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C-16:FBI/ABC/1997-98
**(Morris Chestnut) Mal Robinson, a black FBI agent part of team of special Los
Angeles-based FBI operatives recruited for a newly formed investigative unit
called C-16.
CAGNEY & LACEY/CBS/1982-88
**(Carl Lumbly) Mark Petrie, a perfectionist black plainclothes police detective
who worked with female detectives Cagney & Lacey at the 14th Precinct in New
York City.
THE CAPE/ABC/1996-67
**(Whitman Mayo) Sweets, black owner of the Moonshot Bar & Grille frequented by
local pilots and astronauts. Also featured was Tyra Ferrell as Mission
Specialist Tamara St. James.
CAR 54, WHERE ARE YOU?/NBC/1961-63
**(Nipsey Russell) Officer Anderson, African-American officer on duty at the
53rd Precinct Bronx Police station (1961-62) where the series stars Officer
Toody and Muldoon worked. Nipsey Russell died of cancer on October 2, 2005 at
Lenox Hill dHospital in New York City.
CARIBE/ABC/1975
*(Carl Franklin/costar) Sgt. Mark Walters, a black member of the Caribbean
Force, an international crime fighting agency based in Miami. Franklin
co-starred with white actor Stacy Keach.
CARTER COUNTRY/ABC/1977-79
*(Kene Holliday/co-star) Sgt. Curtis Baker, a black deputy working in a small
Georgian town of Clinton Corners who had to contend with redneck Chief Roy
Mobely and storylines featuring Klu Klux Klan, crosses burning on lawns and
other racial hatred. Vernee Watson appeared as his girlfriend, Lucille Banks,
the mayor's secretary.
CASABLANCA/ABC/1955-56/NBC/1983
**(Clarence Muse) Sam, a black piano player working in a North African bistro
called Rick's Cafe during the days of World War II. Scatman Crothers played Sam
in the updated version produced by NBC in 1983. Dooley Wilson played the
original Sam, the piano player in the classic 1942 movie Casablanca wherein
Humphrey Bogart was wrongly attributed with saying "Play it again, Sam."
CATWALK/SYN/MTV/1992-94
*(Kelly Taylor) Mary Owens, a female auto mechanic with a black father and a
white mother who played bass guitar for a Toronto-based pop rock group.
CHARLIE AND CO./CBS/1985-86
*(Flip Wilson) Charlie Richmond, a black middle class employee of the Division
of Highways who juggled his work and home life with his lovely wife, Diana
played by Gladys Knight. The outspoken Richmond children included Kristoff St.
John as Charlie, Jr.(Junior); Fran Robinson as Lauren; and Jaleel White as
Robert. Della Reese played Diana's sarcastic Aunt Rachel.
CHARMED/WB/1998-2006
**(Dorian Gregory) Darryl Morris, a tall, black easygoing detective working for
the San Francisco Police Department. Darryl learned that the three Halliwell
sisters were actually witches with special powers. Instead of reporting this
fact to his superiors, Darryl keeps the information on the QT and assists the
witches when he can to battle demons and other criminals bent on hurting the
citizens of his fair city. Darryl discovered the Halliwell's secret when
Inspector Andy Trudeau died saving Phoebe's Halliwell's life from a demon.
Phoebe and Andy were high school sweethearts and had been dating before his
death. Darryl was Andy's partner and best friend.
THE CHARMINGS/ABC/1987-88
**(Paul Winfield) The Mirror, a ghostly black apparition who lived in the
smoke-filled mirror of Lillian, the evil step-mother of Snow White. The story
line was a continuation of the children's fairy tale of Snow White and Prince
Charming but updated with the characters living in the 20th century.
CHECK IT OUT/USA/SYN/1985-89
**(Tonya Williams) Jennifer Woods, a black cashier and check-out girl at Cobb's
supermarket.
