Amos 'n' Andy: A Lightning Rod for Controversy

From June 2011: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss the premiere of the television adaptation of Amos 'n' Andy (CBS, 1951-1953) on June 28, 1951; the controversy that preceded and followed the series, as it aired during the era of segregation in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement; why CBS pulled the series from syndication in 1966; and how some of the stereotypes in casting the series—particularly, that Alvin Childress and Spencer Williams, the African-American actors who played the title roles, were instructed to pattern their voices and delivery after Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, the two white actors who created Amos 'n' Andy for CBS and played the characters on radio—still exist in the industry today. Also discussed this segment: The TV version of Amos 'n' Andy was among the first shows to be filmed using a three-camera setup (implementing that technique four months before I Love Lucy did, when that show premiered in October 1951), while the writers of Amos 'n' Andy included Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, the future creators of Leave It to Beaver and The Munsters.

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