''Melba'' is an American

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

that aired on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

from January 28, 1986, until September 13, 1986. The series was a vehicle for singer/actress

Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...

Summary

The show was about the home and work life of Melba Patterson (Moore), a divorced mother who was the director of New York's Manhattan Visitors Center. Melba was raising her 9-year-old daughter Tracy (Jamilla Perry) with the help of her mother Rose ( Barbara Meek) and her white "sister", Susan Slater (Gracie Harrison). Melba and Susan had been close since childhood, since Rose was Susan's family's housekeeper when they were growing up. Jack (

Lou Jacobi Lou Jacobi (born Louis Harold Jacobovitch; December 28, 1913October 23, 2009) was a Canadian character actor. Life and early career Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in Toronto, Canada, to Joseph and Fay Jacobovitch. Jacobi began acting ...

) and young Gil (Evan Mirand) worked for Melba at the visitors' center.

Cast

as Melba Patterson *Jamilla Perry as Tracy Patterson *Gracie Harrison as Susan Slater * Barbara Meek as Mama Rose *

as Jack *Evan Mirand as Gil

Episodes

External links

*
''Melba'' at Sale Into the 90s
{{Melba Moore 1980s American black sitcoms 1980s American sitcoms CBS original programming 1986 American television series debuts 1986 American television series endings Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television shows set in New York City English-language television shows