Vanessa Bell Calloway

Vanessa Bell Calloway

Born: March 20, 1957
in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Vanessa Bell Calloway is an American actress and dancer. She is known for her film roles as Princess Imani Izzi in the 1988 comedy Coming to America, as well as for her roles in What's Love Got to Do with It, The Inkwell, Crimson Tide, and Daylight. She is a nine-time NAACP Image Award nominee.

She began her acting career in the ABC daytime soap opera, All My Children in 1985. After moving to Los Angeles in 1986, she began appearing in episodes of prime time shows such as The Colbys, Falcon Crest, 227, China Beach, A Different World, and L.A. Law. She made her film debut on Number One with a Bullet (1987), before supporting role of Eddie Murphy's character's arranged wife in the 1988 comedy Coming to America.

In 1990, she co-starred alongside Joe Morton in the ABC drama series, Equal Justice. During the 1990s, she had a number of supporting roles in films, including What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) opposite Angela Bassett, The Inkwell (1994), and Crimson Tide (1995) as Denzel Washington's character wife. She also voiced main role in the 1992 animated comedy, Bébé's Kids.

She had a number of leading and supporting roles in made for television movies. In 1995, she co-starred opposite James Earl Jones and Joe Morton in the short-lived CBS prime time soap opera, Under One Roof, the first drama series that featured African-American lead characters. For her role on the series, Calloway was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. She had leading roles on the short-lived NBC sitcom Rhythm & Blues (1992–93), and starred alongside Larry Hagman as his girlfriend in the CBS drama Orleans (1997).

In the 2000s, she had recurring roles on Boston Public and The District. She co-starred in films including The Brothers, All About You, Dawg, Biker Boyz, Love Don't Cost a Thing, and Cheaper by the Dozen. She has guest starred on The Division, Strong Medicine, The Closer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dexter, Rizzoli & Isles, Castle, and Grey's Anatomy. From 2010 to 2011, she had the recurring role in the TNT medical drama, Hawthorne. In 2011, she began appearing in the Showtime comedy-drama, Shameless.

In 2016, she was cast as lead character in the Bounce TV first prime time soap opera, Saints & Sinners. Also in 2016, she co-starred as president Obama's future mother-in-law, Marian Shields Robinson, and in the comedy-drama film Southside with You. In 2018, she appeared in the Christian drama film Unbroken: Path to Redemption and the crime thriller Dragged Across Concrete. In 2019, she played abolitionist Harriet Tubman's mother in the biographical drama film Harriet. She reprised her role as Imani Izzi in the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America.

Movies for Vanessa Bell Calloway...

Title: The Vince Staples Show
Released: February 15, 2024
Type: TV
Kind of famous and sort of rich, rapper and actor Vince Staples navigates the challenges and surprises of everyday life in his hometown of The Beach.
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Under the Boardwalk
Title: Under the Boardwalk
Character: Val (voice)
Released: October 27, 2023
Type: Movie
Two crabs embark on an epic journey to get home after a storm sweeps them away. Their courage soon unites their families, paving the way for great summers to come.
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Black Girl, Erupted
Title: Black Girl, Erupted
Character: Dr. Rebecca Francis
Released: July 8, 2023
Type: Movie
After a series of setbacks, high-achieving lawyer Reina must learn how to handle her mental health before her emotional outbursts destroy her career and her relationships.
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Title: Sherri
Character: Self - Guest
Released: September 12, 2022
Type: TV
Sherri Shepherd, actress, comic, and Emmy Award-winning longtime co-host of "The View", appears before a live audience with a daily dose of pop culture, comedy, conversations, and daytime talk staples, including celebrity and human interest interviews;
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Title: The Black Hamptons
Character: Carolyn Britton
Released: August 25, 2022
Type: TV
A feud between two families in the quaint town of Sag Harbor on Long Island, N.Y., starkly illustrates the difference between old and new money; based on the novel of the same name.
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Mosquito
Title: Mosquito
Character: Eve
Released: May 7, 2022
Type: Movie
A tale of sacrifice and showmanship told through rival doctors in the old west.
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The Devil You Know
Title: The Devil You Know
Character: Della Cowans
Released: April 1, 2022
Type: Movie
Once-incarcerated Marcus Cowans is trying to turn over a new leaf with the support of his loving family. Upon discovering that one of his brothers may have been involved in a horrific crime, Marcus grapples with the limits of brotherhood and loyalty. He and his family, increasingly weary of the justice system’s failings, end up in the crosshairs of a seasoned but jaded detective.
