Charlie & Co.

1 9 8 5 – 1 9 8 6 (USA)
18 x 30 minute episodes

What a great concept for a sitcom: middle-class black parents cope with exasperating but lovable kids. What’s that you say? It sounds like The Cosby Show? What a coincidence . . .

Charlie Richmond (Flip Wilson) worked in an office at the Division of Highways, while his wife, Diana (Gladys Knight) was a schoolteacher.

The kids were 16-year-old Junior (Kristoff St. John), 15-year-old Lauren (Fran Robinson), and 9-year-old Robert (Jaleel White – later to become better-known as supernerd, Urkel on Family Matters).

Della Reese joined the cast during the latter half of the season as Charlie’s sister Aunt Rachel.

Unlike The Cosby Show, which ran for eight seasons at NBC, Charlie and Co. lasted only one season. Only 18 episodes were produced for CBS from 18 September 1985 until the final episode of the series on 16 May 1986.

Charlie Richmond
Flip Wilson
Diana Richmond
Gladys Knight
Charlie Richmond Jr
Kristoff St. John
Lauren Richmond
Fran Robinson
Robert Richmond
Jaleel White
Walter Simpson
Ray Girardin
Milton Bieberman
Richard Karron
Ronald Sandler
Kip King
Aunt Rachel
Della Reese