AMEN: SERMON FROM THE CELL (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy television series about a dishonest church deacon and his relatives and friends.
Amelia organizes a meeting of church staff in order to teach them first aid procedures, as she is certified to be able to do so. During the lesson two immigration officers enter and produce a warrant for Reverend Gregory’s arrest. This baffles Deacon Frye, but Reverend Gregory explains that he recently took in a family of refugees from El Salvador, which is against the law. The other church members express admiration for his kindness, and Deacon Frye vows to represent him legally in order to get him released. Reverend Gregory is taken into custody and eventually goes to trial. However, during the trial Reverend Gregory reveals that he intends to plead guilty, against Deacon Frye’s advice. The state decides to suspend his sentence in light of his lack of a previous criminal record, and the judge rules it so. However, the proviso of this ruling requires that Reverend Gregory abandon his duties at the church, which he refuses to do. Deacon Frye and Reverend Gregory get into an argument about the matter, and in the process Deacon Frye is charged with contempt of court after accidentally insulting the judge. Both of them are imprisoned for the next 24 hours, and Reverend Gregory is sentenced to a week in a penitentiary.
They share a cell together and Deacon Frye elects to show Reverend Gregory “the ropes,” although it quickly becomes clear that he is quite inept at prison life. They discover from their cellmate that the prisoners are on a hunger strike, and he confiscates their meals when they arrive. Meanwhile, Cassietta, Amelia, and Thelma prepare a care package for Reverend Gregory, filling it with baked goods. Deacon Frye is released and returns home, generally met with disinterest and a lack of sympathy. In prison, Reverend Gregory is upset that he will not be able to deliver his weekly Sabbath sermon. He decides to attempt to preach to his fellow prisoners, specifically to his cellmate Willie. At first, Willie is unreceptive to his sermon, but slowly comes to listen to him and seems to be inspired and energized by his words. Eventually Reverend Gregory is released, and Willie asks him to return sometime, promising that he will bring in more prisoners to hear his sermons. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: 1986-91 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:24:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:62924
- 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
- David Lloyd … Executive Producer
- Jack Seifert … Supervising Producer
- Peter Noah … Producer
- Reuben Cannon … Co-Producer
- Ken Johnston … Co-Producer
- Michael Stokes … Associate Producer
- Bill Foster … Director
- Jack Spencer Gorden … Writer
- Andrae Crouch … Music by, Theme 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
- Jester Hairston … Cast, Rolly Forbes
- Ji-Tu (See also: Ji-Tu Cumbuka) … Cast, Willie
- Neva Patterson … Cast, Judge Blandis
- Conroy Gedeon … Cast, The Agent
- Bennet Guillory … Cast, The Prosecutor
- Roger Hampton … Cast, The Bailiff
- Charles Bazaldua … Cast, The Guard