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Starkeisha
Title: Starkeisha
Character: The Voice
Released: March 7, 2022
Type: Movie
A woman, stressed before an import job interview, goes on a journey of self-discovery through her own subconscious.
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Baby
Title: Baby
Character: Jackie
Released: December 31, 2021
Type: Movie
A young Black father must learn to navigate parenthood after his girlfriend mysteriously abandons him and their five-year-old daughter.
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A Holiday Chance
Title: A Holiday Chance
Character: Sheryl
Released: November 24, 2021
Type: Movie
The family of the founder of a multi-million-dollar film company experiences some tragic events during the holidays and two sisters must set aside a life-long rivalry and come together to turn the company around and keep the family intact.
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Coming 2 America
Title: Coming 2 America
Character: Imani Izzi
Released: March 4, 2021
Type: Movie
Prince Akeem Joffer is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never knew about in America – a street savvy Queens native named Lavelle. Honoring his royal father's dying wish to groom this son as the crown prince, Akeem and Semmi set off to America once again.
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Title: Kenan
Character: Bobbi
Released: February 16, 2021
Type: TV
The recently widowed host of Atlanta's No. 2 morning show struggles to balance his job and his young daughters despite all the “help” he gets from his grifter father-in-law and his brother/assistant/manager/house guest.
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Saints & Sinners: Judgment Day
Title: Saints & Sinners: Judgment Day
Character: Ella
Released: February 14, 2021
Type: Movie
Some say blood is thicker than water, but in our fictional small town of Cypress, vengeance is bigger than family loyalty when Mayor Ella Johnson is arrested for killing Malik Thompson, whose body is found in her empty pool. Things get worse when her mother Leona sweeps in for a power grab and undermines her daughter's chance at freedom as she plots to take over the city of Cypress and New Hope church.
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Harriet
Title: Harriet
Character: Rit Ross
Released: November 1, 2019
Type: Movie
The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
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Title: Unbelievable
Character: Sarah
Released: September 13, 2019
Type: TV
A teenager is charged with lying about her rape allegation, but two determined investigative female detectives discover a far more sinister truth.
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American Skin
Title: American Skin
Character: Bernice
Released: September 1, 2019
Type: Movie
A Marine veteran working as a school janitor tries to mend his relationship with his son after a divorce. When his son is killed by a police officer found innocent without standing trial, he takes matters into his own hands.
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Title: A Black Lady Sketch Show
Character: Kiley's Mother
Released: August 2, 2019
Type: TV
A narrative series set in a limitless magical reality full of dynamic, hilarious characters and celebrity guests presenting sketches performed by a core cast of black women.
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Title: Black Monday
Character: Ruth
Released: January 20, 2019
Type: TV
Travel back to October 19, 1987 – aka Black Monday, the worst stock market crash in Wall Street history – this is the story of how a group of outsiders took on the blue-blood, old-boys club of Wall Street and ended up crashing the world’s largest financial system, a Lamborghini limousine, Don Henley’s birthday party and the glass ceiling.
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Throwback Holiday
Title: Throwback Holiday
Character: Mildred Anderson
Released: December 15, 2018
Type: Movie
Jacqueline is living an unfulfilled life in a doomed marriage. After a chance encounter with a former classmate, she rethinks her life's choices and wishes she could go back to high school for a do-over. Like a Christmas miracle, Jacqueline awakens to find herself as a high school senior again with the ability to change everything.
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Title: The Conners
Character: Carrie Langham
Released: October 16, 2018
Type: TV
This iconic family—Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J.—grapples with parenthood, dating, an unexpected pregnancy, financial pressures, aging and in-laws in working-class America.
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Her Only Choice
Title: Her Only Choice
Character: Dr. Bailey
Released: October 6, 2018
Type: Movie
A woman is faced with a choice to fight for her life or sacrifice it for another. After years of infertility, a newly-expectant mother is diagnosed with a life-altering disease.
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Thriller
Title: Thriller
Character: Mrs. Jackson
Released: September 23, 2018
Type: Movie
Years after a childhood prank goes horribly wrong, a clique of South Central LA teens find themselves terrorized during Homecoming weekend by a killer hell-bent on revenge.
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Unbroken: Path to Redemption
Title: Unbroken: Path to Redemption
Character: Lila Burkholder
Released: September 14, 2018
Type: Movie
Zamperini returns to California where he wound up marrying Cynthia Applewhite while wrestling with untreated PTSD, suffering constant nightmares, angry, bitter and deeply depressed, his wife convinces Zamperini to attend the 1949 Billy Graham Crusade.
