FACTS OF LIFE/NBC/1979-88
*(Kim Fields/co-star) Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey, a young black
girl living at a rural New York private school for girls. After
graduation, Tootie lived with her former schoolmates and helped operate a
gourmet food/catering store (and later a novelty shop) while going to
college.
FAME/SYN/NBC/1982-87
*(Debbie Allen) Lydia Grant, an extremely talented black dance
instructor at New York's High School for the Performing Arts. Gene Anthony
Ray also appeared as Leroy Johnson, a talented black student from the
ghetto who later became an instructor at the school.
FAME L.A./SYN/1997-98
**(T.E. Russell) T .J. Barron, a gifted, classically trained
musician, T.J.'s true passion is to make it as a contemporary
arranger/composer. He works at Legacy Music recording studio as both a
composer's assistant and general clean-up guy. Although he gets paid
nothing, he has the opportunity to watch amazing singers and musicians as
they cut albums. This fuels his confidence in his own talent. After work
he composes music to accompany Suzanne's lyrics. Deep down, T.J. is
falling in love with Suzanne while she struggles to define who she is.
FAMILY MATTERS/ABC/1989-1996/CBS/1997-98
*(JoMarie Payton-France/Noble) Harriette Winslow, an elevator
operator for the Chicago Newspaper building who was married to uniformed
police officer Carl Winslow played by Reginald Vel Johnson. Also featured
were Kellie Shanygne Williams as daughter Laura; Jaimee Foxworth as
daughter, Judy; Darius McCrary as son, Eddie; Telma Hopkins as Aunt
Rachel, Harriette's widowed sister and aspiring writer; Joseph & Julius
Wright as Rachel's little boy, Richie; Rosetta LeNoire as Carl's live-in
mom, Mother Winslow; and Shawn Harrison as Eddie's befuddle friend Waldo
Faldo. Starting with the show's second season Jaleel White became the
focus of the series as their nerdy neighbor Steven Q. Urkel, who was in
love with Laura Winslow. White appeared in a number of dual roles included
his country cousin, Myrtle and the suave, confident Stefan Urquelle (an
exact personality opposite of Steve Urkel accidentally created in one of
Urkel's science projects). Later in the series, Michelle Thomas played
Myra, a local girl (and fellow nerd) who became Urkel's girlfriend.
(Thomas died of stomach cancer on 12/24/1998).
FANTASTIC JOURNEY/NBC/1977
*(Carl Franklin/co-star) Dr. Fred Walters, a black scientist
caught in a time warp within the Bermuda Triangle.
FATHER MURPHY/NBC/1981-84
*(Moses Gunn/co-star) Moses Gage, a black gold miner in the
Dakota Territory of the 1870's who with the help of a white miner friend
became guardians to two dozen children whose parents were killed in a
mining disaster. Chez Lister played Eli, an orphaned black boy.
FATHER OF THE BRIDE/CBS/1961-62
**(Ruby Dandridge) Delilah, a black housekeeper who cared for
the home and family of a white attorney.
FAY/NBC/1975
**(Lillian Lehman) Letty Gilmore, the black secretary working
at the San Francisco-based law office of Al Cassidy and Danny Messina.
FEDS/CBS/1997
*(Regina Taylor/costar) Sandra Broome, a hard-nosed, tough, and
principled black female attorney working for the Manhattan division of the
U.S. Attorney's Office.
FELICITY/WB/1998-2002
**(Tangi Miller) Elena Tyler, a 18-year-old black friend of a
white 17-year-old pre-med student named Felicity Porter who attends New
York University. Elena was raised in one of the poorer neighborhoods
outside of New York City. She got a full scholarship to NYU, but it fell
through so she struggles to attain a degree and her goals.
FIREHOUSE/ABC/1974
**(Bill Overton) Firefighter Cal Dakin, the token black
firefighter at Engine Company 23 in Los Angeles.
FIRESIDE THEATRE/NBC/1949-55
*The half-hour anthology series featured a program broadcast
October 12, 1954 entitled "The Reign of Amelika Jo." The program based on
a real story set in the South Pacific during World War II, was cast with a
mainly Black & Asian actors. TV Guide magazine remarked that the program
was "probably the first all-Negro show ever to go out over the network."
FIRED UP/NBC/1997
**(Francesca P. Roberts) Mrs. Francis, a black social worker
who gave assistance to a fired marketing executive. Later in the series,
Mrs. Francis quit her social service agency job to open up an egg roll
business.
1ST & TEN/HBO/1984-90
*(O. J. Simpson) T. D. Parker, a former football player turned
general manager of the California Bulls, a rowdy football team.
THE FLASH/CBS/1990-91
*(Alex Desert/co-star) Julio Mendez, a black research assistant
working for a police department in the fictional Central City. He was
friend and colleague of police chemist Barry Allan (aka "The Flash").
Julio sported a knotted stringy Jamaican hair style.
