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Roxie Roker
Roxie Albertha Roker (August 28, 1929 – December 2, 1995) was an American actress who portrayed Helen Willis on the CBS sitcom ''The Jeffersons'' (1975–1985), half of the first interracial couple to be shown on regular prime time television. Roker is the mother of rock musician Lenny Kravitz and paternal grandmother of actress Zoë Kravitz. Early life Roker was born in Miami, Florida. Her mother, Bessie Roker (née Mitchell), was from Georgia and worked as a domestic. Her father, Albert Roker, was a porter and a native of Andros, The Bahamas. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Career She began her professional career with the Negro Ensemble Company and became a successful stage actress. She won an Obie Award in 1974 and was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Mattie Williams in ''The River Niger''. She was a reporter on WNEW-TV in New York in the 1970s and hosted a public affairs show for the station known as ''Inside Bed-Stuy'', dealing with events in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Florida, second-most populous city in Florida and the eleventh-most populous city in the Southeastern United States. The Miami metropolitan area is the ninth largest in the U.S. with a population of 6.138 million in 2020. The city has the List of tallest buildings in the United States#Cities with the most skyscrapers, third-largest skyline in the U.S. with over List of tallest buildings in Miami, 300 high-rises, 58 of which exceed . Miami is a major center and leader in finance, commerce, culture, arts, and international trade. Miami's metropolitan area is by far the largest urban econ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the American Theatre Wing. As the Tony Awards cover Broadway productions, the Obie Awards cover off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions. Background The Obie Awards were initiated by Edwin (Ed) Fancher, publisher of ''The Village Voice,'' who handled the financing and business side of the project. They were first given in 1956 under the direction of theater critic Jerry Tallmer. Initially, only off-Broadway productions were eligible; in 1964, off-off-Broadway productions were made eligible. The first Obie Awards ceremony was held at Helen Gee's cafe.Aletti, Vince"Helen Gee 1919–2004" ''Village Voice'' (New York City), 12 October 2004, accessed on 21 November 2013 With the exception of the Lifetime Achievement and Best New American Pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sweepstakes (TV Series)
''Sweepstakes'', stylized as ''$weepstake$'', is an American anthology television series that aired in the United States on NBC during the 1978-79 television season. It depicts the lives of people who hope to win a large amount of money in a sweepstakes and what happens after they win — or do not win — the money. Synopsis ''$weepstake$'' is an anthology series that depicts the lives of people who buy tickets for a state-owned lottery hosted by a master of ceremonies, "the $weepstake$ M.C."McNeil, p. 808.Brooks and Marsh, p. 1003. Each episode depicts a week in which 12 people became finalists in that week's lottery, and the first half of the episode introduces the three finalists who are destined to win either the $1 million jackpot or one of the two $1,000 consolation prizes, the issues in their lives, and their plans to use the $1 million jackpot if they win it. At the midpoint of each episode, the $weepstake$ M.C. hosts the lottery drawing and announces the winner of the j ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Love Boat
''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pacific Princess'', and revolved around the ship's captain Merrill Stubing (played by Gavin MacLeod) and a handful of his crew, with passengers played by guest actors for each episode, having romantic and humorous adventures. The ship's regular ports of call were Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco and Mazatlán. The series was part of ABC's popular Saturday-night lineup of the time, which also included ''Fantasy Island'' until 1984. The original 1976 made-for-TV movie on which the show was based (also titled ''The Love Boat'' was itself based on the nonfiction book ''The Love Boats'' by Jeraldine Saunders, a real-life cruise director for a passenger cruise-ship line. Saunders was also partly inspired by the German cruise ship MV ''Aurora''. The TV mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Murder, She Wrote
''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series focuses on the life of Jessica Fletcher, a mystery writer and amateur detective, who finds herself becoming involved in solving a series of murders that take place in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine, as well as across the United States and abroad. The program ran for 12 seasons from September 30, 1984, to May 19, 1996, for a total of 264 episodes, and included amongst its recurring cast Tom Bosley, William Windom and Ron Masak, as well as a vast array of guest cast members including Michael Horton, Keith Michell and Julie Adams. The series proved a ratings hit during its broadcast, becoming a staple of CBS Sunday night TV schedule for around a decade, while achieving distinction as one of the most successful and longest-running te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Different World (TV Series)