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Dragged Across Concrete
Title: Dragged Across Concrete
Character: Jennifer Johns
Released: September 3, 2018
Type: Movie
Two policemen, one an old-timer, the other his volatile younger partner, find themselves suspended when a video of their strong-arm tactics becomes the media's cause du jour. Low on cash and with no other options, these two embittered soldiers descend into the criminal underworld to gain their just due, but instead find far more than they wanted awaiting them in the shadows.
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Love, Once and Always
Title: Love, Once and Always
Character: Isabel
Released: March 10, 2018
Type: Movie
When Lucy’s childhood sweetheart plans to tear down the Gilded Age estate and replace it with a golf course, Lucy fights to preserve the historic mansion at all costs. As Lucy and Duncan set out to find a compromise, they learn that embracing the past may be the key to protecting the future.
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Message From a Mistress
Title: Message From a Mistress
Character: Heather
Released: May 1, 2017
Type: Movie
Longtime best friends Renee, Aria, Jaime and Jessa have shared just about everything. All hell breaks loose when Jessa sends them a message via DVD with a shocking message!
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The Preacher's Son
Title: The Preacher's Son
Character: Elena
Released: January 9, 2017
Type: Movie
When the romantic secrets of his family members become public, the career and community standing of a respected bishop are threatened.
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Title: This Is Us
Character: Edie (uncredited)
Released: September 20, 2016
Type: TV
Follows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of America in present and past times. As their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways, we find that several of them share the same birthday - and so much more than anyone would expect.
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Title: This Is Us
Character: Edie
Released: September 20, 2016
Type: TV
Follows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of America in present and past times. As their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways, we find that several of them share the same birthday - and so much more than anyone would expect.
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Southside with You
Title: Southside with You
Released: August 26, 2016
Type: Movie
Chronicles a single day in the summer of 1989 when the future president of the United States, Barack Obama, wooed his future First Lady on an epic first date across Chicago's South Side.
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Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story
Title: Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story
Character: Josephine
Released: June 12, 2016
Type: Movie
Story of Miki Howard, an American R&B and Jazz singer, whose hits include "Ain't Nobody Like You" and "Ain't Nuthin' in the World."
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Title: Saints & Sinners
Character: Lady Ella Johnson
Released: March 6, 2016
Type: TV
A large Southern church is the background for greed, corruption and murder.
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The Bounce Back
Title: The Bounce Back
Character: Ellen
Released: February 26, 2016
Type: Movie
Father, author and relationship expert, Matthew Taylor is on a whirlwind book tour promoting his new best seller, The Bounce Back. He's got it all figured out until he meets the acerbic Kristin Peralta, a talk show circuit therapist who's convinced he's nothing but a charlatan. Matthew's life is turned upside down when he inadvertently falls for Kristin and has to face painful truth of his past relationship.
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To Hell and Back
Title: To Hell and Back
Released: April 4, 2014
Type: Movie
Joe Patterson (Ernie Hudson), a wealthy land developer, learns as God and the Devil take a wager on his blessed life that results in a series of tragedies that test his faith. With a happy wife (Vanessa Bell Calloway) and six beautiful kids, Joe struggles to endure murder, fatal accidents and illness all while doing his best to remain truthful to the God he believes has given him everything.
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The Divorce
Title: The Divorce
Character: Eva
Released: February 4, 2014
Type: Movie
Successful TV anchorwoman, Yolanda Massey, is celebrating her recent divorce by throwing herself a divorce party with her closest sorority girlfriends. Coming along for the ride is her hilariously funny, no nonsense BFF, Eva, her younger sister, CeCe, and her new-found friend, Victoria. For good measure, throw in her self-absorbed mother, a sexy, younger beau and a handsome ex-husband and you are in for an evening of raucous laughter, heartache and the ultimate surprise.
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Holla 2
Title: Holla 2
Character: Marion
Released: April 19, 2013
Type: Movie
On the eve of her wedding, Monica invites her friends to spend the night at Douglas Plantation, unaware that the estate is rumored to be haunted by the spirits of thirteen murdered slaves. Now, someone or something is stalking Monica and her guests, and terror awaits them at every turn...
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Between Sisters
Title: Between Sisters
Character: Lillian
Released: March 27, 2013
Type: Movie
Aneesa wants to give her baby sister, Serena, the best wedding present ever. So, when they discover that they have two long-lost sisters, the search is on to find them before Serena’s big day. But if they do, will these two women be able to forgive their estranged mother and come together for a sister they never knew existed?
