The Amos 'n Andy Show
A television adaptation of the popular radio sitcom "Amos 'n' Andy" (1928-1960) about a small group of African Americans in Chicago. Unlike the radio version, the television series was located in Harlem, New York City, and featured a main cast consisting entirely of African-American actors. The nominal main characters were Amos Jones, owner of a small taxi company, and his friend and lodge brother Andy Brown. The hard-working family man Amos acted as narrator and was often irrelevant to the ongoing plots. The focus was on the overconfident and gullible Andy, who constantly got involved in the money-making schemes of the ambitious con-man George "Kingfish" Stevens. The recurring subplots included Kingfish's efforts to hide his misdeeds from his domineering wife Sapphire, and the perpetually single Andy trying to find a romantic partner for himself.
- 1951-1955
- 4 seasons
- CBS
- Comedy
A television adaptation of the popular radio sitcom "Amos 'n' Andy" (1928-1960) about a small group of African Americans in Chicago. Unlike the radio version, the television series was located in Harlem, New York City, and featured a main cast consisting entirely of African-American actors. The nominal main characters were Amos Jones, owner of a small taxi company, and his friend and lodge brother Andy Brown. The hard-working family man Amos acted as narrator and was often irrelevant to the ongoing plots. The focus was on the overconfident and gullible Andy, who constantly got involved in the money-making schemes of the ambitious con-man George "Kingfish" Stevens. The recurring subplots included Kingfish's efforts to hide his misdeeds from his domineering wife Sapphire, and the perpetually single Andy trying to find a romantic partner for himself.
Season 1 Episode Guide
27 Episodes 1951 - 1952
Episode 1
Kingfish Gets Drafted
Thu, Jun 28, 1951 30 mins
The local draft board mixes up the Kingfish with another George Stevens.
Episode 2
Kingfish's Secretary
Thu, Jul 5, 1951 30 mins
Sapphire becomes jealous over Kingfish's new lodge hall secretary.
Episode 3
The Young Girl's Mother
Thu, Jul 12, 1951 30 mins
In spite of his friends' advice, Andy plans to marry a girl much younger than himself.
Episode 4
The Rare Coin
Thu, Jul 19, 1951 30 mins
The Kingfish swindles Andy out of a rare nickel. Later, he unthinkingly drops it in the slot of a lunchroom's phone booth and places a call. It's now up to Andy and him to figure out how to retrieve the valuable coin without getting caught.
Episode 5
Kingfish Has a Baby
Thu, Jul 26, 1951 30 mins
The Kingfish decides to reform because he thinks he is about to become a father.
Episode 6
Counterfeiters Rent Basement
Thu, Aug 2, 1951
Kingfish rents the lodge hall's basement to a printing company. Unbeknownst to him, the only thing being printed is counterfeit money.
Episode 7
Sapphire Disappears
Thu, Aug 9, 1951 30 mins
After Sapphire and her Mama go missing, the Kingfish fears the worst.
Episode 8
The Winslow Woman
Thu, Aug 16, 1951 30 mins
Kingfish has Andy pose as a baron to trick a rich widow into marrying him.
Episode 9
The Gun
Thu, Aug 23, 1951 30 mins
The Kingfish purchases a gift for Sapphire for their anniversary and inside the gift is a gun that some crooks have hidden. Kingfish decides to pawn the gun so he can buy Sapphire a nicer gift, but things don't work out as planned.
Episode 10
Call Lehigh 4-9900
Thu, Aug 30, 1951 30 mins
Sapphire tells Kingfish to burn some old clothes; rather, he tries to pawn them off on Andy. An old telephone number in a pocket reads, "The Best in Town." This leads to a few predicaments beyond Kingfish's control.
Episode 11
Leroy Lends a Hand
Thu, Sep 6, 1951 30 mins
Sapphire's brother, LeRoy comes to live with them. He goes to work for Kingfish and Andy at their parking lot. Thinking it is a used car lot, he inadvertently sells one of the cars.
