''Palmerstown, U.S.A.'' (shortened to ''Palmerstown'' in March 1981) is a

television drama series In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...

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 Entertainm ...

from March 20, 1980 to June 9, 1981. It was created by

Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning ''All in the Famil ...

and

Alex Haley Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer and the author of the 1976 book '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family.'' ABC adapted the book as a television miniseries of the same name and a ...

, whose childhood was the basis for the series. It tells the story of two nine-year-old boys in the rural Southern community of Palmerstown who become best friends during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, despite one being black and the other being white.

Cast

Jonelle Allen Jonelle Allen (born July 18, 1944) is an American actress, singer, and dancer from Harlem, New York, United States. Beginning her professional career in the late 1960s, Allen has co-starred in films, Broadway productions, and television. In 19 ...

as Bessie Freeman *

Bill Duke William Henry Duke Jr. (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and film director. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke works primarily in the action and crime drama genres often as a character related to law enforcement. Frequently ...

as Luther Freeman * Star-Shemah Bobatoon as Diana Freeman * Jermain Hodge Johnson as Booker T. Freeman * Beeson Carroll as W.D. Hall * Janice St. John as Coralee Hall *

Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...

as Willy-Joe Hall * Brian Godfrey Wilson as David Hall * Kenneth White as The Sheriff * Iris Korn as Widder Brown (1981)

Episodes

Season 1 (1980)

Season 2 (1981)

References

External links