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Title: Go On
Character: Joyce
Released: August 8, 2012
Type: TV
Ryan King, a recent widower and sports talk radio host ready to get back to work after the loss of his wife. Ryan's alpha-male boss, Stephen, has a different plan in store for Ryan, making him attend grief counseling before returning to the air. A reluctant Ryan finds himself in a support group for "life change," where he meets an oddball cast of characters, all with their own backstories filled with varying degrees of loss.
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The Obama Effect
Title: The Obama Effect
Character: Molly Thomas
Released: July 13, 2012
Type: Movie
A serious health scare ignites John Thomas, an insurance salesman in his 50s, to take a closer look at his life. Motivated by a misguided obsession with getting Barack Obama elected, John takes an overwhelming involvement in the Presidential campaign. While John becomes obsessed with the ideal of change that Obama represents for Americans, he has in turn neglected to create positive change in his own life, particularly with regard to his health and familial relationships. John hides his health problems from his strong, yet supportive wife, Molly, creating a strain on their marriage. John seeks the support of a Republican relative, MLK, who initially starkly resists supporting a Democratic candidate. John's son, Kalil, rebels against his father's avid support of Obama by supporting the Republican candidate as well. John neglects to support his daughter, Tamika, at a crucial moment in her life...
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A Beautiful Soul
Title: A Beautiful Soul
Character: Guardian Angel
Released: May 4, 2012
Type: Movie
An R&B singer snagged by the trappings of superstardom loses his way and turns his back on his church and faith-filled beginnings. Tragedy strikes, leaving a chance for redemption in its wake. But with rebirth, first comes death.
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The Last Fall
Title: The Last Fall
Released: March 9, 2012
Type: Movie
An NFL journeyman struggles to deal with life's complexities after his professional career is over.
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The Undershepherd
Title: The Undershepherd
Character: Deaconess Carter
Released: February 15, 2012
Type: Movie
Best friends LC and Roland are two young ministers, climbing the ranks at the First Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Dr. Ezekial Canon.
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Title: Let's Stay Together
Released: January 11, 2011
Type: TV
Let's Stay Together is an American romantic comedy television series created by Jacque Edmonds Cofer. It premiered on BET on January 11, 2011. The title of the series refers to the Al Green landmark 1972 song of the same name. The series premiere drew 4.4 million viewers. Initially, Soul Food star Malinda Williams was cast in the lead role of Stacy. For undisclosed reasons, she was recast with Nadine Ellis. On April 20, 2013, BET announced that the series was renewed for a second season which aired 22 episodes starting in January 2012. For its second season, Erica Hubbard appeared infrequently due to her pregnancy. New cast member Kyla Pratt joined the cast portraying Crystal, Charles and Kita's cousin. At the 2012 BET Upfront on April 13, 2012, it was revealed that the show has been renewed for a third season. The third season premiered on March 26, 2013. In April 2013, BET Networks announced the show had been renewed for a fourth season that will premiere in early 2014.
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Title: Shameless
Character: Carol Fisher
Released: January 9, 2011
Type: TV
Chicagoan Frank Gallagher is the proud single dad of six smart, industrious, independent kids, who without him would be... perhaps better off. When Frank's not at the bar spending what little money they have, he's passed out on the floor. But the kids have found ways to grow up in spite of him. They may not be like any family you know, but they make no apologies for being exactly who they are.
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Title: Rizzoli & Isles
Character: Assistant District Attorney
Released: July 12, 2010
Type: TV
Perhaps their strikingly different personalities make the relationship between detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles so effective. Jane, the only female cop in Boston's homicide division, is tough, relentless and rarely lets her guard down, while the impeccably dressed Maura displays a sometimes icy temperament — she is, after all, more comfortable among the dead than the living. Together, the best friends have forged a quirky and supportive relationship; they drop the protective shield in each other's company, and combine their expertise to solve Boston's most complex cases.
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Good Hair
Title: Good Hair
Character: Herself
Released: October 9, 2009
Type: Movie
An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, GOOD HAIR visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of the black community.
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Title: Castle
Character: Beryl Wickfield
Released: March 9, 2009
Type: TV
After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle receives permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes.
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Lakeview Terrace
Title: Lakeview Terrace
Character: Aunt Dorrie
Released: September 19, 2008
Type: Movie
A young interracial couple has just moved into their California dream home when they become the target of their next-door neighbor, who disapproves of their relationship. A tightly wound LAPD officer has appointed himself the watchdog of the neighborhood. His nightly foot patrols and overly watchful eyes bring comfort to some, but he becomes increasingly aggressive to the newlyweds. These persistent intrusions into their lives cause the couple to fight back.
