Julia (TV series)

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Diahann Carroll as Julia, Fred Williamson as Steve in Julia

Julia was a 1960s television series, best remembered as being the first weekly series to depict an African American woman in a non-stereotypical role. Previous television series featured African American lead characters, but the characters were usually servants. The show starred actress and singer Diahann Carroll, and ran for 86 episodes on NBC from September 17, 1968 to March 23, 1971.

In Julia, Carroll played widowed single mother Julia Baker (her fighter pilot husband had been shot down in Vietnam) who was a nurse in a doctor's office. The doctor, Morton Chegley, was played by Lloyd Nolan, and Julia's romantic interests by Paul Winfield and Fred Williamson.

Though Julia is now remembered as being groundbreaking, while on the air, it was derided by a significant segment of the African American community as not being "political" or "angry" enough, due largely to its status as a standard, lighthearted sitcom. [1]

Carroll won the 1968 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a television series for her role in Julia. [2]

[edit] Other Characters

Julia's son, Corey (Marc Copage) was approximately 6-9 years old during the series run. He barely knew his father before he died. Corey's best friend is Earl J. Waggedorn (called by that precise full name each and every time).

The Waggedorns lived downstairs in the same apartment building, with Len (Hank Brandt), Marie (Betty Beaird), son Earl (Michael Link) and infant daughter.

The first two seasons included Nurse Hannah Yarby (Lurene Tuttle), who left to be married at the beginning of the third season, just as the clinic's manager, Brockmeyer, ordered downsizing... and removal of minorities from employment. (Chegley let Yarby go but kept Julia in defiance of the manager's edict.) The second and third season included Richard (Richard Steele) as a character some one or two years older than Corey. Chegley's father, Dr. Norton Chegley (also played by Lloyd Nolan) made two appearances.

Julia hired Roberta (Janear Hines) as a housekeeper.