THE FLIP WILSON SHOW/NBC/1970-74
*(Flip Wilson) Musical/variety program hosted by comedian Flip
Wilson, the first black performer to host his own successful variety
program. (Flip Wilson died on November 25, 1998 at age 64 from liver
cancer).
FOR LOVE AND HONOR/NBC/1983
*(Yaphet Kotto/co-star) Platoon Sgt. James "China" Bell, a
former boxer stationed at the U.S. Army base Fort Geller, Texas, the
headquarters for the 88th Airborne paratroopers Division. Kennan Ivory
Wayans played Pvt. Duke Johnson, an aspiring black boxer who wanted Sgt.
Bell to train him to be a professional.
FOR YOUR LOVE/NBC/WB/1998-2002
*(Holly Robinson Peete & James Lesure/costars) Malena and Mel
Ellis, a newlywed black couple struggling with the realities of married
life. Other cast included Edafe Blackmon as Reggie Ellis; and Tamala Jones
as Bobbi Seawright, Reggie's love interest.
FORGIVE OR FORGET/SYN/1998-2000
*(Mother Love) Mother Love, an outspoken black radio
personality hosted this daily talk show whose theme was forgiveness.
People who had wronged another made videotape apologies to those they have
offended. The "victims" had the choice of accepting the apology or sending
a video response rejecting their overture.
FORTUNE DANE/ABC/1986
*(Carl Weathers) Fortune Dane, a black, ex-cop, ex-pro-football
player turned special investigator for the mayor of Bay City, California.
Adolph Ceasar played Fortunes' father, Charles Dane.
413 HOPE STREET/FOX/1997-98
*(Richard Roundtree/costar) Mr. Philip Thomas, black
professional businessman/lawyer who operates a crisis center at 413 Hope
Street that caters to inner city youth and their families. Also featured
were Dawn Stern as Angelica Collins; Jesse L. Martin as Antonio Collins;
Shari Headley as Juanita Barnes; and Karim Prince as Melvin Todd.
FRANK'S PLACE/CBS/1987-88
*(Tim Reid) Frank Parrish, the African-American Professor of
Italian Renaissance History from Boston who moved South to manage the Chez
Louisiane, a Creole restaurant willed to him by his father. His staff
included Frances E. Williams as the elderly matron hostess, Madame Torchet;
Francesca P. Roberts as Anna-May, the head waitress; Tony Burton as Big
Arthur, the Creole cook; Don Yesso as Shorty La Roux, the assistant chef;
Charles Lampkin as Tiger Shepin; and William Thomas, Jr. as Cool Charles,
the handyman. The Chez Louisiane was modeled after the popular New Orleans
restaurant Chez Helene where reportedly, actress Francesca P. Roberts
worked at Chez Helene to learn a few hostess skills. Also featured were
Virginia Capers as Mrs. Bertha Griffin-Lamour, the domineering owner of
the local funeral parlor; and Daphne-Maxwell Reid (Tim Reid's wife in
real-life), as Hannah Griffin, her daughter, a mortician and embalmer.
FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR/NBC/1990-96
*(Will Smith) Will Smith, a black rappin' teenager raised in
West Philadelphia and then transplanted by his mother to live with her
filthy rich relatives, the Banks, who lived in Bel Air. The family
included James Avery as Uncle Philip, a stuffed-shirt attorney; Janet
Hubert-Whitten (and later Daphne Maxwell Reid) as Vivian, Philip's wife;
Karyn Parsons, as Hillary, their spoiled black valley girl; Alfonso
Ribeiro as Carlton, their preppie son; Tatyana M. Ali as their younger
daughter, Ashley; and Ross Bagley as Nicholas "Nicky" Banks, the Bank's
fourth child born later in the series. Also featured were Joseph Marcell
as Geoffrey, the family's haughty black English butler; Jeff A. Townes (aka
D.J. Jazzy Jeff), as Jazz, Will's friend; Tyra Banks as Jackie Ames,
Will's old girlfriend from Philadelphia; Nia Long as Lisa Wilkes, Will's
new girlfriend, whom he married in 1995; Don Cheadle as Ice Trey; Brian
Mitchell as Trevor; Vernee Watson-Johnson as Vibe; and John Amos as Lisa’s
father who married Will’s Mom.
FRESHMAN DORM/CBS/1992
*(Kevin Mambo) Alex Wood, studious black student living in a
coed dormitory at the fictional Western Pacific University in Southern
California.
FRIENDS/ABC/1979
**(Jarrod Johnson/co-star) Randy Summerfield, an
eleven-year-old black youth and son of a lawyer who explores life with his
two white friends, Pete and Nancy.
THE FUNNY SIDE/NBC/1971
**(John Amos & Teresa Graves) Black couple (along with four
other couples) featured in comedy skits and musical vignettes that focused
on particular aspects of married life.
FUTURE COP/ABC/1977
**(John Amos) Bill Bundy, black police officer who along with
his white partner Joe Cleaver were assigned to break in rookie Officer
Haven, a robot programmed to be the perfect cop.
