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Palmerstown, U.S.A.

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Palmerstown, U.S.A.
Also known asPalmerstown
GenreDrama
Created byAlex Haley
Developed byNorman Lear
StarringJonelle Allen
Bill Duke
Star-Shemah Bobatoon
Jermain Hodge Johnson
Beeson Carroll
Janice St. John
Michael J. Fox
Brian Godfrey Wilson
Kenneth White
Iris Korn (1981)
ComposersAl Schackman (season 1)
Jerrold Immel (season 2)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2[1]
No. of episodes17 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersNorman Lear
Alex Haley
Ronald Rubin
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesHaley Productions
T.A.T. Communications Company
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseMarch 20, 1980 (1980-03-20) –
June 9, 1981 (1981-06-09)

Palmerstown, U.S.A.[2] (shortened to Palmerstown in March 1981)[3] is a television drama series that aired on CBS from March 20, 1980 to June 9, 1981.[4] It was created by Norman Lear and Alex Haley,[1][3] whose childhood was the basis for the series.[5] It tells the story of two nine-year-old boys in the rural Southern community of Palmerstown who become best friends during the Great Depression, despite one being black and the other being white.[6]

Cast

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  • Jonelle Allen as Bessie Freeman
  • Bill Duke as Luther Freeman
  • Star-Shemah Bobatoon as Diana Freeman
  • Jermain Hodge Johnson as Booker T. Freeman
  • Beeson Carroll as W.D. Hall
  • Janice St. John as Coralee Hall
  • Michael J. Fox as Willy-Joe Hall
  • Brian Godfrey Wilson as David Hall
  • Kenneth White as The Sheriff
  • Iris Korn as Widder Brown (1981)

Episodes

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Season 1 (1980)

[edit]
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Palmerstown, U.S.A."Peter LevinRonald RubinMarch 20, 1980 (1980-03-20)
22
33"The Lesson"Larry ElikannNoreen StoneMarch 27, 1980 (1980-03-27)
44"A Place for Bo"Jeffrey HaydenRobert PriceApril 3, 1980 (1980-04-03)
55"The Black Travelers: Part 1"Jeffrey HaydenStory by : Jim Tisdale
Teleplay by : Ronald Rubin & Alex Haley
April 10, 1980 (1980-04-10)
66"The Black Travelers: Part 2"Jeffrey HaydenStory by : Jim Tisdale
Teleplay by : Ronald Rubin & Alex Haley
April 17, 1980 (1980-04-17)
77"Kidnapped"Gilbert MosesAlex Haley & Ronald RubinApril 24, 1980 (1980-04-24)
88"The Old Sister"Jeffrey HaydenStory by : Saundra Sharp
Teleplay by : Odie Hawkins and Ronald Rubin & Alex Haley
May 1, 1980 (1980-05-01)

Season 2 (1981)

[edit]
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
91"Vendetta"Ivan DixonErnie WallengrenMarch 17, 1981 (1981-03-17)
102"Scandal"UnknownUnknownMarch 24, 1981 (1981-03-24)
113"The Hobo"UnknownUnknownMarch 31, 1981 (1981-03-31)
124"Future City"UnknownUnknownApril 7, 1981 (1981-04-07)
135"Epidemic"UnknownUnknownApril 14, 1981 (1981-04-14)
146"The Threat"UnknownUnknownApril 21, 1981 (1981-04-21)
157"Roadhouse"UnknownUnknownMay 5, 1981 (1981-05-05)
168"Dry Hole"UnknownUnknownMay 19, 1981 (1981-05-19)
179"The Suitor"UnknownUnknownJune 2, 1981 (1981-06-02)
1810"Crossroads"UnknownUnknownJune 9, 1981 (1981-06-09)

See also

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Any Day Now

References

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  1. ^ a b Bianculli, David (2017). The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to the Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9781101911327. page 290
  2. ^ Drew, Bernard Alger (2007). 100 Most Popular African American Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies. Libraries Unlimited. p. 123. ISBN 9781591583226. palmerstown usa.page 123
  3. ^ a b O'Connor, John J. (17 March 1981). "TV: THE RETURN OF 'PALMERSTOWN'". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  4. ^ "'Palmerstown' writer Willard Rodgers dies". The Hollywood Reporter. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  5. ^ Bogle, Donald (2015). Primetime Blues: African Americans on Network Television. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 9781466894457.page 255
  6. ^ "The Story Behind HALEY & LEAR Television Team". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 3 April 1980. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
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