Honoring all actors who brought us everything from Blacula to Cabin in the Sky to Purple Rain to The Thing With Two Heads -- and everything in between!
Long before Mary J sang about finger lickin' good chicken, there was another Black female star who took a stab at it but knew she looked silly. Since I didn't get cable until I was grown, I had no idea that the late Ms. Shirley Hemphill had a cable comedy show. Personally, I don't know what's funnier - the fact that Colonel Sanders was rumored to be a racist (snopes.com) or that Shirley, in real life, wasn't thinking about any man that couldn't pay her.
I think had she come along about 25 years later, Miss Hemphill would've had a helluva career in comedy that would've gone beyond a few guest spots in Martin or CB4 (1993). While I'm always happy when newcomers give dap to old schoolers, her presence always has a special place in my heart.
What was your favorite Shirley episode from What's Happening? Mine was Shirley's Date because decades later, when I was on bedrest, I ran across the episode on YouTube. The comments made me wet my drawers and then I thought about it...'Why would a dude in a suit come to the hood for a date with a waitress who ain't topless? And take her to a teen house party before there was a House Party?' Anyway, thanks to all for making me laugh before having to change underwear.
For years, there's been an online debate about the cast and storylines of this iconic sitcom from the 70s. Where did Carl go (or better, what was his purpose)? What did that kitchen door lead to? Were Willona and James more than friends? Many of us probably will never know the truth behind the scenes or why creator Norman Lear made these interesting choices.
You're probably like me where in the past few years you've probably had time to binge in front of the set and ponder a few things. I did when I was on bed rest a few years ago. While it seems like a Good Times series remake is out of the question for now, we can have a little fun with these facts about the popular show.
The J.J. Evans character was loaded with charm and talent, making him a somewhat unlikely match for a bevy of beauties during its run from 1974 to 1979. Have you ever noticed that women who were overly affectionate are still working actors today? Yup, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Debbie Allen, Debbie Morgan, Tina Andrews, and the late Rosalind Cash had success in front of and/or behind the camera.
But what about the others? Let's see what they're up to.
Beverleigh Banfield who played the original T. C. (Bookman's assistant), is still active in the business. After taking guest starring roles in the 80s and 90s, her last acting credit was as a voiceover artist in the cartoon Static Shock. Since the 2010s, she's parlayed her talents as a producer and director. She's alive and well at 69 years young.
Rosanne Katon was in an early episode where her snob parents wanted their teen daughter to date someone who wasn't from the PJs. From the mid-70s through the 80s, Katon starred in a number of guest roles and was also known for being one of the first Black Playmates. She quietly retired from acting by the early 90s to focus on family and humanitarian efforts.
Renee Brown didn't play a love interest but a painting student of J.J.'s who quietly forced him to eat a big piece of humble pie during a local art competition. After starring in a number of 70s sitcoms and light crime dramas like James at 16, Brown retired from acting in the early 80s to focus on family.
Ta Tanisha played one of J.J.'s early girlfriends that didn't exactly have his back yet he was so whipped. Anyway, her career goes back to 1969 when she guest-starred on an episode of Mod Squad and remained pretty busy from the 70s to the 80s with sporadic appearances. She also made an uncredited appearance on Alex Martin's (daughter of Whoopi Golberg) reality show in the 00s.
Rolanda Douglas is one of the few actresses who played different roles on the sitcom. First, it was the snobbish girlfriend who was ready to go and cared less about a burned Penny Gordon. Then she was the second T. C. who actually did make a move on the lean, chocolate, loving machine after undergoing a makeover. Her acting credits range from 1976 to 1987.
Brenda Sykes was J.J.'s chain-smoking date who proved an important lesson about the dangers of tobacco products. Besides an extensive list of acting credits for the small and silver screen, she's also known as the former wife of musician and poet Gil Scott Heron. This 1978 role was also her last, according to IMDB.
Fay Hauser played the married woman who wanted to have her cake and eat it at J.J.'s expense (or his developing ulcer). At 74 years young, she's still booked and busy with recent credits including Glee and Shameless. Hauser also has recent producer and director credits to round out her long list of roles that go back to 1978.
While it's nice to see the majority of these actresses are healthy and well, here are some other things that may have been overlooked.
Dap Sugar Willie (above), who played Lootin Lenny, got his start on the comedy circuit. Like Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor, he sold albums of his performances and this was also a promotional tool that landed him roles in a number of 1970s sitcoms. Sadly, he died in 1994 at the age of 55.
Penny (played by Miss Jackson, of course) is actually named Millicent, which is a clever but odd name choice for a Black child of the 70s.
