"227"

Thoughts?

• way ahead of 226.

• 227 was a comedy, about Marla Gibbs and her family.

• Maaaary

  Loved Sondra

• Was Marla resentful that Jackee stole her spotlight? What were relations between the two of them like on the set?

• Mary was perhaps the most disagreeable leading character of any sitcom.

• Marla Gibbs always seemed really goatish in 227.

• Let''s see. Jackie was hilarious, and they sometimes gave that old woman stooped over the window some good lines, but Mary was a bitch. And the rest of the cast was pretty much dead weight.\ \ Remember when they added the white people to the cast during the last season?

• I love R2. So very fucking much.\ \ We are the only people who remember that fucking jingle.

• [8], I totally remember it, too.

• What was Lester''s profession? Did Mary work? They had a nice apartment. The income levels on that show kind of confused me. Sandra/Jackee seemed to dress like she had a lot of money - but then how did old lady Pearl raising her grandson on her own afford to live in the same building? Unless she was the rare African-American woman who spent the ''50s/''60s/''70s working in a high paying job with strong retirement benefits, wouldn''t she have been on welfare?

• I certainly have no memory of that jingle. Was that how they advertised the show? Seems pretty pedestrian.

• Lester was a construction foreman.\ \ Mary was a stay-at-home mom.\ \ Sandra was an executive secretary.\ \ Rose (who was played by a woman who had been on Sesame Street) was a teacher, I think.\ \ How useless that I know such things.\ \ Wasn''t 227 in the NBC power Saturday block of The Facts of Life, 227, The Golden Girls and some other show (Empty Nest? Nurses?)

  Binky, the "Lost" Von Trapp

• I also remember the theme song way too well.\ \ Marla sang it, and it was called "No Place Like Home."\ \ At the end of it she would say, "And I mean no place, child"\ \ My best friend in junior high and I tried to make "and I mean no place child" into a catch phrase. It did not work.

  Binky

• You forgot the girlish "Ooh!" squeal that came in the later seasons Binky

• R2 is referring to the rap jingle they used to promote the show during commercial breaks. He is not talking about the theme song, bitches!

  R8

• The fact that you know that Lester Jenkins was a construction foreman is both useless and awe-inspiring, r12.\ \ It was indeed in the Saturday night power block - my brother and I used to sit on the couch and watch it every Saturday night when our parents were out. I remember that at one point, it went, from 8-10, Facts of Life, 227, Golden Girls, and Amen. Then maybe Facts of Life going off the air coincided with Empty Nest''s debut, so it became 227, Amen, Golden Girls, Empty Nest. Don''t know when 227 and Amen went off the air, but for its last season (1991-92), Golden Girls was moved to 8:00. Betty White is royally pissed about this in her book, as it caused the show to plummet out of the Top 10 for the first time.

• This thread is useless without a video

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b30CLSFaEz0

• That''s funny that Alaina Reed was billed before Jackee. Talk about a classic television breakout character. Jackee even won an Emmy one year, beating out heavyweights Estelle Getty, Rhea Perlman, and Julia Duffy (along with Justine Bateman, whose nominations baffle me - even as a kid, I thought her acting stunk).

• A boy in junior high trying (and failing) to turn a faux-sassy Marla Gibbs line from a sitcom theme song into a "catchphrase" definitely belongs in the Dialing the Phone with a Pencil thread.

• Sonnnnnndddrrrrraaaaa

• Mary and Sondra are stuck in a hotel somewhere (jury duty?) ...\ \ Sondra: You got a quarter?\ \ Mary: Why?\ \ Sondra: We can make the bed vibrate. EEEEEEEEEE!

• I loved it when they''d "Dixie" in a song--all the lead women on that show sang.\ \ And it was very often a low-royalty, or public domain no music clearance song.\ \ One time they paid up to sing GIRL TALK though.

• One less than 228

• Does anyone else remember an episode where there was a "fantasy sequence" where Marla was a singer in a nightclub? I seem to remember she was dressed like Billie Holiday. It was totally gratuitous and self-indulgent, clearly Marla forced them to do it.

• Does anyone remember the episode where both Marla and Pee Wee Herman are held hostage at gunpoint in a toy store right before Xmas?

