20-year-old Josh Jerrico (stand-up comic Ralph Louis Harris) is the oldest child of a family of nine.
When their parents are killed in a car accident, Josh feels the only way he can keep the family together is to step into his father’s shoes – and his mother’s dress – and pretend to be their (fictional) long-lost Aunt Jelcinda (or “Mama J”), who has come to St Louis to care for her two nieces and four nephews – Jimi (18), Jai (14), Jesse (12), Jordee (8), Joc (5) and Jarreau (2).
Social worker Alana Michaels (Kimberly Kates) is aware of the charade but promises to keep Josh’s secret.
Complications arise when Alana’s supervisor, Gordon Ormsby (Roger Alan Brown), meets “Jelcinda” and develops a crush on her without knowing that she is really a he.
After a hiatus, the series returned (from March to April 1995) with a revised format where Josh still had to care for his siblings, but this time as their legal guardian since he had been granted custody of his siblings (thus ending the charade aspect).
All the young actors and actresses who played the parts of the young Jerrico kids were real-life siblings of the Smollett family.
Josh Jerrico/Aunt Jelcinda
Ralph Louis Harris Jai Jerrico
Jazz Smollett Jimi Jerrico
Jojo Smollett Jordee Jerico
Jurnee Smollett Jesse Jerrico
Jussie Smollett Joc Jerrico
Jake Smollett Jarreau Jerrico
Jocqui Smollett Alana Michaels
Kimberly Kates Gordon Ormsby
Roger Alan Brown Nails
Laura Ponce Suki
Karen Kim Scotti Decker
T’Keyah Crystal Keymah
Social worker Alana Michaels (Kimberly Kates) is aware of the charade but promises to keep Josh’s secret.
