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RACHEL GUNN, R.N./FOX/1992
**(Dan Tullis, Jr.) Dane Grey, a black orderly working at the Nebraska-based
Little Innocent’s Hospital. Dan wanted to become a nurse, but first he had to
conquer his fear of the sight of blood. Kathleen Mitchell also appeared as the
perky Sister Joan who ministered to the patients and staff at the hospital.
RAWHIDE/CBS/1958-66
**(Raymond St. Jacques) Simon Blake, a black cattle drover working on the
Sedalia trail in Kansas of the 1800's. Raymond St. Jacques became the first
black to be featured regularly on a western series He appeared during the
1965-66 season.
READING RAINBOW/PBS/1983-2004
*(LeVar Burton) Levar Burton, hosted this children's program which focused on
stories based on children's books. LeVar Burton gained national notoriety when
he starred as the slave Kunte Kinte on the blockbuster miniseries ROOTS/ABC/1977
and his later role as Geordi La Forge, a starship officer on the syndicated
science fiction series STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.
THE REAL STORY/NBC/1991
*(Cassandra Clayton) Cassandra Clayton was co-host with Boyd Matson for this two
hour newsmagazine show. The program focused on such topics as the failed Soviet
coup, animals rights, and fashion trends.
RENEGADES/ABC/1983
**(Randy Brooks) Eagle, tough, black gang leader (Chiefs Gang) who teamed with
six other street gang leaders (under the supervision of a big city cop) to form
a group of crime fighting youths.
REPORT TO MURPHY/CBS/1982
*(Olivia Cole/co-star) Blanche, a black female supervisor to a young white
parole officer named Murphy. Olivia Cole had previously played Mathilda on the
1977 ROOTS miniseries aired on ABC network, and had the starring role of Maggie
Rogers, one of the black servants assigned to the Presidential families (Taft to
Eisenhower) on the NBC miniseries Backstairs At The White House (1979).
RESCUE 77/WB/1999
*(Richard Roundtree/costar) Captain Durfee, black supervisor for Fire Station
No. 77 in Los Angeles.
REWIND/FOX/1997
*(Mystro Clark/costar) Black single guy from Philadelphia struggling to make it
socially and professionally along with a white childhood friend. The show is
filled with flashbacks to both their teenage years in the 1970s (played by Milo
Ventimiglia and DeJuan Guy).
RHYTHM & BLUES/NBC/1992
*(Anna Maria Horsford) Veronica Washington, black owner of WBLZ, an all-black
Detroit radio station inherited from her late husband. (his ashes were kept in
an urn behind her desk). Radio station regulars included Ron Glass as sales
manager Don Philips; Troy Curvey Jr. as the beefy deejay “The Love Man”; Vanessa
Bell Calloway as program director Colette Hawkins; Miguel A. Nunez, Jr. as
deejay Jammin; Christopher Babers as Veronica’s young son Earl “Ziggy”
Washington (who fancies himself Jamaican); and Roger Kabler as Bobby Soul, the
stations token white accidentally hired sight unseen based on his hip audition
tape.
ROAR/FOX/1997
**(Alonzo Greer) Tully, a rowdy apprentice magician of African descent who aids
the cause of a Celtic prince battling evil in Ireland during the year 400 A.D.
THE ROBERT GUILLAUME SHOW/ABC/1989-90
*(Robert Guillaume) Edward Sawyer, a black divorced marriage counselor living
with his two teenagers Pamela & William (Kelsey Scott & Marc Joseph) at the home
of his father, Henry Sawyer played by Hank Rolike. Ed later fell in love with
his white secretary, Ann Sherr.
ROC/FOX/1991-94
*(Charles S. Dutton) Roc Emerson, a black garbage collector "working for the
American Dream" who lived in a Baltimore row home. Cast included Ella Joyce as
his wife Eleanor, a nurse; Carl Gordon as his retired father, Andrew (Archie
Bunker in black) who had an obsession with Malcolm X; Rocky Carroll as Roc's
freeloading younger brother, Joey, a trumpet player with an addiction to
gambling; Garrett Morris as Roc's friend, Wiz, an electronic handyman; and
Alexis Fields as Sheila Hendricks, an-eleven-year-old girl who moved in with the
Emersons after her father went to prison. Other occasional cast were Oscar
Brown, Jr as Miles Taylor, a pianist; Wally Taylor as Curtis Vincent, a bass
player; Heidi Swedberg as Helen; Natalie Belcon as Jenise; Ann Weldon and
Jenifer Lewis as Charliane; Jamie Foxx as Crazy George Stevens; and Clifton
Powell as Andre Thompson.
ROLL OUT/CBS/1973-74
*(Stu Gilliam) Corporal "Sweet" Williams, a black U.S. Army truck driver
assigned to the 5050th Trucking Company, a.k.a. "The Red Ball Express" in France
during World War II. The mostly black unit was based on a real transportation
unit. Also featured were Garrett Morris as Wheels; Rod Gist as Phone Booth; and
Theodore Wilson as High Strung; and Hilly Hicks as Private Jed Brooks.
