Pryor's Place

Pryor's Place is an American children's television series that aired for one season in 1984 on CBS. The live-action series starred comedian Richard Pryor as himself.[1]

Pryor's Place
GenreChildren's television series
Comedy
Created bySid and Marty Krofft
Lorne Frohman
StarringRichard Pryor
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time25 minutes
DistributorSony Pictures Television
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 15 –
December 8, 1984 (1984-12-08)

Overview

Despite a reputation for profanity from Richard Pryor, Pryor's Place was aimed at children. Like Sesame Street, Pryor's Place featured a cast of puppets, hanging out and having fun in a friendly inner city environment along with several children and characters portrayed by Pryor himself.

The theme song was performed by Ray Parker Jr.[2] of Ghostbusters fame, who also appeared in the show's opening credits. The show was also fitted with a laugh track.

Pryor's Place was broadcast on Saturdays on CBS (at 11:30 AM Eastern/10:30 AM Central) from September 15 to December 8, 1984, with repeats airing until June 15, 1985.[3] Four VHS videotapes were released between September 1997 and June 1998 by Rhino Entertainment, each containing one episode of the series.[4][5][6][7]

Episodes
No.TitleOriginal air date
1"High Noon at 5:30 P.M."September 15, 1984 (1984-09-15)
Richie is challenged to an afterschool showdown by Meatrack, the neighborhood bully.
2"To Catch a Little Thief"September 22, 1984 (1984-09-22)
In the series pilot, Richie shoplifts a basketball to join a street gang...but the gang instead leaves him at the mercy of an angry pawnshop-owner and the police.
3"Love Means Never…"September 29, 1984 (1984-09-29)
Richie’s painful first grade first romance.
4"Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb"October 6, 1984 (1984-10-06)
Richie and three ambitious peers ditch school to meet with Joe, a shady talent agent who also happens to own the local video arcade...and who teaches these four young dropouts the value of education, by magically transporting them to a distant planet whose very atmosphere saps points from its denizens' IQs.
5"Close Encounters of…"October 13, 1984 (1984-10-13)
Richie tries to get a fuzzy alien home.
6"Sax Education"October 20, 1984 (1984-10-20)
After misplacing a saxophone which a friend left in his care, Richie must raise $300 to buy a replacement. So he and Wally hold a garage sale, which soon turns into a counterfeit-autograph operation. It all collapses around the boys' ears, however, when Wally proves to be hardly the world's greatest name-speller (as that baseball signed by "Ron Sey" will verify).
7"Readers of the Lost Art"October 27, 1984 (1984-10-27)
Richie and Wally think reading is uncool.
8"Divorce Children’s Style"November 3, 1984 (1984-11-03)
Divorce sometimes happens, but what does it do to the kids involved?
9"The Kimosabe Blues"November 10, 1984 (1984-11-10)
A feud between Richie and Wally threatens not only their friendship but also their grade on a joint school project.
10"The Showoff"November 17, 1984 (1984-11-17)
Richie is terrified to perform in front of his first audience.
11"Cousin Rita"November 24, 1984 (1984-11-24)
Wally gets a crush on Richie's teenage cousin.
12"Home Free"December 1, 1984 (1984-12-01)
Amanda reveals a traumatic incident from her past to Richie.
13"Too Old Too Soon, Too Smart Too Late"December 8, 1984 (1984-12-08)
Richie learns the importance of respecting his elders.

Cast
  • Richard Pryor as Himself
  • Akili Prince as Little Richie
  • Cliffy Magee as Wallace "Wally" Walker
  • Michael Sheehan as Puppeteer

Guest Stars

Recurring Cast
  • Marla Gibbs as Ms. Stern (episodes: "Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb," "Kimosabe Blues," "Sax Education")
  • Danny Ponce as Charlie (episode: Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb)
  • Danny Nucci as Freddy (episode: Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb)
  • Angela Lee as Sheri (episode: Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb)
  • Patty Maloney as Dummy #1 (episode: Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb)
  • Jimmy Briscoe as Dummy #3 (episode: Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb)
  • Tony Cox as Allen/Dummy #2 (episode: Voyage to the Planet of the Dumb)
  • Spring Mooney as Denise (episode: Cousin Rita)
  • Lily Mariye as Lily (episode: Cousin Rita)
  • Regina Hooks as Regina (episode: Cousin Rita)
  • E. Hampton Beagle as Anything Shop Owner (episode: To Catch a Little Thief)
  • Milt Kogan as Solly (episode: To Catch a Little Thief and episode: High Noon at 5:30 p.m.)
  • Stephen Rumph as Jake (episode: To Catch a Little Thief)
  • Chez Lister as J.D. (episode: To Catch a Little Thief)
  • Carol Lipin as Woman in Prison (episode: To Catch a Little Thief)
  • Keland Love as Meatrack (episode: High Noon at 5:30 p.m.)
  • Elliot Sarkin as Ronny Chung (episode: High Noon at 5:30 p.m.)
  • Scooter Stevens as Kid #1 (episode: High Noon at 5:30 p.m.)/Sid (episode: Kimosabe Blues)
  • Leanne Richelle as Patty (episode: Kimosabe Blues)
  • Sean Garrett McFrazier as Marty (episode: Kimosabe Blues)

References
  1. Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 352. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  2. Retrojunk.com - Pryor's Place (intro)
  3. TV Party - Saturday Mornings 1984
  4. Vol. 1 at AllMovie
  5. Vol. 2 at AllMovie
  6. Vol. 3 at AllMovie
  7. Vol. 4 at AllMovie
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