Our Street - anyone know more about this?

[DRW50]

I know little about this show. It aired in 1972 and featured an early performance from Howard Rollins. If anyone knows more please let us know.

From the October 1972 Daytime TV (Sterling House Inc).

[DRW50]

[SFK]

Never heard of this, but oh my God, I totally would have watched it. Produced in my neck of the woods, a fine cast of black theatre actors, airing on PBS like Degrassi did in the '80s/'90s, wow... This actually sounds like something WHUT (Howard University's channel in D.C.) would have rerun in the '80s, I guess it wouldn't hurt to see if they have it in their archives. When Googling, it only appears to pop up in obits of Howard Rollins.

[DRW50]

It's the type of thing I wish PBS could have done more of - a continuing drama about the struggles of daily life. The cast sounds great. I guess it probably only had a limited run in mind from the start, but I'd love to know the stories, or if the writers or producers had any other ideas.

The early/mid 70s was probably when PBS was last allowed to be quite so creative.

This seems to be the only TV credit for Parham?

[SFK]

Some links:

http://www.film.com/tv/our-street/21330952

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0112982/

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1250779.html

[DRW50]

Thanks. I didn't know her other name. So 71-73. That's a longer run than I thought.

56 is way too young.

[SFK]

It certainly is, I lost my mom in her early 50s. I'm not familiar with the actress, I Googled and the IMDb page popped up with her other name.

I agree, I was fully prepared to hear that the show ran for like 13 episodes. Would love to see it. I wonder if it was daily, weekly...?

[DRW50]

I'm sorry about your mother. I hope my comment didn't sound too flip.

I don't know if you're a fan of Olivia Cole, but one of the magazines from around this time also had some photos and an interview of her. I'm going to post it in the GL thread. I never even knew she was on a soap.

[SFK]

Thank you, and no offense taken at all my friend.

Wait, she played the crabby nosy old neighbor in The Women of Brewster Place, right? Wow, I Googled her a couple of years back, I was really taken by her when I saw her on Oprah looking sleek and beautiful out of the old age makeup and I wondered what happened to her (kind of like Margaret Avery). I figured she must have been a theatre actress, like a young Gloria Foster, because I don't recall her having a lot of TV/film credits. Please post, I'd be interested in reading.

[DRW50]

@jam6242 The reopened thread.

[jam6242]

Thanks!  I've found some synopses and I've been typing up those. 

Here's the link to the very short clip from Maryland Public Television, with Barbara Healy (Mae) and Alfredine Parham Brown (Grandma) for those who didn't see it. 

https://av.lib.umd.edu/media_objects/1544bp847

[DRW50]

Thanks!

@Vee @SFK 

[jam6242]

The newspapers made a hash of spelling the actors and characters names so keep that in mind when reading, lol.  It seems Howard Rollins was originally slated to play the oldest son, Jet, but later he played the middle son, Slick, which seemed like a juicier role based on the synopses I've seen.  The Robinsons also had a 12-year old son named Tony.

The Encyclopedia of Television Programs lists the following actors and roles:

Mae Robinson, the mother (Barbara Healy)

Bull Robinson, her husband (Gene Cole; Clayton Corbin)

Jet Robinson, eldest son (Curt Stewart)

Slick Robinson, the middle son (Darryl F. Hill; Howard Rollins)

Tony Robinson, the youngest son (Tyrone Jones)

Kathy Robinson, their daughter (Sandra Sharp)

J. T. Robinson, Mae's half brother (Arthur French) --- has the same last name as her husband so don't know the story behind that

Grandma Robinson (Alfredine Parham)

Cynthia, a friend (Janet League)

Emily, a friend (Frances Foster)

Mrs. Ryder, grandma's friend (Birdie Hale)

Pearlina, Slick's girlfriend (Pat Picketts)

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[Khan]

Director Whitney J. Leblanc went on to work on several shows, including "Good Times," "227," "Benson" and GENERATIONS and Y&R.

And I'm wondering if that was the same Frances Foster who played Alexandra's maid, Vera, on GL, as well as the infamous "Gertie Vinson" on "Good Times."

Edited June 28, 2024 by Khan

[jam6242]

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One of the writers, T. Diane Anderson.

Adrienne Britt died in 1974.

I don't know about playing Vera, but she WAS on GL, though it was pre-Alexandra.  This is from 1973.

Ted Shine was another writer.