• I wanted Pearl''s grandson Calvin to fuck the living shit out of me with his big black cock. I''m not kidding.

• There aint no place chile

• Is Regina King the only one who still has a career?

• For the most part, R28.\ \ They were all reunited on the "Today" show recently and all look pretty good. (It was, unfortunately, just a couple weeks after Alaina Reed Hall''s death.) Marla cleared up the long-held rumor about her relationship offscreen with Jackee, saying that it was strained at one time due to the lies other people were telling each one about the other, but then one day they confronted one another, talked it all out, and have been really good friends ever since. They also all call Regina King "our star" because she''s the only one who''s gone on to have a successful career since the series came to an end.

• 2nd favorite show ever. I love that you thought to make this thread!

• Oh and Mary worked sometimes. Remember when she got a job working alongside Sandra and then the time she worked for Lester''s construction company?

• I loved watching 227. Television was so much better back then.

• A man...\ \ A rich man...\ \ A younnggg man...\ \ A poorrr man...

  Jackee

• Like ''Cosby'', it perfectly captures the idyllic ghetto life of the 1980''s, before all the poverty, crime and social breakdown that has since plagued the black community.

• IMDB seems to say Jackee left before the last season- is that right?\ \ Seems like those must have been some really boring episodes, with only sour old Mary to provide the comedy.

• Jackee left to do her own sitcom, can''t remember if it was a Sondra spinoff or her playing a character exactly like Sandra.

• The spinoff was called "Jackee!"

• Jackee won an Emmy? Wow.

  well, it was the ''80s

• Jackee was to Marla Gibbs\ \ as\ \ Christine Baranski was to Cybill Shepherd\ \ =\ \ costars who ended up stealing the show from the lead

• That''s weird that they let Jackee leave - don''t sitcom actors have to sign like seven-year contracts or something? Or is that something that only came about in recent years?

• Why isn''t Jackee more of a gay icon?

• The first time I saw Jackee was on "Another World" -- probably around 1984 -- she was an incidental character, best friend or co-worker of a more major black woman character -- don''t remember any of the names. She was there long enough for me to notice her & recognize the actress when she turned up on "227".

• I remember that annoying jingle as well, R8. It was the promo for the show''s 1985 premiere.\ \ "Saturday nights on NBC."

• Regina King has had a career SINCE but all the other actors had decent careers before the show. "Lester" was on "Sanford and Son" as the cop and "Private Benjamin." Marla Gibbs was, of course, Florence. Reed-Hall was on "Sesame Street" and "Pearl) (too tired to look up her name) was on lots of things and was "Weeping Wanda" on "Good Times."\ \ Jackee''s spinoff only filmed a pilot but she still didn''t return for the final season - nor did the viewers. Jackee made that show even though I did like Mary.

• Could you tell you were watching a S*T*A*R in the making, r42?

• I thought she was Felicia''s friend, R42.\ \ Wasn''t her character''s name Lily?

• Didn''t Jackee also play the mother on that "Sister Sister" show with the Mowry twins? She also appeared in several episodes of "Everybody Hates Chris."

• So now I''m curious about what Jackee Harry did on "Another World" -- my memory is pretty vague.\ \ Searching IMDB, Wikipedia, etc I find that her character was Lily Mason, an ex-hooker, and she was maid of honor at one of Felicia Gallant''s weddings. So they must have been pals, which I don''t remember at all.\ \ What I recall of Lily''s circle is a black woman with a teenage brother or son. IMBD says that those characters were named Thomasina and Carter Todd -- don''t know how Lily fit into whatever their story was, except that all black soap opera characters are always related or acquainted.\ \ I don''t remember much about Lily, so I guess she didn''t make a big impression on me -- but I wasn''t really paying attention to the show at that point. Nevertheless, I did recognize the actress when she appeared later on 227 (which I also didn''t really watch, it was just on in the background at a friend''s house). Always nice to see soap actors make it out in the real world.

  R42

• Check out 7:03 in the link to get a glimpse of how Marla apparently conceived her character. Alaina Reed says to her, "Do you know what your problem is? You expect everybody to be just like you: perfect."\ \ I never thought of Mary as perfect! On the contrary, she''s a crabby, negative bitch.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGnbdxr8tgk&feature=PlayList&p=930C22AA7384010C&playnext_from=PL&index=0

• Should have specified that the link is to the pilot, so this is how they were introducing her.

  r49

• Idyllic ghetto life?

