True Colors

1 9 9 0 – 1 9 9 2 (USA)
46 x 30 minute episodes

In the on-air promotional announcements for this interracial series, Fox proclaimed “It Ain’t The Brady Bunch” – and they were certainly right.

Ron (Frankie Faison initially, and then Cleavon Little) was a widowed black dentist with two teenage sons, and Ellen (Stephanie Faracy) was a divorced white kindergarten teacher with a teenage daughter. They were newly married and living together in Ron’s home in Baltimore.

The three kids were very different; 17-year-old Terry (Claude Brooks) was an uptight, conservative yuppie; 14-year-old Lester (Adam Jeffries) was a jive-talking free spirit; and 15-year-old Katie (Brigid Brannagh) was a socially conscious environmental activist.

Everyone was trying to make this unusual family work and they probably would have had less trouble were it not for the one other member of the household – Ellen’s mother, Sara (Nancy Walker in her last TV role), who was opinionated, contentious, and less than thrilled with her new son-in-law.

While Ron and Ellen tried to smooth things over, Sara kept stirring them up. Nothing Ron did was right with her. Fortunately, as time went on, wisecracking Sara did develop a fondness for her step-grandchildren, particularly Lester.

When True Colors began its second season Terry, who had graduated from high school, was attending Marshall State University.

Ron Freeman
Frankie Faison (1)
Cleavon Little (2)
Ellen Davis Freeman
Stephanie Faracy
Terry Freeman
Claude Brooks
Lester Freeman
Adam Jeffries
Katie Davis
Brigid Brannagh
Sara Bower
Nancy Walker
Twist (Robert)
Norman D Golden II