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DALLAS/CBS/1978-91
**(Pat Colbert) Dora Mae, an attractive black hostess who helped seat the rich
and treacherous at the Oil Baron's Club located in Dallas, Texas. Her most
popular patron was J. R. Ewing, a white oil millionaire who always asked her for
the "usual, Darlin'."
DANGEROUS MINDS/ABC/1996-7
**(Tamala Jones) Callie Timmons, one of a number of black teenagers facing their
troubles at an inner-city high school with the aid of a white ex-marine female
teacher. Also featured was Vicellous Reon Shannon as student Cornelius Hawkins.
DANGEROUS CURVES/CBS/1992-93
*(Michael Michelle/costar) Holly Williams, black female private security
operative working in Dallas with Gina McKay, her Caucasian female partner.
DANIEL BOONE/NBC/1964-70
**(Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier) Gabe Cooper, a runaway slave living with the Indians
and friend of frontiersman Daniel Boone during the 1969-70 season of this
western series. During the 1968-69 season, the American-Indian Mingo character
was replaced by a Negro Indian named Gideon (played by Don Pedro Colley).
THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW/ABC/CBS/1953-1965
**(Amanda Randolph) Louise, a black housemaid for a nightclub entertainer, Danny
Thomas, his wife and family of three children. Rosey Grier starred as Danny
Thomas' piano accompanist when the series was revived shortly under the title
MAKE ROOM FOR GRANDDADDY/ABC/1970-71.
DARIA/MTV/1997-2001
*(Cartoon character) Jodie Abigail Landon (voice of Jessica Cydnee Jackson), a
smart perfectionist black teen involved in extracurricular student activities
like the yearbook project at Lawndale High School. Jodie’s siblings are Rachel
Landon and Evan Landon. Mack Jordan MacKenzie is Jodie's intelligent black
boyfriend and captain of the football team. Both Jodie and Mack are friends of
Daria Morgendorfer, the series lead character.
DAVE'S WORLD/CBS/1993-97
**(Meschah Taylor) Dr. Sheldon Baylor, a black divorced plastic surgeon friend
of a white Miami-based humor columnist.
THE DAYS AND NIGHTS OF MOLLY DODD/NBC/LIF/1987-91
**(Richard Lawson) Nathaniel Hawthorne, a black New York City police detective
who fell in love with a red-headed white woman named Molly Dodd. Nate later died
when he accidentally ate shrimp, a sea food to which he had a deadly allergy.
Molly bore his child during the 1991 season.
THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES/NBC/1965+
**(Renee Jones) Nikki Wade, 19 year-old black girl who appeared on this day time
soap-opera in 1984. Later co-star with Isabel Sanford on the syndicated comedy
HONEYMOON HOTEL/1987.
DEA: SPECIAL TASK FORCE/FOX/1990-91
*(Byron Keith Minns/co-star) Jimmy Sanders, a black undercover agent working
with a team of operatives from the Drug Enforcement Agency.
DEAR JOHN/NBC/1988-92
**(Olivia Brown) Denise, a black female who joined a neighborhood support group
to help deal with her husband's problems of adjusting to her sexy figure. Her
character was introduced during the 1990-91 season.
DESIGNING WOMEN/CBS/1986-93
**(Meshach Taylor) Anthony Bouvier, a young black man and former convict from
the Dunbar Correctional Institute for Men who was hired by a group of white
female interior designers to deliver furniture/supplies for their Atlanta based
business. He later became one of their partners. Olivia Brown played Vanessa,
his girlfriend during the 1989-90 seasons. Anthony later married a beautiful
showgirl name Etienne Toussant Bouvier (Sheryl Lee Ralph) who worked at the
Tropicana Resort and Casino. Etienne called Anthony, "Tony, 'cause he's my
tiger".
DETECTIVE SCHOOL/ABC/1979
**(LaWanda Page) Charlene Jenkins, a black women attending night classes at Nick
Hannigan's detective school where she hoped to be taught the tricks of the trade
used by private investigators.
DIAGNOSIS MURDER/CBS/1993-2001
**(Victoria Rowell) Dr. Amanda Bentley-Livingston, a black resident physician
working at Community General Hospital in Los Angeles who specialized in
pathology. She married a man named Colin Livingston but later got divorced. He
died in a plane crash soon after. Their union gave birth to a little boy named
C. J. [Colin Jesse] Livingston.
THE DIAHANN CARROLL SHOW/CBS/1976
*(Diahann Carroll) Musical variety series hosted by black singer-actress Diahann
Carroll.
DIFF'RENT STROKES/NBC/1978-86
*(Gary Coleman & Todd Bridges/co-stars) Arnold & Willis Jackson, two black
youths from Harlem who were adopted by a wealthy white man after their mother
(his housekeeper) died.
A DIFFERENT WORLD/NBC/1987-93
*(Lisa Bonet) Denise Huxtable, the 19-year-old daughter of black physician
Heathcliff Huxtable and his attorney wife, Clair. After Denise graduated from
high school she enrolled at Hillman College, a mostly black institution which
bother her father and grandfather had attended. Also featured were Dawnn Lewis
as Jaleesa, Denise's 26-year-old divorcee roommate; Whitley Gilbert as Jasmine
Guy an snobbish black Southern Belle; Kadeem Hardison as Dwayne Wayne, a cool
math major; Darryl Bell as Ron Johnson, Dwayne's best friend; Sinbad as
coach/counselor Walter Oakes, who ran the local community center; Charnelle
Brown as Kim Reese; Jada Pinkett as Lena James; Ajai Sanders as Gina Devereaux;
Cree Summer as Freddie Brooks; Joe Morton as Senator Byron Douglas III, a
Hillman alumnus; Patrick Y. Malone as Terrell; Karen Malina White as Charmiane
Brown; and Glynn Turman as Col. Clayton Taylor (aka "Dr. War"), the math
professor.