If you think Bernadette Stanis (Thelma) has disappeared from the silver screen, you're mistaken. Since the show's end in 1979, she's made numerous appearances on sitcoms, done voiceovers, and also attended the prestigious Julliard to upgrade her thespian skills. Her last credit was on TV One's Family Business series which stars Ernie Hudson.
Well, it's good to be back y'all and I hope you can stop by every few weeks where we deliver something different.
Lately, I've been watching old Ed Sullivan reruns on the digital broadcasting channel and there are many Black comedians who were either underrated or seemed to disappear from the planet by the time us Gen X's were old enough to understand. I've also discovered other old programs that show an entire host of funny chocolate folks, like Mr. Watson but here's a couple of videos you might like.
This is a new feature I chose to add because 1) Life's too short to not get in a good laugh at least once a week, and 2) I would like to shine a brief light on those comedians that may not be household names today.
Veteran actor and star of the 1970s hit comedy series Benson, Robert Guillaume dies at 89. After co-starring in a number of films, he rose to commercial success playing the butler to a fictional governor Benson DuBois in the popular sitcom Soap. The video below was one of his last televised interviews where he described why he almost didn't accept the iconic role.
No, he wasn't the typical Hollywood actor discussed on this blog but a unique presence he was. If you love straight-to-DVD movies or the comedy shows from the 90's to present, chances are this dude cracked you up at some point.
While May had the potential to be a household name, there were some obstacles that prevented this from happening. During one short career slump, May appeared on Celebrity Fit Club, where he appeared to be handling his morbid obesity. My favorite is the mailman from the early-2000s flick, For Da Love of Money starring Pierre (B.A.P.S.)
Sorry for not posting sooner but I had to share. Especially since it's coming on at 11:30 tonight PST on Comedy Central. If you miss The Boondocks or appreciate the comedy of three teens just hangin', this is so worth checking out. Now, in case you've never seen this half-hour cartoon, it is kinda like 21st century What's Happening. Three teens - one overweight, one silly, and the leader, of sorts - with a love for b-ball (there are some LeBron references in most episodes) and girls. However, there's no neighborhood Big Mama for everyone to love and fear almost equally. In addition, the sexual and drug references make this better-fitted for Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. But in between some of the crass humor are rhetorical jokes that reflect current policy and social situations, as well as some joke targeted to the Gen X crowd.
The early episodes of Sanford and Son were the best...particularly those dealing with affairs of the heart. When it came Grady's turn, it was just cold-blooded all around. His fiancee (played by Norma Miller) tried to place brother on lock. Not gonna give away the entire plot but it's one of the best laughs anyone with a pulse can have.
Anyway, according to sources Ms. Milller is still around and feeling good at 97 years young. Here's a 2016 article,r where she shares her secrets to a long life.
If you're tired of dealing with crazy holiday traffic and looking for something different to get into...the 1973 blaxploitation classic Blackenstein is here to the rescue. In case you didn't know Bounce is now available on Spectrum/Time Warner.
Truth...I've never seen this one in its entirety but I think the trailer is pretty enticing. Get yourself a bag of Chicago-style popcorn, a little something to drink or whatever will make you forget about Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
Growing up I remember those with a lot of singing and comedy bits. Donny and Marie, Mac Davis, Sonny and Cherry were just a few that I liked but GET tv is taking things further by airing short run variety shows.
Like I kind of remember Captain and Tennille and Diana Ross's shows but I never knew about Clifton Davis and melba Moore, Smokey Robinson and others. Tonight they're airing the Temptations variety show and I recommend adding this channel to your favorites if you like rare treats such as this.
If you saw this incredible movie starring the underrated Don Cheadle, then you probably wondered if he was real (I know...duh, but I'm from the West Coast. His show didn't air here). Anyway, a Petey Greene documentary, narrated by Cheadle, debuted last month.
According to Deadline Hollywood, Marlon Wayans and Essence Atkins will star in an NBC pilot based on the veteran comic's life. Atkins will play the usual type A/alpha female she plays often (see: Half and Half from the early 2000s)and Wayans will be a goofy but lovable character (see: old episodes of Wayans Brothers, In Living Color in the later years and 90% of his film work.
On a related note, he's done with parodies and I'd say the timing is just right (Rhymes with Snitch). I saw Shades of Black a few weeks ago and maybe it's may age showing but there's nothing funny about prosthetic phalluses but here's the spoiler...Carol Brady is funny.
Finally, I hope he's reconsidered for the Richard Pryor biopic (see audition tape above).
If you grew up in the 70s, you remember that trip back to 50s nostalgia with Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. Anyway, you also remember that all 3-4 network channels had a load of variety shows. Well, Sha Na Na brought the best of both worlds.