CHECKING IN/CBS/1981
*(Marla Gibbs) Florence Johnston, an executive housekeeper at the Manhattan
based St. Frederick's Hotel. Originally, Florence was the wise-cracking
housemaid on the situation comedy THE JEFFERSONS/CBS/1975-85. This spin-off
series was short-lived, and the Florence character soon returned to THE
JEFFERSONS. Also featured was Jordan Gibbs as Dennis, the bellboy.
CHICO AND THE MAN/NBC/1974-78
**(Scatman Crothers) Louie, a neighborhood garbage man in the barrio of East Los
Angeles and friend to a crusty old white garage mechanic and an Hispanic youth.
Della Reese appeared as Della Rogers the owner of a nearby diner.
CHINA BEACH/ABC/1988-91
**(Michael Boatman) Pvt. Sam Beckett, black Army soldier assigned to fight in
the Vietnamese Conflict of the 1960's. He operated the Morgue at China Beach
near Da Nang. Also featured was Nancy Giles as Pvt. Frankie Bunsen.
CHICAGO HOPE/CBS/1994-2000
*(Vondi Curtis-Hall/costar) Dr. Dennis Hancock, black physician working at the
Illinois-based Chicago Hope Hospital. Also featured was Rocky Carroll as Dr.
Keith Wilkes, the cocky Chief of Trauma introduced in 1996. Other cast included
Vanessa Williams as Dr. Grace Carr [episodes 46 - 54 ]; and Charlayne Woodard as
Gina Wilkes [episodes 55-133].
CITY/CBS/1990
**(Tyra Ferrell) Wanda Jenkins, black secretary to Liz Gianni, the harried city
manager at the Department of City Services of an unnamed metropolis.
CITY GUYS/NBC/1997-2002
*(Wesley Jonathan) Jamal Grant, a black street kid from Harlem who befriends a
preppy white teenager (both had been expelled from every school in the greater
New York City metropolitan area). Other cast were Steven Daniel as Lionel “El
Train” Johnson, Manhattan High’s resident bully with a heart of gold; and
Marcella Lowery as Mrs. Karen Noble, Manhattan High’s no-nonsense principal.
CITY OF ANGELS/CBS/2000
*(Blair Underwood) Dr. Ben Turner, talented black surgeon working at Angels of
Mercy, a struggling county hospital in Los Angeles. Other hospital staff include
Vivica A. Fox as Medical Director Dr. Lillian Price; Michael Warren as chief
executive officer Ron Harris; Hill Harper as resident Dr. Wesley Williams; Phil
Buckman as resident Dr. Geoffrey Weiss; T. E. Russell as first-year resident Dr.
Arthur Jackson, Viola Davis as Nurse Lynette Peeler, and Maya Rudolph as Nurse
Grace Patterson.
CLASS OF ‘96/FOX/1993
**(Perry Moore) Antonio Hopkins, bright black student attending Havenhurst
College, a fictional Ivy League school in the Northeast. Bridgid Coulter also
appeared as Janet Keeler, Antonio’s girlfriend who wealthy black father resented
the fact his daughter was dating someone who came from the ghetto.
CLAUDE'S CRIB/USA/1997
*(Claude Brooks) Claude, a black college student who turns the house he
inherited from his grandmother into a boarding room for a diverse bunch of
20-somethings tenants so he can pay the bills and make ends meet. Also featured
were Tembi Locke as Kaylene, a sexy, smart aerobics instructor and wanna-be
director who has a love/hate relationship with Claude; and Anthony C. Hall as
Shorty, Claude's friend since childhood who keeps him abreast of what's
happening in the neighborhood.
CLEGHORNE!/WB/1995
*(Ellen Cleghorne) Ellen Carlson, a black single mom working at a TV commercial
production service in New York City. Other cast members included Cerita Monet
Bickelman as her young daughter, Akeyla; Garrett Morris as Ellen's postal worker
father, Sydney; Alaina Reed Hill as her mother, Lena; Michael Ralph as Ellen's
ex-husband, Tyrell; and Sherri Shepherd as her sister, Victoria.
