Frasier star Kelsey Grammer serves as an executive producer on Girlfriends, a show about the lives of four African-American women and their male friend. Joan Clayton (Tracee Ellis Ross) is a successful lawyer, and her secretary, Maya Denise Wilkes (Golden Brooks), is also her best friend. Lynn Ann Searcy (Persia White), a friend of Joan's since her college days, is the proverbial student. Lynn holds several degrees and is still in school, afraid to face the real world.

Jill Marie Jones plays Antoinette Marie "Toni" Childs, and is the egocentric girlfriend whose main goal in life to marry a rich man. Reggie Hayes plays William Dent, a colleague of Joan's at the law firm and an all around funny guy.

In the series first two seasons, Girlfriends seemed to focus on the humorous side of jobs, romances, and life in general. As season three unfolds, Girlfriends still has some funny moments, but deals with some decidedly more dramatic issues. The girls and their male friend deal with new relationships, divorce, work discrimination, and even AIDS.

Keeping relationships together is a central theme of Girlfriends: The Third Season. Joan starts the season in search of a new boyfriend. She has a chance meeting with an actor named Ellis Carter (Adrian Lester) and they have an on and off relationship all season. As with all of her prior relationships, there is a lot of bickering and she tries not to "go all Joan on him."

Joan's attempt to be supportive is put to the test in "Blinded by the Lights" when Ellis asks her to the premiere of his new movie, but requests that they pretend they’re not together so he can maintain his single status. While Joan tries to be the supportive girlfriend, her female friends don't approve of her sacrifices.

After admitting to having an affair during the second season, Maya is having all kinds of marital difficulties. In the season premiere, "Coming to Terms," Maya is still struggling to get Darnell to talk to her after a month apart. The couple eventually seeks counseling from their minister, but don't find it helpful. Despite a brief romantic tryst, Darnell announces he wants a divorce. After that, Maya is forced to deal with the issues of being single and raising a child.

Meanwhile, Toni meets the perfect man: a rich plastic surgeon, Dr. Jason Garrett. However, he has some faults that Toni seems to bring up at every turn — he's short and white — though the doctor obviously brings her great happiness. That she can't change his height or race bothers her some.