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Palmerstown, U.S.A. is a television drama series that aired on CBS from March 20, 1980 to June 9, 1981. It was created by Norman Lear and Alex Haley, whose childhood was the basis for the series. It tells the story of two nine-year-old boys in the rural Southern community of Palmerstown who become best friends during the Great Depression, despite one being black and the other being white.
Original Release
03/10/1980 on CBS
US Release
03/10/1980
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Jonelle Allen | Bessie Freeman |
| Beeson Carroll | W.D. Hall / W. D. Hall |
| Bill Duke | Luther Freeman |
| Janice St. John | Coralee Hall |
| Michael J. Fox | Willy-Joe Hall |
| Star-Shemah Bobatoon | Diana Freeman |
| Jermain H. Johnson | Booker T. Freeman |
| Brian G. Wilson | David Hall |
| Kenneth White | Sheriff |
| Iris Korn | Widow Brown / Widder Brown / Widder Sarah Brown |
| # | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vendetta | Sunday, 19 July 1981 |
| 2 | Scandal | Sunday, 26 July 1981 |
| 3 | The Hobo | Sunday, 16 August 1981 |
| 4 | Future City | Sunday, 30 August 1981 |
| 5 | Epidemic | Tuesday, 14 April 1981 |
| 6 | The Threat | Tuesday, 21 April 1981 |
| 7 | Roadhouse | Sunday, 13 September 1981 |
| 8 | Dry Hole | Tuesday, 19 May 1981 |
| 9 | The Suitor | Sunday, 02 August 1981 |
| 10 | Crossroads | Tuesday, 09 June 1981 |
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Directors
Jeffrey Hayden, Larry Elikann, Kenneth Gilbert, Peter Levin, Ivan Dixon, Joseph Pevney, Georg Stanford Brown, Gilbert Moses
Writers
Alex Haley, Ronald Rubin, Michael McGreevey, Bud Freeman, Jim Tisdale, Noreen Stone, Juliet Law Packer, Max Hodge, S. Pearl Sharp, Robert E. Price, Odie Hawkins, Frank Dandridge, Ernie Wallengren, Ron Rubin
Creators
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Jonelle Allen | Bessie Freeman |
| Beeson Carroll | W.D. Hall / W. D. Hall |
| Bill Duke | Luther Freeman |
| Janice St. John | Coralee Hall |
| Michael J. Fox | Willy-Joe Hall |
| Star-Shemah Bobatoon | Diana Freeman |
| Jermain H. Johnson | Booker T. Freeman |
| Brian G. Wilson | David Hall |
| Kenneth White | Sheriff |
| Iris Korn | Widow Brown / Widder Brown / Widder Sarah Brown |
| Wally Taylor | Jacob |
| Macon McCalman | Mayor Virgil Quaid / Mayor |
| Helen Martin | Pearl |
| Davis Roberts | Reverend Teasdale |
| Otis Young | Hoss Washington |
| Sean Michael Rice | Rusty |
| John Carter | Mr. Polk |
| William Sanderson | Henry Redmond / Merwin Noon |
| Henry G. Sanders | Josh |
| Ketty Lester | Sister Hattie |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Danny Martinez | Executive Producer |
| Alex Haley | Executive Producer |
| Alex Haley | Producer |
| Ronald Rubin | Producer |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1981 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 1981 | Emmy | Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for a Series | Nominated |
| 1980 | Emmy | Outstanding Art Direction for a Series | Won |
