Roc (TV series)

infobox television
show_name = Roc


caption =
format = Comedy-drama
runtime = 30 min.
creator =
starring = Charles S. Dutton
Ella Joyce
Rocky Carroll
Carl Gordon
country = USA
executive_producer = Vic Kaplan
network = FOX
opentheme = "God Bless the Child" by Jerry Lawson
"Live Your Life Today" by En Vogue
camera =
first_aired = August 24 1991
last_aired = May 10 1994
num_episodes = 72
num_seasons = 3
tv_com_id = 1722
imdb_id = 0101184
website =

"Roc" is a Fox network comedy-drama which ran from 1991 to 1994. It starred Charles S. Dutton as Baltimore garbage collector Roc Emerson and Ella Joyce as his wife Eleanor.

Overview

Early episodes

"Roc" began life as a normal television sitcom, chronicling the ups and downs of Emerson, his wife Eleanor, his father Andrew (Carl Gordon), and his ne'er-do-well brother Joey (Rocky Carroll), an aspiring musician who'd recently returned to the neighborhood. A much-played scene during the series' promotion featured Roc greeting his returning brother with a casual glance and a tired "Hey, Joey." When Eleanor suggests that he should have more to say, Roc agrees, and follows up with "Hey, Joey, where's my money?"

Live performances

The four principal cast members were all accomplished stage actors, and had become acquainted with each other while appearing in various August Wilson plays on Broadway. Thus, the producers and the Fox network agreed to air each episode of the second season as a live performance. Each episode from Season 2 began with a prologue, where one of the cast members directly addressed the home viewers for a few minutes. A current events item from the past week (or even that very day) would always be mentioned to "prove" that (East Coast) viewers were indeed watching a live performance, and current events from the previous week were frequently incorporated into the dialogue. "Roc" is the only prime time scripted American series to broadcast each episode of an entire season live since the late 1950s.

ocial commentaries

As it progressed, the series adopted a more dramatic tone, with several installments featuring social commentaries on gang activities, violence among youths, the consequences of drug use on childbirth, and the plight of African-Americans in the United States.

One of the central problems around town was the arrival of a powerful drug dealer named Andre, whose efforts throughout the community were met with counter-movements from Roc and others. This began with a brief showdown at Roc's home in which an angered Roc eventually grabbed hold of Andre and warned him that his actions would not go unchallenged. This soon gave rise to several new characters, including a vigilante named Ronnie (played by rapper Tone Lōc) and Calvin, a co-worker and friend of Roc's (played by rapper Heavy D). As the story line progressed, victories were back-and-forth between the two sides, with Andre taking one of Joey's young friends under his influence, taunting Roc, and eventually being shot on-screen by an unseen assailant. Roc became a quick police suspect but was exonerated, with the shooter soon revealed to be Calvin. As Calvin began his prison sentence, Roc and Eleanor agreed to raise his teenage daughter Sheila (Alexis Fields). Once recovered, Andre was eventually confronted by Joey, Ronnie, and several of their friends about his continuing to trouble the community. After later expressing a measure of respect toward Roc, Andre would soon begin steps toward reformation.

The series moved on, continuing to mix humor and occasional drama.

Response

While fans were devoted, their numbers were also low; for three seasons, "Roc" was acclaimed critically but was generally towards the bottom of the Neilsen ratings (though it did quite well in African-American households). "Roc" gained recognition in the form of award nominations, including an Emmy nomination for its camera work, with Charles Dutton receiving an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in comedy.

Theme music

The series' theme song began as "God Bless the Child," performed by noted a cappella singer Jerry Lawson (lead singer of The Persuasions) and three unknown studio singers, and was eventually replaced with "Live Your Life Today," performed by En Vogue.

Cast

Main cast

*Charles S. Dutton - Roc Emerson
*Ella Joyce - Eleanor Emerson
*Rocky Carroll - Joey Emerson
*Carl Gordon - Andrew Emerson

Recurring cast

*Garrett Morris - Wiz (Season 1)
*Alexis Fields - Sheila Hendricks (Season 3)
*Clifton Powell - Andre
*Heavy D - Calvin
*Tone Lōc - Ronnie Paxton
*Jamie Foxx - Crazy George
*Darryl Sivad - Sly
*Joan Pringle - Matty

Trivia

*During the third season, audiences called a 900 number to decide the name of Roc and Eleanor's new baby, who was named Marcus Garvey Emerson.

External links

*imdb title|0101184|Roc
* [http://www.tv.com/roc/show/1722/summary.html&full_summary=1 "Roc" at TV.com]
* [http://www.jumptheshark.com/topic/roc-general-comments/1681 Jump The Shark - Roc]