diff --git a/pandas/tests/test_graphics.py b/pandas/tests/test_graphics.py
index f2fd98169b585..efb3252a66209 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/test_graphics.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_graphics.py
@@ -489,6 +489,16 @@ def test_series_plot_color_kwargs(self):
         line = ax.get_lines()[0]
         self.assert_(line.get_color() == 'green')
 
+    @slow
+    def test_time_series_plot_color_kwargs(self):
+        # #1890
+        import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+
+        plt.close('all')
+        ax = Series(np.arange(12) + 1, index=date_range('1/1/2000', periods=12)).plot(color='green')
+        line = ax.get_lines()[0]
+        self.assert_(line.get_color() == 'green')
+
 PNG_PATH = 'tmp.png'
 
 def _check_plot_works(f, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/pandas/tools/plotting.py b/pandas/tools/plotting.py
index 60ed0c70d516b..aa6c23e10c2c6 100644
--- a/pandas/tools/plotting.py
+++ b/pandas/tools/plotting.py
@@ -876,6 +876,12 @@ def _get_colors(self):
         colors = self.kwds.pop('colors', cycle)
         return has_colors, colors
 
+    def _maybe_add_color(self, has_colors, colors, kwds, style, i):
+        if (not has_colors and
+           (style is None or re.match('[a-z]+', style) is None)
+            and 'color' not in kwds):
+            kwds['color'] = colors[i % len(colors)]
+
     def _make_plot(self):
         # this is slightly deceptive
         if self.use_index and self._use_dynamic_x():
@@ -886,21 +892,14 @@ def _make_plot(self):
             labels = []
             x = self._get_xticks(convert_period=True)
 
-            has_colors, colors = self._get_colors()
-            def _maybe_add_color(kwargs, style, i):
-                if (not has_colors and
-                    (style is None or re.match('[a-z]+', style) is None)
-                    and 'color' not in kwargs):
-                    kwargs['color'] = colors[i % len(colors)]
-
             plotf = self._get_plot_function()
+            has_colors, colors = self._get_colors()
 
             for i, (label, y) in enumerate(self._iter_data()):
                 ax = self._get_ax(i)
                 style = self._get_style(i, label)
                 kwds = self.kwds.copy()
-
-                _maybe_add_color(kwds, style, i)
+                self._maybe_add_color(has_colors, colors, kwds, style, i)
 
                 label = _stringify(label)
 
@@ -934,11 +933,6 @@ def _make_ts_plot(self, data, **kwargs):
         lines = []
         labels = []
 
-        def _maybe_add_color(kwargs, style, i):
-            if (not has_colors and
-                (style is None or re.match('[a-z]+', style) is None)):
-                kwargs['color'] = colors[i % len(colors)]
-
         def to_leg_label(label, i):
             if self.mark_right and self.on_right(i):
                 return label + ' (right)'
@@ -949,7 +943,7 @@ def to_leg_label(label, i):
             style = self.style or ''
             label = com._stringify(self.label)
             kwds = kwargs.copy()
-            _maybe_add_color(kwds, style, 0)
+            self._maybe_add_color(has_colors, colors, kwds, style, 0)
 
             newlines = tsplot(data, plotf, ax=ax, label=label, style=self.style,
                              **kwds)
@@ -964,7 +958,7 @@ def to_leg_label(label, i):
                 style = self._get_style(i, col)
                 kwds = kwargs.copy()
 
-                _maybe_add_color(kwds, style, i)
+                self._maybe_add_color(has_colors, colors, kwds, style, i)
 
                 newlines = tsplot(data[col], plotf, ax=ax, label=label,
                                   style=style, **kwds)