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Stompin'
Title: Stompin'
Character: Mrs. Jackson
Released: June 10, 2007
Type: Movie
The coming of age story about two brothers who struggle to mend their estranged relationship as their college campus gears up for a major Stepshow competition.
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Title: Dexter
Character: Crisis Counselor
Released: October 1, 2006
Type: TV
Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice.
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Title: The Closer
Character: Lynn Talmadge
Released: June 13, 2005
Type: TV
Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson transfers from Atlanta to LA to head up a special unit of the LAPD that handles sensitive, high-profile murder cases. Johnson's quirky personality and hard-nosed approach often rubs her colleagues the wrong way, but her reputation as one of the world's best interrogator eventually wins over even her toughest critics.
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Title: Grey's Anatomy
Character: Lucinda Gamble
Released: March 27, 2005
Type: TV
Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
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Title: Black in the 80s
Character: Self
Released: February 1, 2005
Type: TV
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Cheaper by the Dozen
Title: Cheaper by the Dozen
Character: Diana Philips
Released: December 24, 2003
Type: Movie
The Baker brood moves to Chicago after patriarch Tom gets a job coaching football at Northwestern University, forcing his writer wife, Mary, and the couple's 12 children to make a major adjustment. The transition works well until work demands pull the parents away from home, leaving the kids bored -- and increasingly mischievous.
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Love Don't Co$t a Thing
Title: Love Don't Co$t a Thing
Character: Vivian Johnson
Released: December 12, 2003
Type: Movie
High school loser pays a cheerleader to pose as his girlfriend so he can be considered cool.
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Title: Cold Case
Character: Geraldine Watkins (1970)
Released: September 28, 2003
Type: TV
The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she is assigned cases that have never been solved. Detective Lilly Rush combines her natural instincts with the updated technology available today to bring about justice for all the victims she can.
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Title: 10-8: Officers on Duty
Released: September 28, 2003
Type: TV
10-8: Officers on Duty is an American police drama television series. The series aired on ABC from September 28, 2003 to January 11, 2004. The title is in reference to the ten-code for "officer in service and available for calls."
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Title: Joan of Arcadia
Released: September 26, 2003
Type: TV
Joan Girardi has begun acting a little strange since her family moved to the city of Arcadia. No one knows that various people keep introducing themselves as God, and then giving the teenager specific directions to do things. Unsure of what God wants, and if she's even sane, Joan tentatively begins to follow God's cryptic directives, all the while trying to retain a "normal" teen-aged existence.
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Title: NCIS
Character: Sally Hammond
Released: September 23, 2003
Type: TV
From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has a shred of evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.
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Biker Boyz
Title: Biker Boyz
Character: Anita
Released: January 31, 2003
Type: Movie
A mythic motorcycle tale of father and son", this is the story of Manuel Galloway, also known as "the King of Cali", the president of a motorcycle club whose members are all African-American men, mostly white-collar workers who exchange their suits and ties at night and on weekends for leather outfits and motorcycle helmets.
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Title: CSI: Miami
Character: Tonya Washington
Released: September 23, 2002
Type: TV
CSI: Miami follows Crime Scene Investigators working for the Miami-Dade Police Department as they use physical evidence, similar to their Las Vegas counterparts, to solve grisly murders. The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter, and character-driven drama in the same vein as the original series in the CSI franchise, except that the Miami CSIs are cops first, scientists second.
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The Red Sneakers
Title: The Red Sneakers
Character: Berniece
Released: February 10, 2002
Type: Movie
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Title: One on One
Released: September 3, 2001
Type: TV
A sportscaster becomes a full-time dad when his ex-wife decides to accept a job out of the country and his teenage daughter, Breanna, moves in with him.
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All About You
Title: All About You
Released: August 4, 2001
Type: Movie
Two people run from the pain of their broken past. When they discover each other, they find themselves at a crossroad where the only thing that stands between them and a second chance is each other.
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The Brothers
Title: The Brothers
Character: Dr. Thelma Woolridge
Released: March 23, 2001
Type: Movie
This is the story of four African-American "yuppies" (a banker, a doctor, a lawyer, and a "playboy") who call themselves "The Brothers". When the playboy gets engaged, the other three friends find themselves having to come to terms with their own issues of commitment and honesty...
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Title: The Division
Released: January 7, 2001
Type: TV
The Division is an American crime drama television series created by Deborah Joy LeVine and starring Bonnie Bedelia. The series focused on a team of women police officers in the San Francisco Police Department. The series premiered on Lifetime on January 7, 2001 and ended on June 28, 2004 after 88 episodes.