• It must have driven Marla bonkers that, after she was nominated five times for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for "The Jeffersons" and never won it...then she has this new sitcom created just for her, Jackee wins the award she never could, and she herself is never nominated for a single Emmy for what''s supposed to be "her" sitcom.

  That''s gotta hoit

• Jackee was also on "Designing Women".

• Has anybody ever seen a perfomance of the play that the show was based upon?

• R48, Lily was Thomasina''s aunt. Thomasina was the adopted daughter of AW''s original African-American heroine, Quinn Harding (played by the awesome Petronia Paley, seen recently on "Damages"). Thomasina married Carter. I think Lily never quite got together with Carter''s dad before he was accidentally poisoned due to Carl Hutchins'' scheming.\ \ I don''t remember this at all, but apparently Lily moved in with Wallingford at one point! Wallingford was the greatest.

  http://www.igs.net/~awhp/awhp.html

  Richard Bekins'' Rugby Shirt

• Marla Gibbs was just happy not to be playing someone''s maid.

• I loved this show.\ \ My old co-worker/friend and I gave everyone in the office the names of the characters from the series so we could speak in code about them.\ \ Of course, I was, "Ms. Pearl" and she was "Calvin." \ \ OFFICER HE WENT THAT WAY!

• You''re right, R55! It was "Quinn Harding" I was thinking of, a career woman -- that website shows pictures of the actors, which help a lot. I recognize the guy "Quinn" dated, "Zack Edwards", who was on the show quite awhile -- but I''m not good with names. Those were the days -- thanks for the memories.

• I am so happy that a thread on 227 garnered this much attention.\ \ The only reason I remember Lester was a building contractor was that my grandfather was too, and I would watch the show with him.\ \ Lester would occasionally come home in a hard had and holding rolled up white papars that I guess were props representing "plans."\ \ My grandfather would always say, "What kind of asshole wears his hard hat on his way home?"\ \ Made me laugh every time.

• "Idyllic ghetto life?"\ \ I never got the impression that they lived in a ghetto. It just seemed to be a working class neighborhood. Everyone on the show had decent jobs and nice apartments.

• Exactly R60 - that was the point, that they weren''t the poor black folks we''d been seeing on TV, nor were they rich like THE JEFFERSONS, which Marla had just come off ten seasons'' worth of doing.\ \ I saw Marla in THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES here in NYC. She was great, solid and down to earth. And you know she released a new CD a few years back. She''s a good singer/jazz stylist.

• "You''d better not get too used to being around black people because we''re going to Washington, DC!"

  Peter Griffin

• Jackée was supposed to become a regular cast member on [italic]Designing Women,[/italic] but they inexplicably replaced her with Sheryl Lee Ralph in that awful final season.

• Is that the Sheryl Lee Ralph who did the awful final season of IT''S A LIVING?

• I wish 227 was on in reruns.

• Show became unwatchable when they added Barry Sobel as the teenage white rapper and Countess Vaughan as "Countess," an overly intelligent brat.

• I agree r66. I think Pearl was my favorite. I loved how she sat outside the window.

• And I mean no place, chile bump

• I loved 227, and Jackee really was superb, truly hilarious. \ \ Jackee had a small role on "Everybody Hates Chris" as [...]''s friend and hairdresser. She was great in that too.\ \ There''s a fantastically funny skit from "In Living Color" called "Passenger 227," where a plane is being hijacked and one of the stewardesses is Sondra.

• Only the first season of 227 has ever been released on DVD, much to the annoyance of my BF, who is a big fan.

• i thought it was always so stupid that pearl s window never had a screen in it. they lived in wahington d.c. STUPID!

• Funny that Jackee' was on Designing Women because she sort of played the Delta Burke role in 227.

• How to speak "Jackee".

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DQ8vRJ53txZs

• R65, It is on Centric - a random cable channel.

• except for Jackee, it was garbage...

• Lester's construction job was just a cover for his secret life.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DToj8nkaPdtA

• Passenger 227.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DawVaEcajiX0

• Where did this show take place?