THE ROLLER GIRLS/NBC/1978
*(Candy Ann Brown/costar) J. B. Johnson, a token black member of an all-girl
roller derby team known as the Pittsburgh Pitts.
THE ROOKIES/ABC/1972-76
*(George Stanford Brown/costar) Officer Terry Webster, a black police officer
and one of three rookie patrolman working a large southern California city.
ROOM 222/ABC/1969-74
*(Lloyd Haynes, Denise Nicholas/costars) Pete Dixon, a black American history
teacher and Liz McIntyre, a black guidance counselor who worked with the
students of an integrated metropolitan high school. Black students featured
included Heshimu as Jason Allen and Ta-Tanisha as Pam,
ROOTS/ABC/1977 (Miniseries)
*(Levar Burton) Kunte Kinte, African youth forced to travel to America and be a
slave for American plantation owners. The 12-hour miniseries ROOTS (broadcast
January 23-30, 1977) is adapted from the best selling novel written by black
author Alex Haley. It followed several generations of a black family in America
from slavery to freedom [ historical period 1750-1865]. It attracted the largest
audience in television history at the time. The sequel 14-hour miniseries ROOTS:
THE NEXT GENERATION (1979) traced the progress of family members into the 20th
century [historical period 1880s to 1970s]. Cast for both miniseries includes
John Amos as Kunta Kinte (aka Toby), Cicely Tyson as Binta, O. J. Simpson as
Kadi Touray, Louis Gossett as Fiddler, Leslie Uggams as Kizzy, Ben Vereen and
Avon Long as Chicken George Moore, Georg Stanford Brown as Tom Harvey, James
Earl Jones as Alex Haley, Dorian Harewood as Simon Haley and Al Freeman, Jr. as
Malcolm X.
THE ROSEY GRIER SHOW/SYN/1969
*(Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier) Rosey Grier, a former grid-iron great hosted this
syndicated program that featured music, talk, variety and interviews. Charles
Brown was a regular.
THE ROUGH RIDERS/ABC/1958-59
*(Peter Whitney/costar) Sergeant Buck Sinclair, a black veteran officer who
headed west with an ex-Union and ex-Confederate soldier in the days following
the Civil War.
THE ROUND TABLE/NBC/1992
**(Erik King) Officer Wade Carter, a sensitive black rookie D.C. cop who hung
out at The Round Table, a yuppie bar in Georgetown where the local law
enforcement and other D.C professionals shared their troubles.
ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN/NBC/1968-73
**(Teresa Graves) Teresa Graves, a black comedienne featured in comedy skits
during the 1969-70 season. Sammy Davis, Jr. appeared in a recurring skit dressed
as a judge and using the catchphrase "Here comes de judge!"
THE ROYAL FAMILY/CBS/1991-92
*(Redd Foxx, Della Reese/costars) Alfonso and Victoria Royal, an elderly black
couple married 47 years who were enjoying retirement until their recently
divorced daughter with three children moved home and upset their golden years.
Cast included Mariann Aaida as Elizabeth Royal, their divorced daughter; and
Sylver Gregory, Naya Rivera and Larenz Tate as her children Kim, Hillary and
Curtis. When Redd Foxx died of a heart attack in the Fall of 1991, the series
was revised and Jackée Harry appeared as Ruth Royal, Victoria's man-crazy
daughter (formerly seen as Victoria's half-sister)
RUGRATS/NIK/1991-2004
**(Voice of Cree Summers) Susie Carmichael, a black three-year-old
African-American female. Susie is the first black Rugrat character. Her
disposition is sweet and just the opposite of the spoiled white girl named
Angelica. Susie sports black hair and a yellow dress with polka-dots. Her
character first appeared on the episode “Meet the Carmichaels.” The other
Carmichael children are ten-year-old Buster (voiced by Kath Soucie);
six-year-old Edwin (voiced by Pat Musick); and Alisa (voiced by Kath Soucie) ,
the Carmichael’s oldest child (she’s 16) who babysat the Rugrats when Stu and
Randy Carmichael (the kid’s father) went out for the night. Randy (voiced by Ron
Glass) is a writer for the legendary “Dummi Bears” show. His wife is Dr. Lucy
Carmichael (voiced by Cheryl Carter/Lisa Dinkins/Hattie Winston) who delivered
baby Dylan “Dil” Pickles, the baby of the Stu and Didi Pickles, the white family
that lives next-door.
THE RuPAUL SHOW/VH1/1996-98
*(RuPaul Andre Charles) RuPaul, a 6' 7" black man and cross-dressing drag queen
who adorned himself in a blond wig, high heels, stocking and stylish female
wardrobes to host his late night talk show. He previously hosted RuPAUL'S PARTY
MACHINE on VH1. As to his act RuPaul replies "Why do people have to ask those
questions? I'm in showbiz. My goal is to get attention however I could. It just
so happened that I had a great pair of legs to boot." (TV GUIDE 6/20/1998 p.8)
RYAN'S FOUR/ABC/1983
*(Albert Hall/co-star) Dr. Terry Wilson, a black physician and one of four
dedicated interns working under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Ryan.
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