J. J. STARBUCK/NBC/1987-88
*(Ben Vereen/costar) E. L. Turner, aka "Tenspeed" a black ex-con hustler
who became the sidekick (in February 1988) of Jerome Jeremiah Starbuck, a
white San Antonio billionaire. The Tenspeed character originally appeared
on the 1980 detective drama TENSPEED AND BROWN SHOE.
THE
JACK BENNY SHOW/CBS/NBC/1950-65
**(Eddie Anderson) Rochester, the raspy-voiced valet to comedian Jack
Benny, "the cheapest man in the world". In April 1937, Jack Benny needed a
Pullman porter for a single appearance on his radio program. He hired
vaudeville/movie performer Eddie Anderson and the writers gave him the
name Rochester Van Jones. His immediate popularity guaranteed his success
for the next twenty plus years as a reliable fixture of Benny's act.
During a 1950's episode, Jack Benny recalled the first time that he met
Rochester. It seems that Jack Benny crashed into a cab owned by Amos Jones
and Andy Brown of the Sunshine Cab Company (it was up on a grease rack at
the time). In an attempt to get out of paying any compensation for the
accident, both Amos and Andy convinced Jack that he needed a valet and
left their driver Rochester with him. The rest is history. Anderson quit
Benny after having a heart attack while rehearsing for THE JACK BENNY SHOW
in the late 1950's. He died 2/28/77.
JACKÉE/NBC/1989 *(Jackée) Sandra Clark, the sassy, man-chasing
black female from comedy series 221 who left Washington, D.C. to become an
assistant manager at a health club in New York City. The series was
short-lived.
THE JACKIE THOMAS
SHOW/ABC/1992-93 **(Michael Boatman) Grant Watson, black comedy
writer and part of a team of writers for the mythical "Jackie Thomas
Show," America's top-rated comedy series, about a white butcher.
THE JACKSON 5IVE/ABC/1971-73 *(Jackson Five) The Jackson Five, a black rock
group, was the focus of these fictional stories about the adventures of
these talented pop singers. Jackson Brothers Michael, Marlon, Jackie, Tito
and Jermaine provided the voices on this Saturday morning cartoon series.
THE JACKSONS/CBS/1976-77 *(The Jackson Family) The Jackson Family, popular
black singers/entertainers from Gary, Indiana (reportedly discovered in
1968 by black song stress Diana Ross) were the stars of this musical
variety that featured the singing talents of brothers Jackie, Marlon,
Tito, Michael, Randy, and sisters Maureen (Rebie), LaToya, and Janet.
JAMES AT 15/NBC/1977-78 **(David Hubbard) "Sly" Ludwig Hazeltine, a hip,
jive-talking black teenager who befriended James Hunter, a white teenager
who recently moved from Oregon to Boston.
THE JAMIE FOXX SHOW/WB/1996-2001 *(Jamie Foxx) Jamie King, an aspiring black
stand-up comedian who heads to Los Angeles to work in the King's Tower
Hotel owned by his Aunt Helen King (Ellia English) and his gambler Uncle
Junior King (Garrett Morris). In between his hotels duties, Jamie performs
his comedy routines in the hotel lounge. Also featured were Garcelle
Beauvais-Nilon as gorgeous front-desk clerk Francesca "Fancy" Monroe;
Christopher B. Duncan as straight-arrow hotel accountant Braxton P.
Hartnabrig; and Andy Mark Berman as Bellman.
