227 (TV series)

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227

Opening title sequence for 227
Format Sitcom
Created by C.J. Banks
Bill Boulware
Developed by Marla Gibbs
C.J. Banks
Christine Houston
Starring Marla Gibbs
Alaina Reed Hall
Jackée Harry
Helen Martin
Hal Williams
Regina King
Curtis Baldwin
Kia Goodwin (1985-1986)
Reynaldo Rey (1986-1990)
Countess Vaughn (1988-1989)
Toukie A. Smith (1989-1990)
Stoney Jackson (1989-1990)
Barry Sobel (1989-1990)
Paul Winfield (1989-1990)
Kevin Peter Hall (1989-1990)
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 116 (List of 227 episodes)
Production
Executive
producer(s)		 Marla Gibbs (1985-1986)
Ronald Rubin (1987-1988)
Bill Boulware (1987-1988)
Bob Myer (1985-1986)
Bob Young (1985-1986)
Richard Gurman (1985-1987)
George Burditt (1987-1988)
Ron Bloomberg (1985-1988)
Jack Elinson
Ray Campanella, Jr. (1985-1986)
Associate
producer(s)		 Embassy Television (1985-1988)
Columbia Pictures Television (1988-1990)
Location(s) Washington, D.C.
Running time 30 Minutes
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Original run September 14, 1985 – May 6, 1990
Chronology
Related shows Jackée
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

227 was a popular American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985 until May 6, 1990. The series starred Emmy Award-nominated television actress Marla Gibbs, who shot to fame in 1977 on The Jeffersons as sassy maid Florence Johnston. 227 was produced by Embassy Television from 1985 until 1988, then Sony Pictures Television produced the series in its final two seasons (1988-1990).

Contents

[edit] Origins

In 1978, The series was adapted from a play written by Christine Houston about the lives of women in a predominantly black apartment building in 1950s Chicago. The setting of the series, however, was changed to present-day Washington, D.C.. The show was created as a starring vehicle for Marla Gibbs, who had become famous as the sassy maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons and had starred in Houston's play in Los Angeles. This role was similar in nature to that of tart-tongued Florence; Gibbs' character, housewife Mary Jenkins, loved a good gossip and often spoke what she thought, with sometimes not-so-favorable results.

[edit] Synopsis

Emmy Award-nominee Marla Gibbs portrayed the lead role, Mary Jenkins, a housewife who lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Lester Jenkins, a construction worker, played by Hal Williams, and their studious 14-year-old daughter, Brenda, played by future Oscar-nominee Regina King in her first significant acting role.

Also cast in 227 was Emmy-winning television actress Jackée Harry as the building's sexy vamp, Sandra Clark, who constantly bickered back and forth with Mary about their respective views on life. Helen Martin arrived to play Pearl Shay, a crotchety-but-kind busybody neighbor, who was always known for snooping. Pearl had a grandson named Calvin Dobbs, played by Curtis Baldwin, whom Brenda had a crush on and would finally date later in the series' run.

Alaina Reed Hall, best known as Olivia on Sesame Street from 1976 until 1988, played kindhearted best friend to all, Rose Lee Holloway. She had a daughter named Tiffany, played by Kia Goodwin, who disappeared after the first season. Halfway through the first season, Rose became the unexpected landlord of the building after the building's stingy slumlord Mr. Calloway (who was constantly mentioned but never seen onscreen) died out of the blue. Rose stayed on as landlady until the fourth season.

In the first season, both Helen Martin and Curtis Baldwin, who had only been recurring stars, appeared in nearly every episode. In the second season's opening credits, Helen Martin and Curtis Baldwin share a title card, thus making them official full-time cast members. Martin has her own title for the third and fifth seasons, while Regina King and Curtis Baldwin share a title card together in those years.

By the time taping started on the third season in 1987, Jackée Harry, who had just won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress changed her stage name to simply Jackée, which she used until 1994. In the fourth season, famed TV actress, Countess Vaughn joined the cast as Alexandria DeWitt, an 11-year-old child prodigy who becomes the Jenkins' houseguest. The following year, however, Alexandria went the way of Tiffany Holloway and disappeared from the show without an explanation.

By the time production on the fourth season commenced in 1988, tension between stars Gibbs and Jackée were mounting due to the show's increasing focus on the Sandra character. To keep the stars happy, Jackee was given the chance to spin off Sandra into her own show. Jackée's television pilot, entitled Jackée, found Sandra moving to New York City and finding work at a spa. NBC aired the episode in primetime on Thursday May 11, 1989. The pilot, however, was rejected.

The show's final season saw Toukie Smith, Barry Sobel, Stoney Jackson, Kevin Peter Hall and Paul Winfield join the cast in an effort to rejuvenate the show's sagging ratings. In the end, the cast additions proved fruitless, and 227 ended its run in the spring of 1990.