Episode 12
The Fur Coat
Thu, Sep 13, 1951 30 mins
When Sapphire visits Mama in Chicago, Kingfish gets a job as a delivery boy for a department store. He tries to deliver a fur coat, but he gets no response and ends up bringing it home. Sapphire returns, finds the coat, and believes it's a present for her.
Episode 13
Jewelry Store Robbery
Thu, Sep 20, 1951 30 mins
Andy inadvertently shoots a photograph of a jewelry store robber, and the Kingfish tries to gyp him out of half the $1,000 reward.
Episode 14
Kingfish's Last Friend
Thu, Sep 27, 1951 30 mins
Feeling that he hasn't a friend in the world, the Kingfish wants to turn over a new leaf by becoming honest.
Episode 15
Andy Buys a House
Thu, Oct 4, 1951 30 mins
Kingfish goes to work for a real estate company. He sells a house to Andy, without informing him that it must be moved because the underlying lot has been condemned to make room for a new highway.
Episode 16
Amos Helps Out
Thu, Oct 11, 1951 30 mins
Feeling that he's unappreciated by his wife, Kingfish concocts a scheme to cause Sapphire to believe they were never legally married.
Episode 17
Getting Mama Married: Part 1
Thu, Oct 18, 1951 30 mins
Kingfish's attempt to marry off Sapphire's mother puts him in dire financial straits.
Episode 18
Getting Mama Married: Part 2
Thu, Oct 25, 1951 30 mins
Having learned his mother-in-law's suitor is a con-artist, Kingfish digs himself ever deeper trying to fix things.
Episode 19
The Happy Stevenses
Thu, Nov 1, 1951 30 mins
The Kingfish and Sapphire are faithful listeners to The Happy Harringtons radio program, and they wish some of Harry and Harriet's happiness would rub off on their marriage.
Episode 20
Traffic Violation
Thu, Nov 8, 1951 30 mins
Kingfish and Andy are sharing weekly driving privileges of a used car. After a traffic court judge warns the Kingfish that his next court appearance will land him in jail, he wrecks the car and hands the attending police officer Andy's license as identification. Next step: Fool Andy into thinking that he's suffering from amnesia.
Episode 21
Quo Vadis
Thu, Nov 15, 1951 30 mins
When an old school chum visits New York, the Kingfish poses as a millionaire in order to perpetuate a hometown myth that he's an extremely successful New York businessman.
Episode 22
The Diner
Thu, Nov 22, 1951 30 mins
While out for a Sunday drive with Sapphire and Mama the Kingfish sees a diner for sale so he and Andy go in together to buy it. Of course things don't work out as planned thanks to a new highway that has routed traffic away from said diner.
Episode 23
The Turkey Dinner
Thu, Nov 29, 1951 30 mins
The Kingfish figures there's a profit to be made, if he can insert himself as the middleman in acquiring the twenty turkeys that Sapphire needs for her woman's club dinner.
Episode 24
Ready-Made Family
Thu, Dec 6, 1951 30 mins
The Kingfish must put together a phony family quickly to convince his visiting Uncle Clarence to keep him in his will after he lied to him in a letter that he had a baby to scam him out of a $500 baby gift.
Episode 25
Relatives
Thu, Dec 20, 1951 30 mins
After Sapphire's mama moves in with the Kingfish and Sapphire a domestic court judge orders Mama to remain nuetral and to stay out of all arguments between man and wife. Naturally the Kingfish uses this order to his advantage
Episode 26
Andy Gets a Telegram
Thu, Dec 27, 1951 30 mins
Andy gets a job opportunity in Brazil. Kingfish seeks to steal the opportunity from Andy, but is foiled when it is discovered that that opportunity was fake, designed by Sapphire to keep Kingfish away from Andy's "bad influence."
Episode 27
Hospitalization
Thu, Jan 3, 1952 30 mins
Kingfish sells Andy a phony hospitalization insurance policy. The con goes awry when Andy winds up in the hospital and wants to file a claim.