DISNEY PRESENTS THE 100 LIVES OF BLACK JACK SAVAGE/NBC/1991
*(Steven Williams/costar) Black Jack Savage, a black 17th century pirate whose
spirit still roamed his castle on the small Caribbean Island of San Pietro. To
earn his way into heaven, Black Jack needed to save 100 lives from perdition
(one life for every one he took as a pirate).
THE DISTRICT/CBS/2000-04
**(Lynne Thigpen) Ella Mae Farmer, a black computer statistics analysis expert
working with newly hired white police chief, Jack Mannion who plans to clean up
DC's crime-ridden streets. Ella and Mannion utilizes COMSTAT, a Geographical
Information System (GIS) that tracks/maps crime by analyzing statistics that
predict possible hot spots of criminal activity. Other cast included Detective
Chief Joe Noland (an African-American who was in the running for Mannion‘s job);
and Temple Page, a black Officer/Detective. TRIVIA NOTE: Actress Lynne Thigpen
died in her Los Angeles home on March 12, 2003. She was 54 years old. She is
credited with over 47 television like PBS shows Where in the World Is Carmen
Sandiego? and Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? She won a 1997 Tony Award for
her work in the show An American Daughter and was nominated for a Tony for her
performance in Tintypes. and won Obie Awards for her roles in the off-Broadway
productions of "Jar the Floor" and "Boesman and Lena."
DOCTOR, DOCTOR/CBS/1989-91
**(Julius J. Carey III) Abraham Butterfield, a black physician and business
partner at a medical clinic based in Providence, Rhode Island.
DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN/CBS/1993-98
**(Jonelle Allen) Grace, a black woman, owner of Grace's Cafe, and wife and mom
living in the frontier town of Colorado Springs in the 1860s. Also featured was
Henry G. Sanders as Robert E., Graces's husband and the town's blacksmith.
DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D./ABC/1989-93
**(Marcus Redmond) Raymond "Ray" Alexander, a streetwise black hospital orderly
who was befriended by white teenage physician, Doogie Howser. Ray had previously
been involved in the robbery of a convenience store during the first season.
DOUBLE DARE/CBS/1985
*(Billy Dee Williams) Billy Diamond, a master thief and burglar arrested by the
San Francisco police and given the choice of working undercover for them or
going to jail. The series was a black version of the adventure series IT TAKES A
THIEF/ABC/1968-70.
DOUBLE RUSH/CBS/1995
*(D. L. Hughley/costar) Marlon, a black New York City bicycle messenger service
worker and family man with a "legendary" ability to con people.
DOWNTOWN/CBS/1986-87
**(Blair Underwood) Terry Corsaro, a young black runaway and former pickpocket
supervised by ex-Los Angeles cop turned parole officer.
DREAM ON/HBO/FOX/1989-96
**(Dorien Wilson) Eddie Charles, a black talk show host of "The Eddie Charles
Show" based in New York City. Eddie was the friend of a day-dreaming white book
editor.
THE DREW CAREY SHOW/ABC/1995-2003
**(Kelly Perine) Chuck, the overzealous black security guard working at the
Winfred-Louder Department Store in Cleveland, Ohio. Once Chuck cornered an
elderly woman he suspected of shoplifting and warned her "Don't make me go
Medieval on you!" Despite Chuck’s sometimes impetuous nature, the store’s
Assistant Director of Personnel Drew Carey admitted “I like him. Most guys are
like a frustrated ‘Dirty Harry”. He’s like...Barney Miller.” Living next door to
Drew Carey are Janet and Greg Clemens (Rachel True and Keith Diamond), a married
black couple who occasionally interact with their white neighbor. Once when Drew
needed money to upgrade his garage-based microbrewery business, Greg invested in
the project. Another time Drew sold a part of his back yard for $5000, so that
Greg had enough yard space to corral a new horse. Mark Curry was introduced as
Mr. Soulard, the new store executive on January 5, 2000 Episode #114 "Drew and
the Racial Tension Play" when Winfred-Louder employees revolt after a board
member makes racial comments. Wanda Sykes appeared as Christine Watson, the
store's new efficiency expert who had a brief affair with coworker Drew Carey on
episodes 164-167 during the seventh season.
THE DUCK FACTORY/NBC/1984
**(Clarence Gilyard, Jr.) Ronald Culp, a black cartoon animator working for a
rundown Hollywood studio that produced "The Dippy Duck Show."
DUE SOUTH/CBS/1994-98
**(Tony Craig) Det. Jack Huey, a black Chicago policeman teamed with and Italian
partner Det. Louis Guardino. Together they were referred to "Huey and Dewey."
The two interacted with a Canadian Mountie and his Italian partner Ray Vecchio.
DYNASTY/ABC/1981-89
**(Diahann Carroll) Dominique Deveraux, distant black relative of the white
Carrington family with possible claims to the Carrington fortune who purported
to be Blake Carrington's sister beginning with the 1984-87 seasons. Diahann
Carroll remarked she wanted to be the first "Black Bitch" on television-along
the lines of Alexis Carrington (played by Joan Collins). The fall of 1986
introduced Richard Dawson as Nick Kimball, a black business associate of Blake
Carrington and romantic interest of Dominique Deveraux.
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