''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of ''The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable ( Lisa Bonet) and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional historically black college in Virginia. It was inspired by student life at historically black colleges and universities. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert-Wayne (Jasmine Guy) and math whiz Dwayne Cleophus Wayne (Kadeem Hardison). Concept While it was a spin-off from ''The Cosby Show'', ''A Different World'' typically addressed issues that were avoided by ''The Cosby Show'' writers (race and class relations, sexual assault, or the Equal Rights Amendment). One episode that aired in 1990 was one of the first American network television episodes to address the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS. The or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hangin' With Mr
"Hangin'" is a single from the sixth studio album by the Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English diction ..., '' Tongue in Chic''. It was the first single from this album and it reached #64 on the UK singles chart in March 1983, spending 1 week on the chart. It was Chic's first chart position in the UK for three and a half years. It just failed to enter US Billboard R&B chart top 40 (peaked at #48). Track listing ;Atlantic 7" 89954 October 12, 1982 * A. "Hangin'" (7" Edit) - 3:35 * B. "City Lights" - 4:26 ;Atlantic promo 12" DMD 371, 1982 * A. "Hangin'" - 5:13 * B. "Hangin'" (7" Edit) - 3:35 1982 singles Chic (band) songs Songs written by Bernard Edwards Songs written by Nile Rodgers Song recordings produced by Nile Rodgers Song recordings produced by Bernard Edwa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Punky Brewster
''Punky Brewster'' is an American sitcom television series about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes). The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984, to March 9, 1986, and again in syndication from October 30, 1987, to May 27, 1988. ''Punky Brewster'' spawned an animated spin-off, ''It's Punky Brewster''. The series featured the original cast voicing their respective characters. The cartoon was produced by Ruby-Spears, and aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to December 6, 1986. In 2020, NBC confirmed a 10-episode revival to air on its Peacock streaming service. Frye returned, as did original cast member Cherie Johnson. The revival premiered on February 25, 2021. Synopsis Penelope "Punky" Brewster (Soleil Moon Frye) is a warm, funny, and bright child. Her father walked out on her family, then her mother abandoned her at a Chicago shopping center when they were shopping for groceries, leaving Punky alone with her dog, Brandon. Afterwar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Franklin Cover
Franklin Edward Cover (November 20, 1928 – February 5, 2006) was an American actor best known for starring in the sitcom ''The Jeffersons''. His character, Tom Willis, was half of one of the first interracial marriages to be seen on prime-time television. Life and career Cover was born on November 20, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Britta (Schreck) and Franklin Held Cover. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1947. Cover graduated from Denison University in 1951, and he received his MA in Theater in 1954 and MFA in Theater in 1955 both from Case Western Reserve University. His career started on the stage acting in '' Henry IV, Part 1'' and ''Hamlet''. He also appeared in ''Forty Carats'' with Julie Harris. He made his television debut on '' Naked City'' and later appeared on ''The Jackie Gleason Show''. In 1965, he married Mary Bradford Stone. His first starring role was on ''The Jeffersons'' as Tom Willis (a Caucasian man) who was married to an African-American w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helen Willis
The television series ''The Jeffersons'' featured several supporting characters. An incomplete list of these characters appears below. Willis family Helen Willis Helen Willis (née Douglas) (portrayed by Roxie Roker, except for her first appearance in ''All in the Family'', when she was portrayed by Kim Hamilton) is Louise's best friend and George's nemesis. She has been married to Tom Willis, a white man, for 34 years. George, opposed to miscegenation, calls Helen and Tom "zebras" or "chocolate and vanilla". Helen often strikes back by calling George "shorty". In the fourth season, Helen works with Louise as volunteers at the Help Center, a social services facility, which opened in 1977. Helen and Tom have two children: Jennifer "Jenny" Willis (Berlinda Tolbert) and Allan Willis ( Jay Hammer and Andrew Rubin). The character's marriage status also paralleled Roxie Roker's real life interracial marriage between 1962 and 1985 to white Sy Kravitz. Kerry Washington portrayed Helen in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Public Affairs (broadcasting)
In broadcasting, public affairs radio or television programs focus on matters of politics and public policy. Among commercial broadcasters, such programs are often only to satisfy Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulatory expectations and are not scheduled in prime time. Public affairs television programs are often broadcast at times when few listeners or viewers are tuned in (or even awake) in the U.S., in time slots known as graveyard slots; such programs can be frequently encountered at times such as 5-6 a.m. on a Sunday. Sunday morning talk shows are a notable exception to this obscure scheduling. Harvard University claims that the public affairs genre has been losing popularity since the beginning of the digital era. References See also *Public service announcement (PSA) *Sunday morning talk show A Sunday morning talk show is a television program with a news/ talk/ public affairs–hybrid format that is broadcast on Sunday mornings. This type of program o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
