Amos 'n' Andy

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CBS (ended 1953)

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TomAlger

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Amos 'n' Andy

Show Summary

Alvin Childress and Tim Moore starred in what is considered by some to be the most offensive television program of all time. Despite its controversy, it was also one of first TV shows to have a predominantly black cast.
"Amos 'n' Andy" began as a weekly series airing Thursday nights on CBS. Twenty-seven new episodes were broadcast through January 3, 1952. This was followed by 25 weeks of reruns. When new episodes returned on July 10, 1952, "Amos 'n' Andy" became a bi-weekly series. By June 11, 1953, the date of the final CBS broadcast, only 52 "Amos 'n' Andy" episodes had been aired. An additional 13 episodes premiered in Fall 1953 when the series became nationally syndicated. (In most cities, the syndicated run began with these 13 new episodes, followed by reruns of the 52 CBS shows.) In August 1954, filming began on "The Adventures of Kingfish," an "Amos 'n' Andy" spinoff slated to premiere January 4, 1955 on CBS. But according to an article in the January 1, 1955 issue of Billboard magazine, "Kingfish" was taken off the schedule before it could even make its debut. Later that month, the 13 "Kingfish" episodes premiered in first-run syndication as part of the "Amos 'n' Andy" series. With these final 13, there were now a total of 78 "Amos 'n' Andy" episodes.moreless

Episode Guide

S 4 :  Ep 13 Aired 4/13/55
S 4 :  Ep 12 Aired 1/1/55
S 4 :  Ep 11 Aired 1/1/55
S 4 :  Ep 10
S 4 :  Ep 9 Aired 1/1/55
See Full Episode Guide

Cast & Crew

Tim Moore

Tim Moore

George "Kingfish" Stevens
Spencer Williams Jr.

Spencer Williams Jr.

Andy Brown
Alvin Childress

Alvin Childress

Amos Jones
Ernestine Wade

Ernestine Wade

Sapphire Stevens
Johnny Lee

Johnny Lee

Algonquin J Calhoun
Horace Stewart

Horace Stewart

Lightin’ (aka Nick O’Demus)
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Fan Reviews (11)

SUBMIT REVIEW

  • Amos & Andy was OK!

    10
    By OHO, May 14, 2013
    This TV series was the only show of its time to portray blacks as successful, well dressed everyday folks. The show would have been offensive only to hyper sensitive, dyed in the wool, black deadbeats. The characters were mostly honest working class people with good moral character. George Stevens was a schemer, but seldom succeeded with his schemes! Amos was depicted as the most hard working person in the cast and Sapphire was the conscience for George. The only "stereotype" in the show was the messenger boy, "Lightning"! These shows were straight forward and generally portrayed good values. Today's phony, "politically correct" depictions are mostly a lie to assuage opportunists like Jesse Jackson who makes his living by fomenting racial strife.moreless

  • Tragically condemned greatness!

    10
    By cfoxx, Jan 19, 2012
    The first tv show with an all black cast was also one of the funniest shows of televisions first decade. It is truly a shame that political correctness has taken it away from so many generations.



    There were many "intelligent/normal" characters on this show, Alvin Childress as Amos Jones being chief among them.



    Tim Moore's Kingfish Stevens, Spencer Williams Jr.'s Andy Brown & Johnny Lee's Algonquin J. Calhoun were broad comic characters and not meant as racial stereotypes. At least that isn't what the actors intended. They just wanted to make people laugh.



    Yes the characters were "goofballs" in the same sense that Fred Sanford, Cramer, Gilligan and even the Three Stooges were, the fact remains that they were talented and they were funny.



    One of my favorite episodes is "Rare Coin". There has rarely been anything funnier than Andy using a nickel worth $250 in a pay phone, then he and Kingfish spend the rest of the episode trying to retrieve it.



    It is such a shame that a segment of the population can't accept this show for what it is, a tremendously funny situation comedy with broad comic performances. They would rather desecrate the brilliant performances of truly gifted actors.



    All those who condemned this show, its cast & their performances to the point of banishment accomplished, was to stifle the progress these great performers made in the industry.



    The cast of "Amos 'N Andy" were decades ahead of their time, and made great strides and advances for black performers in show business at the dawn of television history.moreless

  • Amos and Andy

    10
    By puciret, Nov 25, 2009
    Why aren't these shows being shown anymore? I'm a new member and one of the specific reasons I joined was to be able to enjoy watching these great old sitcoms. Amos and Andy was one of my all time favorites and I hope this site will be bringing them back for all to enjoy and soon. As an old time radio fan I learned to enjoy the talents of both Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll. Two innovators in radio pioneering who brought forth Minstrel to the radio stage. I never looked upon this show as being racist but merely as entertainment. Don't believe it was ever meant to demean the Blacks but simply entertain. It was no more racist than the Beverly Hillbillies.moreless

  • A Victim of the Times!! Racism? I say NO!

    9.5
    By rasdebol, Sep 23, 2008
    This show fell victim to the historical times when the struggle for true civil rights for people of all colors in the US made networks and poltical groups ultra-sensitive to anything that even seemed racist...Advertisers hate controversy.

    Black stage shows, movie stars and TV shows once deemed OK were now denounced as 'racist' and as promoting racial stereotypes. Some did but I believe that Amos n Andy did not (although the original radio program/movie with 'black-face' white actors playing the leads was another matter). If you pay attention to the overall layout of this program it portrays something unheard of on american TV. A world populated by mostly well educated, well spoken, black professionals. We are shown doctors, lawyers, bankers, businessmen and just plain everyday people whose race was just a sidenote as they were portrayed as normal intelligent people who found Andy & the Kingfish just as odd/buffoonish as white america did.. Even Amos, the cab driver, always came across as intelligent and above the antics of his friends. The most stereotypical character was 'Lightnin', the "Stephen Fetchit" clone who was slow talking, slow moving, slow thinking. Algonquin J. Calhoun was more insulting to lawyers than blacks. This show in different times would have been seen for the farce it was. It should have been seen as no more offensive to the black community than Gomer Pyle was to the white community BUT even the slightest resemblance to racism was enough. I do not agree but I do understand. What I do NOT understand is why this show does not join the scores of other 'classic' old TV shows we now see in constant reruns. It is STILL very funny. Many modern shows and movies portray african-americans far worse than this show ever did (and are not half as good)...



    Here is the Original NAACP note:

    NAACP Bulletin

    August 15, 1951 1. "It tends to strengthen the conclusion among uninformed and prejudiced people that Negroes are inferior, lazy, dumb and dishonest.

    2. Every character in this one and only TV show with an all Negro cast is either a clown or a crook.

    3. Negro doctors are shown as quacks and thieves.

    4. Negro lawyers are shown as slippery cowards, ignorant of their profession and without ethics.

    5. Negro Women are shown as cackling, screaming shrews, in big mouthed close-ups, using street slang, just short of vulgarity

    6. All Negroes are shown as dodging work of any kind.

    7. Millions of white Americans see this Amos 'n' Andy picture of Negroes and think the entire race is the same."moreless

  • No Racism HERE!

    10
    By johna11, Jun 27, 2008
    I was a young white boy watching this TV program. I just loved seeing all the charcters and being in on their adventures. My Father had told me that he knew one of the original Radio cast members. I kept asking him if we could go see Andy and his family. I just thought they were the nicest people I had ever seen. Of course, my parents explained the impossibility of that, but I didn't get it till many years later. I never looked down on the Amos or the Kingfish or the Kingfish's family. I just thought they were as funny as they could be and just like every bickering family I knew of. So, where's the Racism? I liked all of thes people and wanted to meet them!moreless
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