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Love Song
Title: Love Song
Character: Evie Livingston
Released: December 1, 2000
Type: Movie
A privileged, black college student with a fiance falls in love with a white musician she meets on her 21st birthday.
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Title: Boston Public
Character: Mrs. Michelle Ronning
Released: October 23, 2000
Type: TV
Principal Steven Harper runs Winslow High School as best as he can while dealing with the demands of the faculty, the students and their parents.
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Title: The District
Character: Gwen Hendrix
Released: October 7, 2000
Type: TV
The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department.
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Title: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Character: Judge Himmel
Released: October 6, 2000
Type: TV
A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery.
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A Private Affair
Title: A Private Affair
Character: Nikka
Released: August 26, 2000
Type: Movie
A woman who has confronted the sour side of success finds love and discovers herself in this made-for-TV drama. Nikka (Vanessa Bell Calloway) is a writer who enjoys unexpected success with her first novel, but her brush with fame and fortune has a serious downside when she's threatened with legal action by the Internal Revenue Service for non-payment of taxes. Turning to her family and friends for help, Nikka's new life begins to fall apart, but she begins to develop a greater sense of herself in the process, and she decides to take a trip to Africa in hopes of coming to terms with her heritage.
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Title: The Parkers
Released: August 30, 1999
Type: TV
The Parkers is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004. A spin-off of UPN's Moesha, The Parkers features the mother-daughter team of Nikki and Kim Parker. The Parkers' signature "Heeyyy" greeting became very popular in the early 2000s.
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Title: The Temptations
Character: Johnnie Mae Matthews
Released: November 1, 1998
Type: TV
Biography of the singers who formed the hit Motown musical act, The Temptations.
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Archibald the Rainbow Painter
Title: Archibald the Rainbow Painter
Character: Diana
Released: August 7, 1998
Type: Movie
Vietnam veteran Archibald Wright is a house painter hired to work on a Beverly Hills mansion where he becomes involved in the life of the resident family. The owner Elaine left her husband J.P. while he was serving in Vietnam, causing him to become an alcoholic hobo living in downtown Los Angeles. Archibald tries to help their daughter Tory to continue her relationship with her father, even though Elaine is strongly against it.
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The Temptations
Title: The Temptations
Character: Johnnie Mae Matthews
Released: March 3, 1998
Type: Movie
A biographical look at The Temptations, the Motown soul vocal quintet who first came to fame in the 1960s, as seen from the viewpoint of the last surviving original member, Otis Williams. Beginning from their humble origins in the late 1950s and continuing through the 1990s and the deaths of the other original members.
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Title: Prey
Released: January 15, 1998
Type: TV
Prey is a science-fiction television series that aired for one season in 1998 on ABC. The series starred Debra Messing, Adam Storke, Larry Drake, Frankie Faison, James Morrison, and Vincent Ventresca.
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Title: The View
Character: Self
Released: August 11, 1997
Type: TV
ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Meghan McCain, and Abby Huntsman, discussing the most exciting events of the day. Hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment are all part of The View.
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Title: Orleans
Character: Rosalee Clark
Released: January 8, 1997
Type: TV
Orleans is a short-lived American drama series that aired on CBS from January 7, 1997 through April 10, 1997. It ran for only 8 episodes. The series was said to be inspired by the experiences of creater producer Toni Graphia, who was the daughter of a Louisiana judge.
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The Cherokee Kid
Title: The Cherokee Kid
Character: Abby Holsopple
Released: December 14, 1996
Type: Movie
Isaih Turner didn’t want to be a hero-all he wanted was revenge. Orphaned when both his parents were cruelly murdered by the wealthy and powerful Cyrus Bloomington, the young Isaiah grew up with one air in mind: to find the man who killed his folks and take him down.
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Daylight
Title: Daylight
Character: Grace Calloway
Released: December 6, 1996
Type: Movie
A group of armed robbers fleeing the police head for the New Jersey Tunnel and run right into trucks transporting toxic waste. The spectacular explosion that follows results in both ends of the tunnel collapsing and the handful of people who survived the explosion are now in peril. Kit Latura is the only man with the skill and knowledge to lead the band of survivors out of the tunnel before the structure collapses.
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Title: Malcolm & Eddie
Released: August 26, 1996
Type: TV
Malcolm and Eddie are as different as one can imagine. Nevertheless, they're best friends who manage to be roommates as well as co-workers and not kill each other.
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America's Dream
Title: America's Dream
Character: Miss Williams (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black")
Released: February 17, 1996
Type: Movie
Made especially for the HBO cable network, this well-wrought feature is comprised of three short stories by three noted black American authors, each of which is directed by a respected black director.
