). There have been rumors of it being licensed out to FAST channels (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) like Tubi or Roku, which would actually be a great fit for it. It’s the kind of show that rewards channel surfers who stumble upon it and get sucked into its world.
If you're a fan of Atlanta, The Office, or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, this is mandatory viewing. It’s smarter than The Office and more grounded than Always Sunny, while being just as cynical about human nature.
What We Can Learn From the "South Side" Approach
The success and eventual cancellation of the show offer some pretty clear insights for creators and fans alike.
First, niche is better than broad. People didn't just "like" South Side; they obsessed over it because it felt like it was made specifically for them. In a world of "content" that feels like it was generated by an algorithm to offend the fewest people possible, South Side was loud, specific, and occasionally offensive in the best way.
Second, support the things you love while they’re on the air. Streaming services are ruthless. They don't care about "prestige" or "critical acclaim" as much as they care about immediate, massive retention.
Practical Steps for New Viewers:
- Start from Season 1, Episode 1. While it’s an episodic comedy, the world-building is cumulative. You need to understand the hierarchy of Rent-T-Own to appreciate the later chaos.
- Pay attention to the background. The signs in the windows, the items on the shelves, and the names of the businesses are all part of the joke.
- Don't use subtitles immediately. Try to catch the rhythm of the Chicago dialect. It’s part of the music of the show.
- Tell someone about it. The only way these "gone too soon" shows get a second life—or a spiritual successor—is if the viewership numbers stay consistent on the back end.
The South Side TV series may be over for now, but its impact on the landscape of Black comedy is permanent. It gave a voice to a part of the world that is usually spoken for by others. It let Chicago be funny, weird, and complicated. And honestly? We need more of that.
Stop scrolling through the "Top 10" lists on your streaming homepage and go find the Rent-T-Own crew. It’s the best decision you’ll make this week.