AMEN: PILOT {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The pilot of this comedy series about a dishonest church deacon and his relatives and friends.
At the First Community Church of Philadelphia, Deacon Ernest Frye yells at his reverend; he is concerned about the falling church attendance and the reverend’s increasing weight. The deacon believes these problems are related and wants the reverend to go on a diet, but the reverend quits in protest. During choir rehearsal, Deacon Frye speaks with Marvin, a teenage member of the choir hoping to attend college on a basketball scholarship. The choir ejects a college basketball recruiter hoping to speak to Marvin, although Deacon Frye secretly hopes to take advantage of the situation to get money for the church. At a meeting of the church board of trustees, Deacon Frye interviews Reverend Reuben Gregory, a prospective candidate to replace the former reverend. The interview is interrupted by the arrival of Deacon Frye’s daughter Thelma, who is inconsolable since the object of her affection married another woman, the latest in a long line of such incidents. Deacon Frye returns to the interview and sends Reverend Gregory outside while they vote; Deacon Frye believes he has a “holier-than-thou” attitude for his commitment to spiritual matters above that of financial or protocol concerns, but the other board members approve of him and a majority vote earns him the position.
Soon after starting his new job, Reverend Gregory meets with Marvin and his mother. He tells the Reverend that Deacon Frye managed to earn him a hefty payoff from one of the college basketball scouts, and he is receiving the money for it tonight. Marvin is pleased with this deal, but his mother warns him about being incautious. That night, Reverend Gregory accompanies Marvin to Deacon Frye’s house. Reverend Gregory argues with Deacon Frye about the payoff for Marvin; the deacon rationalizes the logic of his decision as being for Marvin’s benefit despite being illegal. Reverend Gregory pleads with Marvin not to accept the payment, asserting that he is a good, smart kid who won’t be swayed by attempts to use him in the name of profit. Ultimately, Marvin listens to Reverend Gregory and tears up the check. Reverend Gregory is disgusted by Deacon Frye’s behavior and urges him to step down, but Deacon Frye refuses to budge, claiming that he will be in charge of the church until his dying day. Reverend Gregory leaves just before Thelma can return to try to woo him. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: September 27, 1986 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:23:57
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:62221
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; African-American Collection - Comedy
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1986-1991
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ed. Weinberger … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Michael Leeson … Executive Producer
- Marcia Govons … Supervising Producer
- Reuben Cannon … Producer
- Ken Johnston … Producer
- Rikk Greengrass … Associate Producer
- Stan Lathan … Director
- Andrae Crouch … Music by, Theme Music by
- Sandra Crouch … Music by
- Vanessa Bell Armstrong … Theme Music by
- Sherman Hemsley … Cast, Deacon Ernest Frye
- Clifton Davis … Cast, Reverend Reuben Gregory
- Anna Maria Horsford … Cast, Thelma Frye
- Barbara Montgomery … Cast, Cassietta Hetebrink
- Roz Ryan … Cast, Amelia Hetebrink
- Maria McDonald … Cast, Michelle
- E'Lon (See also: E'Lon Cox) … Cast, Winston
- Franklyn Seales … Cast, Lorenzo Hollingsworth
- John Hancock … Cast, Reverend
- Marilyn Coleman … Cast, Mrs. Russell
- Willie Walton … Cast, Marvin
- Rick Fitts … Cast, Talent Scout