CLEOPATRA 2525/SYN/UPN/2000
*(Gina Torres) Hel, black female warrior who battles to restore Mankind to the
surface world long since taken over by monstrous flying creatures called Baileys
in the year 2525. Her father died fighting the Baileys and so Hel, guided by a
voice she hears through a receptor implanted in her jaw, spearheads an ongoing
mission to reclaim the surface of the earth from the deadly airborne creatures.
Gina Torres made her television debut as a guest star on the popular ABC daytime
drama ONE LIFE TO LIVE and recurred on the show as a number of different
characters, ranging from an aerobics instructor to a Spanish contessa. Gina
Torres is widely known for her recurring role as Nebula in syndicated action
adventure HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEY and appeared as Cleopatra in the
enormously popular syndicated action adventure XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS. She
previously starred in the Fox television movies Dark Angel and M.A.N.T.I.S. and
has guest-starred in numerous series, including NYPD BLUE, LAW & ORDER,
PROFILER, LA FEMME NIKITA, THE GREGORY HINES SHOW, HOUSE OF BUGGIN’ and SESAME
STREET. Gina was born in New York City and grew up the youngest of three
children in a close-knit Cuban American family. She is also a gifted mezzo
soprano, and trained in opera, jazz and in a gospel choir. Note: The author has
placed Gina Torres in the African-American category, because, he feels her on
screen appearance (facial features) more closely resembles an African-American.
THE CLIENT (JOHN GRISHAM'S THE CLIENT)/CBS/1995-96
**(Ozzie Davis) Judge Harry Roosevelt, black court official who presided over
the cases of Atlanta-based family law attorney Regina 'Reggie" Love. Ozzie Davis
also appeared in the 1994 movie of the same name that inspired the series.
CLUELESS/ABC/UPN/1996-99
*(Stacey Dash/costar) Dionne Marie Davenport, a black Beverly Hills teenager who
frequents the malls of Southern California shopping for clothes with her two
close white high school gal pals. Other cast included Donald Adeosun Faison as
Murray, the ultra hip black teen who become the unwitting pawn in schemes
concocted by ex-girlfriend Dionne and her best friend Cher; and Sean Holland as
the hip sidekick and best friend to Murray. Holland has a career as a rap artist
and performs under the name Novacain (cq).
CODE NAME: FOXFIRE/NBC/1985
*(Sheryl Lee Ralph/costar) Maggie Bryan, (aka "the Cat") a reformed
African-American thief from Detroit who joined forces with two other sexy
government agents as part of a special counterespionage team coordinated by the
brother of the U.S. President.
CONAN: THE ADVENTURER/SYN/1997-98
**(T. J. Storm) Bayu, black heathen warrior companion of the mighty Conan the
Barbarian who traveled the ancient world in search of adventure. Bayu comes from
Xuchotl, an abandoned city in a remote mountainous region south of Cimmeria
known as the Black Kingdoms. Bayu met Conan in an episode entitled "The Siege of
Ahl Sohn-Bar." At the end of the episode Bayu decides to team up with Conan,
Otli, and Zzeben to help them overthrow the evil forces of Hissah Zul.
CONRAD BLOOM/NBC/1998-99
**(Paula Newsome) Faye Reynolds, black female and one of a number of support
staff working for a New York Advertising firm that acted as the backdrop for
this white sitcom.
THE CONTENDER/CBS/1980
*(Moses Gunn/costar) George Beifus, black ex-boxer who trained and managed an
aspiring white boxer name Johnny Captor.
THE COP AND THE KID/NBC/1975-76
*(Tierre Turner/co-star) Lucas Adams, a streetwise black youth arrested for
shoplifting and later placed in the custody of an asthmatic Irish cop.
