| Charlie & Co. | |
|---|---|
 the cast of Charlie & Co. as pictured in the 1985 TV Guide Fall Preview issue | |
| Also known as | Charlie & Company |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Allan Katz |
| Starring | Flip Wilson Gladys Knight Kristoff St. John Fran Robinson Jaleel White Della Reese |
| Theme music composer | Merald "Bubba" Knight Gladys Knight Sam Dees |
| Opening theme | "Family", performed by Gladys Knight |
| Composer | Perry Botkin Jr. |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 18 (1 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Production locations | ABC Television Center, Los Angeles, California |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Allan Katz Productions Bob Henry Productions 20th Century Fox Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 18, 1985 (1985-09-18) – May 16, 1986 (1986-05-16) |
Charlie & Co. (also known as Charlie & Company) is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1985, to May 16, 1986. Created by Allan Katz, the series stars Flip Wilson and Gladys Knight. Charlie & Co. is regarded as CBS's answer to The Cosby Show, which was a ratings success for NBC at the time. Unlike The Cosby Show, which ran for eight seasons, Charlie & Co. lasted only one.
Synopsis
The series follows a middle-class African American family who lived on the South Side of Chicago.
Charlie Richmond (Flip Wilson) is a black middle-class employee of the Division of Highways, who juggles his work and home life with his wife, Diana, a schoolteacher played by Gladys Knight. The couple has three children: sixteen-year-old "Junior" (Kristoff St. John), fifteen-year-old Lauren (Fran Robinson), and nine-year-old Robert (Jaleel White). Della Reese joined the cast during the latter half of the show's only season as Charlie's sister-in-law, Aunt Rachel.
CBS cancelled the series in May 1986.
Cast
- Flip Wilson as Charles "Charlie" Richmond
- Gladys Knight as Diana Richmond
- Kristoff St. John as Charlie "Junior" Richmond Jr.
- Fran Robinson as Lauren Richmond
- Jaleel White as Robert Richmond
- Della Reese as Aunt Rachel
- Ray Girardin as Walter Simpson
- Richard Karron as Milton Bieberman
- Kip King as Ronald Sandler
- Terence McGovern as Jim Coyle
- Eddie Velez as Miguel Santana
- Heidi Levine as Emily Coyle
Episodes
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| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Alan Rafkin | Allan Katz | September 18, 1985 (1985-09-18) | 6S79 |
|
Charlie is asked by Junior to speak at Career Day at his school. All is well until Charlie freezes up with a case of stage fright. Recording date: April 4, 1985 | |||||
| 2 | "Easy for You to Say" | Alan Rafkin | Michael Kagan | September 25, 1985 (1985-09-25) | 6S01 |
|
Charlie faces difficult tasks on the home front: he has to cancel the family's camping trip due to work—and Lauren wants to discuss sex. Recording date: August 13, 1985 | |||||
| 3 | "Muggers or Us" | Alan Rafkin | Bill Richmond | October 2, 1985 (1985-10-02) | 6S03 |
| Charlie wants Diana to transfer to another school after there's an incident of vandalism at her school. | |||||
| 4 | "Buddy, Can You Spare My Dime?" | Alan Rafkin | Gary Gilbert | October 9, 1985 (1985-10-09) | 6S02 |
| Charlie struggles to find the nerve to ask for the money his boss owes him, while the family struggles through Diana's nutrition campaign. | |||||
| 5 | "The World According to Jim" | Alan Rafkin | Michael Kagan | October 16, 1985 (1985-10-16) | 6S05 |
|
Charlie and Diana soon regret letting Charlie's co-worker move in during his marital spat. Recording date: September 17, 1985 | |||||
| 6 | "Like Father, Like Son" | Alan Rafkin | Monty Aidem and Gary Murphy | October 23, 1985 (1985-10-23) | 6S06 |
| Junior is sorely taxed by Charlie's sudden desire to be more of a pal than a father. | |||||
| 7 | "Will Be Around" | Alan Rafkin | Gary Gilbert | October 30, 1985 (1985-10-30) | 6S07 |
|
The children are upset when Charlie talks of making out a will following a brush with death. Recording date: October 8, 1985 | |||||
| 8 | "Operation Richmond" | Alan Rafkin | Gary Ferrier and Aubrey Tadman | November 6, 1985 (1985-11-06) | 6S08 |
| Just after the family decides to cut back on expenses, Charlie has to go in to the hospital for an operation. | |||||
| 9 | "Happy Anniversary... Sort Of" | Alan Rafkin | Allan Katz | November 13, 1985 (1985-11-13) | 6S09 |
| Charlie's behavior at a faculty party he and Diana attend threatens the celebration of their 20th anniversary. | |||||
| 10 | "For the Love of Lauren" | Alan Rafkin | Bill Richmond | November 27, 1985 (1985-11-27) | 6S10 |
| A jilted Lauren thinks all men are jerks, until she attends a concert with a consoling Miguel, the ladies' man of Charlie's office. | |||||
| 11 | "Who's Watching the Roads?" | Alan Rafkin | Bill Richmond | December 4, 1985 (1985-12-04) | 6S04 |
|
Charlie's co-workers plan to take full advantage of their boss's absence, despite the fact that he left Charlie in charge. Recording date: September 10, 1985 | |||||
| 12 | "Silent Knight" | Alan Rafkin | Gary Gilbert | December 11, 1985 (1985-12-11) | 6S12 |
| Charlie's looking forward to spending Christmas with his family, but Junior and Lauren have other ideas. | |||||
| 13 | "Beaus and Arrows" | Alan Rafkin | Story by : Allan Katz; Teleplay by : Michael Kagan | December 25, 1985 (1985-12-25) | 6S11 |
|
Diana's old college boyfriend returns. Recording date: November 12, 1985 | |||||
| 14 | "Here's Rachel" | Alan Rafkin | Allan Katz | January 28, 1986 (1986-01-28) | 6S14 |
| Della Reese joins the cast as Aunt Rachel. | |||||
| 15 | "Rachel and the Stranger" | Alan Rafkin | Liz Sage | April 25, 1986 (1986-04-25) | 6S17 |
| After a burglary, Aunt Rachel is too scared to return alone to her apartment, so Diana volunteers Charlie to stay overnight with her. | |||||
| 16 | "When You Least Expect It" | Alan Rafkin | Gary Gilbert | May 2, 1986 (1986-05-02) | 6S16 |
| The family knows that Diana has something on her mind, but she won't talk until she's sure—that she's pregnant. | |||||
| 17 | "Don't Take My Son... Please" | Alan Rafkin | Bill Richmond | May 9, 1986 (1986-05-09) | 6S15 |
| Bored with school, Junior decides to join the Army. | |||||
| 18 | "Rent and Rave" | Alan Rafkin | Gary Ferrier and Aubrey Tadman | May 16, 1986 (1986-05-16) | 6S13 |
| The Richmonds face a rent increase. | |||||
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best Young Supporting Actor in a New Television Series | Jaleel White |
| Best Young Actress Starring in a New Television Series | Fran Robinson | |||
| Best Young Actor Starring in a New Television Series | Kristoff St. John | |||
| Best New Television Series - Comedy or Drama | - |
References
- "Blacks on TV: Tuning in to the New Season". Ebony. 40 (12). Johnson Publishing Company: 68–69. October 1985. ISSN 0012-9011.
- "CBS Yanks 'Charlie & Co.', 'Trapper' In New Season". Jet. 70 (10). Johnson Publishing Company: 61. 1986-05-26. ISSN 0021-5996.