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Title: Moesha
Released: January 23, 1996
Type: TV
Moesha was an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles. It was originally ordered as a pilot for the CBS network's 1995-1996 television season, who rejected. It was then picked up by UPN, who aired it as a mid-season replacement. It went on to become the biggest success for the nascent network and one of the greatest hits over the course of the network's entire run.
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Crimson Tide
Title: Crimson Tide
Character: Julia Hunter
Released: May 12, 1995
Type: Movie
After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible worldwide threat. U.S. submarine Capt. Frank Ramsey signs on a relatively green but highly recommended Lt. Cmdr. Ron Hunter to the USS Alabama, which may be the only ship able to stop a possible Armageddon. When Ramsay insists that the Alabama must act aggressively, Hunter, fearing they will start rather than stop a disaster, leads a potential mutiny to stop him.
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Title: Under One Roof
Character: Maggie Langston
Released: March 14, 1995
Type: TV
Under One Roof is an American drama series that aired on CBS in March and April 1995. A family drama, the series starred James Earl Jones, Joe Morton and Vanessa Bell Calloway.
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Title: Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Character: Princess Katusha (voice)
Released: March 12, 1995
Type: TV
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American anthology animated television series.
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Title: Touched by an Angel
Character: Debra Willis
Released: September 21, 1994
Type: TV
Monica, an angel, is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives.
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The Inkwell
Title: The Inkwell
Character: Francis Phillips
Released: April 22, 1994
Type: Movie
The Inkwell is about a 16-year-old boy coming of age on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1976.
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Title: Diagnosis: Murder
Character: Mrs. Calender
Released: October 29, 1993
Type: TV
Dr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders.
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Title: The Sinbad Show
Released: September 16, 1993
Type: TV
The Sinbad Show is an American sitcom starring comedian Sinbad that premiered on September 16, 1993 on Fox. The show's main plot is about a bachelor taking in two orphaned children. Chuck Brown performed this sitcom's theme music. It was canceled after one season on April 21, 1994, with two episodes left unaired.
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What's Love Got to Do with It
Title: What's Love Got to Do with It
Character: Jackie
Released: June 9, 1993
Type: Movie
Singer Tina Turner rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike.
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Title: Where I Live
Released: March 5, 1993
Type: TV
Where I Live is an American sitcom that premiered in 1993 as part of ABC's TGIF lineup. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Jacobs and Ehrich Van Lowe.
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Title: Rhythm & Blues
Released: September 24, 1992
Type: TV
Rhythm & Blues is a short-lived 1992 American sitcom that aired on NBC for only five weeks from September 24, 1992 to October 22, 1992 with an additional left over episode airing on February 19, 1993. The show stars Roger Kabler, Anna Maria Horsford, Ron Glass, Troy Curvey Jr., Vanessa Bell Calloway, Miguel A. Nunez, Jr., and Christopher Babers. The premise of the show stars Kabler as Bobby Soul, a white man who gets hired on a black radio station after being initially mistaken as a black man. Despite being listed among NBC's Must See TV Thursday night lineup after A Different World at 8:00 and before Cheers at 9:00, the show was cancelled after only five weeks due to low ratings. The show was heavily criticized for relying on traditional black stereotypes for its humor. TV Guide said that: "What makes a show built on white jokes any better than a show built on black jokes?"
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Bebe's Kids
Title: Bebe's Kids
Character: Jamika (voice)
Released: July 31, 1992
Type: Movie
When Robin meets the lovely Jamika he thinks he's in heaven. But when he meets her friend Bebe's children, whom she is looking after, he knows he's in hell. Bebe's kids are the most obnoxious, irritating kids he has ever met. Written by Brian W Martz
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Stompin' at the Savoy
Title: Stompin' at the Savoy
Character: Dorothy
Released: April 19, 1992
Type: Movie
As the Harlem Renaissance flourishes in jazzy New York City, Pauline, Esther and Alice struggle to survive. By day, they toil at dreary jobs, dreaming of stardom, riches and happiness. By night, they dance their troubles away at the famous Savoy Ballroom. But when World War II appears on the horizon, the girls find their fortunes unfolding too unevenly to reconcile, and they inevitably begin to drift apart.
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Memphis
Title: Memphis
Character: Martha Kinship
Released: January 27, 1992
Type: Movie
Two men and a woman in the deep south of the 1950s plot to kidnap a child from a wealthy black family, mistakenly believing that no one will try to stop them.
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Why Colors?
Title: Why Colors?
Released: January 1, 1992
Type: Movie
An rainbow color comedy.