[edit] Guest Stars

227 had many popular guest stars, some who would use 227 as a springboard to jumpstart their careers... others would later gain recognition for playing roles in films and television, and part of the music industry. The list of guests includes:

[edit] Series syndication

227 aired reruns, the first rerun was aired on a national network, NBC (where the series was originally aired.) In the summer of 1990, with its last showing on July 28, 1990, and during the mid 1990s, the series had aired on UPN (then named "Universal 9") then, years later, in 1997, then up-and-coming BET aired the series until the end of 1999, another five years later, in 2004, the series aired on TV One until the summer of 2005, and on July 3, 2006 the series was shown on TV Land weekdays until it was switch to Sunday mornings (9:00am), it was taken off the schedule on February 25, 2007. The Program Exchange currently holds the sitcom.

[edit] Theme Song

The theme song for 227 was written by television songwriter Ray Colcord and sung by series star Marla Gibbs entitled "There's No Place Like Home", however after the first season, in the series final four seasons, the theme song's ending changed to "Ooh!", also in the entire first season (1985-1986) of the series, the first had no "Ooh!" at the end of the song, and its tremble was non-existent, in the final four seasons, with the "Ooh!", it had the tremble.

[edit] Opening sequences

227 never had changed its theme song, except for the new set of the Jenkins' apartment, the cast members have different title cards: Marla Gibbs (the series' lead), title card changes after Season 2, and Season 3 from 5, her intro is still the same. Hal Williams changes after Season 2 as well, including Alaina Reed Hall. supporting cast members such as: Jackée Harry, who changes her name to "Jackée", with a new look and different intro for Season 3 (still remains the same as Season 4). Helen Martin, who is introduced as a full-time cast member in Season 2, whose changes every three times after Season 2, except for Season 3 and Season 5, whose title card remains the same. Season 4 introduced Countess Vaughn sharing a title card with Regina King. Regina King however title card changes sharing her intro with: Kia Goodwin (Season 1), Curtis Baldwin (Season 2, 3 and 5), and Countess Vaughn (Season 4).

[edit] Opening credits

  • Season 1 shows separate cast members with title cards except with Helen Martin and Curtis Baldwin who appear in many episodes.
  • Season 2 remains the same, except with the scene shows the pilot episode when Tiffany and Brenda tried to walk through Mary is deleted with Helen Martin's own title card and Regina King's title card with Kia Goodwin is deleted with a new one, sharing it with Curtis Baldwin, and the theme song (There's No Place Like Home) is used with a twist with the theme song being a little speed up and at the end of the song it contains Marla Gibbs, who sings the theme song and with background singers saying, "Ooh!"
  • Season 3 starts with clips shown from Season 2, and new clips shown in Season 3 and it is changed with Jackée Harry now credited as "Jackée", which she goes by until 1994.
  • Season 4 same as Season 3, except Regina King shares a title card with Countess Vaughn, and Curtis Baldwin shares a title card with Helen Martin.
  • Season 5 changes with Toukie Smith, Stoney Jackson, Barry Sobel, and Paul Winfield, and Alaina Reed is now credited as "Alaina Reed Hall", due to the marriage with her real-life tall famous TV actor husband Kevin Peter Hall, who appears in some episodes for the final season, but not credited though, and in some episodes Jackée (prior to leaving after the fourth season, due to having her own spinoff, Jackée, which never happened and was rejected by NBC) is credited "Special Guest Star: Jackée as Sandra Clark".

[edit] Ratings

227 had higher ratings than all other sitcoms airing at the time with a predominately Black cast during its original run on NBC (1985-1990). The first three seasons were the most successful.

  • 1985-1986: #18
  • 1986-1987: #6
  • 1987-1988: #14

[edit] Awards and Nominations

BMI Film & TV Awards

  • Won: Ray Colcord (1987)

Emmy Awards

  • Nominated: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Jackée (1988)
  • Won: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Jackée (1987)

Golden Globes

  • Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV, Jackée Harry (1989)

Young Artist Awards

  • Nominated: Best Young Actress Featured, Co-starring, Supporting, Recurring Role in a Comedy or Drama Series or Special, Countess Vaughn (1989)
  • Nominated: Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor, Guest Starring in a Television, Comedy or Drama Series, Curtis Baldwin (1987)
  • Nominated: Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress in a Long Running Series Comedy or Drama, Regina King (1987)
  • Nominated: Best Young Actress Starring in a New Television Series, Regina King (1986)

[edit] DVD release

On September 28, 2004, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the complete first season of 227 on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. Due to poor sales, it is unknown if the remaining four seasons will ever be released.

Season Release Date Ep#
Season 1 September 28, 2004 22

[edit] External links

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