COP ROCK/ABC/1990
**(James McDaniel) Franklin Rose, a black uniformed policeman working in Los
Angeles. Vondie Curtis-Hall also appeared as Cdr. Warren Osborne, a black
executive working for an eccentric white Los Angeles police commissioner.
THE CORNER BAR/ABC/1972-73
**(Joe Keyes) Joe, the free-thinking, liberated black cook hired to work at
Grant's Toomb, a tavern in New York City.
COS/ABC/1976
*(Bill Cosby) Comedy/variety program hosted by Bill Cosby.
COSBY/CBS/1996-2000
*(Bill Cosby) Hilton Lucas, a laid-off black airline worker living in Queens,
New York who tries to keep himself occupied during his idle hours but ends up
driving his family crazy. Phylicia Rashad, once again played Cosby's wife on the
series. Also featured were T'Keyah Crystal Keymah as their daughter, Erica; Doug
E. Doug as their annoying neighbor, Griffin, and Jurnee Smollett as Jurnee.
THE COSBY MYSTERIES/NBC/1994-95
*(Bill Cosby) Guy Hanks, a black police criminologist and forensic expert who
took early retirement after winning the Lottery, but who continued to consult
with the New York City Police Department on difficult cases. Also featured were
Lynn Whitfield as Guy's girlfriend, Barbara Lorenz; and Dante Beze as Dante,
Guy's streetwise young assistant.
THE COSBY SHOW/NBC/1984-92
*(Bill Cosby) Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, a New York City obstetrician married to
an attorney named Clair played by Phylicia Ayers-Allen (later known as Phylicia
Rashad when she married NBC sportscaster Ahmad Rashad). The Huxtable children
included Sabrina Le Beauf as Sondra; Lisa Bonet as Denise; Malcolm Jamal Warner
as Theodore; Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa; and Keshia Knight Pulliam as Rudy.
Later additions through marriage were Geoffrey Owens as Sondra's husband Elvin
Tibideaux; Joseph C. Philips as Navy Lt. Martin Kendall, Denise's husband; and
Raven-Symone as Olivia Kendall, Martin's little girl from another marriage.
Other visitors to the household were Clarice Taylor and Earl Hyman as Cliff's
parents Anna and Russell Huxtable; Carl Anthony Payne II as Theo's friend,
Cockroach; and Deon Richmond as Rudy's little friend, Kenny.
COURTHOUSE/CBS/1995
*(Jennifer Lewis/costar) Rosetta Reide, a black gay family court judge working
in an unnamed urban center. Also featured were Robin Givens as investigator
Susanne Graham; Nia Peeples as public defender Veronica Gilbert; and Jeffrey D.
Sams as assistant district attorney Ed Moore.
COVER UP/CBS/1984-85
**(Mykel T. Williamson) Rick, black globe-trotting assistant to a beautiful
white fashion photographer whose job was actually a "cover" for espionage
operations.
THE COWBOYS/ABC/1974
*(Moses Gunn) Jebediah Nightlinger, a black ranch foreman who helped a widow
care for a group of orphaned young boys in the New Mexico Territory of the
1880's. The series was based on the western film "The Cowboys" (1972) starring
John Wayne and Roscoe Lee Browne.
THE CREW/FOX/1995-96
*(Rose Jackson/costar) Jess Jameson, a black flight crew member working for
Regency Airlines in Miami. Dondré T. Whitfield also appeared a Mac, an employee
at the Mambo Lambo, the Regency gang's favorite after hours hangout.
CRISIS CENTER/NBC/1997
*(Nia Peeples/costar) Lily Gannon, a hard-core, by-the-numbers black social
worker who coordinated daily operations at the Crisis Center in San Francisco.
Tess Robinson also appeared as a black female attorney who provided legal
services for needy clients at the center.
CRUSADE/SYN/1998
*(Marjean Holden) Dr. Sarah Chambers,
CUPID/ABC/1998
**(Jeffrey D. Sams) Champ, black male who interacted with Trevor Hale, a white
man who believes to be Cupid the God of Love.
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