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Title: The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage
Released: March 31, 1991
Type: TV
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage is a television series broadcast in the United States by NBC and produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions in association with Walt Disney Television. This show originated as a TV-movie. The program originally aired in 1991, but lasted less than one season. The series was officially titled Disney Presents The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage.
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Polly: Comin' Home!
Title: Polly: Comin' Home!
Character: Nancy Dodds
Released: November 18, 1990
Type: Movie
Broadway style songs are used to tell this interesting story of an ingenious orphan who gets involved in matchmaking and striving for inter-racial understanding in 1956 Alabama.
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Title: Dream On
Released: July 8, 1990
Type: TV
The family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York City book editor. The show distinctively interjected clips from older black and white television series to punctuate Tupper's feelings or thoughts.
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Polly
Title: Polly
Character: Nancy
Released: November 12, 1989
Type: Movie
An musical adaptation of the book "Pollyanna" set in the 1950's in which an orphan tries to use gladness to unite the people in a small southern town.
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Coming to America
Title: Coming to America
Character: Imani Izzi
Released: June 29, 1988
Type: Movie
An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise as an impoverished immigrant, the pampered prince quickly finds himself a new job, new friends, new digs, new enemies and lots of trouble.
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Death Spa
Title: Death Spa
Character: Marci Hewitt
Released: May 13, 1988
Type: Movie
Michael's health club is beseiged with a series of terrible murders involving killer saunas and other grisly devices. Michael's wife killed herself a while before and her brother holds Michael responsible. Michael needs to stop the bloodshed before he loses all of his clients.
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Title: China Beach
Released: April 26, 1988
Type: TV
Dateline: November 1967. Within klicks of Danang, Vietnam, sits a U.S. Army base, bar and hospital on China Beach filled with wounded soldiers and one very lovely but damaged Army Nurse Colleen McMurphy. Many heroes, dead and alive, try to make sense of life and death in between bourbon, bullets and battles.
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The Return of Desperado
Title: The Return of Desperado
Character: Molly Pickett
Released: February 15, 1988
Type: Movie
Duell McCall is in New Mexico running afoul of local land baron. McCall pauses long enough in his escape flight to come to the aid of black homesteader who is being victimized by the diabolical Foxworth.
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Title: A Different World
Character: Lily Connors
Released: September 24, 1987
Type: TV
A Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC. It is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional mixed but historically black college in the state of Virginia. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert and mathematics whiz Dwayne Wayne. The series frequently depicted members of the major historically black fraternities and sororities. While it was a spin-off from The Cosby Show, A Different World would typically address issues that were avoided by The Cosby Show writers. One episode that aired in 1990 was one of the first American network television episodes to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
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Title: A Different World
Character: Danielle Vinson
Released: September 24, 1987
Type: TV
A Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC. It is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional mixed but historically black college in the state of Virginia. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert and mathematics whiz Dwayne Wayne. The series frequently depicted members of the major historically black fraternities and sororities. While it was a spin-off from The Cosby Show, A Different World would typically address issues that were avoided by The Cosby Show writers. One episode that aired in 1990 was one of the first American network television episodes to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
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Number One with a Bullet
Title: Number One with a Bullet
Character: Woman
Released: February 27, 1987
Type: Movie
Number One with a Bullet is a 1987 American police detective film directed by Jack Smight. A pair of detectives is assigned to investigate a murder, and discover a trail of corruption and criminal activity that leads right back to their own police department.
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Title: L.A. Law
Character: Robyn Edwards
Released: September 15, 1986
Type: TV
L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and domestic violence. The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff. The show was popular with audiences and critics, and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.
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Title: The Colbys
Released: November 20, 1985
Type: TV
The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. Produced by Aaron Spelling, it was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984–1985 U.S. television season. The Colbys revolved around another wealthy, upper-class family, who were distant relatives of the Carringtons of Dynasty and who owned a large multi-national corporation. Intended to surpass its predecessor in opulence, the series' producers were handed an immensely high budget for the era and cast a handful of well-known movie stars among its leads, including Charlton Heston, Barbara Stanwyck, Katharine Ross and Ricardo Montalban. However, The Colbys was ultimately a ratings disappointment, and was canceled after two seasons.
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Title: 227
Released: September 14, 1985
Type: TV
A housewife sits on the stoop of her apartment building in a black neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and discusses all manner of things with her neighbors.
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Title: Simon & Simon
Released: November 24, 1981
Type: TV
Simon & Simon is an American detective television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981 to January 21, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two brothers who run a private detective agency together.