''Bustin' Loose'' is an American
sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
starring
Jimmie Walker
James Carter Walker Jr. (born June 25, 1947) is an American actor and comedian. He portrayed James ("J.J.") Evans Jr., the older son of James Evans Sr. and Florida Evans, on the CBS television comedy series ''Good Times''. The show ran from 19 ...
based on the
1981 film of the same name. The show ran in
first-run syndication
Broadcast syndication is the practice of content owners leasing the right to broadcast their content to other television stations or radio stations, without having an official broadcast network to air it on. It is common in the United States whe ...
from September 19, 1987, to May 28, 1988.
Synopsis
Jimmie Walker
James Carter Walker Jr. (born June 25, 1947) is an American actor and comedian. He portrayed James ("J.J.") Evans Jr., the older son of James Evans Sr. and Florida Evans, on the CBS television comedy series ''Good Times''. The show ran from 19 ...
stars as Sonny Barnes, a former
con artist
A scam, or a confidence trick, is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's credulity, naivety, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibi ...
, who has been caught by the authorities and sentenced to five years of
community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...
. He is placed in the home of social worker Mimi Shaw (
Vonetta McGee
Vonetta Lawrence McGee (January 14, 1945 – July 9, 2010) was an American actress. She debuted in the Spaghetti Western ''The Great Silence'' and went on to appear in blaxploitation films such as Hammer (1972 film), ''Hammer'', Melinda (film), ' ...
), who lives with four orphans: Rudey (Larry O. Williams, Jr.), Trish (Tyren Perry), Nikky (
Aaron Lohr
Aaron Lohr (born April 2, 1976) is an American actor.
Early life and education
He is a graduate of UCLA, where he majored in theater.
Film and television career
Lohr portrayed the Dancing Boy in Deniece Williams' music video for the song "L ...
), and Sue Anne (Marie Cole). Sonny lives in the basement and works around the house doing odd jobs. Meanwhile, the kids all love listening to Sonny's often exaggerated tales.
Sonny Barnes is a small-time scam artist with a big mouth who, after a run-in with the law, is ordered to help a social worker raise four foster children of varying ages. Loosely based on the 1981 Richard Pryor movie.
/ref>
Cast
*Jimmie Walker
James Carter Walker Jr. (born June 25, 1947) is an American actor and comedian. He portrayed James ("J.J.") Evans Jr., the older son of James Evans Sr. and Florida Evans, on the CBS television comedy series ''Good Times''. The show ran from 19 ...
– Sonny Barnes
*Vonetta McGee
Vonetta Lawrence McGee (January 14, 1945 – July 9, 2010) was an American actress. She debuted in the Spaghetti Western ''The Great Silence'' and went on to appear in blaxploitation films such as Hammer (1972 film), ''Hammer'', Melinda (film), ' ...
– Mimi Shaw
*Aaron Lohr
Aaron Lohr (born April 2, 1976) is an American actor.
Early life and education
He is a graduate of UCLA, where he majored in theater.
Film and television career
Lohr portrayed the Dancing Boy in Deniece Williams' music video for the song "L ...
– Nikky Robinson
*Tyren Perry – Trish Reagan
*Marie Cole – Sue Ann Taylor
*Larry O. Williams, Jr. – Rudey Butler
Episodes
Award nominations
Stations
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, id=142028, title=Bustin' Loose
1987 American television series debuts
1988 American television series endings
1980s American black sitcoms
American English-language television shows
First-run syndicated sitcoms
Live action television shows based on films
Television series by Universal Television
Television shows set in Philadelphia