But there was this one lone brother, Denny (or Dennis) Greene who wore this tight gold lame outfit and always seemed content in the background. As a kid growing up in Inglewood, I really wanted for him to have a solo...but now he gets to perform for the angels. RIP
Oh my freak....I was trying to take a break and ran into this Bill Cosby Yahoo story en route to checking my email.
Then I had a flashback to my childhood in Inglewood, CA.
You know that one friend with a wack record collection? I was the opposite being an only child (though I was the big girl back then) and the fact that my mother was one of the youngest on the block who knew her way around VIP Records well. And because of the latter I was always forced to hang with the homey girl (Mom's got things to do and people to see).
One day at her house, a bunch of us kids were bored. Too young to go to mall without a parent. To old to hang out at the park. So we decide to dance to keep from thinking about boys. So Tara pulls out Bill Cosby. I'm thinking 'This fool's more square than she is...who plays him at the disco?'
This ish right here is about 5.5 minutes of a Parliament-inspired instrumental, then it goes into Bill giving his .02 to kids about the dangers of drugs. Then he repeats a chorus of "I don't take no bad drugs", until about the end.
The video above has a catchy beat and of course it's sad because me, like other kids from the 70s and 80s respected Bill...even if we liked Richard Pryor or Eddie Murphy better.
Fast forward to about 5:56 and the jokes will write themselves.
As of last night (7/7/15) BET's Centric channel (which is supposed to target Black/AA women) was the only place to find The Cosby Show. Yesterday, Yahoo reported that Bounce TV pulled 'Cosby', a lesser-known sitcom with the star as a blue collar worker with a somewhat cranky disposition. He's older and not as much fun as Dr. Huxtable but once again Phylicia Rashad played his wife, he has kids as well as racially diverse neighbors (the late Madeline Khan also starred).
If this were the case, it would mean that Fat Albert, Cos, The Bill Cosby Show (show that ran from the late 60s to early 70s that was recently shown on one of the digital television channels), The New Bill Cosby Show, The Cosby Show and Cosby would be a thing of the past as far as TV viewing goes.
I've lived some so I will keep my real opinion out of it. However, I doubt Oprah or Tyler Perry will want to syndicate these shows on OWN or anywhere else. What do you think?
Not the mediocre White comedian that loves to star in Black movies and does stand-up. If you're old enough to remember the original Gong Show, then you know that Chuck Barris was not the original host. Velvety-voiced Gary Owens was a voiceover and hosting veteran whose credits include Laugh-In and other crazy game shows from the 70s. Read more about his life and career. (Variety)
Over the weekend, I had my popcorn ready to get into some real nostalgia, even though I finally got my digital TV situation under control and can now see Bounce TV. My cable listing showed that Gimme a Break was coming on TV One...twice in one evening. Right after the What's Happening reruns went off, I waited to see my Nell Carter...here it is....damn, on comes the Good Times theme song. I've seen enough of Jimmie Walker to last a lifetime! For those who may not remember this was a sitcom before Cosby but broke down stereotypes in its own way. The late Nell Carter played a sassy maid to Dolph Lungren (who passed in the middle of the series' run) and his three daughters in suburbia. While she was overweight and mostly less than glamorous (but she did try from time to time), that character was more real than the Jeffersons' Florence Johnston. Instead of comebacks, she gave the family real advice when the time called for it and seemed to have a little more heart than most domestic technician (Mrs. Garrett from "Diff'rent Strokes/Facts of Life is a close tie). Here is an episode with the late Whitney Houston during her modeling days. Hopefully TV One will get it together by this weekend.
Besides Mama and Disappearing Acts, this is one of Terry McMillan's best works. I remember reading this book in its entirety at a bookstore a few years ago and hoping that a movie adaptation was around the corner. Truthfully, I don't remember the entire story but if you come from a dysfunctional family *raises hand* or love to watch movies about them, I say get your treats by Saturday afternoon so you can veg out the right way.
Now, here's my honest $0.02.
Anyone who is a fan of Terry McMillan knows that TV movie adaptations leave something to be desired. I remember really looking forward to Disappearing Acts on HBO and find that Wesley Snipes is the lead male character, who is not only supposed to be really tall but buff (was Idris Elba not available?)
Wasn't really in love with Taye Diggs being in the Stella movie either. Not that he's not attractive, I just don't see any woman with her own thing going on getting involved with him.
If you have digital TV, you will see that this man made many contributions long before Dr. Huxtable came along in the 1980s. Though he has come under fire for telling the truth about certain communities, I'm glad he's one of the few living legends around today. As an avid DTV watcher, I can find his old movies and Fat Albert cartoon series on Bounce, I Spy reruns on NBC, but I have a hard time getting the channel that shows The Bill Cosby Show (1970). Personally, I don't hear much about this show or why it was taken off the air. So below is an episode with Cicely Tyson as his blind date.