• @ R41 - Jackee's first husband certainly considers her more of a gay icon...

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DgIspnPJfGUE

  You%20turnin%27%20%27em%2C%20gurl%21

• [R78] The show was based in Washington, D.C.

• YES, BUT WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD?

  Pearl%27s%20saggin%27%20jowls

• Jakee winning the Emmy. Her win and speech wasn't the impressive thing. What was impressive was the amount of cuntiness Julia Duffy could squeeze into a three second nominee in the audience shot.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DAa3bx5RkwX8%26feature%3Drelated

  Larry%20Linville%20

• My friend got me the first DVD set. One of my favorite tv shows, always. "Amen", "227", "Golden Girls", and "Murder She Wrote", in no particular order.

• Jackee in her prime was vivaciousness personified. Basically a female drag queen.

• I remember seeing "Boyz 'N The Hood" and being gobsmacked that innocent little Brenda was cussing like a sailor.

• Jackee is my auntie/fag hag in my head. Like she'd be a lot of fun to knock back a few drinks and go hang out with.

• Did anyone see Jackee on the twins Tia and Tamera's reality show the other night? She looked like she'd knocked back QUITE a few drinks before the cameras rolled.

• I hated Jackee. What a lousy actress. And Marla was/is such a poor actress. She was overrated when she was on 'The Jeffersons'. Isabel, OTOH, was DIVINE as Weezie!!

• {quote]Was Marla resentful that Jackee stole her spotlight? I remember reading there were issues, but how mad can Miss Gibbs get when she was still getting the higher paycheck, and when she had done the same thing in "The Jeffersons." It's not like the case in, say "Designing Women" "That 70's Show", or "Family Ties", where ythere clearly were breakout stars who - if you wanted them to renew after 5 years, you needed to come up with serious cash (the the resentment of the rest of the castmates).

  Cybil S.

• I remember back then thinking this was one of those few shows where the audience was treated to a cast of ladies ALL of whom could sing up a storm. There were some greta musical numbers br=ecause of it.

• Mary was Dorothy Sondra was Blanche Rose was Rose Pearl was Sophia

• >>>>TO the resentment of the other castmates. (plus a million other Thanksgiving booze-induced typos).

  r89

• Alaina Reed's life was so tragic, though.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaina_Reed_Hall

• I like the fact after Jackee left they replaced her with a blonde clone. Then they had to bring in a token white guy who wasn't funny but was Jewish. Not to forget Rose lost her kid in the second season. And that Mary's daughter's real life sister was on What's Happenin' Now. It was a dumb show that was a time slot hit.

• Shitty writing, overacting is the reason that terrible show is no where to be found...and I mean no where, chile

• And who would have known I had some great acting chops in me.

  R. King

• [quote]I like the fact after Jackee left they replaced her with a blonde clone. Toukie Smith, former partner of Robert DeNiro and mother of his kids.

  http://cdn.madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/actors-toukie-smith-and-boyfriend-robert-de-niro.jpg

• [quote] the amount of cuntiness Julia Duffy could squeeze into a three second nominee in the audience shot To be fair, she was nominated seven times and never won. Then when she went to Designing Women, the season she was on it was the highest rated of the series and they canned her.

• Karen Valentine was at her best on this programme.

  Anomynous%20

• I liked the white guy with the Jewfro, I think his name was Bernie

• I remember when Stoney Jackson was added to the cast along with Toukie Smith and Barry Sobel in the last season.. He had a hideous Jherri Curl but a rippling body. I wanted to bend that muscle-daddy over and wear his ass out. He still looks pretty handsome in that older cat-daddy sort of way nowadays.

• Maaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrryyyyyyyyy!

• One Xmas long ago, because I was always misplacing my keys, my Mom gave me a key chain that would squawk when you whistled. A few weeks later, holiday programming ended and 227 returned after the winter hiatus. The moment Jackee came on screen and started screeching, that key chain started squawking.

• I like the way Jackie Harry pronounced Mary "May-ree"

• Marla Gibbs damned a whole generation of professional black women to thinking they had to look mean to get things done.

• Mary!

  Sandra

• I have the box set of the first season.

• I that the Boeing 227?