THE JEFFERSONS/CBS/1975-85 *(Sherman Hemsley/costar) George Jefferson, a
hot-tempered owner of a chain of New York dry cleaning stores, who lived
in a high-rise apartment with his ever-tolerant wife, Louise "Weezie"
played by Isabel Sanford. George's favorite hobby was making money and
insulting people. He referred to white people as “honkies.” Other cast
members were Mike Evans (later Damon Evans) as their son, Lionel; Zara
Cully as George's doting mother, Mother Olivia Jefferson; Franklin Cover
as their "honky" white neighbor Tom Willis; Helen Willis, Tom's black
wife; (Tom & Helen were the first racially mixed married couple featured
in primetime); Berlinda Tolbert as Jenny Willis, their daughter; and Marla
Gibbs as the Jefferson's outspoken maid, Florence Johnston. In 1980 Lionel
& Jenny's baby girl (Jessica) is born. Unfortunately, Lionel & Jenny
separated in 1981. In 1984 Ebonie Smith joined the cast as Jessica, Lionel
and Jenny's now school-age daughter. The Jefferson characters began on ALL
IN THE FAMILY/CBS/1971-75 where they lived on Houser Street in Queens next
store to a blue-collar bigot, Archie Bunker.
JESSE/NBC/1998-2000
**(Darryl Thierse) Kurt, super-efficient, imperious black nurse who proves
to be the nemesis of the title character (Jesse) as they work together at
a local clinic in Buffalo, New York. Darryl Thierse was born and raised in
Hempstead, N.Y. before receiving his bachelor of arts diploma from Brown
University and a master of fine arts in theater..
THE JESSE JACKSON SHOW/SYN/1990-91/CNN/1992-93 *(Jesse Jackson) Jesse Jackson, black political
activist and Reverend who moderated this syndicated weekly talk show that
discussed topics on political and social significance. He previously
starred on another CNN produced program BOTH SIDES WITH JESSE JACKSON.
JOE'S LIFE/ABC/1993 **(John Marshall Jones) Ray Wharton, black effete
chef working at a restaurant owned by Italian-American Stan Gennaro, whose
brother Joe Gennaro helps out as a chef in the evenings.
THE JOHN LARROQUETTE
SHOW/NBC/1993-97 **(Chi McBride) Heavy Gene, a philosophical black
janitor working the late shift at the Crossroads, a run-down bus terminal
in St. Louis. Also featured was Daryl "Chill" Mitchell as Dexter Walker, a
fellow employee who ran the station's lunch counter and didn't especially
like white folk; and Jimmy Walker as Dexter's estranged father.
THE JOURNEY OF ALLEN STRANGE/NIK/1997-98 *(Arjay Smith) Allen Strange, a Xelan alien who
takes on the form of a black youth as he struggles to acclimate to Earth
with the help of two white children.
JULIA/NBC/1968-71 *(Diahann Carroll) Julia Baker, a widowed black
nurse (Air Force pilot husband killed in Vietnam) who spent her time
between working at a medical office at a Los Angeles industrial clinic and
raising her young son, Corey (played by Marc Copage). Diahann Carroll was
the first black female to star in her own comedy series (one devoid of
stereotypical overtones). Also featured were Paul Winfield as Paul
Cameron, Julia boyfriend (1969-70); Fred Williamson as Julie's widower
boyfriend, Steve Bruce (1970-71); and Eugene Jackson as Julia's Uncle Lou.
Julia:
[on the telephone] I’m colored. I’m a Negro.
Dr. Chegley:
Have you always been a Negro, or are you just trying to be
fashionable?
JUST OUR LUCK/ABC/1983 *(T. K. Carter/costar) Shabu, a hip, black
genie-in-a-bottle with a bent toward practical jokes who was discovered by
a young, white TV reporter. According to T. K. Carter "Shabu doesn't have
a master because he doesn't believe in master....I made it clear that I
won't do that jive routine, acting like some cat in a black El Dorado,
drinking a Kool-Aid daiquiri with a hat as big as a house....When Shabu
pops out of the bottle, he's wearing a Bill Blass raw silk suit. You're
not going to see me wearing a lot of jewelry and stuff." After the program
aired, The NAACP intervened with the show's development insisting on such
changes as the concept of "Master" and "servant" being dropped; the
inclusion of additional black script writers and an extra black actor to
appear on the cast, namely, Leonard Simon as Jim Dexter. Despite all the
efforts to make this show click, the series was canceled after eleven
episodes.
